The Evil Within (also known as PsychoBreak in Japan) is an upcoming survival horror titles that’s currently being developed by Tango Gameworks and published by Bethesda Softworks. While we are yet to get hold of more solid details about the game, we have listed down the ones we already know.
The game is set around Detective Sebastian and his partner who set off to the scene of a gruesome mass murder. However, what they don’t know is that this is more than a simple murder and has more mysterious and powerful forces in play.
Sebastian later witnesses the killing of fellow police officers one after another, and is himself attacked by the force before he loses consciousness. When he wakes up, he finds himself in a strange land filled with monsters that are roaming everywhere. Sebastian now has to fight his way through this world filled with countless horrors while also dealing with his friend’s strange madness in order to understand what’s really going on. The only way for him to survive this world is to journey forward and try and fight this mysterious force.
While in Development, The Evil Within was originally known as Project Zwei and came into being after Tango Gameworks was purchased by ZeniMax Studios. The game has been powered by the advanced id Tech 5 Engine from id Software, the same that’s currently being used for Wolfenstein: The New Order.
Shinji Mikami, known earlier for the Resident Evil franchise and now for handling the developmental responsibilities for The Evil Within, not long ago, was in an interview with 4Gamer where he discussed about the development details of the new game.
Mikami stated that the game “is about surviving in a world full of psychos and the goal is to break through such a world,” and accordingly the original Japanese title being called PsychoBreak.
“Actually, the genre wasn’t survival horror to begin with, but due to circumstances, it changed entirely after going through various planning phases. Ever since becoming part of ZeniMax, we’ve had several meetings with staff members, where the words ‘I want to make a survival horror game’ were repeatedly heard. I believe that the enthusiasm shared by the staff is one of the main reasons we’ve decided to go with the genre,” he said.
“Survival horror games as of late consist of many action-focused games. I’d like to make a game that can bring the focus back to the horror aspect of the genre. With those feelings in mind, we were able to shape up what we have today.”
He also went on to mention that the game could be scary enough for the player to make him stop playing it even further. Reportedly, Mikami has also confirmed that The Evil Within will be the last title that he will work on as a director.
As far as the gameplay is concerned, The Evil Within is set to redefine the entire horror genre. Unlike others in the same genre, The Evil Within won’t provide you with innumerable amounts of guns and ammo (something that we have become used to), and everything will depend on the players capability to understand his resources well. Even if guns are to be used, the players need to make sure that the shots they take are calculated and precise so as not to waste more than needed. Apparently, there is also the option to set traps.
To add more to that horror quotient, the developers are also making sure that the in-game world with shift and restructure per its own wishes. What this means is that inanimate objects such as walls, doors, rooms, and others will keep transforming to make life a living nightmare for the player (basically, now you see it, now you don’t).
Also it’s important to mention that the game will feature some uncensored and explicit blood and gore with mutilated bodies everywhere the players look. To be more precise, it’s not simply just a horror game but also deals a lot with human psychology.
The Evil Within is currently set for a 2014 release on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One and PC.
