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For Sebastian Castellanos, the expression “the grass is always greener on the other side” doesn’t apply. After a memorable and visceral romp through Beacon Mental Hospital within the damaged, twisted and fragmented brain of Ruvik, you’d expect that the events for our protagonist couldn’t hit lower than this rock bottom. Enter The Evil Within 2 – a successor that builds on its predecessor in almost every single way, while retaining the qualities that define its trademark survival horror, and manages to put our protagonist through unfathomable insanity and bloodshed right up to its shocking conclusion. Fans of the original game will find themselves right at home with its sequel – one that manages to make another STEM journey even more memorable while humanizing its previously-wooden protagonist at the same time.
The fact The Evil Within 2 starts with a fiery blaze is almost symbolic in a perfect way.
The Evil Within 2 begins three years after the events of the first game, with Sebastian losing his daughter in a house fire. After the horrific incident, Sebastian’s wife becomes obsessed with the idea that their daughter is somehow still alive, and abandons Sebastian in her search, leaving him in a bottomless pit of alcoholism. In his dark stupor, Sebastian is visited by his old colleague, Juli Kidman, who shares the revelation that his daughter is indeed alive and is being used by the evil corporation MOBIUS, as a Core for a new STEM construct. Kidman reveals that MOBIUS has lost contact with their agents inside STEM, and that they need Sebastian to go in and find out what happened, while giving him the chance to reunite with his daughter Lily and save her in the process.
Fire, Walk With Me.
The fact The Evil Within 2 starts with a fiery blaze is almost symbolic in a perfect way, to burn everything to the ground and wipe the slate clean. This time around, Sebastian is no longer trapped within the linear Beacon Mental Hospital, but an entire town called Union. There are buildings to explore, side quests and challenges to complete, as well as NPCs to meet. The change of scenery is one of the best aspects The Evil Within 2 has going for it. For example, expanding the world allows for substantial stealth-focused gameplay, and multiple paths that can be utilized to reach objectives. Exploration is greatly encouraged and rewarded here, and is key to being successful in acquiring a powerful arsenal for the challenging fights ahead.
The Evil Within 2 proves that caffeine does indeed have healing properties.
I want also admit that I was hesitant about the change from an isolated mental hospital to an open world town, and that some of the horror elements would be lost in the transition. I must say that those fears were completely unfounded, as The Evil Within 2 manages to scare players in more unique ways than the first game. Even further, the town of Union appears to be more grounded in reality while the open world is being explored. When playing through the original Evil Within, as the landscape began to crack and fragment, my level of immersion began to dissipate. While there is an element of this in The Evil Within 2, I found that this aspect didn’t break the level of immersion for me. It’s almost more terrifying to see a normal-looking town crawling with nightmarish creatures.
If the original Evil Within is any indicator, the enemy design in this franchise is almost unrivaled, and in some cases, completely and utterly terrifying. Common zombie-type enemies that roam the streets lumber around with infectious, pus-filled cysts growing out of their bodies. A ghostly and invincible woman follows you around while making what could be the most creepy, skin-crawling noises that will ever resonate out of a PlayStation 4 controller. Horrors with multiple limbs, combined with chainsaws and other sharp blades try to take chunks out of Sebastian at any given moment. Every encounter with these insane creations is incredibly memorable, but also a nail-biting experience.
Within the first hour, I knew that many of the gripes I had with the original Evil Within would not be present here. Sebastian no longer appeared numb, unfeeling and wooden. His pain from experiencing the horrors of STEM and the destruction of his family are something he wears outwardly, and when he interacts with members of his family there are some genuinely moving moments, especially towards the game’s conclusion. I felt like this was such a contrast to how Sebastian came across in the first game, and it almost seemed like the horrors he was witnessing had no effect on him.
The frantic, tense, and often-frustrating combat that lends to the survival horror elements returns in The Evil Within 2. In the opening hours, players will feel quite weak and under-powered, which is the perfect driving force to explore Union, collect raw materials, and search every nook and cranny for weapons to find. Finding new weapons and upgrading old ones is absolutely key to succeeding in the game, as enemy encounters later on can require large amounts of firepower. Sebastian doesn’t exactly move around too quickly either, and can only sprint in short bursts, so taking on multiple enemies at once often ends up futile.
As mentioned previously, a unique addition to the combat is the renewed emphasis on stealth. There are specific stealth skills that the player can upgrade, and the town of Union is designed so well that it accommodates all kinds of playstyles. There are many different paths that can be taken, some through dark alleyways and side streets, while other paths can be trodden straight through the enemy horde. Personally, I found this to be an excellent addition, as I am a huge fan of the stealth genre.
The Evil Within 2 is an excellent sequel that exceeds the quality of its predecessor in multiple ways. Sebastian Castellanos is portrayed in a more human light, broken and shattered from losing his family and from experiencing the horrors of Beacon Hospital. The change of setting from Beacon to Union was one of the best design changes implemented, and this choice opened the game up to different playstyles, while also heavily encouraging exploration, as well as completing the side quests. For survival horror fans, The Evil Within 2 is a staple of the genre and should definitely be enjoyed.
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