No spoiler, but it's still worth laying the groundwork for the game's storyline. Basically, Sebastian never really recovered from what he saw in the first The Evil Within, and after being fired from the police, he sinks into alcohol and dementia. That's when his ex-partner, Juli Kidman, decides to reach out to him, telling him that his daughter, whom he thought was dead, is still alive. To rescue him, he will have to return a new faith in STEM, a machine that could be compared to the Matrix (Matrix) given that it plunges individuals into an alternate reality. That's the starting point. The main novelty of The Evil Within 2 is its taste for the open map which allows you to freely explore Union, the city which serves as the setting for this sequel. Instead of linking dark corridors and dark corners, the game disseminates a few secondary objectives so that we can both perfect our equipment and learn more about the decay of STEM. Equipped with a communicator thanks to which he can keep in touch with Kidman who has remained in the real world, Castellanos must first pick up the various signals – or resonance points – before heading towards the place from which the waves come. Well, those who were expecting something as huge as Shadow of War or Monster Hunter World will be quickly disillusioned, Union certainly does not stretch for miles; but the goal was above all to break the linearity that could plague the first episode.
We quickly notice that the main missions are based on what Mikami-san (who was content to supervise the development of The Evil Within 2, this time) knows how to do best, that is to say oppose closed environments with an unbreathable, moist, dirty and very gloomy atmosphere similar to that of Silent Hill.
And then, it must be admitted that in these open areas – all connected by the Marrow – the weapons and ammunition oh so vital in a survival horror are integrated in a more natural way. Indeed, instead of lying around on a chest of drawers or in a bathtub without apparent consistency, we will have to pick them up from the corpses of Mobius agents who, like Sebastian, tried to find little Lily without success. Leaving the choice between embodying an over-armed character or a father who just wants to find his daughter with the bare necessities (it is possible to finish the game without the entire arsenal) is rather well seen, even if we see enough quickly that the main missions are based on what Mikami-san (who was content to supervise the development of The Evil Within 2, this time) knows how to do best, that is to say, to oppose environments closed with an unbreathable, moist, dirty and very gloomy atmosphere similar to that of Silent Hill. So yes, it's much less scary than a Resident Evil 7 or an Outlast 2, and we didn't count any real jumpscare - even if it's subjective - during the almost 20 hours that we took to complete the game ; but damn, this atmosphere that finds its inspiration in Japanese horror movies is simply delicious. Hallucinations, ghosts, beings with long hair, psychosis, damned spirits, it's all there. The Evil Within 2 reaches its climax in the final chapters that we swallowed in one go, without blinking an eye. In short, it is about another vision of horror which privileges the diffuse fear with the peaks of anguish.
HYPHEN
If the game causes less panic than its predecessor, it is also because the physical vulnerability of the character is less palpable than before. So, it's true that after experiencing the terror in Beacon, we can understand that Castellanos took a bit of a bottle (it's the case to say it) and no longer scurries off as soon as he crosses the road to a monster, but it suddenly removes this small dose of stress that we could feel at times. At the level of the hideouts, the cupboards and the beds have disappeared to make way for the bushes. Yes, it's not terrible. Even the portcullis that could be triggered to save cartridges are no longer there, not to mention the traps that required a keen sense of observation. Afterwards, the developers of Tango Gameworks still thought of placing two or three sequences where fleeing is the only option, knowing that a short sequence in FPS view (thanks Resident Evil 7?) and without the possibility of using his weapon is also present. These phases are an excellent way to remember that going headlong is not necessarily the best solution, staying in the shadows and betting on infiltration may be more judicious. On this point, The Evil Within 2 retains the same formula as the first episode with bottles that we can swing to distract the Fallen, and this absolute need to move around crouched to stay as quiet as possible. Oddly enough, enemies aren't sensitive to light - while they are indeed able to see Sebastian - which makes things much easier in dark places.
What we can tell you, however, is that the artistic direction of The Evil Within 2 beats up while being less gore than that of TWE.
It is perhaps in this area that The Evil Within 2 is largely perfectible and shows a certain archaism compared to other productions of the same genre. With basic rounds and a reduced range of attacks, the monsters are ultra predictable although they have gained in speed. Disappointment also with regard to the bestiary which we quickly go around. Fortunately, some more imposing demons save the furniture, such as Obscura and her camera, the Guardian and her multiple faces struck down by dread, or even this slender creature capable of sucking our souls. The bosses are not as numerous as in The Evil Within, indisputably, but that does not detract from the rhythm of the game which never falls; and one can wonder if, finally, multiplying the boss fights in a survival horror does not belong to a bygone era. Anyway, the balance between action and infiltration is perfectly mastered, and pressing the trigger never works in the game.We note the appearance of a cover system which, in reality, was taken from the DLC of the first episode devoted to Juli Kidman. Coupled with the indicator that shows whether or not you are in the enemy's field of vision, it allows you to better position yourself. However, it remains less flexible than what we see elsewhere (The Division, for example) and at times when events are accelerating, it happens that the character gets up when we just wanted to move in head on while remaining in cover. Frustrating. As a result, we prefer to exploit the interactivity of the decorations by exploding a canister of gas or liquid nitrogen for example, or by overturning a can of water just before firing an electrified arrow.
IN AN ARMCHAIR
Of course, Nurse Tatiana is on hand to help Sebastian improve his skills in exchange for some green and red gel picked up here and there. Depending on our style of play, we can benefit health (increase the maximum capacity of the vital gauge, better withstand critical hits), combat (inflict more damage in melee, more stable reticle with each shot), recovery (recover more health with a syringe), stealth (quieter movement, enemies who search for their prey less quickly), or agility (increase the maximum capacity of the gauge of endurance). Skills far from being anecdotal: for example, it will be necessary to slam green gel to obtain the skill allowing you to kill a creature in one fell swoop while you are in cover. Same thing for the endurance gauge that it is better to boost so as not to run out of oxygen after two strides. On this subject, we will highlight the help of the developers who have made sure that Castellanos does not stop dead once his gauge of stamina is exhausted. It gets slower, sure, but it can still move. As for the weapons, their characteristics can also be improved (firepower, reloading time, rate of fire, ammunition capacity), knowing that it will first be necessary to obtain spare parts.
Despite the finishing concerns that we clearly cannot ignore, we got off to a good start with The Evil Within 2. Even when Shinji Mikami is not directing, his precepts are respected to the letter by his teams who sign a sequel taking up everything that worked in the first episode.
Since we are talking about the features available in Sebastian's HQ – which is a compendium of his memories, according to Kidman – let's not forget to mention the crafting system which is more complete than that of three years ago. . This time it extends to all weapons whereas it was limited to the Agony crossbow in the first episode. By collecting gunpowder, fuses, metal pipes, smoke powder, nails, or even herbs, it will be possible to manufacture your own ammunition and therefore give priority to this or that weapon. Just to bring some flexibility to all this, you can even craft without necessarily going through the workbench in return for a greater number of resources for the same object. The Evil Within 2 is smart enough to encourage us to search every corner, the quality of the sound design reminding us that danger awaits us in the bus that we want to explore. As much to say it cash: the VF is ca-tas-trophic. Fortunately, unlike The Evil Within which did not have the VO, it was added this time. We can always complain about the lip sync, but it's probably not the most important thing in a game where suspicious grunts rule the roost. In case you were wondering at this time of the test: no, the hero is not alone in this galley, and he can of course count on the help of teammates that we leave it to you to discover .
THE DEVIL IN THE BODY
What we can tell you, however, is that the artistic direction of The Evil Within 2 beats up while being less gore than that of TWE. Be reassured, there are always sheaves of hemoglobin that spring when you succeed in a headshot, but we have the feeling that the developers wanted to calm things down so as not to fall into the caricatural. If everyone remembers the first episode for its viscera bathed in blood, we will remember its sequel for its perfect management of chiaroscuro. However, strictly graphically, the game isn't crazy from start to finish. As much as we observed a rise in power in The Evil Within, as much we can come across places less well off towards the end of the adventure. It is obvious that Tango Gameworks has been able to take advantage of current machines and it would be a lie to say that the game has not gained in finesse, in detail, in visual effects; but the STEM Engine – based on the idTech – does not yet seem strong enough to display textures worthy of the name. In the absence of fluid animations (even if an effort has been made on this side), Castellanos benefits from impeccable modeling, which is also valid for the Fallen on which we can distinguish pustules ready to explode. With more elaborate facial expressions, the result would have been better. Precisely, compared to this lack of finish, certain absurdities can surprise in 2017 such as the fact of not being able to pass through a window when there is room for it, or even objects over which you cannot jump. . But the must remains covert executions that do not trigger. Resuming at the last checkpoint because of that when we had cleared the whole sector, it's a scandal.
