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[PaddyOCanager]

This is the first game I paid full price for and couldn't be compelled to finish. I loved the horror, puzzle and exploration elements but the combat in this game is abysmal. Every time the game forced me into a combat situation I found myself hating the game. It felt like a chore I had to complete to get back to the game I was enjoying. When I got to Laura, I finally shut the game off for good. If they make a sequel, I sincerely hope they address the combat because I really wanted to love this game.

 

[Neiteio]

This is the first game I paid full price for and couldn't be compelled to finish. I loved the horror, puzzle and exploration elements but the combat in this game is abysmal. Every time the game forced me into a combat situation I found myself hating the game. It felt like a chore I had to complete to get back to the game I was enjoying. When I got to Laura, I finally shut the game off for good. If they make a sequel, I sincerely hope they address the combat because I really wanted to love this game.

What about the combat was "abysmal?" I thought it had some of the best gunplay around. Smooth aiming, a nice kick to every shot, and super-satisfying headshots! The multi-purpose crossbow was also an elegant way to lay down traps. Also, the limited-use melee weapons are so fun, practically imploding some enemies.

Very versatile mechanics. And the movement feels both weighty and responsive. It's a bit limiting at first when you barely have any stamina, but the game is balanced around this, and once you have a few upgrades, Seb feels quite capable!

Also, a note on Laura: Whenever you're forced to fight her, the game expects you to use the environment against her. Look for barrels, spigots, torches, trapdoors, and bodies you can light on fire while she's re-spawning. Shooting will only piss her off.

 

[DMiz]

Some more screens!

A nice mug shot of the game's brace-face kaiju:

Knowing nothing about TEW - I own the game but haven't found the time

Spoiler

bravery

to play it yet, this picture keeps striking me as a uterus that has been stitched post C-section.

No clue if that actually plays in the story, just wanted to mention because it's striking to me how similar it looks, especially with the other picture that you showed that I believe referenced the same monster. I wonder if it was intentional?

 

[ArkkAngel007]

Are we expecting a follow up to this game? I know there was some talk in the community when Tango was hiring new staff and that Twitter image, but that's the last I heard.

 

[Cramoss]

Ch. 10 is also my favorite. It's incredibly lengthy and challenging, so much so that it could've been its own standalone horror game.

But it's also psychologically grueling. If the entire game were like Ch. 10, players would end up in the hospital in real life, lol.

And that's exactly what I wanted more of.. :'(

 

[StrongBelwas]

Are we expecting a follow up to this game? I know there was some talk in the community when Tango was hiring new staff and that Twitter image, but that's the last I heard.

I would be surprised if there wasn't. I feel like Bethesda have spoken about it being a franchise and the game sold well enough.

 

[NinjamicWZ]

Going to reinstall and replay the game again thanks to this thread. I loved Evil Within, damn.

 

[ArkkAngel007]

I would be surprised if there wasn't. I feel like Bethesda have spoken about it being a franchise and the game sold well enough.

It would add a full game announcement to Bethesda's presser as well. So far off the top of my head:

• Fallout 4 DLC
• ESO Expansion
• Dishonored 2 Gameplay Unveil (2 POVs) and Release Announcement
• DOOM DLC?
• BattleCry release date announcement

I'm not sure if there's any new IPs suspected, but since Tango Gameworks does have something going on it may be worth at least a tease of some sort.

Granted, it would be fairly early for anything to be shown.

 

[Neiteio]

Knowing nothing about TEW - I own the game but haven't found the time

Spoiler

bravery

to play it yet, this picture keeps striking me as a uterus that has been stitched post C-section.

No clue if that actually plays in the story, just wanted to mention because it's striking to me how similar it looks, especially with the other picture that you showed that I believe referenced the same monster. I wonder if it was intentional?

One of the lead artists on TEW was Ikumi Nakamura, who was also a concept artist for Bayonetta. She's a she, so perhaps more female-centric touches were mixed into the designs. One of the other creatures resembles parts of the female anatomy. Not saying that girl designers will inevitably do that, but hey! She's credited with incorporating all the barbwire, btw.

As for the lore behind that particular creature, it's a bit of a mystery. Without spoiling anything, I'll simply say it appears at the very end of the game, and is made up of many things. The history of those things may be informing the nature of its appearance. How's that for ambiguity!

 

[Neiteio]

For this batch I want to highlight some wonderfully weird details:

A mad science contraption; a pair of severed claws; ritualistically arranged corpses in a crypt; a painting of a hooded figure in a cellar; medieval manuscripts; an ominous message scrawled on a wall; a porcelain mask of a clown...

Also, more moody environments, a troubled patient, and more eyeballs in the sky:

 

[slosherbomb]

that was an awesome post dude. thanks for putting all that work into it. I enjoyed it!

 

[Flying Toaster]

It fills my heart with joy to see the cult following that The Evil Within has. It is a truly marvelous game.

 

[dc89]

It looks really good, shame i'm far too much of a wuss to even get past the opening.

 

[Lernaean]

A great thread from Neiteio for one flawed masterpiece and one of my favorite games of all time.
Now i want to replay it.

Also for those that haven't played the DLC, the 2 Kidman ones are very interesting (and kinda flawed like the base game). The third one is, ehhh... Not that interesting.

PS: Still wishing for a sequel.

 

[Neiteio]

It fills my heart with joy to see the cult following that The Evil Within has. It is a truly marvelous game.

It's a modern classic, and appreciation will only grow for it in time. It's a AAA horror title with rock-solid gameplay and a tremendous volume and variety of creatures, settings and scenarios spanning every sub-genre of horror: western, eastern, gothic, yokai, zombie, slasher, mutant, torture porn, medieval, Victorian, modern, rural, urban, day, night, mad science, occult, Illuminati, etc -- it has everything and still manages to feel consistent with its overarching tone, texture, and thematic elements. It's a celebration of horror, full stop, one where I vividly remember all 15 chapters.

Good stuff!

 

[Bl@de]

Evil Within is the game everyone should play who loves RE/Silent Hill. It's a mix of RE4 and Shutter Island. A fantastic (RE4-like) survival-horror experience. I really hope they will make a EW2. I would be there Day 1.

 

[Lernaean]

Evil Within is the game everyone should play who loves RE/Silent Hill. It's a mix of RE4 and Shutter Island. A fantastic (RE4-like) survival-horror experience. I really hope they will make a EW2. I would be there Day 1.

It really is hinting, implying, however you wanna call it, for a sequel.

 

[Bl@de]

It really is hinting, implying, however you wanna call it, for a sequel.

Yes, but who knows what Tango wants to make. Maybe something different. Maybe a spiritual successor to God Hand. You never know if Mikami will make Action or Horror^^

 

[Lernaean]

Yes, but who knows what Tango wants to make. Maybe something different. Maybe a spiritual successor to God Hand. You never know if Mikami will make Action or Horror^^

They are hiring now, and Mikami wanted to produce, so we may not see a new title from him. TEW is suggesting a sequel, and Johanas did a pretty good job.
Idk, I always hope.

 

[thekiddfran]

Wonderful images but I found the game too unforgiving for me. Running out of ammo all the time, terrible checkpoints and OP bosses.

 

[Neiteio]

The world they created in TEW -- the true nature of which I won't spoil here -- is super compelling and could support all kinds of games, imo. The more I think about how it works and the implications, the more excited I grow. They've pretty much laid the foundation for their own Umbrella, too, with suggestions of even greater conspiracies and higher stakes.

Whether it's Mikami directing or someone else with Mikami supervising, I hope we get a TEW2. The original game will be a tough act to follow, though. It pretty much did everything and went everywhere a horror fan could want.

 

[GinoFelino]

Bought it yesterday because of the art on display in this thread.

Only finished chapter 1 thus far, but WOW. The beginning had me laughing out loud. It's fantastic.

There's a current of pitch black comedy underneath the horror; my favourite kind of horror. I can't wait to find out what's next.

 

[Mr. Tibbs]

The Evil Within taps into our fears of a Resident Evil that takes itself seriously, of dangling an oil lamp from your belt so you might literally burn your own ass, and leaving matches on the table because you didn't level up your match carrying capacity.

 

[Neiteio]

Bought it yesterday because of the art on display in this thread.

Only finished chapter 1 thus far, but WOW. The beginning had me laughing out loud. It's fantastic.

There's a current of pitch black comedy underneath the horror; my favourite kind of horror. I can't wait to find out what's next.

If you loved Ch. 1, you're going to freaking adore the rest of the game. Exciting!

 

[Lernaean]

The world they created in TEW -- the true nature of which I won't spoil here -- is super compelling and could support all kinds of games, imo. The more I think about how it works and the implications, the more excited I grow. They've pretty much laid the foundation for their own Umbrella, too, with suggestions of even greater conspiracies and higher stakes.

Whether it's Mikami directing or someone else with Mikami supervising, I hope we get a TEW2. The original game will be a tough act to follow, though. It pretty much did everything and went everywhere a horror fan could want.

Yes, they did a lot, and will be hard to find more for another game, but at the other hand, as you said, they laid solid foundations to build new games on.
It's amazing what TEW did with word building in just one game.

 

[GinoFelino]

If you loved Ch. 1, you're going to freaking adore the rest of the game. Exciting!

Didn't expect to like it this much

Spoiler

because I could never really get into RE4

. But man, that first chapter is an instant classic for me.

Thanks for making this thread! It helps that it's a steal at 12,- in the EU store right now

 

[SlasherJPC]

Great thread. The art in this game is stellar.

 

[Neiteio]

Didn't expect to like it this much

Spoiler

because I could never really get into RE4

. But man, that first chapter is an instant classic for me.

Thanks for making this thread! It helps that it's a steal at 12,- in the EU store right now

Remember to collect lots of green goo to upgrade your stamina at the chair in the hub area -- that way you can sprint longer! Until then, you'll have to lightly feather the pedal, sprinting in short bursts to avoid growing winded. But remember, direct combat can often be avoided, especially with bosses. Disarm traps to collect parts and make crossbow bolts that can set up proximity mines, etc. Place them in doorways and on stairway landings and enemies will trip them while you're hiding. Also take advantage of sneak attacks... traps built into the environment... distractions... limited-use melee weapons that kill in one hit... and shooting an enemy to knock them down them before flicking a matchstick to finish them off. Cluster multiple enemies and one match can clear out a crowd. The game is tough, but doable. Be brave!

 

[GinoFelino]

Remember to collect lots of green goo to upgrade your stamina at the chair in the hub area -- that way you can sprint longer! Until then, you'll have to lightly feather the pedal, sprinting in short bursts to avoid growing winded. But remember, direct combat can often be avoided, especially with bosses. Disarm traps to collect parts and make crossbow bolts that can set up proximity mines, etc. Place them in doorways and on stairway landings and enemies will trip them while you're hiding. Also take advantage of sneak attacks... traps built into the environment... distractions... limited-use melee weapons that kill in one hit... and shooting an enemy to knock them down them before flicking a matchstick to finish them off. Cluster multiple enemies and one match can clear out a crowd. The game is tough, but doable. Be brave!

 

[Lernaean]

XD

Sounds like too much, but it's not that bad really. You'll understand it all as you play more.

 

[Neiteio]

https://media.giphy.com/media/LRVnPYqM8DLag/giphy.gif[img][/QUOTE]
Maybe I threw too much at you... Hey, I mean well! :-)

But don't worry — the game will teach you everything, bit by bit.

Be sure to update us here with your ongoing impressions!

 

[derFeef]

Does the demo (PC) feature the game's most recent updates? I would love to try it out again. I bought it on XBO but the horrible framerate nad black bars killed my experience quickly and I got a refund.

Starving for some horror and I just can't get into REV2 atm.

 

[GinoFelino]

XD

Sounds like too much, but it's not that bad really. You'll understand it all as you play more.

Maybe I threw too much at you... Hey, I mean well!

But don't worry — the game will teach you everything, bit by bit.

Be sure to update us here with your ongoing impressions!

I will! And I appreciate the advice of course, thanks man

Evil Within is the game everyone should play who loves RE/Silent Hill. It's a mix of RE4 and Shutter Island. A fantastic (RE4-like) survival-horror experience. I really hope they will make a EW2. I would be there Day 1.

Shutter Island can fuck right off. The worst thing Scorsese's ever done, and I've seen Vinyl. /siderant

 

[Neiteio]

I will! And I appreciate the advice of course, thanks man

No prob! Might not make sense now, but it will unstick you if you get stuck later.

Looking forward to updates. I'm especially interested to see how you finish Ch. 3!

 

[The Lamp]

Surprised you didn't include any photos of the completely unsettling mannequin maze in the dark warehouse.

 

[Neiteio]

Surprised you didn't include any photos of the completely unsettling mannequin maze in the dark warehouse.

It's not in the OP, but I posted a shot of the mannequin maze elsewhere. The mannequin maze was so tense. The fact that firing your gun will blow up the place had me sweatin'.

But speaking of concepts not pictured, I'd like to find screens of Trauma — the enemy carrying the broken crucifix. Now those guys were stressful!

 

[PetriP-TNT]

TEW will be (or at least should be) regarded as one of the classic games of this period. So good. So underrated.

 

[Death Metalist]

This was my 2014 GOTY as well, really loved the game. So much so, that I went back after taking a break and beat it on Akumu.

I hope we get a sequel.

 

[SomTervo]

- It's a mess, in terms of pacing, story, characters. It doesnt know what it wants to be and is constantly flipping around it's setting and tone dramatically (this was intentional actually and I get what they were going for, but it leaves the player feeling confused)
- The game itself is also a technical mess, it's buggy, it's glitchy, even with an enhanced PC rig. The camera is wonky and the controls feels laggy and clunky for a modern TPS game (once again the controls were intentional, but it makes the combat not very entertaining)
- It never really went anywhere, everything just felt like a horror game that was stitched together from other horror game concepts that never felt fully fleshed out or thought through.

combine that all together. It was a chore to play through.

- the pace was great as an adventure - but as a story, it was flawed AF
- I played through start to finish on PS4 and encountered 0 issues (except for a handful of messed up frame rate moments)
- it feels pretty disjointed a lot of the time, but in terms of pure gameplay its excellent, and some of the set pieces are brilliant

I'd add that it actually has a pretty damn great story. However, the telling of that story (i.e. the narrative) is flawed as shit. So flawed you don't even get the story.

 

[BlizzKrut]

It would add a full game announcement to Bethesda's presser as well. So far off the top of my head:

• Fallout 4 DLC
• ESO Expansion
• Dishonored 2 Gameplay Unveil (2 POVs) and Release Announcement
• DOOM DLC?
  [*]BattleCry release date announcement

Battlecry was cancelled AFAIK.

 

[Melchiah]

Wonderful images but I found the game too unforgiving for me. Running out of ammo all the time, terrible checkpoints and OP bosses.

Is there an easy mode? I've been tempted to buy the game, even more so after this thread, but it seems like it might be too frustrating for my taste. It also seems to have many sections where you're being chased by powerful enemies, and I'm not really fond of those, especially given the game's difficulty level.

 

[Neiteio]

Regarding the story, I really like the setting and scenario. I won't spoil anything here, but I'll say that it seems disjointed at first since you're jumping all over the place. However, there is a certain continuity to the structure:

--> Beacon Mental Hospital
--> Village of Elk River (Camp, Village, Town)
--> Beacon Mental Hospital
--> Cedar Hill (Church, Catacombs, Caves)
--> Beacon Mental Hospital
--> Victoriano Estate (Mansion, Dungeon)
--> Beacon Mental Hospital
--> Krimson City (City, Hotel, Subway)
--> Beacon Mental Hospital

The story bounces back and forth between the hospital and the four different regions (village, church, mansion and city), and if you think about the history of each region (gathered from newspaper clippings and other files you find in the game), you'll start to understand why you're visiting them.

The people abducted from the village... The cult activities at the church... The experiments and tragedy at the mansion... The shadowy organization in the city... The locations you visit inform the very nature of the world itself. It's quite brilliant, really, and a tight structure in hindsight.

And when you think about how RE1 — a far simpler story, by comparison — turned into the epic franchise that is RE, it's quite exciting to think what TEW could become with a sequel or two!

 

[Fancy Clown]

Yeah the environmental storytelling is just one of the several things that reminded me of Bloodborne/Dark Souls in this game. Chapter 10's final boss being another.

 

[derFeef]

You guys make me all exicted. I will download the demo tonight.

 

[PensivePen]

I really enjoyed this game, very fun combat and atmosphere. But I didn't like the overall structure of the story or the characters at all. The writing is so dry in most places and the story isn't compelling enough to keep it interesting. Still a lot of fun but I feel like it had a lot more potential. Never got around to playing the DLC, I wasn't as interested when I heard it was focused more on the stealth element, but I might get it some time if it's ever real cheap.

 

[Neiteio]

Yeah the environmental storytelling is just one of the several things that reminded me of Bloodborne/Dark Souls in this game. Chapter 10's final boss being another.

For sure. Something else worth noting is Horror Zone (as it's called in the artbook), which is essentially Silent Hill's otherworld in form and function (but not in lore). You know you're in Horror Zone when you're in a familiar location but there are surreal amounts of blood and viscera, traps, etc.

Again, without spoiling the story, there's a lot you can learn from this phenomena and the imagery depicted — insights into certain characters and their histories and what makes them tick. In fact, each of the key stalker monsters — Sadist, Keeper, Laura Reborn, even Quell — represent something.

For those who have beaten the game (and please don't click this if you haven't):

Spoiler

Sadist = Ruvik's cruelty; Keeper = Ruvik's desire to keep his secrets; Laura Reborn = Ruvik's guilt over his sister, and fear she'll come back for him; and Quell = Ruvik's desire to stay hidden

. I love this shit!

 

[Fancy Clown]

Yeah I'm a sucker especially for enemy designs having meaning behind them and ever single monster in the game represents something that explains their design. Like the two headed enemies in the cave.

 

[Neiteio]

Yeah I'm a sucker especially for enemy designs having meaning behind them and ever single monster in the game represents something that explains their design. Like the two headed enemies in the cave.

Yeah, AlterEgo — a manifestation of

Spoiler

dissociative personality disorder

. Another great one is Heresy, the result of

Spoiler

someone rejecting STEM and becoming a rogue consciousness within it

. Oh, and then there's my favorite, Trauma, where the broken crucifix represents

Spoiler

Ruvik's rejection of the religion his father forced on him.

Also, the concept for the Haunted is great:

Spoiler

They're either minds of test subjects still connected to STEM who have lost the will to resist, or the echoes of consciousness from past test subjects who were killed while connected to STEM

. That explains why certain characters turn or begin to turn —

Spoiler

their will is being supplanted by Ruvik

.

 

[Death Metalist]

Yeah I'm a sucker especially for enemy designs having meaning behind them and ever single monster in the game represents something that explains their design. Like the two headed enemies in the cave.

I hope you played Silent Hill 2 then, my all time favorite.

 

[Neiteio]

Seeing Death Metalist's avatar makes me think I'll get KFC mashed potatoes and gravy tonight and enjoy them alongside a replay of TEW. Nothing beats the winning combo of comfort food and bloodcurdling horror!

But I need to finish writing my stories first, lol.