Skip to main content

The Evil Within

Tango Gameworks have successfully ticked all the right boxes when it comes to the survival-horror genre and The Evil Within is one of those must play titles
75%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
optimization, stability
88% User Score Based on 38,270 reviews
Critic Score 71%Based on 35 reviews

Platforms

Playstation 3Xbox 360Playstation 5Playstation 4Xbox Cloud GamingXboxWindowsPlayStationXbox Series X|SPCXbox Game PassCloudXbox One
Buy Nowfrom $2.20
Buy NowGet on Steam $19.99Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store Buy NowGet on PS Store $4.99

About

In "The Evil Within," players step into the shoes of Detective Sebastian Castellanos, who enters a gruesome world after a murder investigation goes awry. Fighting to survive and uncover the truth, Castellanos must navigate a horrific landscape filled with grotesque creatures and insidious traps. With limited resources and a menacing enemy lurking around every corner, players must defeat insurmountable terror and unravel the mysteries of The Evil Within. This third-person survival horror experience challenges players to think strategically and react quickly to the ever-changing environment.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
The Evil Within screenshot
The Evil Within screenshot
The Evil Within screenshot
The Evil Within screenshot
The Evil Within screenshot
The Evil Within screenshot
The Evil Within screenshot
The Evil Within screenshot
The Evil Within screenshot
The Evil Within screenshot
The Evil Within screenshot
+8
Skip User Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 38,270 reviews
story2.6k positive mentions
optimization366 negative mentions
  • The game effectively blends survival horror and action elements, creating a tense atmosphere that keeps players engaged.
  • The psychological depth of the story, along with its grotesque imagery, offers a complex narrative that challenges players to piece together the plot.
  • The atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive quality, effectively creating a sense of dread and tension throughout the game.
  • Many players criticize the clunky controls, frustrating mechanics, and frequent one-hit kill scenarios that lead to trial-and-error gameplay.
  • The game suffers from significant technical issues, including poor optimization, bugs, and crashes that detract from the overall experience.
  • Character development is minimal, leaving players feeling disconnected from the protagonist and other characters in the story.
  • story
    8,563 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "The Evil Within" is a complex and often convoluted narrative that unfolds through a mix of gameplay and collectible lore, leaving many players initially confused. While some appreciate its psychological depth and the way it challenges players to piece together the plot, others criticize it for being disjointed and requiring the DLCs to fully understand the narrative. Overall, the story is engaging for those willing to invest the time to explore its layers, but it may frustrate players seeking a straightforward experience.

    • “The story is surreal and layered, offering a mix of psychological horror and grotesque imagery that keeps you invested.”
    • “The story unfolds in a way that keeps you guessing and wanting to see what happens next.”
    • “The evil within is praised for its immersive horror, challenging gameplay, and complex story, making it a favorite for fans of survival horror games looking for a terrifying and engaging experience.”
    • “I don't like the story or the way it's paced/constructed at all.”
    • “The main story was so boring I didn’t bother much with audio logs or documents (I generally don’t care much about them in games).”
    • “The story is a convoluted mess but it does make some sense at the end.”
  • gameplay
    5,298 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "The Evil Within" has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its blend of survival horror and action elements reminiscent of the Resident Evil series. While some enjoy the challenging resource management and strategic combat, others criticize the clunky controls, frustrating mechanics, and frequent one-hit kill scenarios that can lead to trial-and-error gameplay. Overall, the game offers a tense atmosphere and engaging moments, but its execution can be inconsistent, leaving some players feeling frustrated rather than immersed.

    • “Yet, I found myself enjoying the gameplay and combat so much that this has been one of my greatest experiences with a survival horror game.”
    • “The evil within is a masterclass in survival horror, blending psychological terror, grotesque imagery, and intense gameplay into one of the most nerve-wracking experiences in modern gaming.”
    • “The gameplay is a perfect blend of survival horror and action.”
    • “Easily one of the worst survival horror games I have ever played, with clunky, jank controls, terrible game mechanic design choices, a terrible PC port, and just generally boring gameplay, stuffed with one-shot enemies and very limited resources to cover how awful it is.”
    • “Insta-kill spots, bad gun gameplay, painful leveling system, painfully slow spots that make replaying a dredge, things that don't work, locking you in animations that are stupidly long and forcing you to get hit or even die and so many spots in the game that force you to slow down to a crawl killing all momentum is atrocious.”
    • “The gameplay is a mixture of shooting, stealth and puzzle solving.”
  • graphics
    2,825 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "The Evil Within" have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while the game features impressive visuals and a strong aesthetic that enhances its horror elements, it also suffers from technical issues such as poor optimization, limited graphical settings, and occasional graphical glitches. Some players appreciate the game's dark and gritty art style, which aligns well with its themes, while others criticize the dated graphics and lack of support for modern resolutions and aspect ratios. Overall, the visuals are seen as a highlight for some, but a source of frustration for others, particularly on PC.

    • “The graphics have aged particularly well.”
    • “But even 8 years later, despite other games like Metro implementing similar visuals... I gotta say, even playing this very late in 2025, these special effects never fail to amaze me.”
    • “The gameplay, level design, scares, and overall visuals are amazing, and some of the most fun I have seen.”
    • “Horrible visuals that made me feel drunk.”
    • “The graphics for 2014 are bad and some kind of ugly filter that makes the colors distorted, orange, yellow and faded with high lighting, which is not removed by lowering the brightness.”
    • “The graphics have not aged well (resolution looks really bad even on the highest settings), 60fps cap, the UI and HUD are really glitchy, the controls feel extremely sluggish, and the letterbox (even when disabled) style video format is hard to look at.”
  • atmosphere
    2,150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "The Evil Within" is widely praised for its intense, immersive quality, effectively creating a sense of dread and tension throughout the game. Players appreciate the game's dark, gritty environments, detailed sound design, and the way it evokes classic survival horror elements reminiscent of titles like "Resident Evil" and "Silent Hill." Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics and story coherence, the overall atmospheric experience is considered one of the game's strongest assets, often leaving players feeling on edge and fully engaged in its nightmarish world.

    • “Much of this tension is thanks to the game's striking use of atmosphere, so gloomy and impactful it often borders on suffocating but it's also a testament to an action-heavy combat system whose scant ammunition and immediate threat of death is just as demanding as it is satisfying.”
    • “Whether it has you exploring a derelict hospital ward splattered with blood and overturned wheelchairs, a ravaged urban center where aquatic monsters patrol its flooded streets, or even that most weathered of survival horror settings, the creepy mansion, The Evil Within transports you through a diverse assortment of places with one theme tying them all together: an absolutely terrifying sense of atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere is the game’s strongest asset.”
    • “Always trying to scare but had me yawning, frustrated and laughing at its cliches and complete lack of understanding to create atmosphere, dread or tension.”
    • “The atmosphere dies and the boss fights rely on very gimmicky mechanics.”
    • “The game isn't scary, its scarcity of ammunition is to the point where you're better off just running past all enemies, the camera control is bulky, the atmosphere is not creepy (simply covering a wall in blood does not make a game scary), and lots of other nuances that make this game look stupid compared to others in the genre.”
  • optimization
    976 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including low frame rates, stuttering, and crashes, particularly on PC. While some users noted improvements after patches, the game is still considered poorly optimized, especially for modern hardware, leading to a frustrating experience for many. Overall, the consensus is that despite its potential, the game's technical shortcomings significantly detract from its enjoyment.

    • “I must say that the optimization is surprisingly good, especially considering it's a Bethesda game.”
    • “Performance-wise, it runs locked at 100fps for most parts, with only a few fps drops.”
    • “The optimization is great, it never gone down less than 50 fps on high setting for my PC.”
    • “Shit optimization, 2014 game can't have over 100 fps on 7900x+6600xt at 1080p.”
    • “The frame rate is terrible and the performance is choppy at best.”
    • “This game is optimized to absolute dog shit and I wasted my money.”
  • music
    698 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for enhancing the atmosphere and tension, with many reviewers highlighting its ability to evoke feelings of dread and anxiety during gameplay. While some tracks, like the iconic "Clair de Lune" played in safe rooms, are particularly memorable, others are described as generic or forgettable. Overall, the soundtrack effectively complements the horror elements, contributing significantly to the immersive experience, though opinions vary on its originality and memorability.

    • “The grotesque enemy designs and haunting soundtrack amplify the sense of dread, keeping you on edge throughout.”
    • “The soundtrack helps immerse yourself in the game world, evoking a sense of danger and anxiety.”
    • “The sound design is impeccable, with eerie whispers, blood-curdling screams, and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that enhances the overall sense of dread.”
    • “The music has that generic horror sound and is not memorable, and the enemies just don’t sound all that scary (besides some bosses).”
    • “There is just so much wrong with this from the plot, the level design, the lack of good creepy music, enemies, and again level design was just really bad and I have played every major horror game in the last 15 years, this game is the worst.”
    • “The soundtrack leaves a lot to be desired, sadly, with many of the chapters making use of the same background music, or on occasion none at all, which doesn't necessarily make sense and it just missing.”
  • stability
    392 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous players reporting significant bugs, glitches, and crashes that hinder gameplay. Many users experienced game-breaking issues, particularly in later chapters, and noted that troubleshooting was often necessary to get the game to function properly. While some players managed to enjoy the game despite these problems, the overall consensus is that its technical issues detract heavily from the experience.

    • “The game itself runs great and has very little performance problems.”
    • “Game runs great (don't listen to comments about bad optimization), has various enemies, weapons, lasts long enough and offers you very much in general.”
    • “Performance wise this game runs great for me with everything maxed out (I have a GTX 980 SC--i7 5930K 6 core @3.6) but I'm sure it will run great with lower specs than that, I was getting an average frame rate of 100fps.”
    • “Tried so hard to like this game, this was my second attempt at a playthrough but it's just way too buggy.”
    • “Technical problems and game-breaking glitches—chapter 9 almost made me quit.”
    • “This game is a buggy, horrible mess of a game.”
  • replayability
    288 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is generally regarded as high, with many players appreciating the New Game+ feature, multiple difficulty levels, and the opportunity to unlock various collectibles and upgrades. However, some reviews note that the replay value can diminish after the initial playthrough, particularly for those who do not find the additional challenges or collectibles compelling. Overall, while the game offers significant replay potential, individual experiences may vary based on player preferences and engagement with the content.

    • “As far as the game goes, this is definitely a classic and has a lot of replay value since you can upgrade all your weapons and abilities, which is a lot of fun on New Game +.”
    • “But even after completing the main story, the game offers additional game modes and unlockable extras, greatly increasing the replay value.”
    • “The game is a pleasure to play through as you unravel its mysteries and climb out of insanity along with Sebastian, and it offers New Game + with increased difficulties and new weapons in order to provide some increased replay value.”
    • “There’s not much replayability here besides achievements and collectibles.”
    • “Since the replay value is not that great, most players will not replay the game anytime afterwards, and might have wanted a greater challenge in their run while the content was still fresh and meaningful.”
    • “This game is fairly scary and equally fun with a pretty interesting story but had no replay value after beating it for me since it no longer was scary after beating it once.”
  • grinding
    260 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for its tediousness, with many players expressing frustration over the need to repeatedly navigate long sections after dying, often due to unfair mechanics like one-hit kills. The gameplay is described as slow and monotonous, with a lack of engaging story elements to offset the grind, leading to a frustrating experience that detracts from overall enjoyment. While some acknowledge moments of tension and challenge, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game becomes a tedious slog, requiring excessive repetition and patience.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “This game will heavily punish you if you don't tediously scavenge for loot.”
    • “Having to repeat long sections of levels after dying is tedious and several enemies can one-hit kill you.”
    • “Game is tedious and frustrating -> so many instant death situations, unfair waves of zombies with dumb companion AI who die quickly, a lot of unnecessary walking, frustrating traps everywhere, extremely limited stamina.”
    • “The gameplay overall is good, but there's just so much tedious stuff, specifically after you've just been executed for the tenth time, that it makes the rest not worth it.”
  • humor
    174 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is often unintentional, with players finding amusement in its absurdities, such as buggy mechanics, clichéd dialogue, and the ridiculousness of certain enemy designs. While some moments are genuinely funny, many reviewers noted that the humor stems from the game's flaws rather than intentional comedic writing, leading to a mix of frustration and laughter. Overall, the game is described as a blend of horror and humor, with players frequently laughing at its inconsistencies and over-the-top scenarios.

    • “A doctor and his crazy patient - now that's a funny duo you'll meet occasionally.”
    • “The game also has a great sense of humor, with ridiculous boss fights that will have you laughing as you desperately try to stay alive.”
    • “The team didn't create character models for brief flashback scenes, so they reused ones they already had at hand; they didn't even bother trying to make them younger, it's hilarious.”
  • character development
    160 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a lack of depth and engagement, particularly for the protagonist, Sebastian. While some characters, especially antagonists like Ruvik, exhibit more substantial development, the overall narrative is criticized for being disjointed and failing to provide meaningful backstories or emotional connections. Despite the impressive character designs and atmospheric visuals, many reviewers feel that the character development is either minimal or poorly executed, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “Every single character has a lot of attention put to them, to the character design, and facial animations as well.”
    • “Character development is freaking great, though - I always wanted to know more about Sebastian and the characters he's associated with.”
    • “They actually get some decent character development in the story and you start to understand why Ruvik is doing the things he is.”
    • “The storyline has almost zero character development, and we never learned anything about Sebastian's wife, why she died (or if she died) and what her contribution to the game's storyline was.”
    • “The character development just wasn't there, as I didn't give a hoot if my ally died or not.”
    • “There is no character development and no relation to them whatsoever.”
  • emotional
    116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game elicits a wide range of responses, from feelings of tension and unease to moments of genuine heartbreak, particularly through its psychological horror narrative and character arcs. While some players appreciate the depth and emotional weight of the story, others criticize the lack of emotional connection to characters and inconsistent storytelling. Overall, the game is described as an emotionally draining experience that can leave players feeling both satisfied and unsettled.

    • “One of the most mind-twisting games with a bloody, yet heart-touching story.”
    • “It's a heart-pounding, mind-bending, and utterly unforgettable experience that will leave you emotionally drained and thoroughly satisfied.”
    • “The story made me so emotional because of how beautifully it was told.”
    • “Terrible writing, bland characters, boring story, boring gameplay, it tries too hard to be spooky... the list just goes on, and the player count doesn't lie.”
    • “Clumsy controls (even with a controller), boring story, lifeless characters, over-the-top setting that ends up being comical rather than scary, bad stealth, and simply not fun.”
    • “No shocked moments, and pretty boring story.”
  • monetization
    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, particularly regarding its DLCs, which users describe as horrendous. While there are no microtransactions, the game's misleading advertising and perceived lack of value have led to disappointment among players, who feel that the game was designed primarily for profit rather than quality. Overall, the monetization approach has negatively impacted the game's reception, with many players seeking refunds.

    • “No microtransactions.”
    • “Ammo is at a huge premium thus far, so being accurate with it was not just advertising hype; it's very precious.”
    • “No microtransactions.”
    • “Oh and all the DLCs are horrendous cash grabs.”
    • “I will see how well Steam is about giving refunds because this game is just a blatant cash grab.”
    • “The Evil Within is clearly a console game that was ported to PC as a cash grab.”
Skip Critic Reviews

71%Critics’ scoreBased on 35 critic reviews
Skip Game Offers

Buy The Evil Within

11h Median play time
16h Average play time
15h Main story
39h Completionist
4-21h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 103 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like The Evil Within

Games Like The Evil Within

The Evil Within 2 Image
This game contains adult content
87%17.3kreviews

The Evil Within 2

2017Survival Role Playing Shooter
Xbox Series X|SPCGog Com+9
Dead Space Image
This game contains adult content
89%22.4kreviews

Dead Space

2009Survival Shooter
Playstation 3Xbox 360Android+14
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard Image
This game contains adult content
89%44.8kreviews

Resident Evil 7 Biohazard

2017Survival Shooter
Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPC+7

The Callisto Protocol

The Callisto Protocol

Action
Alan Wake ImageAlan Wake ImageAlan Wake Image
88%18.5kreviews

Alan Wake

2012Survival Shooter
Xbox 360Xbox Series X|SPC+7
Skip Game News