Recently, I played through both of The Evil Within titles including the DLC for the first game. And in my experience I found the writing of the first game to be lackluster, but filled with interesting set pieces and level design that made me wanting more when it wasn't dragging. So, combat sections really didn't do it for me and there were plenty of rooms that forced you into them. With Sebastian as the main character, it is hard to really discern why he is even a part of this situation. None of the worlds and memories are really his own in this game and it shows because many of the places make no sense. You are simply being transported across the land while killing the horrors of STEM. While Ruben Victoriano is an exceptional villain, Sebastian Castellanos is so not him in that first game in particular. The saving grace of the game comes in the DLC centered around Mobius Agent, Juli Kidman.
Since I don't really jive with the plot of The Evil Within base game, I want to focus on Juli Kidman's story. In The Assignment and The Consequence we learn about what is actually happening in STEM as opposed to just being whipped around from room to room as Sebastian. Kidman has been planted in the Krimson City Police Department as a spy for Mobius, the organization in charge of STEM. Kidman's goal is to retrieve the Core, also known as Leslie Withers. But the scenarios Kidman encounters are vastly different from the ones that Sebastian or his partner, Joseph, are experiencing. There are only a minimal amount of times where their realities link up. Over the course of the four chapters, Kidman learns of the plans that Mobius has for STEM and how they are lying to her. The aptly named DLCs allow her to come to the answer to the problems surrounding the capture of Leslie and the Consequence that comes with it.
The only drawback that I have with Kidman's outing is that combat is almost non-existent for her and she gets a weapon only for a short amount of time. So, much of her gameplay is stealth focused. Which isn't bad, yet the punishment for getting seen is almost always gonna be death. Her health pool is small and the most basic enemies can one-shot her. She has what I like to call the woman debuff. Where she takes more damage and can't fight back like her counterpart Sebastian. It doesn't help that enemy damage and instant death is rampant in The Evil Within, but I can say it is much more of a problem for Kidman.
Ultimately, I wish that the Kidman DLC was separate from the main game because the story is very compelling and it made Kidman my favorite character in the series. More people should get to experience the story told through Kidman's side because that is where all of the plot points for the second are set up. One of my favorite DLCs, I just wish that a third game gets made with Kidman as the protagonist.
And the only other piece of content that came out of the first game was about the Safe-Head Boss, The Keeper. But there really isn't anything interesting about this DLC except that The Keeper is a good Dad. Otherwise, the character has as much relevance as Sebastian. A fun DLC, yet there is no reason to play it unless you want background on an oddly specific character.
Now it is time to move onto the main course sort of as I get into The Evil Within 2. A game that had an extra villain despite having an amazing one for the first half of the game. In the first half, we have Stefano Valentini, an artist and photographer, orchestrating the pain of Sebastian who has entered STEM once again. A father looking to recover his daughter Lily, once thought dead. For me Stefano hit the same notes that Ruben did in manipulating Sebastian whilst torturing him with his own trauma and guilt. A sadistic bastard that had enough energy to torture Sebastian throughout the game with his ideas of art. Especially when there was a separate apparition also trying to kill Sebastian that had no weight on the overall story at all.
I am talking about Anima, who I dubbed the Woman in the Mirror. An optional enemy that haunts Sebastian and serves as a connecting piece to his past. Dealing with his trauma that mainly comes from the Beacon incident. By completing these sequences you are given the revolver from the first game. A damn good pistol that I absolutely abused in my playthrough. What stood out to me in these encounters was the actual fear that was presented. Anima has scripted encounters in certain areas, but then she has random encounters in Union proper that absolutely had me reacting instantly because she does not fuck around. So, the Anima character was a villain that I kinda wish was prevalent across the whole game and would serve as the other villain hunting us while we dealt with Stefano.
Sadly, this is where the game falls apart when it comes to competent villains. With Anima and Stefano gone, the mantle is taken up by Theodore Wallace. A run-of-the-mill evil cult leader. His plan is simple and I don't really care for him. He just does what Stefano does, but he is acting high and mighty about it. Not to mention every character that you meet gets killed in the lead up to a middling final showdown. The most haphazard part of a game that is otherwise wonderfully written. While Theodore is a let down, Sebastian is the best he has ever been in this game.
Sebastian's character arc feels complete and he has an actual bearing on the story. Just an overall fantastic character in this outing. I felt the emotion through the writing, but not so much the acting and animation. I would have definitely liked to have the narrative told with the cast from the first game. Regardless, this game turned me around on Sebastian. A man who was and is a great father that wanted to atone for the mistakes he made. A truly remarkable character. The only drawback is that Kidman essentially got shelved the whole game for plot reasons. I was really impressed and recommend this series wholeheartedly from a narrative standpoint.
While I have much praise for the writing, I do not have the same for the gameplay. The RPG mechanics and gunplay, on controller, are atrocious and I hate them. Upgrading things is fine, but the cost is out of this world. The best items seemed unobtainable in the first game and were only slightly better in the second game. I hated having to allocate brain goo in these games, it sucked. Yet nothing compares to combat being so whack on controller. I know my aim is not great, but most games make it manageable and auto-aim in a third person over-the-shoulder perspective feels cheap for able-bodied people who are used to these kinds of titles. Not to mention that bullets in The Evil Within 2 just seemed to disappear. I play Silent Hill, I know about bad combat. Some of the encounters in this series are downright vile. The biggest mark against them, no contest.
In spite of these gripes, I truly do want a third game. I don't think that is in the cards, yet I will hold out hope. If Silent Hill can crawl out of the gutter, so can The Evil Within. Very solid horror titles that run a tad bit long, but makeup with a rewarding payoff. Play these games, they are on modern platforms and have some decent accessibility options. Keep the Horror renaissance alive and chugging.
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