The Evil Within Reviews

The Evil Within is ranked in the 51st percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
6.8 / 10.0
Oct 27, 2014

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.

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Drew Hurley
Top Critic
8 / 10
Oct 27, 2014

This game is not what was originally promised, but that's not a bad thing. While many were hoping for the next Silent Hill 2, it became the next Resident Evil 4, instead. With The Evil Within, Mikami has taken the highlights of a number of his other games and combined them into one terrifying amalgamation of gore, horror and action. The Evil Within is a great game. Survival horror fans will find it a great addition to their collection, and even for those with little experience of the genre it's well worth a play.

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Digitally Downloaded
David W.
Top Critic
Oct 26, 2014

For all the games' narrative themes of consciousness-probing, identity-subsuming science, the reordering of the psychic self for a greater application of the flesh, I needed to look no further than my own pathological gameplay in its honour. The rage quits, the restarts, the late nights, the infinitesimal adjustments to my thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth attempts, all part of my drive to survive to the end, no matter how many hours of hell it took. That is the essence of survival horror. Those are the roots around which The Evil Within is so expertly entwined.

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Oct 25, 2014

By sticking to tried and tested survival horror staples, The Evil Within effectively creates a sense of tension and fear, something which makes the descent into darkness all the more terrifying.

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Oct 24, 2014

The Evil Within is a good game, an assembly of Mikami's best work and a rather pointed lesson in classic survival horror that Capcom would do well to note, but it's also unashamedly rooted in bygone years. As such, it'll pleases nostalgic fans yearning for a shinier, bloodied love letter to the creepy classics of yesteryear, but it doesn't really deliver anything particularly new. Greatest Hits albums are usually stuffed with goodness, and The Evil Within certainly has its moments, but they're also usually put out by bands with nothing more to say, I can only desperately hope that's not true of Shinji Mikami and Tango Gameworks.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 23, 2014

If you like the idea of Resident Evil 4 crossed half-and-half with Silent Hill then The Evil Within is the game for you. Just be prepared to put up with 30 FPS.

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6.5 / 10.0
Oct 23, 2014

The Evil Within feels like a project shackled by the desire to relive past survival-horror glories instead of pioneering brave new ones. Sometimes, it seems, giving fans what they think they want isn't really the proper course of action.

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Oct 23, 2014

The Evil Within might not be the resurgence of the survival-horror genre, but it is a fun and varied experience. However, some elements will serve to frustrate more than scare, causing overall disappointment.

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Unscored
Oct 22, 2014

The Evil Within eventually gives Seb a reason to soldier on, far too late into the story. At that point, he's the only one it helps.

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8 / 10
Oct 22, 2014

It may not be for the faint of heart, but if you're looking for a hardcore and pure survival horror experience then look no further than The Evil Within.

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Kotaku
Top Critic
No
Oct 21, 2014

The Evil Within winds up feeling like an inconsistent rehash of ideas previously executed elsewhere. Its great boss fights aren't enough to justify the tedium and frustration the game puts players through.

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6 / 10.0
Oct 21, 2014

The best thing to say about The Evil Within is that it is a good survival game with some decent mechanics, the worst thing I can say is that it is a poor horror game that doesn't live up to its design or the talent of the director. I'm not angry, I'm just very disappointed I'm not scared.

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CGMagazine
Jason D’Aprile
Top Critic
5 / 10.0
Oct 21, 2014

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.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 21, 2014

The Evil Within is a firm bet with details that attribute to it the succession of nostalgic moments experienced with the first titles of the Resident Evil series.

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4 / 5.0
Oct 20, 2014

Even with its issues The Evil Within is a solid survival horror experience. It brings back the best of what this genre was built on.

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7 / 10
Oct 20, 2014

The Evil Within is a captivating return to the glory days of survival horror whose various issues keep it just short of greatness.

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Oct 19, 2014

The Evil Within is Shinji Mikami's return to the survival horror genre, but that return is muted. Overall, the Evil Within is solid and it definitely has some great moments, but poorly-implemented mechanics and a bland story bring down the overall package. Survival horror fans should pick it up, but others may want to wait until the price drops a bit.

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Oct 19, 2014

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.

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Unscored
Oct 18, 2014

I don't know how the developers did it, but they have the horror game experience down to a tee. One thing is for certain, no vido game is perfect, but for me this is as close as you can get in the horror genre.

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Oct 18, 2014

I've been a fan of the horror genre for the majority of my life. From books and comics, to movies, video games, and board games, I'm always on the lookout for something to give me a good scare. However, I've never been a huge fan of the survival horror style of video game. Don't get me wrong, they're good fun, but I've always enjoyed those games that attempt to balance horror and action set pieces more. 'Dead Space 2', in my opinion, is nearly perfect. I was even a fan (albeit, in the minority) of 'Resident Evil 6'. While 'The Evil Within' walks a tightrope that straddles these two types of horror games, it occasionally leans a bit more toward the survival horror side of things. By mixing in some frustratingly difficult boss battles, the games veers off in the other direction. Although both styles of gameplay can be exceptionally fun and exciting, I would have ultimately preferred the game remain exclusively focused on one or the other. The gore and violence reaches a boiling point very early on and people who either take offence or have a weak stomach for such experiences should avoid 'The Evil Within' at all costs. Those looking to test their skills and enjoy an all-out blood bath need look no further.

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