Resident Evil 7: Banned Footage Vol. 2 Beginner Tips

Content warning: this guide discusses mature survival-horror DLC in non-graphic terms, including captivity, violence, gore, and family trauma.

Banned Footage Vol. 2 is not one long episode. It is three very different pieces of Resident Evil 7 side content: 21, Daughters, and Jack’s 55th Birthday. The first is a deadly card game, the second is a short Zoe Baker story route, and the third is a strange timed score mode about feeding Jack as fast as possible.

That variety is the trap. If you bring the base campaign mindset into every mode, you will overfight in Daughters, undercount in 21, and waste too much time in Jack’s 55th Birthday. Treat each tape like its own rule set, learn what it is actually scoring, and you can clear the pack without turning it into a full campaign replay.

How to Approach Vol. 2

Start by separating the modes in your head. 21 rewards patience, counting, and Trump Card timing. Daughters rewards observation and remembering what changed after your first ending. Jack’s 55th Birthday rewards fast routing, clean inventory space, and killing enemies for time control. They share the Baker house mood, but they do not share the same rhythm.

If you are playing the pack blind, clear each mode once before chasing ranks or perfect outcomes. That first pass teaches the interface, the rooms, and the fail states. After that, replays become much cleaner because the DLC is compact and built around repeat knowledge.

Essential Tips

1. In 21, Count the Shared Deck

21 looks like blackjack, but the deck is tighter and more readable than a normal card game. The cards run from 1 through 11 with no duplicates, and both players draw from the same pool. That means every face-up card matters. Before you hit, check your total, Hoffman’s visible card, and the numbers already gone.

Do not focus only on your current hand. If you know several high cards are already visible, a risky draw may be safer than it looks. If the remaining unseen cards can easily push you over, staying early can be the better play even when your number feels low. The mode is still tense, but it is less random when you treat every card as information.

2. Check Trump Cards Before Every Big Choice

Trump Cards are where 21 stops being ordinary blackjack. They can change the value target, force draws, alter bets, and swing a round that looked lost. Open the card view before committing to hit or stay, especially once multiple effects are active on the table.

Spend weak cards to create small advantages, but hold powerful cards for rounds where the penalty is rising or Lucas has changed the rules. A good Trump Card used one turn too early can leave you exposed on the round that actually decides the match.

3. Treat Daughters as a Route Puzzle

Daughters is short, but the True Ending expects you to notice small household interactions. The first ending teaches the shape of the night; the next run is about finding what you can change. Look for drawers, lamps, laptops, passwords, and familiar Baker house items that now have a different purpose.

When the house turns hostile, avoid sprinting past clues just because the scene is stressful. Zoe has enough inventory room to carry route items, and several key actions happen before the final escape attempt. If something seems like flavor, check it anyway. This mode hides progress in ordinary rooms more than in combat.

4. Use Doors and Small Items During the Chase

Once Daughters shifts into escape pressure, survival is about buying seconds and using the room. Close doors behind you when the route gives you the chance, and remember that simple items can matter. A rope, a fork, or a dog-head relief can be more important than any weapon because this mode is not asking Zoe to fight like Ethan.

If you hit a dead end, think like the base house puzzles: a small object may change a door, window, or hidden path. Slow down just enough to scan interaction points before restarting. The scenario is compact enough that each failed attempt should teach a cleaner route.

5. In Jack’s 55th Birthday, Pack Light

Jack’s 55th Birthday is scored around speed and feeding efficiency. Weapons and bonus items help, but every non-food item takes inventory space that could carry another meal back to Jack. Before leaving the safe area, decide what you truly need for the stage instead of emptying the item box into Mia’s pockets.

A simple loadout often works better than a full one: enough firepower to clear required enemies, a useful time bonus, and room for food. Too many trips back to Jack will ruin a run faster than a slightly weaker weapon will.

6. Kill Enemies for Time, Not Just Safety

This mode flips the usual Resident Evil instinct. In the base campaign, avoiding Molded can save ammunition. In Jack’s 55th Birthday, defeating enemies can slow the timer, open doors, and build the time cushion you need for higher ranks. If a room blocks a shortcut or contains valuable food, clearing it can be the fastest option.

That does not mean wander around hunting every enemy with no plan. Clear the threats on your route, grab the best food, and keep looping efficiently. The goal is not a clean house; it is a fast plate.

7. Combine Food Before Feeding Jack

Some food and drink items can be combined for stronger satisfaction gains. Before dumping everything onto Jack’s table, pause in the safe area and check whether your inventory can make a better meal. This is especially useful when a stage feels like it needs one more trip but your bag already has enough ingredients to finish.

Build the habit early. Combining food keeps runs shorter, reduces risky backtracking, and makes rank attempts less dependent on perfect movement.

8. Replay Early Stages to Unlock Better Tools

Jack’s 55th Birthday opens gradually. Later stages and stronger support items come from earning decent ranks, so do not judge the mode by your first messy Guest House run. A B or A rank can unlock the next layer, and then revisiting earlier stages with better items becomes much easier.

If an S-rank attempt feels barely out of reach, step sideways instead of grinding the same route for an hour. Improve a rank elsewhere, unlock a helpful item, then return with a cleaner loadout.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Do not play 21 by gut feeling only. Visible cards are real information, and the no-duplicate deck makes counting worthwhile.

2. Do not waste Trump Cards on harmless rounds. Save your strongest effects for high-penalty hands or table states you cannot beat normally.

3. Do not treat Daughters like a combat chapter. Zoe’s best answers are route items, doors, clues, and timing.

4. Do not overpack in Jack’s 55th Birthday. Extra weapons and bonuses can cost more time than they save if they crowd out food.

5. Do not ignore food combinations. Feeding Jack uncombined ingredients can add unnecessary trips and weaken your final rank.

Mode Priorities

For 21, your priority is information. Count cards, track table effects, and use Trump Cards to turn dangerous hands into controlled wins. Take your time because the danger comes from bad decisions, not a movement timer.

For Daughters, your priority is observation. The True Ending path depends on interacting with the right objects before the escape route closes. Your first ending is not wasted; it is the clue that the scenario has another layer.

For Jack’s 55th Birthday, your priority is tempo. Leave the safe area with a lean kit, kill route enemies for time control, combine food where possible, and return to Jack with full hands instead of half-filled inventory loops.

Summary

Category	Top Tip
21	Count visible cards and plan around the shared no-duplicate deck.
Trump Cards	Save the strongest effects for high-risk rounds.
Daughters	Search for small route items before forcing the escape.
Jack’s 55th Birthday	Keep inventory space open for food and combinations.
Replays	Use early clears to unlock better tools before chasing ranks.