EGX Snapshot Reviews: The Evil Within

Platforms: PS3, PS4, Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Release Date: October 14 2014
Developer: Tango Gameworks
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

If Alien: Isolation is the flesh-eating face of new gaming horror – exciting, risky and with a (relatively) different kind of pace and setting – then The Evil Within is very much a throwback to the genre’s roots. It’s silly, it’s violent, and it has the potential to be all kinds of fun.

[divider]

Published by Bethesda, it marks the debut of Shinji Mikami’s new studio Tango Gameworks. Mikami is a colossus in the games industry and best known as the father of Resident Evil and Devil May Cry. In his 24-year career he’s also had a hand in making some obscenely cool Japanese gems (shout out to any Viewtiful Joe fans!) and was director on Resident Evil 4 (AKA The Greatest Game Ever Made By Anyone.)

This pedigree brings a great deal of responsibility with it and at first glance The Evil Within looks to be in danger of disappointing. The shared DNA with Resident Evil is immediately apparent and brings a few problems with it. The main character is a smug, floppy-haired detective called, of all things, Sebastian, who seems like a dropout from the Chris Redfield School of Bland Character Design. The demo takes place in a haunted asylum full of creaking doors, abandoned wheelchairs and the occasional ghost. Enemies are slow and you have to retreat to a safe area to save your progress. It all feels a bit archaic and very, very daft.

The main character is a smug, floppy-haired detective called, of all things, Sebastian, who seems like a dropout from the Chris Redfield School of Bland Character Design. 

Fortunately Mikami’s talented (God) hands mean that it’s satisfying as hell to play, especially when it comes to shooting things in the face. Gunplay is deliberate but substantial, with meaty sound effects and liberal streaks of gore. The zombie-ish enemies are slow but ammo is scarce so planning and patience are the keys to survival. Resident Evil alumni will be familiar with the thrill of staking their jugulars on a single bullet and a perfectly-time headshot, and it feels like Tango Gameworks have nailed that sensation.

Courtesy of Gamespot.com

The demo outfits you with a revolver, a shotgun and a crossbow to fight your way through its haunted corridors. They all handle pretty much as you expect but I’ll eat a Jill sandwich (look it up) if there aren’t surprises lurking later in the game. The Evil Within will also delight detail nuts with some of the most elaborate reload animations I’ve ever seen in a game.

Survival looks set to depend on more than the size of your arsenal though- the game’s world is littered with traps that can either be avoided or turned to your advantage. The demo only featured a few explosives but expect Mikami to have plenty of murderous tricks up his sleeves. There’s also a neat mechanic where enemies have to be incinerated (using a limited supply of matches) to stop them from resurrecting themselves.

The asylum setting, while a bit hackneyed, is suitably spooky and immersive. Everything feels dusty and untouched, making your presence stick out uneasily. There’s also plenty of grisly steampunk paraphernalia littered around, making the environments stand out from those in your average jump-fest. At one point a trap dragged me down a corridor into a giant whirling meat-grinder that pulped Sebastian in lurid detail. You also level up committing open-head brain surgery on yourself. Not one to play with your mum, this.

Of course The Evil Within can’t be all blood and buckshot, and there were plenty of quieter moments in my hands-on. The majority of my time was spent wandering by myself and enjoying the alternatingly picturesque and gruesome surroundings. Brilliantly, the threat of combat is constantly present. Even though I never felt any blind panic I still found myself bracing whenever I opened a door for fear of something on the other side.

Progress in The Evil Within requires you to complete puzzles. Well maybe calling them “puzzles” is a bit generous; the ones I saw involved hunting around for switches and keys to open doors. Much like in Resident Evil, they seem to be included to add a bit of variety. It might not tax your mental capacity, but having breathing space between shootouts makes a pleasant change from the conveyor-belt of enemies showcased in some big games.

If this preview sounds a little negative it’s because The Evil Within was far from the flashiest demo at EGX. It felt distinctly like a level imported from the game itself, rather than something polished especially for the show. In other words, it was like playing the real game. While this makes drumming up hype a little harder, the confidence Bethesda are showing in Mikami and his creation is both encouraging and bold.

While Alien: Isolation was immediately understandable, after 15 minutes with it I felt like I had a good idea of what the entire game would be. In contrast, The Evil Within is a little more mercurial. I can imagine sitting down for a brief session and getting drawn in for hours, emerging with grated nerves and bleary eyes. That kind of playability is hard to condense into a trailer (especially when your game is a bit silly) but can create some of the most enjoyable and surprising experiences.

The Evil Within is now just a few days away from release and you should definitely be keeping an eye on it. Its marketing might not wow but this could be the dark horse for GOTY, especially with Mikami’s name on the box. If it has even a fraction of Resident Evil 4’s mad ambition then this could be something special indeed. The developers have spoken about how they want to reinvigorate survival horror by placing the emphasis on helplessness (and, apparently, things involving barbed wire). I can’t promise that they’ve succeeded, but you’ll have plenty of fun finding out for yourself.

[divider_top]

Interested in writing for us or advertising with us? Email games@theboar.org or tweet @BoarGames!