The Evil Within series - Yay or nay?

[Travless]

While I'm a big fan of the horror genre, it's a series I've never touched. It seems as though opinions are spread on it, specifically on the first. I feel like I'd really enjoy it, and the cost of entry to get into the series is quite low. Plus, it may scratch that horror itch until RE2 drops later this month.

So, what's Era's opinion on The Evil Within?

Also, what platform do you suggest playing it on? I've heard performance on the first entry is different between PS4 and Xbone. I have a PS4 Pro and an Xbone S. I have a pretty decent gaming PC as well, but I'd rather get it on console for the flexibility of playing non-FPS games away from home.

 

[Ahti]

Big YAY!

The first one is best on PC with 60FPS+ and downsampling (standard-AA in this game is not good). Ok on PS4 Pro with boost mode enabled.
TEW2 is fine on PS4 Pro and a matter of luck on PC (had stuttering issues at release, maybe patched?).

 

[Aostia82]

Yes
Despite some serious tech issue, the first one is great. Maybe too gross but great.
Second one.. Not that much imho

 

[sn00zer]

Yeessss just know that you will likely vastly prefer one game or the other. If you're not feeling 1 just move onto 2. Two very different games. I prefer the second myself

 

[Thiago]

Yes yes yes.

 

[Monster Zero]

Yes.

 

[dlauv]

First one was a letdown. Second had some rough edges, but I was pleasantly surprised. Yay.

 

[Darkmaigle]

There's like a five chapter stretch of the first one that is essentially perfect. Makes the rest of the games inconsistency worth it. The second one I haven't gotten to yet.

 

[John Harker]

Yes! Both are great.

2 starts really good, then gets a little stretched with too much faux open world, but the back 1/3 is great - opposite of most horror games in my opinion, that tend to just go senseless action, this game to me improved the story and subtext which brought me back in in a big way

 

[Mat-triX]

There's a bit of debate as to which of the 2 games is better - most agree with 2 overall - but the games are worth getting into if you like RE4 with more of a horror focus.

I played 1 on the PC with little problems and not a great rig. Most would probably recommend the PC version for the first game.

 

[Deleted member 14377]

Absolutely amazing. My favorite modern horror series. I'm sure 3 is on the way, but hopefully it can avoid what happened to Dead Space. Loved 1, loved 2 even more and like 3 but it was ultimately the death of the franchise.

 

[Deleted member 31817]

Yes a million times yes.

 

[black070]

Yay is my reaction to The Evil Within 3 getting announced.

 

[Blade Wolf]

Yes and Evil Within 1 is better than 2.

 

[TradedHats]

One of my favorite series in recent memory. Definitely play it.

 

[MDSVeritas]

Only played 2, but really enjoyed it. There's a lot of enjoyable survival horror mechanics to play around with, a very nicely small open map to explore and discover, and the story, which being definitely B-movie-esque is really well executed and has a crazy strong finale.

 

[inspectah]

First one yay, second one nay.

 

[Dreamboum]

The series is like two different genre of horrors in a single series. TEW1 is the RE4 of its kind, with an emphasis on gore/grindhouse. TEW2 however is more of psychological horror game à la Silent Hill 2 where inventory management is more prevalent and the story has much more emphasis on psychology in general.

They're both great games in my opinion, but the rule of thumb is: if you don't like one, this doesn't mean you won't like the other either. But if you like both, you'll find a lot to like because they are very connected games that delivers a lot for those that sticks with the series.

 

[Arklite]

TEW1 on PC, TEW2 wherever you want. The performance of the first game on console actively hindered its reputation. Expect a bit of jank and a whole lot of mindfuck with the first game, along with Mikami's usual brand of great enemy encounter design.

 

[sn00zer]

Thread on which game is better.
https://www.resetera.com/threads/so...ich-evil-within-game-is-the-better-one.55365/

 

[garion333]

Dude, if you like horror games you're doing yourself a disservice by not playing them. They have issues, but they're worth it.

 

[Lunatious]

Absolutely recommended. The games (especially some chapters of 1) can be a bit rough around the edges but at their best they're great. If RE4 is your cup of tea the series is very much that style of game with it's own little quirks.

 

[Linus815]

I like TEW1-2 more than any of the resident evil games of the past 10 years really.

 

[blinky]

I thought the first game was pretty good, and the second was better. Definitely recommended.

 

[Deleted member 11413]

Both are flawed games, particularly the first one, but if you are a fan of horror games you should play them just to experience them for yourself. One of the few big budget horror series this generation, and each game has its strong points.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

Absolutely. The first game is the best action horror game since Dead Space, and the second was an excellent sequel that expanded on the first game in several meaningful ways. And don't sleep on the Kidman DLC either... it's nearly a full campaign of it's own and a unique contrast to Sebastian's.

 

[Tokyo_Funk]

One is rough tech wise and has a few frustrating trial and error moments, but is otherwise enjoyable.

Two so far is ok, I have only got about 8 hours in, but it feels better than the first and encounters are more manageable.

Think RE4 meets The Ring with a dash of Twin Peaks/Twilight Zone and you'll have an idea.

 

[Escaflow]

Yay , its not a bad effort . Not as scary I would like it to be but it's still a good horror game surviving in the modern era . I enjoyed both TEW 1 and TEW2 , but I think slightly preferred TEW2 slightly as the semi-open setting is quite fun to play and explore around especially with creatures lurking around , its quite tense sometimes .

 

[Riddler]

Yes!

I remember in 2017 October playing TeW + dlc going straight into TeW2 and it was a great marathon gameplay.

 

[Dusk Golem]

I adore The Evil Within 1 & 2. I could write an essay here on either game as they're kinda' both fascinating in their design, but I'll try to keep it brief.

Both are HUGE love it/hate it games, some of the most divisive games I've ever seen. Even moreso, they're divisive to each other. I know some people who LOVED The Evil Within 1, but ended up HATING the second game, as well as people who HATED the first game, but LOVED The Evil Within 2. I think it's telling these games strike such a huge reaction out of people though, like some of the people who love these games or one of them LOVE it, and some who hate these games or one of them HATE it. They're not dull games and they definitely seem to get quite a reaction out of people.

I loved both of them, but for very different reasons. However, I admit to having very broad tastes in horror, both games itched different things for me. Both games pull from a lot of horror films and games, but they end up not being like any other game out there.

Honestly, I say they're 100% worth playing because at the very least they are rather unique and interesting, and you'll hear opinions all over the spectrum on these two games to really be able to trust any sorta' unified opinion, some will one or the other is great/terrible. Some will go as far to say one or the other are some of the best horror games ever or top games of the generation, while others will be middled, or others say it's bad, and the placement of both titles may radically be different per person. If you have any interest, it's kinda' just worth playing through them and forming your own thoughts.

However, I also will throw out there that Kidman's 2-part DLC for The Evil Within 1, The Assignment and The Consequence, are both underlooked by many sometimes and are actually worth checking out if you're doing a series playthrough. They're different than TEW1 & TEW2 with it's own flavor and focus, but provides a 4-6 hour campaign that I think will end up as some people's favorite part of TEW experience (but like all things TEW, opinions on it are divisive).

 

[Baccus]

Nay.

I love horror games and I can stand some jank but those games are simply unpleasant to play, and not in a Silent Hill way, but in a really clunky, unresponsive, janky way, and the horror is nowhere as interesting or smart to support the bad gameplay.

 

[Vela]

If you're okay with action horror. First one has an incredible dumb story that you have to play the DLC to understand.

The second one is much much better with a great story. Definitely the best game of the two.

 

[Kismet]

Yes

The first one is amazing and worth a play. Great atmosphere and artdesign. Play it if you're a fan of horror (games)

The second one is good. But it's not as refined as the first one imo.

I really hope there will be a third one...

 

[JigglesBunny]

The Evil Within 2 is very, very good. That's really all I got.

 

[Grisby]

Big big yay. I think the first is more memorable but 2 has a better story.

The first game has more distinct levels but 2 has some neat open level aspects where you can explore more.

 

[Gero]

I liked the first one better but yes

 

[BadWolf]

Big yes.

TEW1 = one of the most tense games ever made

TEW2 = the best game in the genre this gen

 

[Ninjimbo]

I feel like part one is near masterpiece and one of the scariest games ever made. Imagine RE4 if it was harder, and it took all the weird psychological cues from Silent Hill and infused them with the violence from typical slasher films.

I want to play part two some day, but part one felt like a special experience. It was a fucking mess technically but I didn't give a fuck. I had to keep playing just to see where it all went.

 

[Krooner]

Love them both. The first one is probably gonig to end up on my "Games of the Gen" list. It's nonsense narratively, but as a love letter to survival horror, it had me grinning ear to ear.

 

[enkaisu]

Absolutely. They're not perfect, but I love these games, they're the exact kind of horror game that I enjoy. Put into a world with fucked up enemies and monsters trying to chase you down and kill you, but you're not completely defenseless.

 

[Blade Wolf]

The first game had some of the best horror atmosphere this gen.

 

[aerie]

Yes, for sure. I think it's a bit uneven but I really love it. I hope we get to see more.

 

[Optional Objectives]

.

 

[Buff Beefbroth]

First game is uneven but ambitious, very fun to play once you master it. The DLC is also very good, and the director went on to do the sequel.

Second game is amazing. Excellent pacing, level design, and rewards you a lot for exploration.

Play the whole series.

 

[TheBeardedOne]

Yes, but know the second one is the better game. The first half of the second game, specifically. I have struggled to get through the first one both times I've played it, but was a fan of the second.

 

[Deleted member 1635]

Hard NAY on the first game at least. The first five chapters or so are pretty good survival horror stuff, but the game turns into complete garbage in the latter half. It's really surprising how much of a nose dive it takes in terms of quality. Complete amateur trash that I can't believe I forced myself to finish.

I got the second game for dirt cheap a while ago and am looking to give it a go some day thanks to the relatively positive buzz.

 

[stn]

Definitely recommended, they are both solid. I do wish the story was different but the gameplay was solid and fun.

 

[nDesh]

The Evil Within 1 is the game definition of a rough diamond.

 

[Dusk Golem]

Just to clarify, to play The Evil Within as a series, I recommend heavily to play:

The Evil Within 1
The Evil Within 1 DLC: The Assignment
The Evil Within 1 DLC: The Consequence
The Evil Within 2

Don't sleep on the two part Kidman DLC for The Evil Within 1, it's divisive like the other two games, but it could end up being your favorite part of the series and in my mind is 100% part of playing through this series (plus a lot of the stuff in the DLC was set-up for the sequel, as the director of the DLCs went on to direct TEW2). Also, being frank, the DLC has some of the strongest "horror" moments in the francise, I think it leans harder into pure horror focus at points than either the first or second game do.

There's a third TEW1 DLC known as The Executioner, which is fun but not needed to play. It's this 1-2 hour thing where you play as a boss enemy from the main game in first-person with moves to like, pick-up and throw enemies and swing a hammer around, as you go through a hub mansion and enter portals that leads to various boss fights. It's fun enough, but not really needed to play or anything, but I highly suggest playing the other two DLCs.

 

[Deeke]

Second one is really good and bizarre. There's some seriously amazing visuals in the second game, coupled with unique storytelling that wraps into the weirdness. I absolutely recommend the second game.