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. 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
  2. Crazye2000
    Oct 30, 2014
    4
    Wow don't I wish I could play this game, if only it could run on my PS4 without stuttering or huge FPS drops . Only if the game was optimized well, even after the day one patch it isn't. The story and atmosphere is what you'd expect from the creator of Resident Evil. Too bad it's unplayable, more unplayable than how Skyrim was on the PS3.
  3. OutlawTX
    Sep 1, 2017
    4
    I've sludged through to Chapter 10 and I'm done playing this trial in frustration. I picked it up for 5 bucks during a new release dry spell knowing I played it at release and didn't get very far before abandoning it. This game has proved to be annoying enough for me to put in my 2 cents and review it. First off, the controls feel lumbering and clunky which makes for bad aiming and combat.I've sludged through to Chapter 10 and I'm done playing this trial in frustration. I picked it up for 5 bucks during a new release dry spell knowing I played it at release and didn't get very far before abandoning it. This game has proved to be annoying enough for me to put in my 2 cents and review it. First off, the controls feel lumbering and clunky which makes for bad aiming and combat. Combined with a really bad camera that always feels too close and always seems to keep you at a disadvantage, enemies that kill you with one hit, save points that are too far from areas with one hit enemies and far too many instances of trial and error gameplay and you have a game that's more annoying than fun. Story wise it's incredibly meh. I don't care about any of the characters.
    By chapter 10 I just wanted to be done with it. When I got to another part with a one hit enemy and had to figure out how to kill it again while dying over and over, I realized I don't care. I have no idea how this has so many 10s here but hey, there's people out there that get off on people pooing on them so apparently some people like poo. All I can say is, "I don't."    … Expand
  4. Pico619
    Jan 19, 2016
    4
    When I played Last Of Us I said to myself "great now the bar has been set for stealth and horror", so when evil within was said to use stealth I was excited.
    Man was I wrong. It's as if nobody from Bethesda or Shinji played last of us or new how to do stealth. When crouching in evil within you are less noticeable but your twice as slow than the slowest enemies crawl. This means you can't    When I played Last Of Us I said to myself "great now the bar has been set for stealth and horror", so when evil within was said to use stealth I was excited.
    Man was I wrong. It's as if nobody from Bethesda or Shinji played last of us or new how to do stealth. When crouching in evil within you are less noticeable but your twice as slow than the slowest enemies crawl. This means you can't get to any enemy from behind crouching. So now you have to play the frustrating game of trial and error of trying to figure out how close you can get to a enemy running before they detect you, then you crouch hoping they stop their movement so you can grab them. With this crap mechanic you can only grap stationary enemies but they don't stay still, oh and they all have random patterns. Basically stealth is out the window accept for those who master the "run then crouch before they turn" gimmic.

    Also enemies are sponges and you barely have bullets, it's like resident evil 6 again! If naughty dog handled the engine and game-play this game would have been a perfect ten! The best thing about the game and why I say rent it is the bosses. Super cool but also sponges.    … Expand
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. Taipan_19
    Oct 31, 2014
    4
    I was quite excited about this title but when I played it I found it to cumbersome and annoying. Like Dead Rising there is very little give to the player which makes most of the gameplay way to difficult and frustrating. Example there are plenty of weapons such as rakes and sickles laying around on the ground but you can't pick them up to defend yourself from several enemies at a time. TheI was quite excited about this title but when I played it I found it to cumbersome and annoying. Like Dead Rising there is very little give to the player which makes most of the gameplay way to difficult and frustrating. Example there are plenty of weapons such as rakes and sickles laying around on the ground but you can't pick them up to defend yourself from several enemies at a time. The gun shooting is horribly inaccurate and when you shoot the zombies in the head they don't die. When you run of bullets and swing your axe once you are left defenceless against impossible AI like a giant chainsaw wielding zombie. Running is your only hope and the stamina gauge is way to small to run long distances. The cutscenes were very good and I enjoyed the look and feeling of the game but overall it's just to biased against the player.… Expand
  9. JoshLuck1995
    Oct 15, 2014
    4
    Played the game yesterday and today, and thats enough, i just cant play anymore, its so boring and flat so i thought well its time to give it some scores on what i think should define a game review

    graphics - 6/10 gameplay - 6/10 story - 4/10 sound - non existent lasting appeal - none i give Evil Within a 4/10. It is a 99p version of resident evil, the graphics are crap for    Played the game yesterday and today, and thats enough, i just cant play anymore, its so boring and flat so i thought well its time to give it some scores on what i think should define a game review

    graphics - 6/10
    gameplay - 6/10
    story - 4/10
    sound - non existent
    lasting appeal - none

    i give Evil Within a 4/10. It is a 99p version of resident evil, the graphics are crap for X1/PS4, the story is flat, the main protagonist is boring, the enemies are stupid, and the levels feel the same and are also boring. was really looking forward to this but sadly it dissapoints.    … Expand
  10. 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.
  11. 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
  12. SuperkenGaming
    Aug 9, 2017
    4
    The evil Within
    This isn’t going to be pretty
    The Evil Within is a 3rd person survival horror game where you play as detective Sebastian investigating a scene of a mass murder at a mental hospital and then all of a sudden things start going crazy… I don’t want to spoil the story but the games setting is actually a pretty cool twist.. But for the most part at least in the beginning the    The evil Within
    This isn’t going to be pretty
    The Evil Within is a 3rd person survival horror game where you play as detective Sebastian investigating a scene of a mass murder at a mental hospital and then all of a sudden things start going crazy…
    I don’t want to spoil the story but the games setting is actually a pretty cool twist..
    But for the most part at least in the beginning the game mixes settings and scenery up…
    In fact the first half of this game is great and guaranteed this game a spot on my game of the year least when the time came.. but it didn’t stay this great…
    As a survival horror game youre managing your health with pick ups.. your health will regenerate but only slightly.. and when your health is bwelow a certain point you move slowly and aren’t able to run…
    But a bit like the game alone in the dark you have weapons here… as you progress the game youll get a pistol, shotgun, sniper rifle, a cross bow like weapon, there are grenades.. a great variety of weapons for survival and devent drop rate of ammo.. but just enough to keep you staying carful with what you use..
    Unique from most survival horror games is that there is an assassins creed like stealth mechanic where you can take out most unaware enemies from behind..
    you also have to stealth to disarm traps and get parts the craft cross bolts for your bow…
    there are also jars of brain juice around the levels and off of enemies that act as a currency you use to upgrade your stats, buy ammo, and increase the stats of your weapons..
    There are mirrors that take you back to the hospital this allows you to save the game as well, but the game will ocassionally autosave
    The first half of the game I found to be really enjoyable and terrifying..
    I was stressed in a good way and enemies put up a great challenge…
    Missions were varied, I felt like I was in a movie..
    And then halfway through the game it starts to fall apart..
    The game goes from being scary to just frustrating..
    Its becomes an anxiety fest of dealing with insta kill enemies, and recourse draining section after recouce draining section.. dealing with spongy bosses, having to thow switch after switch doing it multiple times in the same area to pregress further…
    The games initial near perfect progression crumbles and stumbles to a crawl…
    Made worse by this games awful checkpoint and autosave system…
    The game wont constantly autosave once you find an important item…
    And again there are cheap instakill enemies and moments in this game…
    They are sometimes completely random, they’ll hit you and you have to go through the 10 minutes of recollecting supplies over and over and over until you get lucky enough to either get away or not activate this random spawn…
    And also again… the 2nd half of this game is focused more on anxiety than it is horror..
    its not fun replaying these anxiety filled moments
    They aren’t even fun the first time…
    And the games 2nd half is filled of these moments and trial and error chases with no indication of what you have to do, so you just keep doing it until you get it right with no checkpoints..
    But still I pushed forward.. I was overlooking all of the bad because of the intriguing story going through this anxiety fest…
    The game would freeze on my a couple of times causeing me to resatart it… no big deal, ill forgive it.. the first half was so good and im so close to this games end..
    8 and a half hours into the game.. im on chapter 11 out of 15.. about 2 and a half to 3 hours away from this games credits.. and I run into a game breaking bug…
    That’s right… 3 years later… a Bethesda game (go figure) still has a game breaking bug…
    I did play the ps3 version of this game and thought that’s clearly the problem.. so I went to google and no.. this chapter is full of game breaking bugs, more than just the one I ran into that wouldn’t let me progress the game..
    I was an hr deep and nothing I did helped, shutting down the game, reloading checkpoints..
    dying.. nothing… the game wouldn’t let me progress…
    The only thing keeping me from just giving this game a 0 and walking away is that restarting the chapter could’ve probably let me continue.. but once more..
    the 2nd half of this game is filled of anxiety, frustration and cheapness…
    I wasn’t about to go through that hour and a half I just went through again..
    Im walking away from what I thought was initially a great game that crumbled into a good game, but left me with the taste of a bad game…
    I give the Evil Within
    a very generous
    4/10    … Expand
  13. sp00kym0053
    Oct 29, 2014
    4
    To get a feel for how The evil within is to play dust off your PS2 and put in Resident Evil 4, have someone stand in front of your screen and periodically mess with your controller, then limit yourself to 3 rounds of ammunition for the whole game.

    As connoisseurs of subtlety were clearly not the target audience for this game allow me to be clear: This game is a monumental    To get a feel for how The evil within is to play dust off your PS2 and put in Resident Evil 4, have someone stand in front of your screen and periodically mess with your controller, then limit yourself to 3 rounds of ammunition for the whole game.

    As connoisseurs of subtlety were clearly not the target audience for this game allow me to be clear: This game is a monumental disappointment. The trailers painted this game as being a psychological horror, riffing on the Cthulu mythos and Clive Barker-esque Gore, and coming off the high of playing the excellent P.T. and Alien: Isolation I was keen to see what Bethesda had in store for me.

    Frustration and disappointment, it turns out.

    Visually, the game is a step backward. Very rarely does it look like something current-gen. It's not that the models aren't well realised; they are, but jagged shadows, low resolution textures and a lack of depth of field betray a lack of polish. The monsters themselves are uninspired to an almost comical degree, and I found myself accidentally referring to them as Los Ganados more than once.
    This, of course only applies to what you can see, which is very little. Black bars obscure the top and bottom of the screen. Whether they're there "for cinematic effect" or because Tango game works had trouble getting the game to run at the desired resolution is immaterial, it makes it hard to see what you're doing. The camera is constantly obscured by long grass, hanging cloth and other environmental decorations as well meaning you will frequently blunder into harm's way because you have no way of telling what's in front of you.
    The camera itself is also unhelpful, with control frequently taken from you for dialogue, passing doorways and sometimes no clearly discernible reason. Even when it is technically under your control it seems to delight in filling the screen with the protagonist's torso rather than show the environment.

    The characters look like they were lifted from some third rate anime about ghost detectives and I haven't heard such unconvincing dialogue since "there was an incident.... *waves arm vaguely*.....involving zombies..." I still have no idea who any of the characters are, except for the female cop at the start who is hilariously called Officer Kitten, or something that sounds very much like it and have no real motivation to learn.

    This is a game that doesn't know what it is. There are flashes of resident Evil, snippets of Silent hill, hints of Battletoads and more than a whiff of that awful Evil Dead game on the PS1. There's stealth bits, but you can't play it as a stealth game. There's places to hide, but you can't really play it like outlast or Alien: Isolation, you get a gun, but only 3 bullets and the noise of it brings the horde. There's stuff to collect, but gameplay that discourages exploration by infrequent save points and enemies that are effectively unkillable in a direct confrontation. You get melée weapons that are moderately effective, but are destroyed after one use or disappear when you save, if you get to save. There's things you find that hint at a deeper story worth uncovering with careful exploration, and monsters that jump out shouting "OOGA BOOGA BOOGA" that flat out tell you there isn't.

    Then there are some frustrating design choices. The game frequently takes control from you as your character, gruff blandson, grimaces his way through the story. Sometimes you can only run, sometimes you can't run.
    The decision to have to burn enemies to make sure they stay down is one I can understand, but not condone. Re-generating enemies aren't fun. I put them on a par with escort missions and platforming bits in a first person shooter. We forgave it in Resident Evil 2 because it was new, and we didn't know better, but even then it was reinforcing the tenacity of what was to be the final boss, not every douche-level zombie in the game.
    The levelling system seems out of place. There's no explanation as to why Gruff Blandson is ok with being hooked up to a brain injecting machine, nor why he's collecting the goop to inject. Neither is there an adequate explanation for why he's content to inject himself with syringes he finds lying around in the dirty gutters of a lovecraftian nightmare but that's none of my business, maybe he wasn't hugged as a child.

    I'm not a purist. I enjoy schlock horror nearly as much as I enjoy finely crafted tension. I have no problem with lifting elements from other games and making them your own. My problem is when you are lifting elements from so many great games and still manage to MESS IT UP. Shinji Mikami did great work with the Resident Evil series, Dino Crisis, Onimusha etc but still does not seem to understand how to build tension, to make a fear greater than the sum of a game's enemies.

    This game could have been more, SHOULD have been more.

    TL:DR - Son, I am disappoint.    … Expand
  14. 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.
  15. SidfriegM2928
    Mar 21, 2015
    4
    Advertised as a return to form for the horror genre, "The Evil Within" comes off more as a best of compilation for every horror game released over the last 10 years. Not only that, but featuring bad frame rate, hideous character animation and dull gameplay. You can skip on this turd.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. CoreGamer1408
    Jun 3, 2020
    4
    Ok it is like Resident Evil meets Silent Hill sort of-ish. It does all the cliché trope horror things. So at no point was I even scared. I liked the action orientated gameplay. It was fun shooting up those freaky freaks. Stealth was ok and mostly not needed. Some meh QTE and scripted instant kill BS, but not that many. The bosses were fun and Silent Hill type memorable. I liked how theOk it is like Resident Evil meets Silent Hill sort of-ish. It does all the cliché trope horror things. So at no point was I even scared. I liked the action orientated gameplay. It was fun shooting up those freaky freaks. Stealth was ok and mostly not needed. Some meh QTE and scripted instant kill BS, but not that many. The bosses were fun and Silent Hill type memorable. I liked how the environment was used to make it more challenging and also helpful to the player. Progression based skills with scavenging lite and ultra basic crafting is a ok carrot on stick.

    The story is ok, but the VA is mostly bad and the dialogue is just crap. The game play and level design is where the fun stuff is at. Thankfully multiple saves even though they are only check point saves. So no save anywhere or any time. I almost thought I would need to reload for lack of health midway, but I scraped through on a tiny bit of health for one entire level. The game throws out a lot of cheap tactics and cheap traps. Which is compounded by a bad camera angle at times with a constant poor frame rate. The purposely wobbly aim and terrible lighting in some sections doesn't really help.

    The atrocious frame rate was such a big issue on the PS3 I literally gave up on the game. Optimization is barely better on the PS4. I had bought this game twice now So I was determined to finish it on the PS4 and I did. I have no wish to replay this atrocious unoptimized game ever again on the PS4.    … Expand
  19. SebbyMakesMusic
    Sep 22, 2022
    4
    Just based on the first chapter:
    There's a comical amount of gore in this game. I can't take the horror element seriously. There's a frickin blood-drenched slip n slide 10 minutes in. Honestly, I find this game to simply be more unpleasant than horrific. The slow pace of moving around the environment isn't really setting a mood for me. Hiding just makes this feel like Outlast.
    The guy    Just based on the first chapter:
    There's a comical amount of gore in this game. I can't take the horror element seriously. There's a frickin blood-drenched slip n slide 10 minutes in. Honestly, I find this game to simply be more unpleasant than horrific. The slow pace of moving around the environment isn't really setting a mood for me. Hiding just makes this feel like Outlast.

    The guy with the chainsaw bounces around like a kid throwing a tantrum. While I'm sure it'd be a "wtf" moment in real life, it doesn't translate into the game.

    Yet somehow, I have to watch the camera bounce with Sebastian as he limps. Odd what they choose to emphasize.

    Speaking of, the characters are so lacking in character that they pretty much fit the role of meatbags which the bad guys treat you as. So it doesn't really feel like much is at stake. Just a whole bunch of trial and error. Might as well call it Trial And Error: The Game (Soaked in Blood edition).
    There isn't any way to revert to the last checkpoint without dying so you're literally just going to stand there taking 5 chainsaw slashes waiting to die, meanwhile the first guy you see auto kills you? I don't understand the pacing choices.

    The grainy filters are really monotonous, btw. That actually references the overarching issue here: it's just a mix of random horror elements thrown into an action game without much explanation.

    Okay, he just limped for a while, and then something pounded on the ceiling and he started running. Umm... Why? Did the vibration somehow heal him? You know what, I'm just going to accept that this game makes zero sense.

    I'll update my review as I continue to play, but this isn't looking very promising. Really don't see what the hype is about.    … Expand
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. themostunclean
    Oct 22, 2014
    3
    Honestly not much more than an RE4 re-skin. Even many of the enemies AI behaves the same. I was pretty disappointed with this game, it does nothing to move the genre forward but is instead firmly entrenched in the past. I know some people will defend this game to the end and I have no idea why. The atmosphere gets boring quickly, it relies too much on surprise to scare you instead ofHonestly not much more than an RE4 re-skin. Even many of the enemies AI behaves the same. I was pretty disappointed with this game, it does nothing to move the genre forward but is instead firmly entrenched in the past. I know some people will defend this game to the end and I have no idea why. The atmosphere gets boring quickly, it relies too much on surprise to scare you instead of creating real tension and the general design is just a carbon copy of better games.

    In another note, anyone who experiences motion or "simulation" sickness should NOT play this game. The buggy framerate, tight camera and narrow FOV (because of the black bars) combine to make playing absolutely nausea inducing.

    I won't even get in to the laundry list of bugs this game has. I've gotten stuck in walls and objects more times than I can count. Just awful design.    … Expand
  24. 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
  25. 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 ??
  26. Autheria
    Feb 3, 2016
    3
    Oh...my...GOD!!! This has to be one of the WORST game I ever played, maybe not THE worst, but definitely Top-5.
    I would describe it like walking through a muddy swamp in misty rain with a 50 kilo backpack.
    The dramatic pacing is awful, the music and sounds are boooring as hell, and the graphics are crap. The mechanics feel broken and/or sluggish. It's not fun to play...it's    Oh...my...GOD!!! This has to be one of the WORST game I ever played, maybe not THE worst, but definitely Top-5.
    I would describe it like walking through a muddy swamp in misty rain with a 50 kilo backpack.

    The dramatic pacing is awful, the music and sounds are boooring as hell, and the graphics are crap. The mechanics feel broken and/or sluggish. It's not fun to play...it's FRUSTRATING, feels more like a chore or a homework that you're forced to complete.

    Play the Dead Space series instead of this abomination!    … Expand
  27. 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
  28. The_Darkness
    Oct 15, 2014
    3
    I Dont want to speak about the graphics(is not better from last of us) or the gameplay.
    The only thing i want to say is who have that stupid idea with the black bars???
    Really make update on the game if its impossible and change them. 4 points for the black bars and i hear the order 1886 also have black bars... no way to buy them is better for me to play again and again the last of    I Dont want to speak about the graphics(is not better from last of us) or the gameplay.
    The only thing i want to say is who have that stupid idea with the black bars???
    Really make update on the game if its impossible and change them.
    4 points for the black bars
    and i hear the order 1886 also have black bars... no way to buy them
    is better for me to play again and again the last of us.
    The game is scary yes....but i am big dissapointed now and i dont have good things to say.    … Expand
  29. 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
  30. kingofkoopas
    Dec 9, 2014
    3
    I am a big fan of horror games. My favorite three are Doom 3, Dead Space, Resident Evil 3. So when I first heard news of The Evil Within, I was stoked! But all that changed when I started seeing those awful commercials claiming the people playing weren't paid actors! That commercial left a bad taste in my mouth. Video gaming is targeted at the idiotic masses who swallow up whatever theI am a big fan of horror games. My favorite three are Doom 3, Dead Space, Resident Evil 3. So when I first heard news of The Evil Within, I was stoked! But all that changed when I started seeing those awful commercials claiming the people playing weren't paid actors! That commercial left a bad taste in my mouth. Video gaming is targeted at the idiotic masses who swallow up whatever the media says. I don't recall the three games I mentioned earlier having to do such nonsense. But I now know that they were paid actors, this game is not scary or suspenseful at all! It's on the opposite side of that spectrum,nits funny and boring. I am now on chapter 15 and I got a perfect way to describe this game, it's a bad beta of Resident Evil 4. The game starts out strong, it really does give you an a RE4 feeling but by the time you hit chapter 5, you have seen all this mediocre turd has to offer. The biggest offenders are the incredibly easy difficulty, now wait, but isn't everyone saying that you will die a lot? Yes it is true, but not because the game is challenging, but because it is designed to kill you, you will die a lot but because the game wants you to die. There is no escaping that. The combat is so boring for 2014, the enemies all behave the same way. They are all bipedal, expecting to fight creatures and monsters? Too bad! Because all I've gotten so far is incredibly mediocre zombies. It's not just boring, but also extremely clunky. Two out of ten shots from your pistol or sniper rifle will not hit the enemies, they will just pass through them. The me lee system works on one vs ones but only after you hit them a good ten to fifteen times. The biggest offender is not the awful nonsense story, the incredibly weak characters or the pretentious villain. It is the scripted nature of the game. Everything is scripted here, nothing happens without the game forcing it on you. Kinda like the turdish new tomb raider reboot. I worry. About the state of video games ever since the Wii and girls started coming to a hobby made by men for men. Yes girls suck at all things, I don't care for political correctness. Go read the evil within review at ign by a girl. Lol, I feel bad for any pathetic person who takes girl gamers seriously.… 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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