Bethesda Softworks has finally released a roughly 12 minute-long gameplay trailer highlighting just a few of the terrifying experiences avid horror aficionados can expect from Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami’s and Tango Gameworks’ upcoming survival horror game, The Evil Within. With the newly released footage itself showcasing two different sections of the game – entitled Prologue and Perth House, we soon began our unforgettable tour into the deranged, tortured world of The Evil Within.
“With the newly released footage itself showcasing two different sections of the game, we soon began our unforgettable tour into the deranged, tortured world of The Evil Within.”
The extended gameplay trailer first dives into the Prologue portion of the demo by exhibiting a more in-depth look at the horrifying chase sequence between the vulnerable Detective Sebastian Castellanos and his hideous pursuer: a chainsaw-wielding, hulking monstrosity seemingly inspired by horror films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Filled to the brim with heart-pumping tension, this specific segment of gameplay footage tackles a previously unseen section of the game, displaying a wounded Sebastian limping through the uninviting confines of The Evil Within’s nightmarish world in hopes of both escaping and surviving the relentless pursuit of his deranged foe.
After narrowly evading the razor-sharp teeth of his nemesis’ chainsaw by hiding out in lockers, utilizing darkened corners to conceal himself, and finally outmaneuvering his violent pursuer in a last ditch effort to stay alive, Sebastian escapes through the front doors of the hellish asylum only to be thrust smack dab in the middle of a more problematic situation: the complete destruction of the outside world, which has consequently eliminated his only means of escape from the torment and terror that now anxiously awaits him.
Following directly after our intense visual tour through The Evil Within’s prologue, we are soon treated to the reality-distorting horrors that dwell deep within the confines of the game’s newly unveiled Perth House segment. Surprisingly reminiscent of Resident Evil 4’s memorable cabin fight level, this particular portion of The Evil Within’s gameplay trailer showcases a much more action-focused scenario than anything previously revealed since the game’s initial release announcement.
“…we are soon treated to the reality-distorting horrors that dwell deep within the confines of the game’s newly unveiled Perth House segment.”
Upon entering the near-condemned Perth House and slaughtering its ghoul-like inhabitants utilizing his trusty revolver (making sure to properly ignite their remains in the process), Sebastian soon finds himself desperately fending off a mob of torch and tool-wielding monstrosities who are essentially hell-bent on causing his untimely demise. From here, we nab a peak at the game’s quick-wheel inventory mechanic as Sebastian strategically places mine traps near windows in hopes of thwarting off the seemingly limitless hordes of undead that will soon be flooding every possible entrance to the house. Unfortunately, the disappointing blast radius each mine trap demonstrates barely holds back each hideous foe, and Sebastian quickly ends up retreating to the basement where a single, red door awaits him.
Here, we receive a delicious taste of the psychological torment The Evil Within hopes to incorporate into its core horror premise as the mysterious door mercilessly toys with Sebastian before suddenly bursting into a tide wave of blood and completely consuming him. Instead of killing him, however, Sebastian is surprisingly transported to a darkened hallway presumably located within the unimaginably horrific Beacon Mental Hospital. With each step he takes echoing off into the distance of the silent, deserted hallway, Sebastian begins to follow a trail of fresh blood down to an empty, sinister doctor’s room where it looks as if a gruesome mass murder has taken place. Before Sebastian has even a moment to investigate the blood-soaked crime scene, however, a feminine, multi-limbed monstrosity (looking more like a humanoid spider of sorts) violently emerges from the carnage and pins him down after only a minor struggle, raising her elongated claws and viciously thrusting them towards Sebastian in what appears to be our fragile hero’s last tragic moment.
With horror franchises such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill continuously drifting further and further away from their established roots in order to please the more shooter-orientated masses, The Evil Within seems fully capable of delivering the proper fix terror junkies crave by focusing more on both the physical and psychological aspects that serve as the beating heart of horror itself rather than merely re-skinning a generic shooter experience with grotesque creatures and nightmarish locales, and calling it a day. While it is still too early to tell just how well The Evil Within will be received by both consumers and critics alike, its chill-inducing premise, reality-warping environments, and disturbing enemy models have us eagerly anticipating its inevitable release.
The Evil Within will be releasing next year on multiple platforms including PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.