The Evil Within is a true return to form. Not just for Shinji Mikami, but for the whole survival horror genre this is a great title. Anyone that grew up with games like Resident Evil or Silent Hill will be enjoying this game to the fullest.
Rating this in 2023, straight after playing Resident Evil 4: Remake.
This game was not only great for its time, but is objectively great now. Yes, the graphics are rough, the controls are clunky and the mechanics are dated. But there is a genuine sense of horror and suspense throughout the game. Something RE4R failed to offer at all. Different things happen which keeps the game interesting. Well worth a playthrough.
The Evil Within isn't without some glaring shortcomings, but overall, this is survival horror at its most brutally rewarding. A triumphant return for Shinji Mikami.
Unfair difficulty spikes swap out the title’s pervading sense of fear for outright frustration at times, while technical issues undo the developer’s outstanding art direction. Thankfully, legendary director Shinji Mikami doesn’t disappoint in the gameplay department, forcing you to get creative with your plentiful combat options due to an unending absence of resources.
Final Thoughts:
The Evil Within is great fun…as an action game. Its gameplay and mechanics make the player think about their next moves, and with some thrilling tension and glimmers of plot potential, it’s a decent start to a series I’m looking forward to continuing.
For the full review and more posts like it, visit my site: The Phoenix Project - Read. Watch. Play.
Despite the 7 i really enjoyed this game a lot, i was reading the collectables to undertstand even more about the game. The probems are the grapichs i also hate the annoying black bars on the top and bottem of the screen and theres not much horror, felt more like a resident evil game but with bad graphics
Just based on the first chapter:
There's a comical amount of gore in this game. I can't take the horror element seriously. There's a frickin blood-drenched slip n slide 10 minutes in. Honestly, I find this game to simply be more unpleasant than horrific. The slow pace of moving around the environment isn't really setting a mood for me. Hiding just makes this feel like Outlast.
The guy with the chainsaw bounces around like a kid throwing a tantrum. While I'm sure it'd be a "wtf" moment in real life, it doesn't translate into the game.
Yet somehow, I have to watch the camera bounce with Sebastian as he limps. Odd what they choose to emphasize.
Speaking of, the characters are so lacking in character that they pretty much fit the role of meatbags which the bad guys treat you as. So it doesn't really feel like much is at stake. Just a whole bunch of trial and error. Might as well call it Trial And Error: The Game (Soaked in Blood edition).
There isn't any way to revert to the last checkpoint without dying so you're literally just going to stand there taking 5 chainsaw slashes waiting to die, meanwhile the first guy you see auto kills you? I don't understand the pacing choices.
The grainy filters are really monotonous, btw. That actually references the overarching issue here: it's just a mix of random horror elements thrown into an action game without much explanation.
Okay, he just limped for a while, and then something pounded on the ceiling and he started running. Umm... Why? Did the vibration somehow heal him? You know what, I'm just going to accept that this game makes zero sense.
I'll update my review as I continue to play, but this isn't looking very promising. Really don't see what the hype is about.
Ok it is like Resident Evil meets Silent Hill sort of-ish. It does all the cliché trope horror things. So at no point was I even scared. I liked the action orientated gameplay. It was fun shooting up those freaky freaks. Stealth was ok and mostly not needed. Some meh QTE and scripted instant kill BS, but not that many. The bosses were fun and Silent Hill type memorable. I liked how the environment was used to make it more challenging and also helpful to the player. Progression based skills with scavenging lite and ultra basic crafting is a ok carrot on stick.
The story is ok, but the VA is mostly bad and the dialogue is just crap. The game play and level design is where the fun stuff is at. Thankfully multiple saves even though they are only check point saves. So no save anywhere or any time. I almost thought I would need to reload for lack of health midway, but I **** through on a tiny bit of health for one entire level. The game throws out a lot of cheap tactics and cheap traps. Which is compounded by a bad camera angle at times with a constant poor frame rate. The purposely wobbly aim and terrible lighting in some sections doesn't really help.
The atrocious frame rate was such a big issue on the PS3 I literally gave up on the game. Optimization is barely better on the PS4. I had bought this game twice now So I was determined to finish it on the PS4 and I did. I have no wish to replay this atrocious unoptimized game ever again on the PS4.
SummaryWhile investigating the scene of a gruesome mass murder, Detective Sebastian Castellanos and his partners encounter a menacing and powerful force. After witnessing the slaughter of fellow officers, Sebastian is ambushed and knocked unconscious. When he awakens, he finds himself in a deranged world where hideous creatures wander among the...