Resident Evil 7 has a lot of bosses and one of those is bosses comes within just the first hour of starting the game. This boss is a bit of a spoiler as the character isn't really perceived as a villain when you initially meet them and they aren't featured in the marketing really. This all happens before you encounter the Baker family for the first time, so if you aren't that far and haven't reached a boss battle you may want to bookmark this page until you reach this section.
With that out of the way, let's get into how to defeat the possessed version of Mia in the guest house at the start of the game. Some people told me they had some troubles with this boss but I personally did it one go. However, if you are struggling (which is understandable) we have some tips to help you defeat her!
We'll start with the first encounter with the possessed Mia when she attacks you on the basement stairs with the knife.
Before we break down how to actually fight her, there are some first aid potion bottles in the bathroom across the room you fight in. We suggest picking these up before the fight just in case she gets a few good hits on you. After defending yourself against your crazy wife, she'll knock you into a room with some bookshelves and desks. Ethan will automatically pick up an axe lying on the floor, but Mia is quick and she can take a few blows before she goes down.
The tactic I used to defeat her was just getting really close to her and circling around her while beating her over the head with the axe. This does work for the most part, but she will sometimes frantically swing behind her to knock you back and damage you. I highly recommend taking a couple steps back after every few hits you get on her. If she ever grapples onto you, just keep hitting her! She should go down pretty quickly!
After this, there's a brief moment of peace until your next encounter where she throws you against the wall and cuts off your hand next to the staircase. Although it's made to look like you can prevent your hand from being sliced off, you can't. It's just to build tension.
Mia will then run away before you can do anything. Make your way up to the attic and grab the gun, ammo, and health potion in the first room on your right. Heal yourself right here and then proceed into the next room. Before climbing the ladder out the window, search the room for ammo. There should be some on to the left of the bed (next to the door you came in), next to the pile of boxes and junk to the right of the ladder, and on the table in the room to the right of the ladder. There's also a health potion behind the door in that same room.
Now that you're stocked up, it's time for battle. Climb the ladder and once Mia chainsaws the window open, climb off the ladder. This will prevent you from getting knocked over when she kicks the ladder down. As soon as she enters the room, she will charge you so you need to move away quickly. If you're on normal/easy, you're going to want to aim for the head but a few body shots will also help. Don't worry if you miss, you should be able to knock her down.
If you're on Madhouse difficulty, you're going to need to make almost every shot a headshot. Don't panic too much, stay calm and shoot when she isn't charging you. If you have a cassette tape still, I highly recommend popping it into the tape player in the room below (where you originally found the tapes).
For all three difficulties, you're going to want to keep as much distance between you and Mia as possible. She's an absolute lunatic and you don't want to see the sharp end of that chainsaw. Keep in mind, you're not locked in this room with her. You can exit the room (I recommend closing doors behind you if you can to slow her down), but you can't go back downstairs as the stairs have folded back up.
If you decide to go into the room you got the gun in, she won't come through the door if it's closed. She will instead cut down the wall behind you and enter that way. It is incredibly vital that you stay on the move otherwise she will take advantage of your idleness. As long as you're constantly moving, keeping her in your line of site, and unloading bullets into her whenever you can, you'll be able to take her down.
We gave Resident Evil 7 a perfect score in our review which you can read here! If you're looking for some guides on some of the collectibles, you can read our guides on all VHS tapes (with puzzle solutions) and the locations of all 20 Mr. Everywhere bobbleheads. For more tips and tricks on bosses and other things in Resident Evil 7, stay tuned to GameZone.
Resident Evil 7 is out now on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.