The Evil Within review
The Evil Within is a horrifying game. That much is noticeable within the opening few scenes, as you're being chased by chainsaw wielding maniacs, falling into pools of blood and generally not having a good time. It definitely doesn't come as a surprise to hear that Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami is directing things here, and over the course of the game you'll discover some gruesome and shocking moments that'll leave horror fans in glee.
The unfortunate victim for all of this mayhem is Sebastian Castellanos, a detective who has been called out to Beacon Mental Hospital to investigate a multiple homicide. Things get a little bit fishy as soon as he arrives, as police cars and ambulances are everywhere but there's nobody in sight. Walking up to the large building and opening the front door reveals several dead bodies scattered across the reception floor, and Sebastian decides to take a look at the security cameras to check out just what the hell went on.
This is where he witnesses three police officers being murdered by Ruvik, a strange figure in a white hood who appears to possess some kind of teleportation power. Within moments of watching the cameras, Ruvik appears behind Sebastian and knocks him out cold, bringing a dramatic end to the tension. As far as openings go it does a pretty good job at unsettling the player, but what follows is the real indication of where The Evil Within is heading.
Sebastian wakes up dazed, confused and upside down in a dark room filled with corpses. A huge character known as the 'Butcher' is chopping up his victims, and it's up to you to get out while you still can. These uncomfortable scenes appear often and never allow you to rest. We then see the game's stealth mechanics in action for the first time, as Sebastian has to sneak around to find some keys, unlock a door and try to escape. Things are never that simple, however, as Sebastian accidentally sets off an alarm and then a massive chase ensues between him and the Butcher.
It's actually one of the most satisfying parts of the game, as you run, hobble and crawl your way to safety, trying to avoid the clutches of this horrible thing that's only a few steps behind you. Unfortunately The Evil Within can't quite keep up this level of excitement throughout its course, and before long you'll go back to the basic gaming foundations of shooting and collecting ammo.
That isn't such a bad thing, but it does mean that there's not much new to be found here, as enemy encounters are pretty similar to survival horror of the past. Ammo conservation is the key to surviving any chapter, and finding a few new bullets in a room somewhere is always cause for celebration. You'll mostly be fighting off zombie-like figures that stumble slowly towards you and aren't too much trouble to pick off one-by-one, as long as you're good at headshots, but if they team up on you things definitely take a turn for the worse. Having just a handful of bullets and three enemies to see off is always cause for concern.
As such, you'll probably be dying a lot in The Evil Within. If you're not prepared to restart from checkpoints over and over as you fail to find the right way to go about a chapter then this might not be the game for you. The tough difficulty curve will also put many people off. This game definitely isn't for anybody looking for an easy ride.
The odds are definitely stacked against Sebastian, but fortunately there's an upgrade system that'll see him get stronger as the game progresses. You unlock upgrades by picking up a strange green goo hidden around the different chapters, and you can make improvements to health, combat skills or stock carrying. This little RPG system actually works very well, and the different choices are all helpful in their own way, so it's down to the player and how they want to tailor their gameplay style.
The Evil Within certainly looks and sounds the part. Levels are designed to be as creepy as possible, and you'll be twirling that camera around hoping to get a peak around corners before you make a move out into the open. Every chapter will take you somewhere you would never want to visit and frighten you with enemy encounters, while the whole game really does a great job at unsettling the player.
However there's a fine line between unsettling and frustrating, and the combat might just turn it into the latter. The old school camera angles are far too close to Sebastian, meaning you often don't see an enemy unless they're two feet away from you. As ammunition is in short supply you might see yourself resorting to melee attacks from time to time, but they're weak and it takes many hits to be successful. Melee weapons are useful but unfortunately they can only be used one time, and having to go through the same chapter time and again definitely waters down the horror.
The Evil Within is an ode to when survival horror was the coolest thing out there. When Resident Evil was topping the charts and Silent Hill was keeping players awake at night. However, video games have moved on since then and the old school style that The Evil Within brings might seem a bit too dated for some. If you love your horror games this is an essential purchase, but if you grew tired of Resident Evil over the years and aren't prepared to die multiple times and keep going, you may want to look elsewhere.