October the 13th is the release date for Bethesda's sequel to the The Evil Within; a game that garnered mixed to good reviews from publications and players alike.
Despite this it developed a strong line of devoted fans who appreciated the engaging plot, harrowing visuals and warped symbolism.
The Evil Within is a survival horror game series that focuses on combat and atmosphere that also challenges the player with tight resource management and stealth sections.
One of the biggest criticisms to the game was it's similarities to game director Shinji Mikami's former title Resident Evil 4.
A lot of players also found the difficulty did not match the modes of play and that, unlike other games with tight resource management, The Evil Within threw the player into far too many combat scenarios with not enough ammo which forced some players to restart the game on easier modes.
That's quite a big ask and I can understand the player frustration if you're halfway through the game and running out of ammo. I can agree there are quite a few areas that require you put down a lot of ammo to get through them: such as the construction area outside of the Church where enemies infinitely respawn and you have to use the long range rifle to take out soldiers in the guard towers. Then when you approach the gates a Mad man foe attacks you (and lord does he take some bullets or clever strategies) before finally you complete the area.
I can agree; I was running pretty low on ammo here. However, I had been scouring all the previous areas for ammos and special keys (that allow you to unlock safes in the game saving hub for extra resources). I also made use of all available resources and traps that allowed me to conserve ammo. The Evil Within does have something of a tight learning curve in regards to ammo conservation but that's not to say the game never throws you a bone.
I found the more I died in one particular area the more drops I could obtain from fallen enemies. You also have to learn to be savvy and utilising the games unique weapon the Crossbow was essential to getting the most bang for your buck.
The original does play with this a little bit. Quite early in the game you come across a farm littered with enemies and you pretty much get to approach this whole area however you wish. Stealthily taking out foes or causing a big ruckus to lead them into traps.
I think having larger environments will definitely help players as it increases the options you have. They've also expanded their crafting system as you can now obtain gun powder which means you can craft specific ammo on the fly, which again helps players deal with each scenario as they see fit.
I feel ultimately The Evil Within 2 needs to be more accessible. What the previous game did was great but it's difficulty curve spikes were just too much for some and, coupled with the horror element, you'll find a lot of people interested in your game end up wanting to watch it as the act of playing it is too difficult and gated. I would definitely say change that normal mode difficulty curve because it was a bit too sharp for a standard gaming experience.
It looks like Tango Gameworks acknowledge this as in the demo Hard mode is listed as a mode for those who want a similar experience to The Evil Within 1.
In the gameplay trailer the player takes control of protagonist Sebastian Castellanos who is, for whatever reason, back in the Stem system that this time is primarily linked to a serial killers consciousness.
You scrabble around a town that's infested with a revised version of the Haunted enemies. As you explore the town you can see chunks of it suspended in the air.
Moebius also plays a bigger role this time than just the shadowy figure in the background pulling the strings as you can locate and loot Moebius operatives for plentiful resources.
We also see a fearsome foe that appears as a sort of Grim Reaper that pulls Sebastian into a dilapidated hospital ward, stalks the player and is seemingly invulnerable.
Plot wise there is little revealed about what actually happened after the events in The Evil Within 1. Kidman and Sebastian are still working together in some sort of context and Sebastian's daughter appears frequently as an apparition which alludes me to believe that he may learn of who actually murdered his wife and child (an event that occurred before the first game).
I'm sure we'll get some answers this time around as well as some new questions. The Evil Within 2 has a lot resting on it's shoulders. The Evil Within 1 did sell well and is generally well received but I feel the success of it's sequel is going to solidify it's place as a new franchise. I sure do hope it does as The Evil Within is possibly one of the best visually striking horror games out there with a deliciously deceptive and complex plot.
