The Evil Within 2 is set to release on the scariest day of all, Friday Oct. 13. After getting some hands-on time with The Evil Within 2 at this year’s QuakeCon, it’s safe to say this game will not be on my Hype List as we near release.
I should preface this hands-on by saying I didn’t play the original The Evil Within. That certainly hindered my ability to fully understand the story and the game’s existing world. Also, I don’t particularly care for horror games. They either are scary (which I don’t like) or try to be suspenseful but fail, ending up boring.
If you do like getting scared, it at least seems like The Evil Within 2 will be a spooky game. During my short demo, there were several unnerving sights and a few jump scares that had my heart skipping some beats. At least the team at Tango Gameworks isn’t making a boring game.
As for actual gameplay, it felt like The Evil Within 2 copies everything The Last Of Us did, adding some extra layers of gore. Players sneak around shambling monsters, able to take them out with stealth tactics. If you find a few monsters in your way, you can throw objects like bottles to distract them away from you.
While wandering, you’ll also come across components you can make new items with. These are all the typical health packs and ammo you can craft in other games, along with the ability to upgrade weapons. Sound familiar? It sure does!
Also, protagonist Sebastian Castellanos needs to hit the gym some more. While heavy breathing is a staple of horror movies and games, Sebastian was huffing and puffing with every step he took. Come on, dude. You’re in a safe house; by definition, there's nothing to be afraid of in there. Do you really need to breathe so heavily walking down a hallway?
Speaking of being loud, The Evil Within 2 plays heavily on sound as a way for monsters to find you. So why do all the stealth takedowns get so loud? In all fairness, this isn’t a problem unique to The Evil Within 2. Many stealth games feature loud takedowns, like The Last Of Us and Dishonored . It really throws you out of a game when walking fast might attract a monster, but doing a “stealth” kill with shouting and scuffling sounds goes unnoticed.
Anyway, if you liked The Evil Within, the sequel seems to be more of the same. Gameplay, while nothing terribly original, works well and there’s some creepy things crawling around that are sure to scare many. That said, this just isn’t the game for me.
So what do you think? Are you interested in playing The Evil Within 2 for yourself? What do you think about horror and survival horror games? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
