The Evil Within 2
Developer: Tango Gameworks
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Price: ₹3,999 on PlayStation 4 and 2,999 on PC
The original The Evil Within proved that there is always place for another survival horror title, especially when the game is directed by the master of the genre, Shinji Mikami, who gave us the Resident Evil series. Now, Mikami works his magic with The Evil Within 2.
What’s it about?
Detective Sebastian Castellanos has not fully gotten over his encounter at Beacon Mental Hospital. The events that transpired in the first The Evil Within . He’s drowning himself in drink, until his former partner Juli Kidman, an agent for the shadowy organisation Mobius, comes knocking, with a revelation that Sebastian’s daughter, thought long dead, is alive. Except that she’s gone missing within a large simulation called STEM and they need the good detective’s help in getting her back.
In terms of the story, the stage has been set in the first game, leaving the second to fully explore the nature of STEM and the evils within. While the narrative is paced well, it does suffer from padding. Thankfully, what the game does get right is the atmosphere. Which makes you invested in finding out more and killing some zombies in the bargain.
How does it play?
The Evil Within 2 is very reminiscent of Resident Evil 4 , which is arguably the best of the series to date. Played from a third-person perspective, the story exposition follows that familiar gait. A single haunted protagonist is cast into a town filled with unexplained horrors as you scrounge for ammo and resources. The Evil Within 2 ’s monsters will up the ante on every possible scary expectation you might be able to conjure up.
Once you get used to the slow controls, you will love the action. The enemies are genuinely scary but feel organic. That means, the gore is off the charts and the game celebrates it. Headshots pop like pimples, spurting and dribbling goo down still moving zombies. One villain actually makes ‘art’ out of gore; freezing his kills at the moment of their grisly death. So you can see the animation looping in painstakingly detailed slow motion.
The graphics are fantastic, with atmospheric environments, great sound design and fancy technical wizardry. For example, rooms rearrange themselves behind your back, so when you turn around, you never know what’s waiting. However, there are several glitches, from texture pop in to a drop in story waypoints. Hopefully, these should be fixed in the next patches.
Should you get it?
You cannot afford to miss out on this game, especially if you are a fan of Mikami’s work. His latest is a testament to his signature style, the same that made Resident Evil what it was.
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
Developer: Arkane Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Price ₹1,799 on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4
Every mythology has a trickster God and with the Dishonoured series, it’s the shadowy figure known as the Outsider who pulls strings and makes us mere mortals dance. That ends now, as you take on the Outsider in the newest standalone expansion for Dishonoured , titled Death of the Outsider .
What’s it about?
You play as Billie Lurk, a protégé of Daud, an assassin from the Dishonored universe, who reunites with her old master to kill the Outsider. To be able to take on her nemesis, Billie must become a supernatural assassin herself. The story of Death of the Outsider is engaging, as it explores the origins of a character that’s been omnipresent throughout the series. While the game is short, it makes up for it in story and atmosphere.
How does it play?
Unlike the stealth-oriented Emily or the brutal Corvo from Dishonored2 , Billie comes with her own set of powers and a distinct play style. She’s got a quasi cyborg mechanical arm, that doubles up as a gun, and she’s a lot faster and snappier to play compared to her counterparts. Dishonoured has always been about playing with the different ways you can kill or steal. With abilities to see through walls, disguise yourself as anyone and the ability to talk to animals, Billie is more about that look before you leap personality.
Should you get it?
If you loved Dishonored2 , Death of the Outsider gives you a lot more story and lets you spend more time in the world. The game will let you plan and execute your kills over and over again until you’re satisfied.
Julian Almeida is a tech and gaming enthusiast who hopes to one day finish his sci-fi novel
