| System: PS4, Xbox One, PC |  |
| Dev: Tango Gameworks | |
| Pub: Bethesda Softworks | |
| Release: October 13, 2017 | |
| Players: 1 Player | |
| Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p | Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language |
Crafting itself is pretty straightforward. You have a workbench inside your safe houses that you can use to create ammo, make health items, and upgrade your weapons. Using all the items you’ve found hidden throughout the world and won off of battles is pretty satisfying, because you know the items created will help you continue to survive. The safe houses also allow you to upgrade Sebastian by talking to Tatiana. You can view slides that you pick up throughout the world that reveal plot points via dialogue with Sebastian’s connection to the real world, Juli Kidman. There is also a shooting gallery which has a classic mode that gives you cardboard cutouts to aim and destroy. Here is a chain attack mode which was ironically one of the most entertaining parts of the game at first. You shoot at targets that are linked based on color. Destroy enough of them as time counts down, and Tatiana will reward you with consumable items.
The Evil Within 2 is reminiscent of more modern horror games like Resident Evil 7. I was stunned by the beautiful detail in the eyes of the characters. You can see the varying shades of color in the irises of their eyes. Animators haven’t seemed to fully figure out how to make teeth look natural in video games yet, so that’s one negative, but it isn’t super distracting. The sights to see within STEM are creepy, but also beautiful at times. If you have a moment, take a look up at the various pieces of the environment that have cracked off and are floating through space. It’s a sight to see, but easy to miss if you get caught up in the gameplay. There is also Stefano’s “art,” which show that blood and gore can be beautiful. Not to mention the monsters themselves. Their designs are fairly classic, but they’re still unique enough to surprise you.
The Evil Within 2’s music is pretty standard. You’ll hear the constant “dun-duns” familiar to horror games. Probably the best part of the audio experience is the voice acting. It’s all realistic and compelling, especially in the more dramatic story moments. Some of the monsters make terrible screaming sounds that will chill you to your core. One little, tiny complaint I have has to do with one particular puzzle the game uses. On some doors, you’ll have to adjust and match sound frequencies to open them. The puzzle itself is fun to do, but the sounds are grating at best. My parent’s dog even howled an entire floor and a half above me while I was doing one of them.
If you are considering getting The Evil Within 2, be prepared for some slightly clunky movement and somewhat repetitive walking simulator sections. Past that, it’s a wonderful sequel to a game that was originally sort of a miss, rather than a hit. You’ll become just as invested as Sebastian is when trying to find his daughter and walk away from the experience feeling like you got your money’s worth. The Evil Within 2 is well worth the purchase, but especially those who enjoyed the first game and want something more.
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By April Marie Contributing Writer Date: 10/13/2017 |
Game Features:
