The Evil Within 2

When The Evil Within released back in 2014, we were introduced to the STEM world for the first time, a virtual space tainted by an evil mind, and as Detective Sebastian Castellanos we were tasked with entering this hellhole and facing all the horrific monsters that it had created. Now developer Tango Gameworks is back to put us in Castellanos' shoes once more, and go on another trip into STEM. This time, however, it's personal.

The premise of the game is that Castellanos has been hitting the bottle hard after the events of the first game, haunted by his past experiences as well as the earlier loss of his daughter, Lily, believed to be dead. Then his old partner Juli Kidman shows up, and tells him his daughter is alive, but there's a catch; Lily is the mind behind another STEM world, and things have gone awry, meaning Castellanos is the man that has to go into the world yet again and find out what's going on.

In terms of format, there are some big changes here, notably with structure. While the first game was a wild ride that saw you switch between different horror-themed set pieces regularly (hospital, sewers, haunted house etc.) with a very varied if not disorganised feel as a result, here we have a far more structured approach. The sequel is split into three distinct sections over 17 chapters, each with their own style and character to set them apart.

That's not to say this is definitely an improvement, though. Some may appreciate the slightly more logical course that events follow here, but part of the appeal of the first was that it was so crazy and you never knew what was coming. There seems to be less of that here, and the plot is a lot more conventional than you'd expect from a STEM world, some might even say predictable.

In terms of setting, Castellanos' second foray into Mobius' virtual horror show takes him to Union, a town with a distinct Americana about it, complete with everything from diners to movie theaters. All is not normal in this town - when is it ever in The Evil Within? - as the very fibre of Union is tearing apart, reducing what was once this community of harmonious virtual residents into a fractured mess of floating concrete populated with creepy-crawly monsters.

Union serves as the wider backdrop, but throughout the game you'll actually split your time behind this little town and a number of other areas, including a series of passages known as the Marrow, which is important as this serves as the 'backstage' for the simulation of Union. Just as Mobius workers used it before the world got bent out of shape, Castellanos can travel to different areas that might be suspended in the sky or otherwise out of reach.

Most of the areas you see don't vary too much, comprising of dark corridors and buildings (Union, for instance, is particularly uninteresting in terms of looks), but there are definitely standout gems in the game. For example, your interactions with photographer Stefano Valentini sees you explore a number of lavish interiors populated with dead bodies in a variety of positions as 'art' (Sander Cohen, anyone?). Later on, though, you'll be faced with a trial by fire as you navigate burning ruins, and it's a pretty dramatic change of pace.

Something that's undoubtedly changed from the first game, however, is how everything handles, from the combat to navigation. Castellanos isn't so much of a tank to control anymore, and although the third person angle can make things a bit tricky sometimes (like when bad guys are all up in your face) for the most part he behaves a bit less frustratingly than before.

A deeper RPG-esque upgrade system bolsters this, as by collecting both green and red gel from throughout the world, the former obtained by defeating enemies and the latter by exploring, you can make Castellanos better by purchasing skills in five different categories: Combat, Stealth, Recovery, Athleticism, and Health. We, for instance, chose to upgrade our stamina bar so we could run longer, but different players with alternate play styles can adjust these abilities to suit their needs. This also gives an incentive to battle enemies for the gel rather than run past everyone, as the upgrades significantly improve your chances of survival.

There's also the crafting to consider. When exploring the world you'll often come across weapon parts and crafting ingredients, and when you go to a workbench you have a plethora of choices available to you. You can either make your own gear, for example, like ammunition and even the odd weapon, but you can also upgrade your existing weapons in a number of ways. Much like with player upgrades, these aren't cheap, so choosing wisely is a must, but with things like reload time, firepower, and critical hit chance to choose from, there's no shortage of options.

Who will you be using these weapons on? Well, there's the usual monstrosities to be unloading your clip into, but we found that, like with the settings, there was less variety in this department as well. Sure there were standout monsters, but they didn't feel as memorable or as whacky as those in the first game, and a lot of the time you'll be facing grunts instead (although don't underestimate their challenge). Those who were disgruntled with invincible enemies you could only run away from, don't worry, as there's far less of that here.

With more open areas like Union at your disposal, you won't always want to be killing everything in your way. A lot of the time we chose to take the long way round to avoid a fight, for instance, because a bigger area means more groups of spookies ready to pounce. This increased range of options was very much appreciated, as it meant we weren't locked into one playstyle due to our surroundings; sometimes we could go in guns blazing, and sometimes we could sneak around the back to get stealth kills.

Survival horror is still very much the name of the game here, and the open world plays nicely into that. Exploration and finding side quests will provide you with precious resources, and we don't need to tell you that they're a must, especially on the harder difficulties. Crafting materials, ammunition, and health are just some of the things dotted around, and there's also collectibles like locker keys and files to collect for those completionists out there.

Much like the first game, the story of this game isn't remarkable. There's cliche lines aplenty, the emotional responses of Castellanos to his experiences aren't convincing, and the whole thing is led by cartoonish villains which, much like the friendly characters you encounter, aren't given enough time to breathe. While the first game wore its outlandishness on its sleeve, this game tries to ground itself in a more subtle story based on Castellanos' growth from broken man to redeemed hero, and often doesn't hit the mark.

On the visual and technical side of things, there's very little to complain about. We played on a capable gaming PC and the game looked impressive and ran smoothly, with the appropriate level of detail on every bit of blood and guts that rained down around us. There were some glitches to report, as there were a few instances of clipping and one time we mounted an object outside of a wall (and consequently out of the map), but these were few and far between and had no bearing on our experience whatsoever.

Taken as a whole, The Evil Within 2 feels like a sequel that matches the first. Sure, it doesn't have your standout bombastic sequences that the first game had, which moved you from one hellish nightmare to another before you could blink, but this isn't going to be a negative for everyone. What most players will no doubt appreciate, though, is the smoother and deeper gameplay, which makes up for some shortfalls when it comes to story. It's a welcome return for Castellanos that lives up to the reputation of the first, but doesn't exceed it.