The Evil Within

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2497 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,894 out of 2497
  2. Mixed: 337 out of 2497
  3. Negative: 266 out of 2497
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  1. Limey
    Oct 15, 2014
    2
    People are desperate for survival horror and will likely accept any release vaguely resembling their desire. The Evil Within was marketed as a return to 'pure horror' and it is closer to a grotesque, senseless misadventure into a variety of misplaced sequences which do not establish any consistent atmosphere for an emotion of dread to develop.

    Shinji is not the saviour of survival    People are desperate for survival horror and will likely accept any release vaguely resembling their desire. The Evil Within was marketed as a return to 'pure horror' and it is closer to a grotesque, senseless misadventure into a variety of misplaced sequences which do not establish any consistent atmosphere for an emotion of dread to develop.

    Shinji is not the saviour of survival horror, he is a figurehead, demonstrating a competent team and ample resources are stronger to a single man's masterminded vision in the current case (in the assumption they had one). Notes to add ambience are nonsensical, ammunition is balanced punisghinly to cause unreasonable circumstance, deaths are regularly cheap and chapters typically requiring routines of trial-error-trial-error-trial.

    There is a fundamental design confusion: "Should we aim for stealth or aciton?" Consequently, as the creators attempted an amalgamation, they have created a situation whereby stealth is often inappropriate considering action setpieces whilst action is mostly discouraged from contrived survival horror elementsboth from the cumbersome controls to the scarce resources. The lack of instructions, too, are not a fun challenge or an endeavour to exhibit how 'hardcore' a player is - they're a lazy scenario which has the player testing for answers through frustrating mechanics invariably leading to mistakes: repetitive stealth, unbalanced enemies, cumbersome action.

    Enemies are not designed to investigate intelligently for any fair calculations to the player - line of sights erratic when not distracted with a redundant throw of a distraction - and patience of the stealth declines into frustration whilst there's neither dread or variety to sneaking. Additionally, environments are inappropriate for stealth, regularly a victim to poor collisions which affect fluid manoeuvring, and they're highly restrictive to have stealth as practically identical to how simply isolated the practice is of waiting inside a locker.

    The Evil Within is a game we want to be success, inspiring excellent survival horror games in the future and also being one, but it is nevertheless a disaster to not only ambition, it's flawed from a design perspective.

    Technical issues range from clipping, textures requiring additional time to load and horrible artificial intelligence for mechanics dependent on these. However, to not be wholly negative, positives include adequate graphics, occasionally entertaining environments and fascinating bosses.

    The framerate inexcusably lowers at times, unacceptable considering it's substandard the standards of PS4 graphics - entailing it should be easier to code smoother - and movement is restricted to a degree that does not increase tension or 'horror', it's an unnecessary restriction: contrived limitations, highly awkward in practice, to supposedly induce 'fear' with their superficial assumptions on survival horror design principles. The aforementioned misunderstanding, too, is witnessed with difficulty as instilling the fear of death rooted into survival, attempting to replicate Dark Souls which punishes players methodically as consequence opposed to irrational punishment as with The Evil Within or any other poorly balanced product.

    You will die until numb. You will die senselessly and scream 'unfair', not 'OH MY GOD'. You will laugh at the repetitive gore that it indulges in as weak attempt at visceral horror. You will be amused at the schizophrenic direction that's embodied well with the disjointed, non-sequitur realities.You will laugh as they try to be cheesy for us to ignore specific flaws.

    The worst element has been the manipulative marketing of the companies involved, hyping survival horror fanabases into a protective frenzy over 'Shinji',, provoking loyalty as they view the success as important for their favourite franchises being restored/returned/ressurected and having people believe it will be an infallible success whilst lacking any of the relevant ingredients.. It is not survival horror, it is a third-person shooter which has been superfluously replicated survival horror elements, trying to not betray their initial intent to attracted fans, that serve as incompatible to all of their other choices.

    Where is the focus and the decisive, harmonious experience? Not The Evil Within. Where is true survival horror? Maybe Fatal Frame V will have to do and I hope it never, ever attempts the current trend in survival horror, horribly simplistic: hide-and-seek.

    I can run long as Sebastian with how much I enjoyed The Evil WIthin and regard it as 'horror'. It mocked any idea of survival and twisted the idea into an empty one of mindless deaths: no suspense or theatrics, purely sadist.    … Expand
  2. TheStalestLoaf
    Oct 14, 2014
    3
    I've only made it to the third chapter and I'm completely disgusted with the state of the game. First of all, the game isn't displayed in 1080p and looks terrible on a next gen console. Second of all, the game may claim to be of the action/horror genre, but all I'm seeing is predictable jump-scares and a laughable atmosphere that couldn't frighten a 3 year old and that is pathetic. Lastly,I've only made it to the third chapter and I'm completely disgusted with the state of the game. First of all, the game isn't displayed in 1080p and looks terrible on a next gen console. Second of all, the game may claim to be of the action/horror genre, but all I'm seeing is predictable jump-scares and a laughable atmosphere that couldn't frighten a 3 year old and that is pathetic. Lastly, the gameplay isn't fun nor is it even the least bit engaging. This is, yet again, another "horror" game that knows little to nothing about how to truly frighten its audience even remotely.… Expand
  3. GordonG
    Oct 14, 2014
    1
    Wow, THE most disappointing game i ever played. It is just horrible unfinished.
    I can´t understand how this game could be ranked this high!?? Are you mad people!?
    -Graphics are 10 years old. I am serious, it is really really bad. -Constant frame drops make it unplayable -Controls are a mess -No ammo so all you do is run, really boring -Feels really unfinished -Glitches everywhere    Wow, THE most disappointing game i ever played. It is just horrible unfinished.
    I can´t understand how this game could be ranked this high!?? Are you mad people!?

    -Graphics are 10 years old. I am serious, it is really really bad.
    -Constant frame drops make it unplayable
    -Controls are a mess
    -No ammo so all you do is run, really boring
    -Feels really unfinished
    -Glitches everywhere

    +Good atmosphere    … Expand
  4. Iberian_Buffalo
    Oct 14, 2014
    4
    When you create game that have graphic quality below the last of us remastered quality, you also add 2 bars on screen so amount of graphic that need to be generated is even less THEN game is not allowed to work 30 fps with a lot of drops to 15 fps... THIS IS NEXT GEN.. (should be). Not even stable 30 fps.
  5. usa5432
    Oct 14, 2014
    0
    This game is a dissapointment, since the lack of emotional moments, to the uninspired characters ever, no scary at all, the team that made the first resident evil games is not working in this game, Mikami was not the only person who made the old resident evil games, there was a team of designers and creators that made the old resident evil games a masterpiece, i have several doubts aboutThis game is a dissapointment, since the lack of emotional moments, to the uninspired characters ever, no scary at all, the team that made the first resident evil games is not working in this game, Mikami was not the only person who made the old resident evil games, there was a team of designers and creators that made the old resident evil games a masterpiece, i have several doubts about this title, all that i see is very far to even look like an old survival horror game

    i agree    … Expand
  6. Bouncycheetah
    Jan 11, 2020
    1
    A truly disappointing title. Terrible controls, poor story, appalling AI and boring, memorization gameplay techniques kill any sense of dread or horror and turn it into a repetitive, frustrating drudge. Stealth doesn't work in horror Imo... If you're good at it, it means you're invulnerable which isn't frightening, if you're not good at it, it means you get killed immediately and have toA truly disappointing title. Terrible controls, poor story, appalling AI and boring, memorization gameplay techniques kill any sense of dread or horror and turn it into a repetitive, frustrating drudge. Stealth doesn't work in horror Imo... If you're good at it, it means you're invulnerable which isn't frightening, if you're not good at it, it means you get killed immediately and have to repeat the same scene over and over which also kills the horror. The two genres don't mix for me, which is sad because stealth and horror appear to be becoming inextricably linked in the minds of game developers.… Expand
  7. AndersL
    Apr 12, 2017
    4
    I should have checked the Metascore on this one before I got it. A bitter disappointment, perhaps my biggest on the PS4. A not-so-good version of The Last of Us. Just didn't seem to be an interesting story there.
  8. LadyAshe
    Jun 11, 2017
    0
    horrible graphics, horrible story, boring characters. it just terrible and I can't believe others are rating it above 5! it's bad, very very bad. I was very disappointed.
  9. Edmundante
    Nov 20, 2014
    0
    Utterly bloody disgusting, nonsensical story, sloppy controls, characters aren't fun with little to no expressions. Bloody hard to win, ending is just a big "wtf" that I don't even the creators understand it. They tried to create a badass villain but it backfired, it is not. Overall the game is more stressful than fun to play and leave more questions and plot holes than answers in the end.Utterly bloody disgusting, nonsensical story, sloppy controls, characters aren't fun with little to no expressions. Bloody hard to win, ending is just a big "wtf" that I don't even the creators understand it. They tried to create a badass villain but it backfired, it is not. Overall the game is more stressful than fun to play and leave more questions and plot holes than answers in the end. The only great thing are the graphics and the atmosphere, those are a 10. This could have been a truly great game should they have put more thought on it.… Expand
  10. djalex
    Jan 8, 2015
    3
    This game definitely has its strengths and seems to be a world built by some very talented and smart people. Half the time its really fun and I'm waiting for it to get better... but then it doesn't. So I'm not really on board with making this in a top ten oor even top twenty list. This game could be amazing but it just misses the mark on way too many levels, too many areas that need aThis game definitely has its strengths and seems to be a world built by some very talented and smart people. Half the time its really fun and I'm waiting for it to get better... but then it doesn't. So I'm not really on board with making this in a top ten oor even top twenty list. This game could be amazing but it just misses the mark on way too many levels, too many areas that need a polish. For example as a casual gamer I find that it does not teach you the world very well. i was up to chapter four before i realized there were keys to collect. I dont think the tutorials are very clear throughout. If you power up your character or your weapons it seems to offer small changes in such minuscule increments that it hardly seems worth your time unless you know whats coming. The time it takes to actually upgrade your character's abilities or weapons is way too long too. for example, if I need to find a broken mirror to upgrade I shouldn't also have to walk down a long hallway and sit in a chair and then go through a long complicated menu. why make me do that when it adds nothing to the game. here is a suggestion: My character finds a broken mirror and is immediately in a power-up chair and the menu is simple and easy to follow with clear obvious logic and the upgrades are larger upgrades. The same problem goes toward the other bonus things in the locker or the map pieces in the map room. why do i need to walk around these long twisted halls and through these doors just to access these things.its irritating and kills the momentum of the game. Also, some of the story seems a little crazy and disconnected as well. I'm not sure why I have to battle a long haired bloody monster after i already killed the long haired bloody monster 3 chapters ago.. (out of monsters? recycling?). also the controls are frustrating. I understand that its supposed to have tension and be a bit challenging at times but if I understand a foe and a battle and I make choices that should work then my character on screen should survive. half the time it feels like i'm dying because of a glitch from the controls (like picking up an object which doesn't happen unless i am faced exactly in the right position of the object, or sneaking up on an enemy and the sneak attack option doesn't activate periodically in the same scenario, or I try to use a match ad it doesn't activate ). also it seems the logic of my character in aiming or preparing doesn't suit the heighten story and horror. at some point if anything like this was really happening my character should already have his gun out and aiming. but I find i have to reload, re aim and re build my character into being prepared for every scene even after i repeat the same challenge. shouldn't the logic be built into the game that this guys has seen some terrible things and knows he needs to be ready for some of it? its like the character is a child with no memory of the last horrific thing that just happened. (btw do i really need to upgrade space to hold matches? shouldn't they be small enough to carry a box of a thousand?) So the story and the dialogue really don't connect to the experiences that the gamer is having as his character goes through the story. For example: why does he have a lantern that gives off this terrible impractical light, shouldn't he have found a flashlight by now? why is he still wearing his vest and tie through the whole story? there are so many annoying illogical choices from the dialogue, story, game play, upgrading weapons and abilities, character arc, that this game is just a C plus or B minus at best. As I first noted though its not entirely terrible, there's a lot of great art direction and some interesting puzzles and some intriguing and scary story elements. It just feels like its half baked. It needed a few more story revisions and some streamlined game play revisions. The hiding in cabinets aspect is really useless too. After the novelty of the first scene i don't think i used it ever again. I find myself frustrated and dissatisfied with this game and I'm tempted to put it down before i completely finish. It doesn't seem worth the time as the enjoyment is sporadic and fleeting. I would say get this game used or at a heavy discount if its your favorite genre and there is nothing else out there for you to play otherwise its more fun playing a fifth round of The Last of Us or Tomb Raider.… Expand
  11. at0g
    Nov 29, 2014
    4
    Extremely dissapointed with this title.
    The main protagonist is dull and generic, graphics are last-gen and the gameplay is frankly boring. Controls are clumsy and arkward. Generally the game has a unfinished feel to it, like the team started with best intentions and then got really half-arsed about production. Theres no way this title deserves a 10, there are just too many faults with it    Extremely dissapointed with this title.
    The main protagonist is dull and generic, graphics are last-gen and the gameplay is frankly boring. Controls are clumsy and arkward. Generally the game has a unfinished feel to it, like the team started with best intentions and then got really half-arsed about production. Theres no way this title deserves a 10, there are just too many faults with it
    Some of the character design for the monsters is cool, but overall the evil within just feels dirivitive, linear and uninspired. Scariest moment - realising i could not return it after paying full price. Best thing about the game is the promotions team that gave it 10 scores on here (because no one else would).    … Expand
  12. madmonkey00
    Oct 27, 2017
    1
    While everybody else is super exited I am not. The gameplay is just boring and bad implemented. Most of all it's ridiculous slow, especially when sebastian is in danger you can move around like a drunken snail. Sometimes it is just frustrating, for example there are enemies you cannot fight and only flee or the game is just too buggy or to slow so you simply die because of nothing. TheWhile everybody else is super exited I am not. The gameplay is just boring and bad implemented. Most of all it's ridiculous slow, especially when sebastian is in danger you can move around like a drunken snail. Sometimes it is just frustrating, for example there are enemies you cannot fight and only flee or the game is just too buggy or to slow so you simply die because of nothing. The story looks good in the beginning but this is only teasing, after a few capter's you realize its just cheap. Animations and graphics are pretty bad as well.… Expand
  13. matt6g
    Oct 17, 2014
    3
    The Evil Within is one of the WORST games I have played in the last year. First off, the graphics are similar to that of a PS2 HD remake - perhaps even a little worse. In other words, the graphics are simply unacceptable. On top that, there is absolutely no story whatsoever along with some serious rendering issues. To add to the list, the game has also failed to master the art of a quickThe Evil Within is one of the WORST games I have played in the last year. First off, the graphics are similar to that of a PS2 HD remake - perhaps even a little worse. In other words, the graphics are simply unacceptable. On top that, there is absolutely no story whatsoever along with some serious rendering issues. To add to the list, the game has also failed to master the art of a quick loading screen. The game is by no means "easy" and reloading a checkpoint can take as long as two minutes - which, in this day and age, is not acceptable - the developers have really failed to capitalize on the PS4's processing and graphical capabilities. However, as a true horror fan, the enemies do look pretty cool and there are some decent concepts - which is why my score is a "3" and not a big fat "0". Although that may be true, it is more than clear that the developers decided not to put any amount of effort into this game. The Evil Within truly raped my expectations and I am very dissatisfied with the insane lack of application put into the game. Very unprofessional.… Expand
  14. SiraitX
    Mar 21, 2015
    0
    The game was marketed as a return to 'pure horror' but actually is nothing more than just a desperate attempt to make money in game horror competition.
    Remember this game was designed by game designer who lack of creativity. Shinji Mikami designed RE and Dino Crisis at the same time with exactly same gameplay, and now he created the worst game I ever play (the worst thing is he dubbed the    The game was marketed as a return to 'pure horror' but actually is nothing more than just a desperate attempt to make money in game horror competition.
    Remember this game was designed by game designer who lack of creativity. Shinji Mikami designed RE and Dino Crisis at the same time with exactly same gameplay, and now he created the worst game I ever play (the worst thing is he dubbed the game as 'return to pure horror' .... LOL).    … Expand
  15. Narcess
    Dec 2, 2014
    0
    Take Resident Evil toss in some Bioshock and put in cement mixer. Then mix in a huge pile of control issues, crappy camera, and utterly garbage story line. Bake in a dumpster full of graphics glitches, and controller snapping movement issues, and you have The Evil Within.
    I have played many games, and have never felt the urge to write a review till this flaming pile of dog crap. I    Take Resident Evil toss in some Bioshock and put in cement mixer. Then mix in a huge pile of control issues, crappy camera, and utterly garbage story line. Bake in a dumpster full of graphics glitches, and controller snapping movement issues, and you have The Evil Within.
    I have played many games, and have never felt the urge to write a review till this flaming pile of dog crap. I bought the hype and have been kicking myself ever since, this game is the worst of the worst.
    From boss fights that range from kindergarten finger painting easy, to advanced quantum physics there is no rhyme or reason. The most difficult enemy in the game is the useless camera. The story line is a mash up of the most cliché “survival horror” items in all games. Inventory and upgrades make no sense and only serve to make the game drag on.
    In all this game is utter garbage and Bethesda should be slapped in the face and kicked town a flight of stairs for even having their name on it.    … Expand
  16. DedBraneMike
    Dec 16, 2014
    4
    The biggest disapointment of the year. This is only a collection of things we have seen SO many times before. If you've play Resident Evil 4,5,6, Revelations and Dead Space 1,2 and 3, you have no reason to play this.
  17. cam387
    Oct 18, 2014
    3
    I don't usually go to review websites to talk about a game I dislike, but The Evil Within has shown me a whole new level of dislike for a video game. First of all, it's not hard by design. It's hard by poor game mechanics. The AI has next to no line of sight most of the time, but god help you if so much as a strand of hair moves on your characters head while behind cover. Unless you canI don't usually go to review websites to talk about a game I dislike, but The Evil Within has shown me a whole new level of dislike for a video game. First of all, it's not hard by design. It's hard by poor game mechanics. The AI has next to no line of sight most of the time, but god help you if so much as a strand of hair moves on your characters head while behind cover. Unless you can hit them with a headshot over three times with the poor aiming mechanic you are out of luck. Even then, the game fails to register hits in some circumstances. Take a enemy "Sleeping" on the ground. I pumped four shots to the head point blank before and during its animation to stand up. Somewhere in there, god mode is activated and it doesn't matter what you do. Trying to melee a enemy is futile unless you are doing a sneak attack. You can hit them as much as you want, they will not stagger. Poor game mechanics is just the beginning of the games terrible life. On a 65'' television, why is my vision limited to half the screen width? I'm sorry, I thought this was 2014 developers. The fact this game was launched on the PS4 and Xbox One for full price when it is clear the developers made this game for the last generation consoles is sick. The entire game is nothing more than a hide in the dark and watch patrol paths simulator, while being forced to have your television display a game in letterbox. Just another bad game made by developers published by Bethesda. Bethesda, please stick to publishing your own games.… Expand
  18. DerAleckz
    Oct 22, 2014
    3
    Here is my rating for The Evil Within (XONE)

    +sound
    +pacing
    +good potential (but not used)

    -lack of suspense
    -storyline
    -characters
    -graphics
    -bugs
    -unintended funny moments
    -does not live up to the hype
  19. RealLeather
    Dec 10, 2015
    4
    It's kind of spooky yeah but the framerate is the real scary bit. Overall, absolutely shocking performance and headache-inducing overzealous use of bloom and film grain filter. Graphics/framerate aside it's just an incredibly cumbersome game to play, stay away. Played it for forty minutes and traded it in.
  20. Shazalia
    Dec 25, 2014
    4
    The most disappointing aspect of rewarding The Evil Within a dismal 4/10 stars has nothing to do with the game being particularly bad, but rather the fact that the game fails to perform at a consistent frame rate. The game stutters unbelievably in open ended terrains, however, in enclosed environments it achieves a somewhat respectable pace in regards to the usual sub 30 FPS. I reallyThe most disappointing aspect of rewarding The Evil Within a dismal 4/10 stars has nothing to do with the game being particularly bad, but rather the fact that the game fails to perform at a consistent frame rate. The game stutters unbelievably in open ended terrains, however, in enclosed environments it achieves a somewhat respectable pace in regards to the usual sub 30 FPS. I really wanted to like The Evil Within but the despicable performance often got in the way of my enjoyment. Shame on you Shinji Mikami, I thought you'd know better.… Expand
  21. brianforbes
    Dec 27, 2014
    4
    If you are the type of gamer that likes to play the same 5 minutes of game, over and over, dying repeatedly, before you can advance to the next area, this may be for you. If you're looking for a horror experience with some creepy atmosphere, you won't see that here.

    I have just put this game aside for good, at the end of chapter 7, so would like to give my impressions for anyone    If you are the type of gamer that likes to play the same 5 minutes of game, over and over, dying repeatedly, before you can advance to the next area, this may be for you. If you're looking for a horror experience with some creepy atmosphere, you won't see that here.

    I have just put this game aside for good, at the end of chapter 7, so would like to give my impressions for anyone contemplating playing this.

    I love horror movies and games, so end up buying most horror games. Silent Hill is the best among them, with lots of terrifying elements and a minimum of frustrating boss fights. The Evil Within will take you back to the days of the original NES (think original Ninja Gaiden or Castlevania), where you must pass 5 levels in sequence, perfectly, and if you die anywhere along the way you need to repeat all 5 levels from the beginning.

    Plenty of enemies have one hit kill attacks, which send you right back to the beginning of the last cut sequence to navigate the whole thing from scratch. It's like having all the frustrations of your workplace at home ! Who needs time off when you can be beaten down by both your boss and your choice of video game.    … Expand
  22. HeatherN
    Nov 14, 2014
    3
    I'm not really sure why this got the ratings it did. The trailers were very interesting and the game looked promising from the advertisement. But overall, it was quite a disappointment. As a survivor horror it's not very scary and I can't make heads or tails of the plot. A lot of horror games are vague as far as story goes, but not to this level. I can't even come up with a summary. MainlyI'm not really sure why this got the ratings it did. The trailers were very interesting and the game looked promising from the advertisement. But overall, it was quite a disappointment. As a survivor horror it's not very scary and I can't make heads or tails of the plot. A lot of horror games are vague as far as story goes, but not to this level. I can't even come up with a summary. Mainly because I have no idea what's happening in this game. At all.

    The characters aren't very interesting. Because there isn't a lot of back story, I'm not really invested in what's going on. There's nothing personal or meaningful about the imagery I am seeing--it's just random. Gameplay and fighting isn't too terribly fun either. From other reviews I read, a lot of people complained didn't have enough ammo. I didn't have that issue, but that's mostly because I avoided as many monsters as I could.

    Honestly, I wouldn't waste your money on this game. It's just a confused mess. It's like the game developer didn't know want he wanted this game to be. It's not action pack enough to be action horror, not scary enough to be survivor, and too campy to be taken seriously.    … Expand
  23. dirtinhand
    Feb 10, 2015
    2
    Letterbox, that can't be turned off, traps out of nowhere, **** superzombies, and a **** story. That's would be so cool in 1998, but in 2014 it's just a big big disappointment.
  24. Skellington25_
    Oct 16, 2014
    4
    Shinji Mikami is an overrated name in the industry. This game getting scores like it is, is shocking to me. It's a horrible mess.

    Besides the fact that the plot is almost non-existent... in single player story driven game... big issue there... and the fact that the main character and the rest of the cast, are all about as entertaining as watching paint dry... the game is built HORRIBLY.    Shinji Mikami is an overrated name in the industry. This game getting scores like it is, is shocking to me. It's a horrible mess.

    Besides the fact that the plot is almost non-existent... in single player story driven game... big issue there... and the fact that the main character and the rest of the cast, are all about as entertaining as watching paint dry... the game is built HORRIBLY.

    Controls are completely screwed. The camera is always fighting you. Yes games like this are supposed to be hard, but not hard to control. That's what sets in frustration. Dying won't bother me if it's my fault, but if the game itself isn't letting me do what I want to do, when I want to do it... that will piss me off.

    Horror is supposed to be horror, not forced. The game shouldn't have to be out to get me, in order for me to be scared. Alien isolation, that alien scared the crap out of me... Because it was scary. No enemies in this game are scary in the least bit. This game just repeatedly tries to throw items of shock value in your face continually until it shoves you in an extremely tight area after it robs you of your ammunition and other supplies.

    How scripted everything is in this game is nauseating. Everything happens when the game wants it to. Never any other time. No thought went into this, it's completely unoriginal. Felt like I was playing a reskinned RE4 the entire time.

    Ammo conservation. This annoys the **** out of me. I don't mind when a game is telling me to be careful and save my ammunition. what I do mind, is that when the game decides whether or not my bullets are capable of killing. Several times you will run into enemies, the first thought in your mind is to shoot it. Later on, after you've wasted all of your ammo, you find out that your bullets never would've killed it. No matter how much ammo you had in the first place. Another thing on this subject is critical hits. This does not belong in shooters. Borderlands is fine... weakspots are visible I get it. The problem is, is when the enemy in front of me, a regular joe, I aim for the head to conserve ammo. Surprise it takes five shots in the head to kill this one. The next one only takes two. Seriously?

    Don't leave resource management up o chance. Leave it up to player skill. Being careful with things not to run out, not just robbing the player of all hope because.... well... just because.

    This is not horror. If you are just another sheep that's in love with all the terrible, cliched, stereotypical same bull**** over and over with Re4, 5, and 6. Then welcome home.

    If you want a game that will ACTUALLY be scary, rather than just forcing that horror by making you limp only when it's necessary for something to chase you with a chainsaw... and take all your ammo away... and kill you with bad camera angles... Then stay away.

    This is just another case of "Big names are more important than good games."    … Expand
  25. strondbokken
    Oct 17, 2014
    3
    If you see a score of 8-10 for this game, assume it's either a paid-for review or someone who doesn't understand how ratings work. Seriously. There is NO WAY anyone who has actually played this could score it above a 6. I see 10s and I can't believe they are real reviews. They couldn't be. And frankly, it's really sad to see companies still hiring people to post positive reviews afterIf you see a score of 8-10 for this game, assume it's either a paid-for review or someone who doesn't understand how ratings work. Seriously. There is NO WAY anyone who has actually played this could score it above a 6. I see 10s and I can't believe they are real reviews. They couldn't be. And frankly, it's really sad to see companies still hiring people to post positive reviews after Gamergate. Some are even saying "game of the year". Yeah.... ****ing.... Right.

    I really wanted to enjoy this game. Truly. But the MISERABLE controls and shoddy graphics make me feel like I'm in a time warp. It's sad when the scariest thing about a horror game is how badly it plays. The ambiance and all that is scary, but in a cheesy, gory way. Nothing new and I've seen it done better many other times before. And the moment you feel immersed and wanting to get into the game, you will inevitably find yourself cursing at how your "tooltip" on how to disarm a trap popped up milliseconds before the trap exploded (even though you saw it a mile away and crept up on it). Or perhaps you'll be cursing at the stupid haymaker punches your character throws to defend himself. Or perhaps the mediocre graphics will ruin your immersion. I don't know.

    The thing is, it's supposed to be a difficult game, but difficulty shouldn't come from poor design and implementation. ESPECIALLY on next gen consoles. There's so much wrong here that I don't even know where to start. Just goes to show you that a fancy name doesn't make a good game. Sorry Shinji, this is total garbage. You may have had a scary story lined up, but I can't even get into it because of how poor the game controls and mechanics are. 3/10 and that's being generous.

    Trust me. Don't believe the hype/fanboys. And no, I'm not out to "get someone", nor do I work for another company. I'm just a guy who wasted $60 on this and felt compelled to post this review BECAUSE the game was so bad. Honestly, I literally stopped playing and came to warn others. Hope that speaks to the "authenticity" (or simple laziness) of those people scoring it a 10....

    I hope anyone truly wanting a REAL review of this game can read this and know the truth. There are WAY too many "10s" on here for a game of this quality. Like a seriously suspicious amount. Just saying...    … Expand
  26. Turbodowg
    Feb 10, 2015
    3
    I've only recently bought the game for 25.00 and it wasn't even worth that. I've been a long term survival horror fan and have played SH games since they began, I also enjoyed the change in pace in games like RE4 which lead to great games like Deadspace 1. But Evil Within is bad, really bad.

    To start, the black bars destroy the experience, I spent the first hour trying to figure out how    I've only recently bought the game for 25.00 and it wasn't even worth that. I've been a long term survival horror fan and have played SH games since they began, I also enjoyed the change in pace in games like RE4 which lead to great games like Deadspace 1. But Evil Within is bad, really bad.

    To start, the black bars destroy the experience, I spent the first hour trying to figure out how to turn them off. Finally after going online I realised they couldn't be removed. They take you out of the experience and block your view. Very bad if playing on a smaller TV which I often do if the wife kicks me out on the front room to play upstairs!

    The graphics are good but are spoilt by the restricted view, which is unnecessary, if The Last Of Us can look great in full screen running at a higher frame rate then there is no excuse for the ridiculous black bars!

    The controls are sluggish and a step back, most areas are very dark and too hard to see any of the 'action'.

    The game cannot decide if it is a SH or an action game. On one hand you have no ammo or weapons and are forced to use stealth but stealth doesn't work and often you are forced to confront enimies with nothing to fight with. At these points when surrounded I just put the pad down and waited for the character to die as there is no way to escape. To me this is bad game design.

    The story is bland and uninspiring. The first level is fun, the rest are like a very poor Resident Evil 4 clone lacking all the thrills, set pieces and story which made Re4 so great.

    I had no reason to complete the game and I will not be returning to it. If you like SH games stick check out Alien Isolation and Outlast on PS4 instead of this unfinished nearly broken game.    … Expand
  27. J-pex
    Jan 13, 2016
    2
    This 'Horror' game is a black mark on Bethesdas record for me.

    Its silent hill meets SAW...just boring, not to mention the terrible graphics. The game does little to create any atmosphere and once you die a few times it leaves nothing to the imagination. And tactics take over from thinking 'omg what's coming next?!' aspect you want from a horror game, because that's what they're about    This 'Horror' game is a black mark on Bethesdas record for me.

    Its silent hill meets SAW...just boring, not to mention the terrible graphics. The game does little to create any atmosphere and once you die a few times it leaves nothing to the imagination. And tactics take over from thinking 'omg what's coming next?!' aspect you want from a horror game, because that's what they're about right?

    The story doesn't even need to be delved too far into, as if you have read any other reviews you'll know its garbage, thrown together by some guys that must have just watched saw/hostel and played a few higher calibre horror games. Its not scary it's just gross.

    2/10    … Expand
  28. Nobilis1984
    Oct 18, 2014
    3
    Unfortunately, more like horror splatter.

    This game is a disappointment. they promised and got a lame horror splatter game. The atmosphere is a few hours back and you only have to compete against hordes of stupid enemies. The burst then times really hard.
    But there are not really enough of them ??
  29. Marshma11ow
    Jan 18, 2016
    3
    I honestly can't believe some of the reviews I'm seeing on here are they serious? It's a slap in the face to compare this to The Last of Us or Resident Evil 4. I finally picked up this game after a few months of owning it and decided to give it a shot. I have tried so hard to find some enjoyment out of it but I just can't. I disliked it so much I was compelled to write my first review hereI honestly can't believe some of the reviews I'm seeing on here are they serious? It's a slap in the face to compare this to The Last of Us or Resident Evil 4. I finally picked up this game after a few months of owning it and decided to give it a shot. I have tried so hard to find some enjoyment out of it but I just can't. I disliked it so much I was compelled to write my first review here on Metacritic. There is basically no story to this game and is just a gorefest. It takes every horror cliché and bundles it all into this one game. Everything about it is unoriginal and just flat out boring. Creepy doll faces, walking dead, scary hospitals, psychopath with chainsaw it's all been done. Has the feel of an old PlayStation 2 game. All of the characters are very one-dimensional. It's more frustratingly difficult than it is challenging. Even Silent Hill Downpour is more entertaining than this game.… Expand
  30. Game_Row
    Nov 12, 2014
    4
    I am not going to write a huge review, it's too much when people take the time to write a big one where no one reads it anyways. All I've got to say about this game is that, it is much like Resident Evil 4 with the game mechanics, enemies, and environments. To be blunt, it was poorly made. I have been disappointed lately with games. A huge hype before the launch and then BLAH! WithI am not going to write a huge review, it's too much when people take the time to write a big one where no one reads it anyways. All I've got to say about this game is that, it is much like Resident Evil 4 with the game mechanics, enemies, and environments. To be blunt, it was poorly made. I have been disappointed lately with games. A huge hype before the launch and then BLAH! With this game and Watch Dogs, big disappointments. So, will I recommend this game to you? Sure, but don't expect a WOW game. PEACE!!!

    Look me up on YouTube for The Evil Within: Game_Row    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

67
#67 Best PS4 Game of 2014
10
#10 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2014
7
#7 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 65 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 65
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 65
  3. Negative: 1 out of 65
  1. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Dec 28, 2014
    80
    It's lean, with few repeated ideas, and boasts one of the best save rooms you'll ever experience. [Christmas 2014, p.88]
  2. Games Master UK
    Dec 21, 2014
    81
    Bold and brutal, it has the guts to stay true to its horror roots without feeling outdated. [Christmas 2014, p.58]
  3. Edge Magazine
    Dec 6, 2014
    70
    After a clumsy opening, The Evil Within hits its stride towards the end and the fist act and the tension rarely lets up. [Christmas 2014, p.114]
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