User Review : The Evil Within

The survival horror we deserve

It's been years now since we have been treated to a decent survival horror video game, `Alone in the dark` failed to impress, `Resident Evil` has lost it's way and` Silent hill` also suffered from a few dull releases, although `Silent Hills` should breath new life into the franchise. Recent survival horror releases have not exactly been memorable - Enter `Evil Within` which not only do I think is the best game of the year so far, but the best survival horror game since `Resident Evil 4`!

The first fifteen minutes of the game literally throws you into the gaping jaws of hell where you'll be strung up by a butcher, almost get sliced to death by swirling blades and then chased by some git with a chainsaw and your luck just get's worse from there. You will die in `Evil Within` - your protagonist Sebastian Castellanos will get smashed in, cut up, squashed, impaled and ultimately die in the most graphic way that it would make Isaac Clarke soil his spacesuit! It's brutal, unforgiving and it will keep you on edge until the credits roll.

`Evil Within's` story is very erratic, it's confusing and nothing is ever truly as it seems. Most of the story is explained by audio logs and news paper clippings and in a way encourages you to guess what's happening. However, from the beginning to the end, the story never really meets it's own ambition. The ending is pretty much sequel bate and I would have preferred a little more closure as to what truly happened. Throughout the game you also learn about Sebastian's back story but it never goes any further than the diaries you find, which I found disappointing. There was a missed opportunity here for fleshing out Sebastian's character which is pretty stale and it would have been interesting to see his past provoked and manipulated by Ruvik who is the game's main villain (whose agenda is extremely twisted). However the way things unfold, how you go from chapter to chapter and make progress through the game is executed very well, it does keep you guessing as to what is a dream or reality, is it your reality or another's? I would have liked to have seen more of Sebastian's past be more prevalent in the games story, as the main protagonist seems to lack a persona which makes him very plain and uninteresting and doesn't really have an inspiring script. He is pretty much a stereotypical agent that wishes he was Dirty Harry, even slobbing through blood and gore and fighting the undead, he's no Ash J Williams either.

The game play does what so many other modern survival horror games fail at doing, it goes back to basics in a way that will remind you of classic `Resident Evil`, one of the most obvious comparisons being `Resident Evil 4`. You have to conserve ammunition, you have to watch out for traps and keep stealthy, you can kick some ass when needed but most of the time you will sneak around and try and capitalize on enemies with stealth kills which is extremely important throughout the game. You can't just storm in like Rambo and blast your way to victory, you'll be dead in no time and have a sad face to boot. Shooting also feels satisfying and blasting the face off a zombie has never felt better. The agony bow offers a multitude of interesting ways to deal with enemies thanks to it's wide variety of ammunition, from explosive rounds to freeze rounds, it works as the jack of all trades when it comes to combat.

Among the blood, guts and despair there is some respite to be had in `Evil Within`. Although it's not as pleasant as the save rooms in `Resident Evil`, you do have a special safe haven that can be accessed at certain points in the game which is usually accompanied by the song Clare de Lune, giving you a clue to it's whereabouts. It is here where you can get further information about the games story and upgrade Sebastian's abilities such as health and stamina (vital for running away). You can also upgrade your arsenal and ammo capacity, it's a nice addition and can help turn the tables in your favor for a short while. Another thing I would like to mention is how the game plays on tension and suspense rather than cheap jump scares (although there are a handful), it makes each encounter feel like a fight for your life which keeps you immersed within the game play.

Game play isn't perfect though and that important immersion can be easily lost due to frustration. If there's one thing that took me out of the zone and spoiled the game it would be the cheap instant kill deaths. These usually happen with bosses, which I can forgive as it makes the fights more intense. However the environment is another thing, one moment you will be walking down a hall way next thing you're sliding into spinning blades and if you're not quick enough to react you will die! It can also be hard to progress in certain areas if you don't have enough ammo even when being careful. Although it adds tension, that can turn to frustration after the 5th death in the row at a particular point! The game doesn't hold your hand, it doesn't tell you what exactly you need to do, weapons aren't highlighted with glowing icons saying "I'M A SHOTGUN HERE I AM", you usually stumble across them . However this isn't a criticism from myself but I consider that for someone who may be new to this genre it might be a little overwhelming. Even on `casual` the game is still a tough one to beat! Although, these are just little niggles in the grand scheme of things.

What `Evil Within` does very well are it's many boss fights, there's loads of them, they're all different, terrifying and all will kill you if you falter. Some require particular tactics to kill, while others need to be pumped full of lead till they stop twitching, and sometimes you have no choice but to run for your life. They really are thrilling, they will make you panic, tense up even yell things ("NO!") as I did many times - it's not for the faint of heart. Also there are classic hints that things are about to kick off, when you walk into a room there will be handgun bullets, shotgun shells and crossbow bolts which give you the impression that whatever is behind the next door is going to be pissed off and will try and eat you, but you won't always be prepared and don't expect free hand outs all the time. `Evil Within's` boss battles are memorable and will have you telling your mates down your local how you killed the chainsaw wielding maniac with your last pistol round, whether they will care or not though is another thing.

Sound plays a big part with `Evil Within` and it's no doubt best played with a decent pair of headphones. Using my Turtle Beach PX5s the game sounds phenomenal, even knocking a bottle over will make your hairs stand on edge! The noise of monsters growling or snarling echo in the dark. The voice acting is good, but none of the characters voices are very memorable, unlike their appearances (and even then they're pretty generic). Among the sounds of doom and gloom there is one to put your mind at rest, (no it's not the sound of a magnum blasting an undead's head clean off) it's the famous piano piece Clair de Lune which is something you'll be listening out for if you're in need of a save room or to upgrade your Sebastian with more brain fluid. Nevertheless sound is very important in a horror game and when you hear the scratching and screaming of the reborn girl, aka Laura, you'll bloody know about it!

Visually I have to say `Evil Within` met my expectations. The lighting is brilliant, coupled with great particle effects which give rooms atmosphere and life. The variety of areas you explore throughout the 15 chapters are varied enough to keep things interesting and the enemies you face look menacing thanks to the spectacular art design that brought these hideous monstrosities to life. The game is in no way ugly, in fact it can be very picturesque which is also helped by the cinematic 16:9 aspect ratio. I found myself hitting my share button many times to snap a view of a mansion or a terrifying boss looming over me. Also I love how the cut-scenes and game play blend into one another.

Once you have finished the campaign you will unlock `new game plus` for the same difficulty and a few other goodies so you can do a second run and round up the collectibles you missed the first time, albeit slightly easier as you have all your upgrades and weapons from the start! For the trophy hunting sadists out there, there's some pretty darn tough ones to get, such as beating the game without purchasing any upgrades and of course beating it on the hardest difficulty which should keep some people busy if they have the metal for it. In terms of playtime my play through took just over fifteen hours with 36 deaths.

If you're a fan of survival horror, miss the good old days or just want to play a decent game, I highly recommend `Evil Within`. It might have some faults with it's story, but the game play is solid and I know it won't be for everyone but if you loved games like `Silent Hill` and` Resident Evil` and need a new survival horror game to give you some nostalgia and new memories, you will find them with `Evil Within`!

8.5/10