The Evil Within (PS4 Review)

(All screenshots in this review have been captured from the PS4)

A glance at The Evil Within is not enough to really understand what it's all about. Even after playing it I can't necessarily be certain of that. I've gone back and forth with a couple of ideas. Perhaps it's a tribute to horror or maybe it's just Shinji Mikami letting loose. Whatever the case, The Evil Within manages to dance above disaster gracefully despite its identity crisis and bewildering distance.

The Evil Within certainly has a distinct look compared to a lot of games coming out as of late. I had heard many complaints about its use of widescreen and I honestly can't say that I found the letterboxing to ever be a problem, but I can surmise that the issue becomes more of a concern as display size gets smaller. There's nothing particularly "pretty" about The Evil Within, but to deny its appearance seems shameful. It's got a little bit of everything happening, whether it's by filters or scenery or design, and that's what really surprised and impressed me most. It manages to weave so many different things together at once and never feel ham-fisted. At first it comes as jarring but eventually it just feels like another turn down a maze where you've completely forgotten the turn the came before. You begin to submit to the plunge, delving deeper and deeper into a subconscious state of existence. It's a psychological struggle, true to form and executed rather well. It's an eerie spectacle with plenty of moments throughout that keep you playing.

The Evil Within plays much like Resident Evil 4. That comes as no real surprise and it isn't unwelcome either; but Sebastian Castellanos, our leading man, is no Leon Kennedy. As you explore you'll come across jars of green ooze that allow upgrades to various things including accuracy, ammo stock, run duration, and the effectiveness of weapons. The game makes a point of showing you how helpful these upgrades will become. In the beginning you'll find that Sebastian's weapon sway is drastic and his ammo reserves are severely limited, so playing stealthily is wise in early chapters. Keeping out of sight and throwing bottles and stabbing enemies in the back of the head is key. A plentiful amount of traps can be used to your advantage in the environment when things get out of hand but they can also work to ruin you if you're reckless. Calm and collected crowd control seems to be the initiative in The Evil Within. The game offers you a plethora of options in disposing of enemies and choosing the right tool can make a world of difference. If you end up picking the wrong tool you may burn ammunition that could've been used in a later fight. There's nothing quite as satisfying as knocking down a group of zombies with a shotgun and torching the pile of corpses with a lit match before they rise again. Both subtlety and gunplay are enjoyable and utilizing both lead to greater success - at least that's the experience I had playing on survival. Boss fights are also memorable but some do eventually become recycled in the latter part of the game, losing significance and never quite living up to their original tension.

"Tense" is definitely the best word to describe the overall mood of The Evil Within. There weren't many times that the game outright terrified me...and admittedly that adrenaline rush from fear is part of the reason I was looking to play it. It suffers gravely in that department, and maybe it's because the game feels so detached. The voice acting is empty and none of the characters are memorable or approachable. They all feel like shades. Whether that's by design to suit the story or not is beyond me, but it doesn't ever feel personal or real. The most we ever get to learn from Sebastian is through scattered journal entries but they're really not that effective despite their heavy context. Sebastian is just a cold person...all of it is, really. Maybe that's just the price that has to be paid when the psychology is so deeply rooted in the story. The abrupt changes in scenery cause the game to suffer from the consequence of never really feeling fully immersed. Horror benefits from time, so incessantly shaking up the atmosphere agitates the player rather than letting an unsettled feeling arise naturally. It's not without a few jump scares, but as far as that nagging dread for what's to come, The Evil Within simply cannot sustain that sensation enough to make a lasting impression.

There's something about The Evil Within that I wasn't expecting that stayed with me even when I wasn't playing it. I think that giving it a fair shake is appropriate. It gave me a solid 13 or so hours of gameplay and has a high replay value due to weapon unlocks and multiple ways to approach situations. It also gave me a deep desire to sit down and play Resident Evil 4 again for the tenth time. Take that however you want, but for anyone that's craved something like Resident Evil 4 but doesn't want to play Resident Evil 4 again, The Evil Within is a firmly grounded spiritual successor that proves itself worthy despite its shortcomings.

Grade: B