The Evil Within

 Xbox One
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1031 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 845 out of 1031
  2. Mixed: 78 out of 1031
  3. Negative: 108 out of 1031
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  1. alex007
    Jun 14, 2016
    7
    "The Evil Within" doesn't set the standard for modern survival horror. In fact, it's probably best described as a throwback to earlier games of the genre. Playing like a cross between "Resident Evil 4" and "Silent Hill", this is a title that manages to entertain for a solid 15 hours, but does nothing to innovate. So it's safe to say that if you liked those two franchises I mentioned, than"The Evil Within" doesn't set the standard for modern survival horror. In fact, it's probably best described as a throwback to earlier games of the genre. Playing like a cross between "Resident Evil 4" and "Silent Hill", this is a title that manages to entertain for a solid 15 hours, but does nothing to innovate. So it's safe to say that if you liked those two franchises I mentioned, than you'll have a hell of a time playing through "The Evil Within". It's fun. But for those who want an evolution of the genre, you'll most likely be bored. This is a game that uses familiar action-adventure tropes, but does throw the occasional curveball such as one-hit deaths.

    The story of "The Evil Within" is a convoluted mess that makes little sense, its characters are devoid of any real type of personality and the game contains a few bugs. This is the bad side of the game. On the good side are the creepy environments, scary villains and the gore galore. If you were disappointed with the action movie feel of "Resident Evil 6", than you'll be pleased to know that "Evil Within" never goes in that direction. Yes, this is a horror-themed action game from beginning to end, but the horror element is emphasized for the most part. In away, the game feels like a spiritual sequel to "Resident Evil 4" in its gameplay. Not only can you upgrade weapons and abilities, but you can also set traps, stealth kill and craft different trick arrows. If you discover keys and puzzle pieces, you'll be rewarded with a special weapon and extra "upgrade" points and special ammo.

    "The Evil Within" also features many newspaper clippings and files that contain backstory in the vein of "Resident Evil". Unfortunately (just like "Resident Evil 4), it concludes with more action than you'd like, but until then, it's a grisly and grotesque affair. It may not be too scary, but "The Evil Within" contains enough of the creepy stuff to keep you on your toes. It's what "Resident Evil 5" could've been.    … Expand
  2. Squidmonkey123
    Oct 31, 2014
    7
    Well, having waited to purchase an XBOX One until this game had arrived was something of a disappointment!! With all the hype about the return of the survival horror and the return of the director of resident Evil, they had managed to whip us all into a frenzy, into which Evil Within failed to deliver!

    The main factor is the fact that this game is NOT scary!!!??? Survival horrors are    Well, having waited to purchase an XBOX One until this game had arrived was something of a disappointment!! With all the hype about the return of the survival horror and the return of the director of resident Evil, they had managed to whip us all into a frenzy, into which Evil Within failed to deliver!

    The main factor is the fact that this game is NOT scary!!!??? Survival horrors are supposed to do just that, scare you, and this didnt achieve that. Gory yes, very gory, but there were no suprise enemies that suddenly jump out and **** you up, it was all very predictable.

    The story itself is pretty good, with lots going on for you to try and remember, yet the ending leaves it a little confusing as to what was going on. I suppose the designers did that so it would lead on to Evil Within 2.

    There were many a time, when id thrown my controller in frustration with the controls, those moments being when attempting to unlock a trap, your edging foreward and in doing so, due to the controls you set off the trap. Plus in combat i was always finding i was turning on the inventory menu with my right stick.

    The monsters were interesting, with plenty of variety with different boss's to deal with, yet the ending battle was tedious in the extreme.

    So
    Good Points:
    1. Fairly different story
    2. Graphically pretty decent
    3.Enough to keep you going to find out the ending
    4. Decent Monsters and boss fights

    Bad Points:
    1. ****ty Controls
    2. Not scary in the slightest
    3.Ending / Boss Fight

    Overall a 7

    Get this game if this is really your thing.    … Expand
  3. BurnoutJoeB
    Dec 23, 2014
    5
    Honestly giving this game a 5 is being nice. I knew to not have high expectations for this game even though I so badly wanted it to be good. My first impression was OK fine it has a Resident Evil 5 feel to it, which is not a bad thing by any means. The original gore at the beginning was cool and started to give me some hope for a good game.

    Then I started to realize the game    Honestly giving this game a 5 is being nice. I knew to not have high expectations for this game even though I so badly wanted it to be good. My first impression was OK fine it has a Resident Evil 5 feel to it, which is not a bad thing by any means. The original gore at the beginning was cool and started to give me some hope for a good game.

    Then I started to realize the game play/controls. After gathering a gun, some matches, and pills I started to realize how bad accessing your inventor is. The gun control is horrific, the zombies or monsters are just plain redonkulous. I tried beating them with my hands, fail, then a torch, worked if hitting them was actually hitting them. I swing what looks like a foot away and they catch fire yet when I actually hit them it's a miss. Then the visuals, oh lord the visual controls was again horrific. Needless to say I'm being nice giving this a 5 and strongly do not recommend this game to anybody.    … Expand
  4. jordans-revenge
    Nov 15, 2014
    7
    Quick Review
    Atmosphere: 7/10 (if you're scared by gore, this game is for you)
    Game Play Mechanics: 8.5/10 Replay value: low Overall Rating: trying to figure out the story scared me more than the game. The Evil Within is a game that makes me question a lot of things. The first thing being "how can a game be so scary at the beginning and become so plain near then end?", and the    Quick Review
    Atmosphere: 7/10 (if you're scared by gore, this game is for you)
    Game Play Mechanics: 8.5/10
    Replay value: low
    Overall Rating: trying to figure out the story scared me more than the game.

    The Evil Within is a game that makes me question a lot of things. The first thing being "how can a game be so scary at the beginning and become so plain near then end?", and the second being "what the hell is up with this story?!" In the beginning of the game, I was constantly on edge. I could feel the definite Resident Evil vibes, along with vibes of amazing survival horrors games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent. I spent a lit of time stalking around and wondering what the heck I was getting myself into next. This feeling of fear died for me when I was about 2/3's of the way into the game. I stopped being scared, and was stuck just trying to figure what the hell was going on around me. Which, usually is great in a game, but I did not enjoy it in this game. It became just another shooter for me at the end. Game play mechanics are smooth, my favorite part being stealth kills. All I can say without giving anything away is that the game is at least worth playing once through, though I see little replay value in it. It did give me an adrenaline rush a few times, so if you dig that, give it a shot.    … Expand
  5. Jacer200
    Jan 28, 2015
    6
    I was forcing myself through chapter 10 when I realized something. I wasn't having fun. I wanted to, but couldn't. The survival horror turned arena action adventure was a shock. Now I did get a few legitimate jump scares which was cool. But the atrocious frame rates combined with clunky shooting spoiled the whole game. And the story is extremely confusing.
  6. Conf3ti
    Jan 28, 2015
    5
    Great story line, and graphics as well as lighting. This game always has you on the edge of your seat. Cool monsters and zombies, and great environments. You will definitely feel your heart beating. But, be prepared for your new adrenaline rush to come to a crashing halt with the difficulty. Now, don't get me wrong. I play a great amount of games, with a huge diversity. I had greatGreat story line, and graphics as well as lighting. This game always has you on the edge of your seat. Cool monsters and zombies, and great environments. You will definitely feel your heart beating. But, be prepared for your new adrenaline rush to come to a crashing halt with the difficulty. Now, don't get me wrong. I play a great amount of games, with a huge diversity. I had great expectations for the evil within, and for the most part, I feel like i was let down. You will find yourself spending hours on one single boss, and missions. Tons of hours are spent getting almost nowhere, and then when you finally feel that triumph of victory, 20 more minutes into the story line your at a stand still for another few hours. I started off with the difficulty set one notch higher than normal, but around 10% completion I had to turn it down to easy. I felt like getting anywhere was excruciatingly painful. If you like getting killed every few minutes, and spawning at the beginning of a checkpoint you hoped and prayed was over with, then this game is for you.… Expand
  7. capitanbriefing
    Jun 19, 2017
    7
    It`s an amazing visual journey. The visual landscapes are incredible and you are going to surprise with every new scenario. But I think the story and the playability are not at the same level. Anyway, it worth to play it.
  8. wesker2012
    Oct 16, 2014
    5
    This game was a big slap in the face. I was really looking forward to this game as the Resident Evil Remake for Gamecube is one of my favorite games ever. When I booted up the game, the art style and atmosphere seemed right on and I was excited for what was to come. Unfortunately, I was greatly disappointed from the first chapter to the end. This game is incredibly stale, frustrating andThis game was a big slap in the face. I was really looking forward to this game as the Resident Evil Remake for Gamecube is one of my favorite games ever. When I booted up the game, the art style and atmosphere seemed right on and I was excited for what was to come. Unfortunately, I was greatly disappointed from the first chapter to the end. This game is incredibly stale, frustrating and annoying. The game has a lot of issues, for example, the camera gets in the way of your view often, story never really captures your interest the way Resident Evil's story did. Another thing is, you never really feel any horror, because the characters feel too cartoony to be real. The game doesn't feel finished. Most of the gameplay mechanics in the game are done very superficially. Its just not a fun or enjoyable experience. Overall, the game is an utter disappointment.… Expand
  9. KateUptonsDcups
    Oct 16, 2014
    5
    Honestly the game isn't that good. It kinda blows. Been there done that..Copy of Rockstar's Max Payne/Manhunt to the extreme, a crappy knockoff. The story is flat, game play super slow, The camera angles are terrible and you'd have a whole hell of an easier time controlling your onscreen character with a banana in a bowl of pudding. 5/10 is generous.
  10. mongoman
    Oct 18, 2014
    7
    Best survival game in years, no doubt, but really there haven't been many in recent memory. The controls here are good, and the graphics and sound is done well. The game does fail at many levels, such as loading screens at the most awkward times--especially the last few hours. The story makes almost no sense until the end and then you'll be saying WTF? the ending is a real disappointmentBest survival game in years, no doubt, but really there haven't been many in recent memory. The controls here are good, and the graphics and sound is done well. The game does fail at many levels, such as loading screens at the most awkward times--especially the last few hours. The story makes almost no sense until the end and then you'll be saying WTF? the ending is a real disappointment IMO. The game itself is filled with a tense atmosphere and gratuitous gore, and at times it will have you on the edge of your seat. Many people are comparing to Resident evil 4 but honestly its not as good and it reminds me more of Resident Evil 2. Its not a bad game but it is certainly not scary--at all. Give it a try if you liked the older Resident Evil titles, and brace yourself for much frustration.… Expand
  11. Gamerp
    Nov 12, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sencillamente un juego que cumplió lo que debía un survival horror, poca munición y grandes recuerdos del pasado Resident Evil que sin duda me han encantado cada uno de ellos. Pero me inquieta la historia en si, sinceramente han copiado la idea de la película Origen la de ponerlos en sueño en unas bañeras no me ha gustado la verdad, no es que sea malo, pero me esperaba una cosa más de este gran creador, por que yo se que el puede mucho mas y nos lo ha demostrado en el pasado. Una ambientación y una banda sonora que salva el juego, realmente me ha producido Tensión pero no terror… Expand
  12. unleashbass
    Oct 27, 2014
    6
    For those of you, like me, who were looking for something similar to the original resi games ie. more survival horror and less action. Look else where.
    The Evil Within is basically a re-skin of Resi 4. Which some may find encouraging, however it's not. The graphics and atmosphere are fairly good (expected more from XB1), the rest not so good. It still focuses far too much on action rather    For those of you, like me, who were looking for something similar to the original resi games ie. more survival horror and less action. Look else where.
    The Evil Within is basically a re-skin of Resi 4. Which some may find encouraging, however it's not. The graphics and atmosphere are fairly good (expected more from XB1), the rest not so good. It still focuses far too much on action rather than exploration. In far too many levels you are chased by an over whelming number of baddies or the one hit kill boss, that basically stops you from ever really exploring properly, not that there's much to explore. You're not given the tools to have a fighting chance. The game play is very trial and error and makes for the majority of mini boss and boss battles becoming very tedious(I'm talking 'Dark Souls' hard). Can't wait for it to be over. Not fun, just tedious and annoying.    … Expand
  13. 19rodar
    Apr 13, 2016
    7
    TEW is Good SH game and gave me horror and i like main idea in this game but that was is not perfect because Gameplay was a lot of problem and bugs in game kill us !!
  14. AlexPilgrim
    Jul 15, 2017
    7
    "The Evil Within" was made by "Resident Evil" series creator Shinji Mikami. That alone raises expectations. Unfortunately, while the final product is good, it never the reaches the heights of Mikami's best works. Blending the gameplay of "Resident Evil 4" with the atmosphere of "Silent Hill", the game never ceases to entertain. But it also gets bogged down by bland characters, a convoluted"The Evil Within" was made by "Resident Evil" series creator Shinji Mikami. That alone raises expectations. Unfortunately, while the final product is good, it never the reaches the heights of Mikami's best works. Blending the gameplay of "Resident Evil 4" with the atmosphere of "Silent Hill", the game never ceases to entertain. But it also gets bogged down by bland characters, a convoluted story and a lack of innovation. As a survival horror title, it is a throwback to old-school games such as the first "Resident Evil". Players should expect a steep learning curve. To put it in perspective, I died over a 100 times before I reached the end of this 16-hour pulse pounder.

    For those who have played RE 4 and "The Last of Us", the mechanics will seem familiar. As Detective Sebastian Castellanos, you will have to use stealth, booby traps and various firearms to defeat the hordes of monstrosities that populate the world. Every dead enemy leaves behind "green gel" which can be used to upgrade combat abilities and weapons. There are also several collectibles to discover such documents, newspaper clippings and audio tapes. As far as the presentation is concerned, the game is best played in the letterbox format. While "The Evil Within" is not one of the Xbox One's best looking titles, its diverse environments are always visually arresting.

    Overall, fans of the genre should enjoy "Evil". It relies too much on established tropes and lacks polish, but it is never boring. I've played through it twice and wouldn't mind going on a third trip. Stylish and trippy, this is a game that deserves its cult audience. I'd rate it with a 7.5 out of 10.    … Expand
  15. calanga
    Nov 6, 2018
    7
    Good game, a survival horror (at least in tension xD), annoying if you want to kill something and you cant right now because has a story line to kill it, but it`s a good game at least
  16. neomoonsevin
    Apr 9, 2023
    7
    Good game but some things in this game I hate still struggling to get through this from gamepass an ok game but frustrates me often on how you navigate and fulfill ya missions

Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Best Xbox One Game of 2014
16
#16 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2014
17
#17 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 24
  3. Negative: 1 out of 24
  1. Hyper Magazine
    Dec 2, 2014
    80
    Old fashioned in all the right ways (and some wrong ones too). [Issue#255, p.60]
  2. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Dec 2, 2014
    80
    The Evil Within is less genre-defining and is instead more of a spiritual successor - one that relives past glories rather than seeks out new ones. [Issue#118, p.73]
  3. games(TM)
    Nov 17, 2014
    70
    The Evil Within isn’t a return to the genre’s roots or a reinvention, but an exercise in reliving its greatest hits. It’s disappointing that Mikami has lost the wind behind his sails and there seems to be genuine creative apathy here. Nonetheless, The Evil Within is an enjoyable horror romp. It’s a shame it couldn’t be more.
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