:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72773641/ss_fa65fd3c1d5ee8dedf67f0ad1b2df828c33ecc99.0.jpg "Get spooky this season with a free copy of The Evil Within on the Epic Games Store")
Shinji Mikami’s Post-Resident Evil Game: Worth Revisiting Despite Flaws
This spooky season, indulge in The Evil Within, the debut horror-action game from Shinji Mikami, co-creator of Resident Evil, and the first creation of Tango Gameworks. While it has its flaws, this terrifying horror game is currently available for free on the Epic Games Store (keep it forever) and can also be accessed through Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus Extra subscriptions on consoles.
The Evil Within lies between the worlds of Resident Evil and Silent Hill, offering a mix of surreal scares, stealth, and survival horror. It thrives on copious amounts of gore, with scenes like protagonist Sebastian Castellanos sliding down a slaughterhouse sluice gate, wading in a pool of blood, and searching through a rotting cadaver for keys. Brace yourself for levels of bloodshed and brutality reminiscent of Saw and Hostel, complete with jump scares and intense chase scenes featuring chainsaw-wielding killers. Needless to say, The Evil Within is not for the faint of heart.
Nevertheless, amidst its flaws, this survival horror game has moments of greatness that shine even brighter in its 2018 sequel, The Evil Within 2. After a rough start, The Evil Within hits its stride and captivates players throughout its 10- to 12-hour playtime.
As Polygon’s original review states, “The Evil Within showcases exceptional combat and creepy environmental design, but its potential for delightful terror is dampened by design choices anchored in the glory days of a decade ago.”
This guy knows how to crouch
Image: Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks
Over time, developer Tango has made improvements to address some of the game’s initial quirks. For instance, the game no longer forces a letterboxed aspect ratio on players. In 2021, when The Evil Within became available on Xbox Game Pass, several new features were quietly added, including a first-person mode, field-of-view options, and an adjustment to stamina (default stamina now allows Sebastian to sprint for a full five seconds, rather than three).
Tango also introduced an option for players to enjoy the game with infinite ammo, significantly easing the difficulty level.
However, there’s a catch with some of these new options. To access the first-person mode (which may feel slightly clunky) and unlock infinite ammo, you need a Bethesda.net account, which requires login. This unnecessary and annoying barrier persists in the PC version available for free through the Epic Games Store, even though Bethesda discontinued its in-house launcher in 2022. Nonetheless, if you already have a Bethesda account associated with the email you used while playing Fallout 76, this hurdle won’t be an issue.
Despite being over nine years old, The Evil Within remains a solid survival horror experience. Considering its current price of free, it’s definitely worth giving it a try, and who knows, it might even persuade you to give its more experimental sequel, The Evil Within 2, a chance.
You have until October 26 to grab your free copy of The Evil Within from the Epic Games Store.
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