Dan Geeks Out: Video Game Review #437: The Evil Within 2

The Evil Within 2

PlayStation 4

Nostalgia Factor:

I just played through the original Evil Within last month, and I really liked it. I ended up giving it an A overall. After finishing the game, I read a few reviews for the sequel. To my surprise, a good number of people seemed to like the sequel more than the first game. That surprised me a bit. I loved the first game a lot. If the sequel was supposed to be even better, that meant I was in for a real treat.

Would I side with the critics, or would this game just end up being more of the same? My answer may surprise you. Read on for more details!

Story:

I feel as if the storytelling in this game is much better than in the first Evil Within. You again play as Sebastian Castellanos. After the events of the first game, Sebastian's daughter is believed to have died in a fire. This causes Sebastian and his wife to break up. The wife believes she is out there somewhere and that her death was a hoax. Sebastian thinks this is desperate thinking.

Several years later, Sebastian is called into action by Mobius, the group who created the STEM system (a network that links people's brains), which in a giant bombshell, Sebastian was revealed to have been within all along at the end of the first game. He finds out that his daughter is indeed still alive. She was taken by Mobius to be a Core in a new STEM system they were testing. The Core keeps everything together. In Star Trek terms, think the Borg Queen.

Something has gone horribly wrong, and Sebastian is sent into the STEM network to save his daughter and bring her back. Since the game makes it abundantly clear that we are going into a "Matrixy" world, all traditional rules of physics and reason go out the window. If you thought you saw some wild, crazy stuff in the first game, just wait.

I won't spoil too much, but I did enjoy this game's story more than I did the first game's. I didn't care for some of the shmaltzy stuff, like with Sebastian's wife at the end. Despite all the crap that Sebastian has gone through in these games, for some reason I don't think he's that relatable of a character. You root for him, sure. But is he particularly compelling? Not really.

Gameplay:

The Evil Within 2 takes everything that made the first game great and improves upon it. The combat is a lot easier to get a hang of. The enemies are a bit more forgiving. There's an increased focus on stealth that I found myself really enjoying. There's a crafting system that I was actually able to understand. Upgrading your character and your weapons is easier than ever. This game is very, very user friendly. I found the first game a little difficult to get the hang of. This one, I was able to jump right in.

The biggest change is the addition of open world environments. Gone are the linear corridors of the first Evil Within. In the third chapter of the game, a huge map opens up in front of you. You can explore an entire town in any direction you want to go. Explore houses, fight enemies, collect items, stockpile green gel, and most importantly just have an absolute blast checking out everything this town has to offer.

I completely fell in love with this game right then and there. Every once in a blue moon you play a game that you just completely connect with on every level, but gets little hype from the outside. The Evil Within 2 is that game for me. Once I started exploring that open world, I never looked back. This game had me in its claws.

The Evil Within 2 flawlessly combines elements from different games in this genre. It is like the perfect mix of Resident Evil, The Last of Us, and the first Evil Within. Everything about this title's gameplay struck a positive cord with me. It's just so incredibly creative and fun. I loved this game. Can you hear me? I LOVED IT.

Exploring is fun. Collecting items is fun. Stealth is fun. Combat is fun. I like how you feel as if you are always making progress, picking up enough scrap material to enhance your weapons or enough green gel to level up your character. There's always something to work towards in this game, whether it is simply exploring the map to completion just for funsies, or heading straight to your mission directive. However you want to approach this is up to you!

Bosses are epic and very Resident Evil-like. Boss encounters in the first game were questionable. This time, they were knocked right out of the park.

My main complaint is when you travel "the marrow" between areas, there are often long segments of running forward through a long, black corridor. Very boring, and very irritating that you have to hold the run button forward through several stamina bars. Oh, and stamina bars! These are never a good idea in video games. Why do you people keep insisting on putting them in your games? Why???

While I'm nitpicking, load times can be a bit excessive once again when your character dies.

All these things aside, this is still a great freaking game.

Graphics:

Games like this always make me think: why exactly is there a PlayStation 5? Why do we need to upgrade to the next line of consoles? The game looks terrific in every way, shape, and form. The characters are realistic and lifelike. The monsters are grotesque. The environments are fully detailed and just look really, really good. Effects like lighting and explosions are perfect. The game is cinematic as hell. I really can't complain about anything, and the fact that this game is already six years old is wild to me.

I already mentioned the bosses earlier in my review, but shout out once again to their brilliant design. Some of these bosses are very creative and grotesque. It's always a pleasure seeing how the game is going to outdo itself in its wild boss design, time after time.

Sound:

The sound is top notch as well. The game is filled with ambient sound effects that keep you on the edge of your seat. Things are quiet and eerie when they need to be, loud and in your face when the action gets going. Keep your ears open for the noises your enemies make. Audio cues play a huge part in this game. If you can hear an enemy somewhere around you, you know to be cautious moving forward.

The game has terrific music in addition to the great sound effects and voice acting. The classical piano music makes its welcome return to this game. It's always a treat to hear that creepy yet comforting little jingle. Another musical piece that jumped out at me is the music that plays when you are spotted by an enemy. It's very bass-heavy and intense. I just love it. It really gets your blood pumping and draws you even deeper into the action of the game.

Overall:

To answer the question I posed in my opener: no, I do not consider this game to be "more of the same." The Evil Within 2 does not fall into the same trap as a lot of sequels out there (Horizon Forbidden West, I'm looking at you). I always get bored playing "more of the same", even when the original game was really good.

But The Evil Within 2 outdoes its predecessor in every way. Story, graphics, gameplay, sound, fun factor, everything. I could not put this game down. I loved it.

It's not too often I really get to gush about a game that resonates with me. I'm pretty easily entertained, but I'm never this enthralled with a game. I can't recommend it enough. It is wonderful. Games like this make me really happy I'm doing this Mop Up Duty thing. Without it, I likely still would not have played the first game - and by extension, this one. I now have a series that has wormed its way alongside Resident Evil as one of my favorite series out there. I really, really hope there's more coming.

If you're out there and you are on the fence about The Evil Within (like I was just a few months ago), get off that fence. This is a series you need to play.

THE GRADE:

A+

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