The Evil Within Review for PlayStation 4 (PS4)

System: PS4*, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PC
Dev: Tango Gameworks
Pub: Bethesda Softworks
Release: October 14, 2014
Players: 1
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p	Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

If there’s one thing I absolutely love about The Evil Within it’s the atmosphere. You know how Resident Evil and Silent Hill have out of place puzzles where you have to find a crank here or a pendant there? Well, The Evil Within has its fair share of puzzles, but it’s a lot less “put tab A into slot B” and a lot more “cut open this corpse and sift through the organs for a key.” These sequences feel reminiscent of the Saw movie franchise, back when it wasn’t trying to milk torture porn for all it’s worth. They force you to do honestly gut churning activities to increase your feeling of unease.

The Evil Within Screenshot

This is a very gory game, but I have to say it’s not gratuitous. Sure, blood splatters everywhere and organs are dripping out of mutilated corpses left and right, but it never feels like a senseless slasher flick. Instead, the gore is used much like gore is used in Silent Hill, as a way to show you that whatever is happening just isn’t right. Still, this isn’t for the faint of heart. There is enough blood in this game to fill the grand canyon, and even the “leveling up” process, which earns you upgrades and new skills, involves basically sitting in an electric chair.

The Evil Within is an odd beast of a game that straddles the line between helpless atmosphere horror and zombie action shooter. It is certainly a huge step above the Michael Bay-esque Resident Evil 6. If not for the unfortunate frustrating points, which really take you out of the bleak atmosphere, I would say this would set the bar for horror excellence. Unfortunately, these small drawbacks will cause you to frequently put the game down, and that simply doesn’t mesh with a horror tone. Overall, The Evil Within is a horror game that outdoes other horror offerings by leaps and bounds, but just isn’t perfect. If you want a game to scare the crap out of you this Halloween season, then The Evil Within is a safe bet.

By
Angelo M. D'Argenio
Contributing Writer
Date: October 14, 2014

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.0

Graphics
The graphics look decidedly last gen at 30fps and the letterboxing is a little weird, but the models are so gruesome its hard not to give this a good graphics score.

3.7

Control
The controls may be the worst part, as the camera will cause you to die more than the monsters will.

4.0

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The voice acting is good all around and the sound effects, specifically the crunches and cracks of mutilated bodies, are incredibly disturbing.

4.5

Play Value
Aside from some frustrating points, this is one amazing horror game.

4.0

Overall Rating - Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

Pure Survival Horror Returns - Shinji Mikami, the father of survival horror, is back to direct a chilling new game wrapped in haunting narrative; Tension and anxiety heighten dramatically as you explore the game's tortured world.

Brutal Traps and Twisted Creatures - Face unthinkable horrors and cruel traps as you struggle to survive against overwhelming odds; Turn evil against itself by using the same diabolical devices against overwhelming deadly creatures.

Unknown Threats in an Uncertain World - Mysterious and wicked fears loom ahead in a world that warps and twists around you.

The New Face of Horror - Highly-crafted environments, horrifying anxiety, and an intricate story weave together to create an immersive world that will bring players to the height of tension.