The Evil Within (A.K.A "Psycho Break" in Japan) is a Survival Horror game for PS4, PS3, XBONE, X360, and PC, which developed by Tango Gameworks and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was created by Shinji Mikami, who is well known game creator behind Resident Evil 1, 4, Dino Crisis, God Hand, and Vanquish.
I've heard the disappointment of Resident Evil 6, which Capcom nearly kills one of the amazing series is because of RE 6 (except Resident Evil: Revelations 1 and 2) had lacked of survival horror elements is never been good as compared to previous Resident Evil games that I really enjoyed hell a lot back in old days.
I decided to go pick up The Evil Within for PS4 is because this gives horror gaming fans a better gaming experiences with intense horror atmosphere, balanced gameplay and gruesome environments for graphics that made the game so much better than what Capcom did with RE 6. Tango Gameworks did a decent job with the game's overall that everyone should able to play this game, so I'm really impressed with this game that gains my attention and I had lot of great experiences with the whole game that the game developer has to offer.
Okay, lets get the game review started, shall we.
Presentation
It is started with Detective Sebastian Castellanos and his team Juil Kidman and Joseph Oda are heading at Beacon Mental Hospital to investigating crime scene before he gets knocked down by deadly man named Ruvik causing Sebastian pulled to nightmarish world with full of gruesome areas and horrid creatures.
The story in the game is quite above the average. It does have some great set of cutscenes with fully detailed scenes, but I say the plot in the game isn't that bad, but it wasn't the strongest part of the game. Some of the dialogue are sounds quite cheesy and being far fetched compared with other horror game. The characters in the game is kinda mixed bag at the best. I say the main protagonist is not that bad but it wasn't memorable as the characters from Resident Evil series.
I like the atmosphere of the game is because this game has very intense horror scenes mixed between survival and psychological with nightmarish stages, so many dark illusions, deadly traps, gruesome kills, blood spreading everywhere, some dead corpses laying on the floor and of course the whole enemies in the game is very horrific and scary that made the whole horror scenes look amazing.
I say like the horror elements of the game, but they should have done better job for story and characters.
Gameplay
The gameplay is played with third person perspective. Your main goal is to complete each chapters to progress through the story.
The basic controls is pretty straightforward to use. You can take control of main protagonist's movement with thumbsticks to move and look around. Your character can able to sprint by holding run button to evade from the enemy's attack and you can do stealth by holding the sneak button to avoid getting caught by enemy's nearby, but you can also distract them by throwing bottles in random places. I say the basic controls is working well with no issues at all.
The combat mechanics plays great with easier aiming controls, accurate shooting detection, and simple melee attack including stealth attack are working very well in the game. You will have selection of weapons and items from the inventory screen in which you can equip your weapons for combat gameplay and using health items to gain more character's health. You can improve your abilities and weapons by collecting green gel in which you can able to upgrade it in mental hospital allowing to increase your character's performance and weapons powers makes easier for players to have better gameplay's overall. You can also disarm these dead traps, such as bombs, barb-wired claws, and strings in which that disarming the traps will save you from prevent getting killed by these dead traps.
Some of the bigger creatures like reborn laura and the keeper are quite dodgy and frustrating because it kills you instantly with heavier damage, so make sure you got plenty ammo to kill them or try avoiding them by evading from bigger enemy without wasting ammo.
The levels in whole game is quite challenging and there's plenty moments to enjoy the single player campaign that made the game so fun. Overall, the gameplay is actually fun with impressive controls, well made combat mechanics, and really has stunning level campaign.
Graphics
This game has lot of gruesome content in the game with so much bloody environment for graphical details. It does have some fine looking textures and backgrounds for the building areas and the animation of the game looked rarely decent for character's models and it has some good lighting and shades in the levels. The special effects in the game looked more horrific with blood spreading all over the places and it does have superb gores for dead peoples, creatures covered with blood, and some of the disturbing environments that made the game looked terrifying.
Overall, the graphics is still has greater environment, animation, and bloody special effects that made the game look perfect for survival horror genres.
Music and Sounds
Masafumi Takada did a fabulous job with original soundtrack. The darker ambient has really scarier feels that really fits in gameplay levels, while at the save point area does have really calm classical song that fits in the mood. The sound effects has really terrifying background noises and some special sound effects has grinning sounds of the game. The voice acting is okay for some of the characters, but not sounds perfect for presentation.
I say the original soundtrack is fabulous and the sound effects is definitely well made.
Special Features
This game has new game plus with chapter select, unlockables character models and extra weapons, collecting archives, and 3 DLC where you can play as juil Kidman for 2 chapter levels and the mini game that you can play as the keeper with FPS perspective is quite has some good offering for this game.
Advantages
Impressive Gameplay
Great Graphics
Fabulous Music and Sounds
Scarier Setups
Gruesome Scenes
Disadvantages
Cheesy plot and dialogue
Not memorable characters
Dodgy bigger enemies
Final Verdict
Presentation 6.2/10 - Praised for horror scenes and atmosphere, but criticised for storyplot and characters.
Gameplay 8/10 - Impressive controls, well made combat mechanics, and stunning level campaign.
Graphics 8/10 - Greater environment, animation, and bloody special effect.
Music and Sounds 8/10 - Original soundtrack is fabulous and the sound effects is definitely well made.
Special Features 7.5/10 - New game plus, unlockables stuff, collecting archives, and 3 DLCs.
Overall 8/10 - I'm glad that the Tango Gameworks made a really good horror game for modern consoles. The Evil Within did show up with having more survival horror elements, unique gameplay mechanics, very extreme graphical details, and the whole atmosphere of the game is actually amazing, but I think the story presentation needs to improve a bit if they are considered making a better sequel than this. Overall, it's a great game by father of survival horror (Shinji Mikami) and if you're into with the game like Resident Evil then The Evil Within is definitely for you to try it out.
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