The Evil Within is a survival horror game from the mind who brought us Resident Evil, Shinji Mikami. Considering Mikami gave birth to the survival horror genre, this return to form has had a lot of expectations thrust on its shoulders from the get-go. When the game released back in 2014, it was met with mixed reviews. Some praised it for being a true return to form survival horror experience with disgustingly beautiful monster designs and excellent level design, two staple features of the Resident Evil franchise; while others looked down on The Evil Within for its clunky combat, bland & cliche characters, and the feel that it's less a step forward in the genre as it was being stuck in a "greatest hits" play-by-play of the horror genre. Having played it for the first time in 2020, I can see both sides of the argument and understand where they are coming from. While yes, it is a little disappointing that the creator of the survival horror genre didn't quite push the genre forward into next gen like a lot of fans were hoping, rather instead it is a love letter to the fans of the genre, with a few glaring shortcomings.
One of the most notable complaints out the gate, the protagonist Sebastian Castellanos is extremely cliche, and provides little reason for us to care about him. He's a hard boiled, gruff detective with a tragic past, driven to alcoholism, which is little more than a template for a character on which to expand, which the game never does. Sebastian as a vehicle for the player is serviceable, but he lacks any distinct personality or charm that make your time with him bearable. The same cannot be said for the world in which Sebastian inhabits. When the evil within begins, Sebastian, his partner Joesph and rookie Kidman investigate a morbid scene at Beacon Mental Hospital. From there, they're injected into the horrific and visceral world of inside the mind of a psychopath through the use of a machine called STEM, its mysteries unveiling themselves as the game goes on. I don't want to say too much about the story in case you haven't played it, but the villain, Ruvik, provides a great antagonist and intense presence. His story is a slow reveal which was a delight to watch unfold.
The levels and monsters within this devilish landscape are amazing, constantly varied and packed full of terror, horrific monsters and twisting boss encounters. The brilliance of Mikami shines through here, as every chapter of The Evil Within brings with it a new form of terror to sneak away from admits a masterfully crafted level. From the starting chapters delapidated village with zombie like inhabitants, underground infested sewer system, abandoned hospital and sprawling, creepy manor, a lot of the levels feel like a wink and nod to classic horror tropes. While familiar, there's a lot to see and do in each chapter. Traps and puzzles galore, there's so many ways to be torn apart and kept on your toes here, providing a very satisfying run through of each tried and tested local. The excellent sound design makes each level that much more effective however. Creaks of doors and distant groans and rips permeate the hallowed halls and caverns, creating a tense and foreboding atmosphere at every turn. Accompany this with The Evil Within'sdesign choice to letterbox your vision in order to create a more cinematic experience, it's clear presentation was a priority. The letterbox cuts off your vision from the top and bottom, leaving you a little vulnerable when you can't see exactly what it is that's coming. For the duration of my play through, I turned this off. For me it was too distracting and I felt it got in the way more often than it enchanced my experience. In The Evil Within, sometimes what you don't see and hear is more terrifying than what you do
It's a little old school in its design, levels are linear and rely on the same method of explore, gather, sneak and traverse again and again. Whether this feels like a step back of a refreshing reminder of games of old, is up to you. Personally, I enjoyed the levels enough to overlook the repetitive nature, as I enjoyed the gameplay loop and exploration. While you cannot experiment and tinker with how you go about the progression of the main game, you can with how you deal with the onslaught coming. You get a weighty arsenal, starting with a standard pistol and working your way up through more robust ways of dealing with enemies, such as a shotgun. The most useful and tactical weapon is the Agony Crossbow. This provides various ways to go about the levels with the different bolts. Harpoon bolts deal near one hit kills, shock and freeze bolts halt enemies in their tracks, mine bolts can be used to dispatch large groups or set traps, and blinding bolts do as they say. The catch is you must craft these bolts using scrap you find in each level, either by dismantling traps or breaking boxes. Ammo, health syringes and other precious survival tools are rare and hard to come by, reinforcing the survival in survival horror. With the crossbow and limited ammo, how you choose to navigate is a vicious choice. Do you fight and use ammo? Do you shock enemies in one place and make a mad dash through? Or do you take it slow and sneak your way through? Any of these options are viable, enemies do considerable damage and notice you with surprising grace, so think carefully about how you proceed. Sebastian can be upgraded through the use of green gel obtained in the world and through defeating enemies. You upgrade in an electric chair in the games hub world, a sort of pocket dimension hosted by a strange and ethereal nurse. Each upgrades effects are felt immediately, making what you choose to upgrade important. Given that green gel must be manually picked up, sometimes in dangerous locations, the risk and reward is great.
Even when the game closes, it presents new ways to entice you to replay the experience, and you absolutely should. The games AKUMU mode is the toughest challenge the game has to offer, and even if a one hit death isn't your cup of tea, it's worth trying just for the intensity it brings.
Overall, I have lot more positive things to say about the evil within than negative. The paper thin character of Sebastian is overshadowed by the likes of Kidman, a character which even got her own DLC. The combat sometimes feels clunky and unresponsive, the colour palette is in desperate need of an upgrade and you absolutely have to stop finding ways to make us fall underground. The story length could have shed a few chapters, i felt it drag more than it should have in the closing hours. Even so, when repetition sets in and you start feeling the hours slog by, an excellent boss encounter that will leave your heart pounding for a while after it's done comes along to remind you that you're never safe. Narrowly clearly a chapter with a single bullet to your name, successfully besting a trap riddled room provides some extreme satisfaction. Sometimes while playing it, the phase "one step forward, two steps back" came into mind, but after finishing it and taking a day to reflect, I see now that maybe I missed the point. The Evil Within embodies a "greatest hits of horror" mentality, showcasing why this genre is so loved and lasting, and why Shinji Mikami is the master of survival horror. The unique setting, grotesque creature design, tough as nails gameplay and unforgiving survival, make the evil within an absolute must play for any survival horror fan.
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