The Evil Within 2 Reviews

The Evil Within 2 is an enjoyable, psychological and somewhat emotional trip that I probably won’t forget. As a sequel to it’s predecessor, it takes things in a rather different direction and tries several new things to mixed results. Nonetheless, The Evil Within 2 is a thrilling and tense experience that’ll appeal to most fans of the original and newcomers looking for a harrowing experience they’ve probably not had before.

Some monstrously lovely set pieces are let down by a bit too much padding, some broken mechanics, and an overwrought story.

The Evil Within 2 get so much right that it's predecessor got wrong, and it's actually a great game on top of that. The initial chapters of the game start off slow, but then once things get rolling, this game is really hard to put down.

The Evil Within 2 combines a great open world with some fun gameplay and smart design to really improve upon the original game.

Famed Japanese game maker Shinji Mikami delights us with another tense and action-packed survival horror thriller.

A lot of improvements over the first game with an engaging story makes The Evil Within 2 a great example of how to do a proper sequel.

May it be the likes of Shadow of the Colossus or Metal Gear Solid, if it’s quite there but not enough to push the boundaries, it’s still an awesome game.

Sebastian Castellanos is a man on the edge – but then you would be too, if you’d only just survived a nightmarish virtual reality horror world where everything was out to kill you.

The Evil Within 2 is an excellent game and a wonderful survival horror, perfectly mixing Silent Hill and Resident Evil 4 while correcting all the flaws of the original. The story’s better, the locations flow together well, the more open areas are fun to explore, and the ability to choose between action and stealth is very welcome. It’s also incredibly creepy with truly wonderful monster designs. The combat can be a little frustrating, especially early on, and occasionally the stiff Reside...

Coming into its release, it would have been easy to give The Evil Within 2 a pass based on the reception of the previous game, and I don't necessarily blame those that might have been let down by The Evil Within for not entirely living up to its lofty expectations. And yet, though The Evil Within 2 might be a different flavor of survival horror this time around, I hope that those willing to give it a chance will be more likely to enjoy its taste.

Tango Gameworks take another stab at creating a thrilling survival horror title, and defy expectation by applying open-world action philosophies with a great degree of success.

One of my favourite survival horror games in recent memory is The Evil Within. Released three years ago, it featured horrifying monsters and effective mind games to create a memorable and exciting experience that has stayed with me years later. To say that I was excited for a sequel is an understatement, so I’m pleased that The Evil Within 2 refines its craft even further, throwing some engaging open world elements into the mix as well. What follows is a tense, harrowing experience that had...

The Evil Within 2 is a huge step forward for the series that emphasizes exploration, stealth, and conserving resources for the more challenging encounters. Though the compelling plot is weighed down by poor writing and poorer voice performances, the game offers a great horror experience with a ton of content.

Welcome back to the nightmare. Literally.

It’s all brought to life via the STEM Engine – a modified version of idTech – and without the design held back by last generation consoles. As a result, The Evil Within 2 looks incredible, combining raw power with some of the best art direction you’ll find in a horror game. The accompanying soundtrack is superb too and while the voice cast is solid, though there’s only so much they can do with the awkward script.

The same could be said for the game itself, honestly. The Evil Within 2 represents one of the starkest and most astounding turnarounds from a debut title to its sequel that I’ve ever witnessed. It’s a brilliant horror game, one that understands when to ratchet up tension and when to pull back and let you collect yourself. If the first game was a failed attempt to capture the spirit of Shinji Mikami’s classic Resident Evil 4, the sequel is a successful attempt at something much better: finding a chilling, exhilarating voice of its own.

Still, I can’t help but think that this might all be part of some master plan. To be inside STEM is to bend to the will of a collected psyche. The jarring push and pull of two distinct identities — one a town overrun and ripe for scavenging, the other a frenzied descent into the wicked world of killers — ensures that Sebastian is never comfortable for too long. The Evil Within 2 often feels uneven, but that’s probably the point. Even if it isn’t, there’s enough blood, guts, and horror to keep your heart racing.

The Evil Within 2 is a great addition to the survival horror genre. It improves in a lot of aspects from its predecessor, but also makes some sacrifices that made the original so memorable from a horror standpoint. The Evil Within 2 is a damn good game and any fan of the genre should give it a shot.

The Evil Within 2 isn't without flaws, but it manages to deliver a great blend of horror and action.

The Evil Within 2 does a good job of finishing the original story. Seb gets reunited with his daughter and overcomes his guilt. That said, the game revisits multiple events from the first game. This assumes you’ve played it and if not, you’re left following scraps of content from the game. Outside of the story, the game is quite different from the first. It’s a good follow-up, even if the horror takes a back seat to the action. Thankfully the game also addresses the performance issues from the first game and it runs like a champ (if you have the hardware). A solid entry for those new to the survival horror genre. While veterans may be a bit disappointed as the game puts more focus on combat than providing the scares. Still, fans of the first game will eat this up and come back for seconds.

The open road to hell.

There’s a certain genius to madness. That’s especially true for crafting superb survival horror that balances the irrational and bizarre with careful consideration. The Evil Within, which put players in a psychopath’s mind-made reality, was one such example. There was tension-inducing enemy encounters amid erratic pacing. Calling it a diamond in the rough is more than apt, but after a few years of polishing and cutting, the gem takes the form of a sequel. The Evil Within 2 is more refined with its changes in more ways than one – for better and for worse.

The Evil Within 2 is a better game than the original. While I feel that no part of the game close to the excellent opening moments of the chainsaw man chase that opened the first game, the sum of those parts makes for a better overall experience. That said, I did not really fancy any of it. My aforementioned gripes and PC port issues leave me feeling indifferent towards the scattered high points. In classic horror fashion, the game ends with a hint towards another sequel. Hopefully it will try breaking new ground in gameplay systems and offer a more compelling story. 6/10 Green Herbs

This horror sequel is a clear improvement over the original, but is it good enough to stand with the genre's best? Here is our review:

Bringing with it some of the best parts of ResidentEvil and Silent Hill, The Evil Within 2 does a lot of things right.

The Evil Within 2 will certainly hold your attention during its 17 chapters, with flashes of brilliance sandwiched in among the game's various flaws and less memorable sequences. Ultimately, as a sequel, it doesn't quite deliver, but nonetheless, The Evil Within 2 is a survival horror that's just about worth persevering with.

The Evil Within 2 gives you more options to play your way in a much bigger survival-horror playground than the original. Although a disjointed plot and weak protagonist make it slow to get started, being pursued through an intriguingly bizarre world by plentiful and disturbing monsters kept my palms sweaty and my heart in my throat thanks to a strict adherence to the most important survival horror rule: you should always be on the back foot.

No summary available

The Evil Within 2's goofy characters and cheesiness won't be for everyone, but longtime fans of the genre will likely appreciate it. They will also appreciate its classic survival-horror gameplay that's blended expertly with more modern features like open world settings, its improved graphics, and tighter narrative. By succeeding in all these areas, The Evil Within 2 is easily one of the best survival-horror games in recent memory, and is a significant step forward from its predecessor.

When it comes down to it though. Mikami’s new game may not compare to the horrific Resident Evil 7, but it doesn’t have to either. The Evil Within 2 is a memorable and compelling game all on its own, and one that deserves to be played by horror fans and action game fans alike. The frustrations of the first game (which have been documented by others) are non-existent here and instead, this sequel outshines its predecessor in almost every aspect.  Next time, just give us a bit better story...

Ignoring the influence of Resident Evil 4 on The Evil Within is impossible; survival-horror pioneer Shinji Mikami and developer Tango Gameworks iterated on the former’s combat, structure, and progression to make them fit their new franchise while upping the sense of scale and adding a few twists of their own. If the first entry worshipped at the altar of Resident Evil 4, then The Evil Within 2 is polytheistic, borrowing more from several other games to introduce new scares into its mix. Though it finds a successful middle ground between horror and shooter, it doesn’t elevate itself above its inspirations, which makes for an enjoyable, if not unique, trek through a demented world.

Dead by dawn