Tango Gameworks had a pretty good stint during their time under Bethesda until they were shut down and bought by Krafton. Hi-Fi Rush and Ghostwire: Tokyo are excellent games, well worth your time, but most gamers remember Tango for The Evil Within, Shinji Mikami’s big return to the survival horror genre. The hype was palpable since Resident Evil 6 disappointed, and everyone assumed Mikami would hit it out of the park.
Being a cross-gen game for the eighth and ninth console generations, The Evil Within could not make the most of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at the time. It was rough around the edges, but it was still a fun horror-action game featuring some righteous gore. It didn’t live up to Mikami’s pedigree, but there was always hope that a sequel could deliver as promised.
When The Evil Within 2 finally did release, it came and went. It flew under the radar, and most gamers weren’t interested, and it lacked staying power. It’s common to find copies lining the bottoms of Walmart bargain bins or discount shelves. Were gamers wrong to have ignored The Evil Within 2? Should it have been a bigger hit? How does it hold up? Find out in The Evil Within 2 Review!
The Evil Within 2
Developer: Tango Gameworks
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Platforms: Windows PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One (reviewed)
Release Date: October 13, 2017
Price: $39.99
The first Evil Within was about Sebastian Castellanos, a hard-boiled detective who goes on an odyssey into the mind of a psycho, whose brain has been interfaced with a virtual world known as STEM. Inside STEM was where users lived out the thoughts and whims of the core brain, which belonged to a creep who liked to dissect things.
The Evil Within 2 is mostly unconnected, with only a few passing references. The story still focuses on Sebastian, and Kidman is back with a smaller role. STEM is still the main central plot device where characters are forced into the mind of another character, but this time, the core brain happens to be Sebastian’s daughter.
As in the first game, STEM realizes a world overrun by corrupt users, but this sequel expands the setting by incorporating mini-sandbox worlds and hubs. Seb’s daughter, Lily, has her soul at stake this time, and because corrupt users are defiling her perfect little town, Union, her mind is at risk of being consumed by their evil.
The story moves along at a brisk clip so long as Sebastian doesn’t get too distracted, but it’s hard to take all of the horror seriously when it’s framed as an imaginary world. STEM only exists as some kind of dream place in the characters’ heads. While they may die for real, the stakes still feel low due to the artifice of the stakes and circumstances. It’s a lazy way to have scary stuff happen without having to explain it.
When players make it to Union, the game opens up in ways very few horror games ever dare. While Union isn’t the biggest open town to explore, it impresses with its level of detail. There are many enterable buildings, houses, and even a busted-up train to explore. Multiple safe houses and a few hidden areas that branch off to optional areas.
There are two main Union sectors, and both serve as hubs. It’s always good to explore and partake in side quests for more green slime or upgrade materials for Sebastian’s skill tree. He starts pretty worse for wear due to the years of alcoholism, so he can’t take a right hook from a stray Lost, and he gets winded after running ten feet.
Upgrading Sebastian’s pathetic stats is one thing, but powering up his weapons is even more crucial since bosses can be intimidating. Both stats and weapons usually bottleneck early on and require a rare type of upgrade that is typically earned by completing the later side quests or story progression. This keeps the balance in check for most of the first run and keeping the gameplay tense.
When playing on the harder difficulty modes, you’re going to need to play more cautiously and stealthily. The stealth is surprisingly effective, even on the hardest modes, but God help if you find yourself chased by a roaming Anima. Since the gameplay is far more open-ended than it was in the first game, there is more emergence in the gameplay.
It feels like almost anything can happen when sneaking around town with the lying-in-wait in a bush, with sweat-running-down-your-face-style gameplay. Like a good horror game, ammo reserves and health restoratives are tight, but with a little luck, Sebastian might find something by rummaging in garbage cans like a San Franciscan bum.
Other times, you might be tempted to break into some poor devil’s pick-up truck. Sure, the gunpowder or scrap parts are useful, but the noise from smashing and grabbing is sure to attract the attention of some lurking Spawns. While melee is a last resort, having a hand axe is always a guaranteed instant kill, at the expense of being a one-time use. Always be on your guard and know where all items and exits are when strolling through Union.
It feels like the hardest mode is the way the game was meant to be played. The standard difficulty barely poses a challenge if you play stealthily since the enemy’s awareness takes a huge hit. Sebastian can crouch walk at full speed without making noise, and the Lost have more rigid patrol routes. You’ll be drowning in supplies, too, when playing this way.
Some of the later updates included some egregious and excessive QOL features that further cheapen the challenge. Thankfully, the one good addition was an option to play the entire game in first-person. This option completely changes the feel of the game and limits the field of view, making for a more tense experience.
The Evil Within 2‘s graphics impress and look as good as any game released on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S. The first game was a bit of a mixed bag, but the sequel is beautifully refined and cohesive. Many of the generic design choices have been abandoned more surrealist visuals that stick with you.
Most of the Lost have layers of bodily damage, exposing their insides. Some of the finer details in the graphics are in the gore effects and materials. The Evil Within 2 is an unbelievably visceral and grimy game, coated with filth, sweat, blood, and sticky white goo. The sticky white crap borders on nauseating due to its weighty viscosity and pulpiness.
The environments and lighting are especially atmospheric. Union is a stark place, and Sebastian’s flashlight dynamically lights objects and casts shadows, creating striking imagery. The animation is high quality, and the facial expressions are convincing and convey personality. The Evil Within 2 aged beautifully and gives most modern AAA games a run for their money.
While The Evil Within franchise never became the heavy hitter it was intended to be, horror maniacs were lucky to get a couple of solid entries that are still a cut above what gets released today. Some aspects of the sequel are a product of its time, like the emphasis on large seamless environments, crafting, and the odd “forced walking” sequences that pervaded most AAA games in the 2010s.
Replay value is high thanks to the unlockable weapons. Sebastian can even get his old outfit from the first game. It’s always satisfying to run through with some overpowered weapons and get revenge on all the creatures that hassled you.
These days, The Evil Within 2 is dirt cheap, and if you play it on a Series X, it gets a nice frame rate boost to a consistent 60. It looks on par with the likes of Alan Wake II, but you won’t have to contend with obnoxious characters and agonizing pacing. This was a solid sequel that should have gotten more love.
The Evil Within 2 was reviewed on Xbox Series X using a code purchased by Niche Gamer. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here. The Evil Within 2 is now available for PC (via Steam), Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
