The Evil Within
Release Date: October 14, 2014
Action, TPP, survival horror, horror, action adventure, Game Pass, very brutal, singleplayer
Steam
A third-person survival horror action game developed by Japanese studio Tange Works led by Shinji Mikami (Dino Crisis, Devil May Cry, Onimusha). The game is set within the premises of a small town’s asylum. We play as a detective who tries to solve mystery of a gruesome murder. The case, however, quickly changes into a desperate fight for survival and preserving his sanity.
Videos and Screens
[1:02] The Evil Within Easter Egg
[1:35] The Evil Within launch trailer
The main pros of the game
- Atmosphere and Tension: Many players praised the game for its intense atmosphere and ability to create tension, often comparing it favorably to classic survival horror titles like Resident Evil.
- Gameplay Mechanics: The gameplay is described as strategic and engaging, with a focus on resource management and tactical combat. Players appreciated the variety of weapons and upgrades available.
- Story and Lore: Some reviews highlighted the complex and intriguing storyline, with elements of psychological horror that kept players invested. The narrative depth and character development were also noted positively.
- Art Direction and Design: The game features well-crafted environments and unique enemy designs that contribute to its horror elements, enhancing the overall immersive experience.
The main cons of the game
- Technical Issues: A significant number of reviews mentioned poor optimization, with reports of bugs, frame rate drops, and crashes, particularly on PC. The game?s controls, especially for keyboard and mouse, were frequently criticized for being clunky and unresponsive.
- Complex Storyline: While some players enjoyed the intricate plot, others found it convoluted and hard to follow, leading to a disconnect from the narrative.
- Difficulty and Resource Scarcity: Many players felt that the game was overly challenging, with scarce resources making gameplay frustrating. The need to make every shot count added to the difficulty, which some found tedious rather than thrilling.
The features or elements that are missing from the game according to users
- Better Optimization: Users expressed a desire for improved technical performance, including better graphics optimization and stability, especially for PC users.
- Quality of Life Improvements: Requests for more intuitive controls, a better auto-save system, and a more forgiving difficulty balance were common. Players also noted the absence of features like a first-person mode or the ability to turn off certain visual effects.
- Clearer Storytelling: Some players suggested that the game could benefit from clearer narrative threads and less surrealism, which could help in making the story more accessible and engaging.
Summary
- In summary, The Evil Within is recognized for its strong atmosphere and gameplay mechanics but suffers from technical issues and a complex story that may alienate some players. It remains a polarizing title in the survival horror genre, appealing to fans of psychological horror while presenting challenges that may frustrate others.
Summary generated on:
GAMERS Score
Average score from 2189 votes. 407 players anticipated the game.
The Evil Within Description
The Evil Within, originally bore the working name of Zwei, is a mix of survival horror action game with a TPP, which was released for PC, PS4 and etc.. The Tango Gameworks studio is responsible for the production, led by the Japanese producer, Shinji Mikami, the father of games such as Dino Crisis, Devil May Cry and Onimusha. The producer is known for establishing the foundations of the genre referred to as survival horror, which crystallized in the most important production of Mikami: Resident Evil. After many side projects, like Vanquish and Shadows of the Damned, Mikami decided to go back to his roots and scare the players once again.
The game tells the story of an ordinary detective named Sebastian. The hero goes together with two partners to a bleak town to investigate a crime scene at the local psychiatric facility built in the Gothic style. It turns out that the place where the murder was committed is completely empty. After crossing the gate of the hospital, the detectives are witnessing frightening view of brutally massacred bodies. In the course of the investigation, the protagonist is suddenly attacked and loses his consciousness. Upon waking up, the accompanying police officer is killed before him. Then begins a journey into darkness, and the real fight for survival in a world full of aggressive and bloodthirsty monsters begins.
During the game, there are no dramatic twists and turns. The storyline is based primarily on the theme of mystery and madness. The atmosphere of being hunted and depression is built gradually. The creators carefully balanced the gameplay elements, so that the player could feel the lurking danger at every step. The atmosphere is not turned up by strong storyline turbulences, but slow discovery of the mysteries of the scary town.
In The Evil Within for PC, PS4 and etc. the action is mainly linear, and locations that we visit during this dark journey are claustrophobic. Later on during the campaign, there are more open spaces where we are given more freedom. The surroundings change when the player least expects it. The protagonist often has visions like those from the FEAR series, during which disturbing things happen to him. Sweeping the darkest corners of corridors should not be associated with a walk for the game is filled with brutality and blood very often pours in hectoliters and is splashed from the bodies of the living dead.
The developers limited the interface to a minimum: we do not see anything there, except for the health indicator and a thumbnail of currently used weapon with the number of rounds left. The gameplay in The Evil Within for PC, PS4 and etc. is not simply about shooting . Tango Gameworks also offers the option of stealth with the ability to use objects to distract the zombies and other creatures. An additional complication is the impact of the bloodcurdling events on the psyche of the protagonist, inspired by another game published under the aegis of Bethesda Softworks, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. This element causes, inter alia, lesser mobility of Sebastian and changes the appearance of animations.
The game is powered by the modified id Tech 5 engine which was originally used in the production of Rage by id Software. Dark graphics, greatly detailted meticulous monsters, and diverse environment raising the adrenaline level, respectively, are the strength of the production. The creators at all costs tried to create unique models of zombies and other monster in the game. A perfect example is disgusting woman, looking like a failed experiment of the intersection of human and spider. As befits a genuine survival horror, exploring the dark corners of the town is made “enjoyable by evocative ambient sounds, heavily influencing the player's imagination.
Last updated on August 14, 2015
The Evil Within Summary
Game Series: The Evil Within
Platforms:
PC / Windows
PlayStation 4
Xbox One
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360
Developer: Tango Gameworks
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
The Evil Within System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: Core i7 3.5 GHz, 4 GB RAM, graphic card 1 GB GeForce GTX 460 or better, 50 GB HDD, Windows 7(SP1)/8.1 64-bit
Recommended: Core i7 3.5 GHz, 4 GB RAM, graphic card 2 GB (GeForce GTX 670 or better), 50 GB HDD, Windows 7/8 64-bit
Father of Evil Within Makes Important Decision About His Future [UPDATE]
Shinji Mikami, founder and CEO of Tango Gameworks, is leaving the studio after 12 years. What does this mean for the anticipated sequel to The Evil Within?
video games
Kamil Kleszyk
February 23, 2023
The Evil Within on Xbox Game Pass is Pretty Much a Remaster
The Evil Within appeared on Xbox Game Pass and Microsoft Store on PC. It turns out that the game published on these services is a different version than the one available on Steam.
video games
Przemyslaw Dygas
March 19, 2021