I have never been huge into the horror genre, well at least with movies but with games, it's slightly different for me. Perhaps it's the deeper level of engagement and control? There are a number of standout horror titles for me; F.E.A.R. series, Until Dawn, Alan Wake, Condemned, and Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil 4. Recently, my work brah Ivan offered to loan me The Evil Within developed by Tango Gameworks and published by Bethesda, I was intrigued so I said why not.
I love steak (yes I have used it before as an analogy but it's different this time). There is never a bad time to eat steak unless you have just eaten steak and even then I can usually chow down another. There is something challenging about a steak, especially a large one. Imagine the slab of meat below all cooked up and you have to eat it all. I mean if it is was there I would challenge myself to eat it, doesn't mean it wouldn't be a struggle or sweat a bunch, but could I finish it all? Playing The Evil Within I found myself asking could I devour this steak or was it more likely I would pass out?
Story
The story is starts out in an old mental asylum, a classic horror staple and immediately put me on edge. The protagonist is Detective Sebastion Castellanos, who has had lost his wife and daughter, along for the ride is Detective Joseph Oda mild-mannered and the brains, then there is Detective Juli Kidman cold, distant and doesn't feel like part of the team.
I was stabbed, chainsawed, driven off a hillside, strapped to a bed, and molested by something that didn't look human, that was the first twenty-eight minutes of the game. The story is unrelenting and certainly does not want you to feel at ease. The director of the game is Shinji Mikami who was the force behind Resident Evil 4.
The story is fantastic and constantly had me questioning the world I was in and what was real. Even after finishing the game I was still left curious, luckily there are three DLC which expands on the story...well two really. 'The Assignment' and 'The Consequence' focus on Detective Juli Kidman and what her role was in the story and what she was doing with everyone else was doing their thing. It definitely adds more depth to The Evil Within world, and there are some shocking revelations in it. 'The Executioner' focuses on a dad trying to find his daughter but in honesty, it doesn't really add a lot to the overall story.
Visuals
Playing The Evil Within it reminded me of Resident Evil 4, not that they look the same but that feeling of constantly feeling encased by the darkness that could swallow you at any moment. The enemies look human but are either a little twisted or completely deformed into something that left me genuinely creeped out. One of the most interesting character designs was the Safe Head, which is exactly what it sounds like and also where a butcher's apron covered in blood - lovely. There are a couple of areas where the sky is dark and the rain is heavily pouring down that felt so real it was almost like being in Sebastion's shoes.
Overall the visuals are eerie and quite unnerving, which is really what you want from a horror game. However, The Evil Within manages to do it better than most which really is saying something considering the number of good horror games available.
Music
With a horror game having the perfect soundtrack is key and the soundtrack is certainly perfection. There is something about it that made my heart pound and that was without the visuals or gameplay.
The soundtrack is composed by Masafumi Takada, who created the sound for Shining Soul 2, God Hand, No More Heros and Vanquish to name but a few.
The soundtrack is short and sweet or terrifying depending on which way you look at it and runs at just shy of an hour. My favorite tracks include; 'Clair De Lune (by Claude Debussy), 'Them', and 'Lurking In The Dark'.
Overall the soundtrack is great and certainly made my experience playing all that more terrifying.
Gameplay
Where to even begin? Firstly, the game is a third-person horror, initially, you start with nothing but a knife, kind of like the first Assassins Creed. This makes things extremely challenging and I ended up dying more than a few times, normally this would be annoying but I liked the challenge. Then you finally get some weapons which made me feel unstoppable, for all of five seconds. The enemies get much faster, smarter and tougher and ammunition is in short supply so if you are going to pull the trigger you better hit something. Most things can be upgraded by using brain goo? You sit in what can only be described as a torture chair, shocked and then you're upgraded.
The controls at times did feel a little awkward, for example when you are disarming a trap it takes ages to disarm it and it takes a second to stop and often run to avoid getting bludgeoned. I didn't think too much about it until Ivan informed this was not done by accident and in an interview with Shinji Mikami, he confirmed it was intentional. Detective Castellanos is far from the top his game and he has hit the bottle hard meaning sometimes even basic things can be tough, this is personified in the controls which I love. It isn't broken controls due to oversight or poor planning but a very intentional effort to put you in the shoes of Detective Castellanos.
While the entire game is challenging (not in a Bloodborne or Dark Souls way) I was able to overcome everything with a little perseverance. The only section that got a little frustrating was during the final chapter where there is an onslaught and with so little ammo it took me more than a few tries to get past it.
The DLC is a mixed bag. 'The Assignment' and 'The Consequence' focus on stealth more than anything else as you have no weapons for the most part. It did feel frustrating at times especially after playing as Sebestation who has a small arsenal. 'The Executioner' on the other hand was a lot of fun, you play as a Dark Keeper (the guys with a safe for heads) in first-person. All missions involve you beating the hell out of enemies, and you can upgrade yourself which was a lot of fun.
Overall the gameplay is amazing and manages to splice old school gaming with more modern games. If you are up for a challenge this game is for you.
Final Thoughts
So, after nearly thirty hours did I manage to devour the oversized steak? Yes, yes I did, even if I did gain a few pounds and sweat the same amount out of myself. The story is intriguing and kept me hooked throughout, the visuals are creepy and cool, and the music is on another level. The gameplay is frustrating good and certainly curious to see what has been done in the second installment. This one gets a very solid 4 out of 5
