The Evil Within Reviews
The Evil Within feels like a the worst kind of throwback--one that feels stale, uninspired and most disappointingly, boring.
If you loved Resident Evil 4 and you're looking for more of that style of game, The Evil Within will probably push the right buttons for you. The game is a clear success in a throwback sense to that earlier title, though its lack of innovation, strategic depth, or an engaging story are all marks against it.
When the game works, it is fantastic. Unfortunately, the rest of it feels average and frustratingly built to make players fail. While obsessive collectors might see replay value in New Game+, the story and gameplay simply aren't compelling enough to warrant more than the original 20 hours for completion.
Overall, though, The Evil Within is a solid survival thriller game that will likely satisfy fans who lament the more action-oriented direction that titles such as Resident Evil or Dead Space ended up taking as of late. If the idea of of gameplay in the vein of Resident Evil meets Silent Hill is something you find appealing, then you'll want to give The Evil Within a shot.
When you actually think about it, was "Resident Evil" really ever about the story? Was Wesker a well developed villain? That series has always been gameplay over narrative. "The Evil Within" continues that trend. "Resident Evil" has been on the decline for the last decade, but "The Evil Within" can be its honorary resurgence.
The Evil Within is a fine example of classic survival horror, but it's held back a little by some stiff characterisation and flat story beats.
While it's far from flawless or original, The Evil Within is packed full of terrifying scenes and is genuinely fun to play through, giving gamers a lengthy campaign and tons of memorable moments.
An intelligent, authored, and consistently entertaining game which combines loving references to the horror genre with the distinctive personality of its director.
A game that fails to live up to it's hype, despite some good action.
There are some genuinely terrifying, nightmare-inducing moments in this game. Unfortunately they are few and far between, which is frustrating because the concept here is solid. A little restraint would go a long way here. Stop throwing hordes of enemies at me and just let the game be scary.
The Evil Within is a noble attempt at bringing back classic survival horror, but it could have learned a thing or two from games that aren't almost ten years old. It has its moments of brilliance, scattered through periods of antagonizing design.
A throwback to survival horror's heyday, The Evil Within's story is daft and convoluted, featuring a mad scientist who might as well be Krieger from Archer. Frustrating and entertaining in equal measure, The Evil Within falls short of offering any proper scares.
Fans of the original Resident Evil will be happy to know that while The Evil Within does have a few kinks the game is as fresh as Resident Evil was all those years ago. Shinji Mikami has proven that he can still weave a captivating story and flesh out an interesting protagonist who just about everyone can relate to.
It's not Mikami's best game, but The Evil Within's excellent gameplay, incredible atmosphere, and the sheer variety of enemies and environments on display make up for occasional frustrations, a overly grimdark plot, and pointless stealth sections. It's a great game, and a return to form for Mikami. It's not Resident Evil 4, but you know what? There's nothing wrong with that.
The Evil Within is absolutely sure to appeal to those obsessed with the original Resident Evil games. That said, it's a real shame that the developer didn't take this fresh start as a chance to reinvent himself and horror games in general.
The Evil Within has its fair share of weaknesses (some are patchable), but on the whole, as is, it's a powerful survival horror experience that I won't soon forget.
Started badly and with the spectre of failure that emerged after the first rehearsals, The Evil Within is a game that has been able to surprise us. The mixture of old and new works, and once again demonstrates Mikami's ability to create balanced products capable of entertaining without alienating too much classic gameplay.
Review in Italian | Read full review
While The Evil Within won't make as big of an impact on the medium of video games as its spiritual predecessor, there's a few design choices that hold the experience back and the story is more on the side of "what the hell" than offering a satisfying tale, it's still a great game for a trip back to that atmospheric, tense, semi old-school horror that manages to stand out in this current age, because big budget action horrors aren't created anymore and no one creates an action horror like the father of the genre, Shinji Mikami.
Where BioShock Infinite aggressively tugged on heartstrings, The Evil Within tears them from your chest and crucifies you. It strangles you with your own tendrils and feeds you your own beating heart, mouth locked shut and tied with entrails, forcing you to chew and swallow. But when the last sliver slides down the back of your throat, you'll look up and smile a sadistic smile before asking "more, please".
It's not easy for a game with the name Shinji Mikami attached to it to live up to the hype, but The Evil Within does a nice job of staying true to its roots.