Ever since longtime series hero Chris Redfield was revealed at the end of Resident Evil 7, fans have been confused about his drastic change in appearance. In fact, Chris Redfield looks so different in Resident Evil 7 that it spawned a number of conspiracy theories claiming the Chris seen in the new game is an impostor of sorts. However, Capcom has finally laid these claims to rest, and has offered an explanation as to why Chris looks so different in Resident Evil 7.

According to Resident Evil 7 game director Koshi Nakanishi, Chris's new look came about because Capcom decided to use photo-scan technology to create characters this time around. In past Resident Evil games, characters were created by hand, which allowed the designers to create people with more exaggerated features, like Chris's absurd muscle mass in Resident Evil 5 and 6. Ultimately, this change in direction demanded a more realistic approach to the Chris Redfield character, which is why he looks different in the new game.

Fans can check out Nakanishi's detailed explanation in the developer interview below:

Even with Nakanishi's explanation for Chris's new look, some fans may remain unconvinced. After call, Capcom itself has recently teased Chris Redfield conspiracy theorists about his new appearance, suggesting that there may be something to the theories that he is a clone or Umbrella operative HUNK unmasked.

Then again, that could just be Capcom having fun with its audience. And with Nakanishi's explanation, that does appear to be the case. However, even though we now know why Chris Redfield has a new look in Resident Evil 7, there are still some unanswered questions about the character that need to be addressed.

The biggest mystery revolving around Chris Redfield and Resident Evil 7 is why the longtime hero is now working with Umbrella, which seems to be reformed from its once-evil ways. Hopefully clarification on that matter comes with the release of the Not A Hero DLC for Resident Evil 7, which is scheduled to release for free on this coming Tuesday, December 12th.

Resident Evil 7 is available now for PC, PS4, PlayStation VR, and Xbox One.