Title: The Evil Within 2
Platform: PC|Xbox One|PS4 (Reviewed on PS4 Pro)
Developer: Tango Gameworks
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Release date: Out Now
tl;dr:: The world of Silent Hill meets The Evil Within to create this intriguing horror experience.
Price: $60 / £40
Family Focus: Click here for more information.
Three years ago, Shinji Mikami returned with a new survival horror called The Evil Within that focused on the psychological horrors within STEM; Sebastian Castellanos fought his way through the endless nightmares that were presented to him by the twisted, Ruvik. Fast forward to the present day and Sebastian is found in a bar, drinking his way to the bottom of the bottle trying to figure out whether he imagined everything back then or if it was real…
Yes, it was all real but people hired by Mobius (Creators of STEM) had different psychologists and other detectives on their payroll convince Sebastian it was all a nightmare and he almost believed it until rookie Detective, actually Mobius Agent, Juli Kidman enters and asks Sebastian to re-enter STEM as his assumed dead daughter has gone missing in Union – a town created within STEM and reveals that Mobius faked her death several years ago… So, after a natural outburst at Kidman, Sebastian agrees to re-enter the nightmare to find and rescue his daughter inside Union.
The Evil Within 2 is definitely an improvement over its previous entry in terms of gameplay as controls feel tighter making aiming little easier in those tense situations provided the enemies aren’t running at you flailing all over the place.
Stealth is a massive element in the sequel as you make your way around the hub world of Union, trying to avoid any form of horde encounter as ammo is scarce within the game because y’know survival horror and all.
Throughout your adventures in Nightmare Town you can do various sidequests, using your communicator device that picks up different frequencies of people before they died; whether they are agents Mobius sent in or the citizens of Union. The side quests vary from simple missions, grabbing an upgrade pouch for ammo, to one of my favourite side quests where you pick up a frequency of girl mumbling about how a terrifying ghost is haunting her… and she isn’t wrong as you investigate.
The graphics have definitely been improved over the previous entry and along with that graphical improvement, the game has seen a significant improvement in performance as well. No longer do we have jittery frame rates anytime too much is happening on screen. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any enhancements for PS4 Pro in terms of graphics or performance, maybe they will release a patch later on alongside the launch of the Xbox One X.
I guess I should cover what I found disappointing about The Evil Within 2 and that is I didn’t find it as scary as the previous entry. It lacked a variety of enemies that were terrifying… the previous game had creepy monsters on the prowl such as The Keeper, the guy with a safe for a head or Laura, the disgusting spider-like girl who runs at you on all fours, screaming because you told her you were meeting up with the lads for a few drinks, when apparently you knew that it was your anniversary… not speaking from experience.
Now, I could just be desensitised to the horror genre after playing the Silent Hills demo, PT, multiple times trying to uncover everything, but I do think this sequel lacks a variety of terrifying monsters. Though that ghost girl from the side quest can eat shit and die… again, I guess because she is a ghost meaning she is already dead…Â
Overall, The Evil Within 2 is a great game with a story that is worth engrossing yourself in. If you loved the original then you’re going to love this sequel, the game keeps itself consistent with its predecessor and its downloadable content – although I still have no idea what happened to Joseph Oda and if anyone could clear that up for me, please leave a comment below.
The Good
- Strong combat and great controls.
- A satisfying and consistent story.
- Massive improvement on performance and graphics.
The Bad
- Some chapters feel drawn out.
- Less scares.
- I suck at the shooting gallery.
Family Focus
The Evil Within 2 is rated M for Mature and PEGI 18. Contains violence, gore, partial nudity, use of alcohol and strong language.
This review is based on a retail copy of the game purchased for the purposes of this review.