What recently caught my eye – and a lot of other’s attention – was the reveal on the new project by Bethesda.
Being a huge fan of The Elder Scrolls and the Fallout series, I was incredibly intrigued to find out what it was going to be. Personally, I was hoping for Fallout 4 since Skyrim had the spotlight last and Bethesda are known for leapfrogging these two series’ in production. What came instead was The Evil Within.
The name sounds utterly boring. That was my first reaction. The Evil Within sounds like the name of a half-arsed story that some emotional teen came out with to describe their “inner turmoil” through a series of obvious and cliché allegory and a failed grade in the English literature classroom.
My second reaction was that of a more positive nature. This was a developed reaction though, since survival-horror has withered in quality somewhat since the days of Parasite Eve and Resident Evil. Lo and behold though, that the creator of Resident Evil, Shinji Mikami, will be directing this quite frankly beautiful looking game alongside Bethesda staff.
Now this shouldn’t excite me as much as it does. I can’t stand the Resi series after Code: Veronica. Resident Evil became increasingly poor and too far from the survival-horror that it was once was. Resident Evils one, two and three were masterpieces that were diluted by the digressive plot progression that rendered things grossly far fetched.
If The Evil Within plays in such a way that it reminds me of turning on the spot frantically just to get away from a monster the way I did in RCPD then colour me happy.
Here’s what was said about the game in the release’s press info:
“While investigating the scene of a gruesome mass murder, Detective Sebastian Castellanos and his partners encounter a mysterious and powerful force. After seeing the slaughter of fellow officers, Sebastian is ambushed and knocked unconscious. When he awakens, he finds himself in a deranged world where hideous creatures wander among the dead. Facing unimaginable terror, and fighting for survival, Sebastian embarks on a frightening journey to unravel what’s behind this evil force.”
Official Playstation Magazine had this to say:
Pure Survival Horror Returns
Shinji Mikami, the father of survival horror is back to direct a chilling new game wrapped in haunting narrative. Tension and anxiety heighten dramatically as you explore the game’s tortured world. You’ll have limited resources at your disposal as you fight for your survival and experience profound fear in this perfect blend of horror and action.
Brutal Traps and Twisted CreaturesFace unthinkable horrors and cruel traps as you struggle to survive against overwhelming odds. Turn evil against itself by using the same diabolical devices against overwhelming deadly creatures.
Unknown Threats in an Uncertain WorldMysterious and wicked fears loom ahead in a world that warps and twists around you. Corridors, walls, doors, and entire buildings change in real-time, ensnaring players in a reality where threats can appear at any time and from any direction.
The New Face of HorrorHighly-crafted environments, horrifying anxiety, and an intricate story weave together to create an immersive world that will bring players to the height of tension. Defeat insurmountable terror and experience the ultimate thrill by discovering The Evil Within.”
Now all this just sounds like it’s promising something that it might not deliver. All too often we play video games which promise us all this and sometimes more only for it to turn into a flop, in which one or two of these aspects plays a tiny little role that is barely noticeable, and some others just don’t seem like they turn up at all. If this is what PSM had to say on what they were shown then I think it’s highly possible that The Evil Within won’t live up to what is promised here.
Having said that, it’s likely that this will turn into a beautiful game and I might be completely wrong on this. It’s Bethesda after all, and they don’t us down as much as other companies. Suffice it to say that hope may be held out without too much risk. It’s not as if it could turn out the same way that, say, Colonial Marines did for some other company that promised an amazing game.
This game does promise attractive graphics though. The images released do show an excellent use of lighting which is bloody important with horror games. That’s not to say that it’ll make a great game though, obviously.
I just hope that Shinji Mikami and Bethesda don’t let me down. We’ll see though, won’t we? Either way, after this there’s the potential for another Fallout/Elder Scrolls!
[The original article can be found here: http://www.nerdsraging.com/2013/04/26/the-evil-within-its-promises-and-horrid-name%5D
Kier Sparey - Writer. 