The Evil Within Reviews
Creepy, surreal, intense and occasionally very clever indeed, The Evil Within isn't undone by its ludicrous setting – it embraces it to wonderful effect, always ready to add another layer of bizarre hand-stitched horror. But the overall experience is frustrating, never managing to fully escape that narrow field of view, making me feel as boxed in as the game's posterboy.
'The Evil Within' has some rich and interesting imagery, but its story and gameplay are disappointingly derivative.
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 could be leaner and more technically sound, but the blemishes on its blood-stained carapace fade against its thick atmosphere and the frantic thrill of battling its monsters in the dark.
The upshot is that The Evil Within will give survival horror purists a rare contemporary pleasure fix. But be warned: if you prize smooth, silky action above all else, it will drive you insane.
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.
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.
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.
It might not be the scariest game out there, but The Evil Within brings the scary and the tension. Unfortunately it trips over its feet in key places.
I experienced many scares and might have even pooped my pants a bit. Yet in the end a lacklustre storyline, uninteresting characters, clunky combat and far too many frustrating sequences hold "The Evil Within" back from being considered one of the greats.
The Evil Within seems to be a title that tries for too much but falls flat in everything it attempts to do. Jump-scares are still fun in the title, but The Evil Within largely creates an uninteresting gameplay environment that is plagued with issues in it's storyline, mission structure, character development, and as such - fails to achieve itself as a title that lives up to Shinji Mikami's preceding reputation as the former director of Resident Evil 4.
The Evil Within is by no means a perfect game. The give-and-take of this love affair with the olden days is sacrificing Resident Evil 4's perfect level design, weapon choices, and tension for The Evil Within's better graphics, a better story, and more streamlined, modern controls. It's a balancing act that still sees Resident Evil 4 coming out way on top. There's no shame in coming up short on one of the greatest games ever made though. Mikami does his inspiration justice with this game, and any fan of his from the peak of his career can't go wrong with The Evil Within.
Even with these issues I still enjoyed the lengthy adventure Evil Within delivers. It has been a long time coming, but Mikami has definitely delivered classic survival horror. Fans of the genre should not miss this. While it is plagued with visual problems, the pacing is almost perfect, and the tension is unmatched. There is a lot to love with Mikami's latest title, and I cannot wait to see where he goes next.
At its controller clutching best, The Evil Within evokes memories of Silent Hill's high points – but it's the Resident Evil comparisons that are most consistent throughout. 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. It's here that developer Tango Gameworks finds the breathless brilliance within.
An intelligent, authored, and consistently entertaining game which combines loving references to the horror genre with the distinctive personality of its director.
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.
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.
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.
While this may not be the scariest game you will have played, it will probably be up there in terms of suspense as it definitely provides an ample amount of it throughout its entire play through. It is a game with evident flaws, but not enough of them that it will deprive you of the solid, survival horror-filled entertainment.
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.