The Evil Within

I'm not a big gamer these days like I used to be, and as far as the Survival Horror genre goes, it's always been hit or miss for me. I am most certainly a horror fan, especially when it comes to books and films. However, with video games, I've always had a hard time getting into the genre. I usually will love the atmosphere but have trouble getting into the headspace of the character I'm playing as.

For some reference, my favorite video game of all time is probably Silent Hill 2, a game most Survival Horror fans consider to be the greatest game of all time. I played Downpour and enjoyed it, and also loved Resident Evil 4. Almost every other excursion of mine into this genre ended in frustration; the controls and difficulty left me saying "Screw it, I'll just go watch a horror flick."

I had trepidation with this game, to say the least. However, I'm here to tell you that, if you're like me and have trouble getting into this genre (for any reason at all), you should still give this one a shot. The atmosphere, characters, story and enemy and level designs are ON POINT! And, maybe most importantly, the gameplay is easily accessible and a true pleasure to traverse. Never once did I feel like I was being held back by an archaic or difficult-to-learn control scheme/layout.

Will veterans of the genre enjoy this game? I'd like to think so. Will they consider it among their favorites? Probably not -- I'm sure most of what's here has been done before and, to the experts, better. For a casual player like me, though, this game was an absolute blast, and a pleasure to fall into. I look forward to trying out the sequel sometime!