The Evil Within is one of the more surprising packages of the year.
Despite graphics that aren't the best and a main character that is about as engrossing as sawdust, a challenging and strategic game lies beneath.
I took around 16 hours to complete the game on normal difficulty, during which time I had been ruthlessly dispatched of by my enemies 85 times. But instead of becoming disheartened at the regularity that I was disposed of, it made me all the more determined to get past whichever part of the game I was stuck on.
This game, simply put is a challenge, even to the most capable of gamers. With a select amount of ammunition to be found through each of the fifteen chapters, effective use of your surroundings and the ability to pull off head shots become vital components of survival.
Boss battles are varied, tense affairs that will continually keep you on your toes, and the variety of enemies that you face throughout the game is decent.
I found the difficulty fluctuated slightly, with the middle part of the game decidedly more straight forward than the beginning, before upping the ante again suddenly as I encountered the latter chapters.
Whether or not you like this game will be dependent on what you enjoy about the gaming experience. If you are looking for cutting edge graphics and an engrossing storyline, then you may be best advised to look elsewhere. But for gaming purists who are looking for a challenging environment and good combat, you could do a lot worse than this offing.
Having completed the game on normal difficulty I would certainly be inclined to try on a higher difficulty, giving it decent replay value in my opinion.
Not what I would consider a game of the year contender by any stretch but a thoroughly enjoyable experience for fans of the genre.