The Evil Within

Decent horror survival game with unrealized potential. The game drags it's self after chapter 10. While presenting a good and interesting story, the game play and ending is very mediocre at best.
Overall Rating: 7.3/10
Graphics: 7/10
Game play: 7/10
Lore: 8/10
Level Designing: 7.5/10
Sound Track: 7/10

TOTAL DEATHS- 27 Times (Survival Mode)

It’s an OK game. It feels like a mix of both Resident Evil and Silent Hill, but not as good as either. The story doesn’t reach highs that SH does, and doesn’t have as good gameplay as RE. It has a few bugs and quite poor mouse and keyboard support in my opinion. The story is still probably the best part of the game. I would recommend getting it on a big sale if you enjoy survival horror games.

Let me say first that the game play is really fun and that The Evil Within does a great job at creating an unnerving horror environment. However, I struggle to give it a positive review overall. The setup for the game from it's intro makes you really want to know what is happening in the story. Then you get half way through the game, and the story hasn't gotten there yet. Then, you get to the end and realize that the story never came. It was such a letdown. I am still giving it a thumbs up, but just barely. The second game is MUCH better, but this first title in the series is still pretty fun.

This game seems fun and from what I've played of it, it's exactly that. However it is so insanely bugged for me that I have to give up on it. The game crashes constantly and sometimes crashes my whole computer. I'm running a 4090 and every other game I own has no problems. I assume it's some sort of issue with Windows 11. I guess I'll watch a playthrough and hope the second one isn't problematic to run.

Solid but nothing spectacular, Evil Within is an action-horror game that is perfectly good for a replay or two but uneven in quality across the game length. Buy on discount and play on Casual if you want a nice, worry-free experience.

This game has a new updated version on Gamepass and Epic, which added new features and performance fixes, while Steam still have a janky inferior version.

I will change the review to positive when they finally update the Steam version, why do we pay the same price and have to stay with an inferior version of the game? (and I mean "positive" with reserves, more like a neutral).

PS: Bear in mind that to make this version playable you will have to download some .dll files and install a 3rd party app called "Borderless Gaming", it won't remove 100% of the jank, though.

PS2: The more I play this game, the more I notice how it has aged so badly. It is totally overhyped and overrated - don't get fooled by the recent positive reviews. Maybe it was good in 2014 at release, I can see that, but for today it isn't really a good game. There isn't much story/lore and what's there is very weak/meh and doesn't make sense, same thing with the levels, they have nothing to do with each other - it's a convoluted interwoven mess.

I am at the point of forcing myself to play it because I bought it, and the worst is that I bought the DLCs too.

PS3: I have permanently removed this game from my account, the game got progressively worst and worst I Could not even bring myself to finish it. I Tried the DLCs, both are horrible as well. I started playing The Evil Within 2, so far feels like a way way better game so I recommend you play that instead.

Slow-paced and frustrating.
If you like the horror and anxiety of getting 99% of the way through a scenario, only to die because of a surprise bear trap or some other spiteful developer trick, then be forced to start over... and over... and over... then your psychologist will love you when you return to treat your OCD over... and over... $$$.
Yeah yeah, I'm sure it'll get "easier" as I improve my stats and get better weapons...
Not gonna slug it out for weeks to get there.

This game was "highly-crafted" by zombies, for zombies.

it have some problem when you play it for the first time and also i wasnt able to play on full screen but story was really nice i enjoyed it

owned the game for years and I love horror movies and games and went to finally try this out and found it to be complete waste of my time and my money.

so far 90 mins into the game feels like they just stuck a bunch of random levels together and went here play this, The story is non-gripping so far and the characters look and feel like something from a Japanese anime stereotype crime show (no personality).

game-play is pure 110% arse and feels like one of those cheaper budget games from the early 2000's like fort zombie or some other budget title from the era, last but not least the letter boxing on screen 24/7 becomes frustrating really quickly as it blocks a good 30% of the screen making it much harder to see monsters while hidden.

The only things I've been doing for an hour and a half is crouch walking or walking slow all the bloody time, walking so slow it's like the main protagonist has filled his underpants to the brim in faeces and avoiding non killable monsters who are like walking tanks while the main protagonist is weaker than a new born baby.

do I wish others to try this game out? No!, no I do not, play something better that's horror themed, this is total bollocks.

0 out of 10 would have more fun scrubbing dog shit out of a carpet, I do own the second game and will avoid it like someone carrying the black death.

Good mix of RE4 gameplay and Silent Hill atmosphere, puts you in challenging situations, very fun!

Well written psychological story with added horror element gives us a great experience, the graphics feels like playing a old game other than that its a great game

Pretty good so far I've really enjoyed the executions and in general the executioner dlc I've swept the first, second and basement floor and I the infinite fights are pretty fun though I wish they would last longer. I enjoy the main story but I got stuck at a mansion where the main boss is chasing me and I just can't seem to find the solution? I think I should give it more time to figure out what to do in there but aside from that this game is pretty great. It's also discounted here and there so that's a + oh and the dlc is fun! 8.5/10 the load screen is kinda loud and hurts my ears

Honestly one of the best horror games, being similar to silent hill in a psychological way, but closer to resident evil in the gameplay, also the graphics are top notch for it's time, would recommend it..even over it's sequel!

bought the game and tried playing it.
1.on first launch it flickered both my monitors and didnt let me out. had to press alt f4 multiple times no luck. ctrl+alt+delete open task manager worked.
2. switched to windowed mode. the Audio didnt work at all through my headset. when i pressed play the audio starting playing from my phone, which is a first thats ever happened.
3. Its the evil within the game thats spooky causing my phone to play audio for my pc (this game specifically), flickering on launch (fullscreen). and cannot go above 1080p (windowed)

Yet another game that requires third party tools and config edits to work properly. A broken fps cap/vsync, broken lighting, and broken textures. As always, Bethesda has been collecting revenue off of broken games.

One of the best survival horror games, if not the best one I've ever played (aside from optimization issues), I'm eternally grateful to my friend for showing it to me.

Great ideas, atmosphere, and fun gameplay, IN THE beginning. I wanted to just have a game of setting traps and outwitting enemies.
However, as the game progresses, it is plagued by terrible pacing, confusing warps (cool the first time but then it got more annoying), boring puzzles, Devs placing traps and being trolls. By then, I was experiencing story fatigue and just wanted it to end so badly.
So I don't recommend this game. Just watch it on YT explaining the story. It will save you 13 hours of a boring experience.

The Evil Within is a great game with a beautifully conveyed horror atmosphere. The enemies are a separate masterpiece, especially Laura: her sounds and appearance can bring real horror. Overall, I liked the game 10 out of 10.

невозможно играть в это дерьмо, картинка куда то уходит вправо за поля и это никак не пофиксить, только если сделать самое ужасное разрешение, просто потраченное время жалко.

tavsiye ederim ama sadece zoru sevenlere. normalde oynasanız bile tek hamlede öldüren boss çok fazla. tasarım silent hill ve resident evil karışımı. shinji mikami imzalı benim için 7lik bir oyun

10/10
The characters' premise fits my needs of perspective.
This might not mean anything, and I apologize if this isn't misleading.
I don't leave bad reviews, all efforts are a perfect score.

I don't like the story or the way it's paced/constructed at all. Usually, that would be a significant aspect of how much I enjoy a story-driven game as a whole. Yet, I found myself enjoying the gameplay and combat so much, that this has been one of my greatest experiences with a survival horror game. Every repeat playthrough was still as fun as the last. Sure, not every part of the game is a banger, but there are some bosses here and some level designs that I greatly enjoyed. Unfortunately, the greatest let-down in this regard is the final boss who is just a sequence of scripted events.

There are many ways in which you can die, including some pretty silly traps. I can see that this would be frustrating for many people who'd call it cheap. However, I respect the game for throwing those things against you very early on. I'm currently in the middle of playing the highest difficulty in which you instantly die in one hit. I've already died a lot, and while it's been frustrating here and then, trying to figure out how to come out of various scenarios unscathed has been fun in its own way.

The game runs at 20 fps when using full screen

I tried this game once and it got on my nerves so much in the first few minutes that I give up on it. Now, after a couple of years later I decided to give it a try again, mostly just to check it off my backlog list. So, I persisted.

This game has such a severe identity crisis. It’s like it wanted to be Resident Evil so much, but than be some kind of weird child of Silent Hill as well. The main story was so boring I didn’t bother much with audio-logs or documents (I generally don’t care much about them in games).
I had fun shooting zombies and fighting bosses but there was nothing significant about them for me to remember any of them. It’s was like being chased around by pale shadows of already established horror monsters in media (the guy with a safe instead of a head or the spider lady with long hair). The jump-scares were plentiful and started grating on me after a while. Some deaths were pretty unfair too.

The DLCs though, were so interesting. The sneaking, the torch mechanic, the puzzles. I had so much more fun. Even the character of Juli Kidman was more intriguing then the brooding, hardened detective with his missing wife and dead kid. I actually wanted to find all of her document and solve all the puzzles. Even her last boss fight was better then Sebastian’s.

But, oh well. I had fun, not gonna lie. I mean, shooting zombies should always be fun. :)

I really enjoyed the DLCs. Even though I think the later ones don't fully execute on the promise of their concepts. They easy and breezy and put you in new circumstances. Highly recommend just playing those. But the main game after a really strong opening feels very at odds with its self. It's not fun because of its controls and alot of the restrictions it puts on you. On modern systems the QTEs don't work unless you lock the frame rate to 30 fps. It did have moments of brilliance but I felt very frustrated with it.

Anti-aliasing does not work. The game flickers on opening it.

Playing this game and beliving you are just a health inspector makes it ten times scarier.
That hospital really violated half the health code

one of the best survival horror games of all time. If you like Silent Hill you will love this

meh, its one of the most mid games in its genre to be honest, like its not terrible by any means, hell it has its moments and looks good, but ultimately i just found it boring towards the end and way less interesting than any of its piers ie resident evil or dead space, the story telling is poorly explained and it just feels kind of uninspired and brings nothing new, i guess the simplest way i could sum up my review is with the question; why would i pick this game over *insert other psychological third person survival horror here* because to me there really isn't any reasons apart from being that bored and desperate for a rezzy clone or something.

Best survival horror ever I had to shut down my computer cuz when I boot up the game the screen would go black and it would start flashing honestly I wish I could get a refund and I have video proof of this game not working

Psycho Break

This is Shinji Mikami's game, and it has a lot of pseudo-innovative and even questionable material, but it also has a lot from Silent Hill and Resident Evil.
True survival-horror;
Old action RE;
Interesting mechanics;
Beautiful locations and framing;
Memorable design & style;
Pleasant sound effects and soundtrack;
Lots of references;
A fascinating setting;
A pleasant combat system;
Detailed bosses;
The Keeper/Safehead/Boxhead.

This project certainly contains a lot of problems, there is a high threshold of entry, poor optimization, bugs and crashes, black bars/filter and I have not even touched on the story itself, the characters. But now, having listed here above briefly what I find positive - game deserves attention and time.

Q: Did any other forms of horror media (films, books, games etc.) inspire the game’s art design?

Shinji Mikami wrote:

The game has been inspired from various media. If I had to mention some, they would be films like "Shutter Island" and "Inception". In terms of books, it would be Yotsuya Kaidan, stories from Japanese folklore. The team’s various inspirations also contribute to the final art design as well.

If you looking to enjoy a game don't buy this. not only do you have to figure out your problem you have to bust your ass just fixing for it only not to work

Criminally underrated game! One of my all-time-favorites.

Also; Ruben, my love. ^_^ <3

Absolute brain-less game.
Even at the very end, when you discover THE brain, the game makes you stomp on it to win!

0/🧠 not enough brains.

Glorious game. They should have fixed the video issue by now but still enjoyable.

When The Evil Within was first announced, it was impossible not to be excited—a survival horror game directed by Shinji Mikami, the mastermind behind Resident Evil 4? Sign me up! What we got was a terrifying, mind-bending experience that felt like a spiritual successor to Resident Evil, but with a psychological horror twist that made it stand out.
That being said, this game does not hold your hand. If you jump in expecting a straightforward horror story, think again. The narrative is cryptic, fragmented, and deliberately confusing. You won’t fully grasp what’s happening on your first playthrough, and even by the end, you’ll still be left with questions. The DLCs, which were released later, provide the missing pieces of the puzzle.
So, if you love intense horror, a slow-burning story, and classic survival horror mechanics, The Evil Within is a game that will haunt your mind long after the credits roll.

A Survival Horror Experience Rooted in Resident Evil

Right from the start, you can feel the Resident Evil DNA in The Evil Within. The over-the-shoulder camera, limited ammo, inventory management, tense enemy encounters, this game feels like a darker, more psychological take on Resident Evil 4.
But unlike Resident Evil, where the story is usually easy to follow, The Evil Within throws you into a nightmare without context. You play as Detective Sebastian Castellanos, investigating a gruesome crime scene at Beacon Mental Hospital. Within minutes, reality twists into a hellish nightmare, and you are fighting for survival against grotesque monsters, surreal environments, and a villain who seems to control reality itself.
The game masterfully blends psychological horror with classic survival horror gameplay, forcing you to adapt, conserve resources, and never feel truly safe.

A Story That Unfolds in Chaos

Let’s be real: you will not understand the story at first.
The Evil Within’s narrative is intentionally fragmented. One moment, you’re running through a mental hospital, the next, you’re in a twisted village that feels ripped straight from Resident Evil 4, and suddenly, you’re in a burning cityscape. It feels like a fever dream, and progression only brings more questions rather than answers.
The game throws hints and clues throughout, but you won’t get the full story even after finishing it. This might frustrate some players, but for those who love unraveling a deep mystery, it’s an engaging experience. The real story explanations come in the DLCs, particularly The Assignment and The Consequence, which shift the perspective and finally connect the dots.

Gameplay – A Brutal, Unforgiving Horror Experience

If you love challenging survival horror, this game delivers. Limited ammo, smart resource management, every bullet counts, and enemies hit hard. If you run in guns blazing, you won’t last long. Stealth is a real option, sneaking past enemies and using traps can save your life (and your precious ammo). A tense upgrade system, You collect Green Gel to upgrade Sebastian’s abilities, making choices feel crucial. Unpredictable environments, One moment, you're in a dark, abandoned house, and the next, you're transported to a nightmare world with no explanation.
This unpredictability keeps you on edge the entire game. You never feel safe, which is exactly what great survival horror should do.

Pros:

• Pure survival horror at its best – If you miss the old-school Resident Evil experience, this is for you.
  
• Brilliant enemy and level design – The creatures are horrifying, and the shifting environments add to the unease.
  
• A deeply psychological story – Even if you don’t understand everything at first, it will keep you hooked.
  
• Challenging and rewarding gameplay – Every fight feels intense, and resource management is crucial.
  
• DLCs actually matter – They don’t just add extra content; they complete the story.
  

Cons:

• Story is too cryptic at first – If you don’t like being left in the dark, this might frustrate you.
  
• Some mechanics feel outdated – Stiff movement and awkward camera angles can be frustrating at times.
  
[*]You NEED the DLCs for the full story – The base game alone doesn’t give all the answers.

Conclusion:

The Evil Within is not for the faint of heart. It’s challenging, bizarre, and doesn’t explain itself easily, but that’s what makes it special. If you push through the confusion and embrace the horror, you’ll find one of the most unique survival horror experiences of the last decade.
If you’re a fan of Resident Evil, psychological horror, and games that make you think, this one is a must-play. Just be prepared to feel lost, until the DLCs finally show you the bigger picture.

I didn't enjoy this game. I'd rather play any of the new Resident Evil remakes than this.

I apologize to anyone who warned me not to play this—feel free to send me an "I told you so" DM. My inbox is open, and my ego can take it.

It was a surprisingly enjoyable mess.

✅ Grotesque and memorable enemy designs
✅ An engaging story—not revolutionary, but solid entertainment
✅ Some good gore that horror fans will appreciate

The worst thing about the game:
❌ Bugs. (Seriously, this game had more issues than a therapy support group.)
❌ Technical problems and game-breaking glitches—Chapter 9 almost made me quit.
After that, it was smooth sailing.

If you're patient, love horror, and don’t mind the occasional technical hiccup, give it a try. Just keep a troubleshooting guide handy.

👍 Thumbs up
✔ Survived the bugs.
✔ Enjoyed the gore.

Glad I stuck with it, fixed it, and experienced it.

Really solid horror game that manages to setup really compelling tone and plot threats, while still putting the mechanics first in a way that makes the game really fun to play through even when there are roadlbocks due to difficulty spikes or bugs. Highly recommend for any fans of the 3d resident evil games or third personal survival horror in general,

Twisted story, classy gameplay, Stylish design that makes you thrill. The game itself and one DLC The Executioner are nice. But that two with Kidman are mediocre and only to complete the story. Overall, the game is worth buying and playing.

great slow paced action survival horror. Despite its engine related bugs and oddities the game definitely stands out and brings some of its own unique atmosphere and gameplay ideas

Short version: I really love this game. It could do with being slightly shorter but that's not much of a complaint.

--

This is a slow-paced and tactical survival horror action game in the style of Resident Evil 4, with a focus on calculated use of movement and sprinting, precise shot placement to maximize ammo efficiency, and carefully navigating environments in order to disarm traps.

Efficiency and movement is pretty much the whole game - you can waste all of your ammo taking out a few dudes, or you can fight smartly and have plentiful resources. For example, you can knock most enemies down by shooting them in the knee, or center mass with a shotgun, and they can then be instantly killed by spending a single match to set them on fire. If there are other enemies touching them at the moment they catch fire, those enemies will also catch fire and die, saving you a lot of ammo.

The dream-like setting of the game allows for some really interesting surreal and artistic moments and effects, and I was really struck by the awesome art direction on many occasions - I feel the game drags a little bit in the more 'normal' environments you sometimes find yourself in, but perhaps there was a consideration made toward giving the player a break from the surreal now and then.

There's a lot more I could go over, but that's the important stuff; if you like Resident Evil in general, you should definitely give this a shot. Use Flawless Widescreen to expand the FOV a bit and set launch commands through steam to unlock the framerate and you're good to go.

On of the best tps horror game ever. It was like i'm playing Resident Evil and Silent Hill at the same time. I hope the developer make another game of the Evil Within and not just end with the second one. well idk what else i want to type. i just love the game so much and want to give my appreciation to the developer

Trash gameplay, annoying chases, outdated...

0/10. How can AAA company make a game from fcking year 2014. look like it's from 00s...

Brutal, gore, blood, zombies, creatures, storyline.... Everything about this game is awesome.
There are many mechanics such as stealth, enemies getting smarter and smarter, the level of action is insane.

Recommend to those who love brutality, gore, blood and a good storyline.

The Evil Within is survival horror done right—terrifying, intense, and unapologetically twisted. Its gritty atmosphere and grotesque enemy design keep you on edge, while limited resources force you to think strategically. The blend of psychological horror and brutal combat makes every encounter feel like life or death. If you love a good scare and don’t mind some mind-bending madness, this game will keep your pulse racing.

Wow...I mean...wow...this game is a complete mind-screw (see what I did there) - this was like Silent Hill, Outlast, Resident Evil all bundled into one game of insanity... I left the game on the recommended difficulty setting and again, wow... It was challenging, I stopped counting how many times I died - this game forces you to analyze your environment too it's not all about blasting your way through... The enemies are smart, real smart, and tough - here is something I experienced in the first levels - okay what are these things, I died, try again, okay let me run away form them, this looks promising, I have no ammo, oh look a bullet, let me load it, I missed, I can still hide around this building, I stepped in a bear trap, okay I am free great let me keep running, I hit a trip wire, what...try again.... Great and immersive story, tough game keep it on the hard setting that it wants to, and it will be more rewarding when you beat it... The game will seem to drag on and seem longer than it wants, but I think that is how the creators want you to dive deeper into the insanity world of the brain...brains....you'll get it...

The Evil Within has received positive reviews for its intense and gripping horror experience. Here are some reasons why you might want to give it a try:

Atmosphere and Horror: The game is known for its dark, eerie atmosphere and genuinely terrifying moments. It's designed to keep you on edge and make you feel like you're in a real nightmare1.

Gameplay: It combines elements of survival horror and action, requiring you to manage resources, solve puzzles, and fight off terrifying creatures. The gameplay is challenging but rewarding1.

Storyline: While the plot has its twists and turns, it's engaging and keeps you invested in the game. The story unfolds in a way that keeps you guessing and wanting to see what happens next1.

Unique Design: The game features some truly unique and imaginative level designs, with creepy environments that are both visually stunning and unsettling.

Legacy: Created by Shinji Mikami, the mind behind the iconic Resident Evil series, The Evil Within brings a lot of the same tension and horror that fans of his previous work will appreciate.

If you enjoy horror games and don't mind a bit of a challenge, The Evil Within is definitely worth playing! Have you played any other horror games that you enjoyed?

The Evil Within is easily one of the best survival horror i have ever played i not the best one .
The main game provides you true horror survival experience while each DLC have it's unique experience
if you like stealth i recommend buying kidman DLCs .
i you like to play as a zombie and just destroy everything you should definitely play the executioner DLC .
what i most like about the Evil Within is that the game with it's DLCs , each one has it's own unique and fun experience.

The game doesn’t launch. Used two different computers too.