The Evil Within 2
Shinji Mikami is a very famous game designer in Japan and just in the east, the creator of the Resident Evil series. True, he worked only on the first four parts of "Resident Evil", and then his paths with Capcom parted ways. Shinji Mikami wanted to continue releasing horror films, and Resident Evil was gradually slipping into rail shooters and action games.
Having set out on a "free float", Shinji Mikami joined Bethesda Softworks, under whose wing he created his own psychological survival horror, The Evil Within. The game was warmly received by gamers and critics alike, sold quite well and received a sequel.
This backstory is very important for understanding the gameplay of The Evil Within 2. Although the horror is original, the "ears" of "Resident Evil" still stick out from the most unexpected and hard-to-reach places.
The Horrors of Our Town
The main character of The Evil Within 2, Sebastian Castellanos, is a former detective suffering from the remorse of inner demons, whom he unsuccessfully tries to drown in alcohol. He blames himself for the death of his daughter, whom he searched for the entire previous part, but to no avail.
At the beginning of the game, Julie Kidman approaches him with good news. She says that Sebastian's daughter is alive! It is located in the town of Union, where it acts as the central processor in the STEM system that manages this settlement. Sebastian, trying to save his daughter, goes there.
Upon arrival, he discovers that Union, which was supposed to be an idyllic American town, has turned into a resident of evil. All local residents either died in a very bloody and cruel way, or turned into monsters. Now Sebastian needs to find his daughter, turn off STEM and just survive in this wondrous utopian town.
The Evil Within 2 Monsters and Environment
What The Evil Within 2 is definitely worthy of praise for is the design of the monsters. They look very original, unusual and even beautiful here. Of course, if someone is able to discern all the subtle aesthetics of completely schizophrenic creatures, each of which outwardly is an alloy of flesh and some glands.
For example, the Obscura looks like a spider-like zombie, only instead of a head there is a camera. The saw seems to be sewn from several corpses, their parts are tied with ropes, and instead of one of its hands it has a toothed disk, thanks to which the character got its name.
Monsters are scary. Really. They are frightening with their anatomical precision, frankness and demeanor. And then you also have to meet with bosses, which are not only scary, but also incredibly deadly.
However, even if there are no monsters on the screen, the game is still capable of scaring. According to the plot, not only Sebastian arrived in Union, but also Stefano, a psychopathic killer who creates works of art from parts of the mutilated bodies of victims. In the real world, he allegedly lacked paint for his canvases. Well, STEM has enough. Therefore, Stefano shreds local residents, collecting bizarre and eerie sculptures from them that you don't want to see - but the game stubbornly slips them over and over again.
Stefano is not limited to the creepy inhabitants of The Evil Within 2. Father Theodore also acts in the local world. And he is much more terrible, because he does not strive for art. As a religious fanatic, he seeks to turn everyone into his flock, to deprive them of their pernicious (in his opinion) freedom. Father Theodore is a pyromaniac, and he fills the streets with his "parishioners": flamethrowers, whose bodies have grown together with weapons, whose task is to find infidels and put them on a cleansing fire ...
As a result, the game creates horror at both levels. At first, you are frightened by the naturalistic image of monsters and creepy canvases from corpses. And then - the very concept of virtual worlds and what a perverse mind can do with them.
The Evil Within 2 Gameplay
"Evil Within 2" is a survival horror game in which a special emphasis is placed on the aesthetics and features of the environment. Therefore, it is not necessary to spend a lot of time trying not to starve the hero with hunger, thirst or insomnia. Even crafting is aimed at improving weapons or creating ammunition.
Basically, the gameplay of The Evil Within 2 may seem more casual compared to the first version. But this is only due to the improved control and behavior of the camera. Yes, the hero is given a communicator that shows the location of resources and key events at the location. But the maps are still complex and confusing.
There is a bit of an open world. It was added rather for show, because there are few side quests.
The combat system is not very balanced. If small monsters lay down in batches without much difficulty, then large bosses are practically unkillable, and you can spend more than one hour of time trying to cope with even the first or second. Moreover, there are also immortal opponents.
