[alert type=”green”]Attention: This post is sponsored by Bethesda, but reflects only my individual views of The Evil Within.[/alert]
When Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami decided to plunge headfirst into developing a brand new survival horror title under Tango Gameworks, fans everywhere grew eager to see if his latest effort would save the genre once and for all. While the verdict may still be out on this theory, I can at the very least say that my hands-on time with the game at E3 proved to be beneficial and gave me a good idea of what to expect once the final product launches on October 21st.
On the surface, The Evil Within could be best described as a psychological thriller that uses various gameplay elements from Resident Evil 4 and beefs up the overall experience. The demo I played through was heavily action oriented and had me facing off against several different types of grotesque creatures from one corridor to the next. It’s also worth noting that the developers opted to add several environmental traps to use as both obstacles and advantages in almost every situation. This dynamic is smart because it truly allows the player to think more strategically about how to adapt to his or her surroundings accordingly.
When it comes to enemy encounters, it’s very easy to run out of ammo quickly when it isn’t used wisely. I also noticed that certain weapons aren’t effective against some of the more difficult enemy types. In these instances, it’s always better to run away to avoid damage or death. The decision to have this mechanic intact is noteworthy because it assures that you can’t simply just glide through the game from start to finish.
With so many positives, there is at least one aspect about the game that needs improving. This lies specifically within the inverted camera and how the player can easily look up or down while navigating through each level. This particular mechanic should be optional as it can be quite frustrating in combat situations.
Aside from this issue, The Evil Within remains promising and it will be interesting to see what a few more months of development will do for the game. The tone, look, and feel of the title is genuinely bone-chilling, putting it on pace to be one of the best survival horror games out this year.
