Sanctuary
Member
Chapter 10 might have been my favourite.
Worst chapter
boss
sprint upgrades.
Upgrade harpoon all the way. You can thank me later.
It kind of does both.
-
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Shinji Mikami's THE EVIL WITHIN |OT| Where's everyone going? Tango?
- Thread starter Nemesis_
- Start date
Worst chapter
Upgrade harpoon all the way. You can thank me later.
It kind of does both.
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
I maxed out sprint early. I highly recommend it.
ugh_the_boot
Banned
Hey, yea I thought about adding spolier tags but didn't really notice anything in my post that other people haven't already mentioned and almost everything posted is within first hour or so of gameplay.
Might just add tags for the upgrades i've got maybe...
Thanks and sorry if I spoiled anything for ya.
SargerusBR
I love Pokken!
So there are any differences between Nightmare and Survival or should i just start replaying this at AKUMU?
I really love how the asylum made me feel uneasy despite being safe....The game never lets up atmospherically.
not really...I just thought it was similar to the nexus because it was a safe haven where you level up and discover shit.
Just finished episode 3, this game is so awesome, don't undertand how a survival horror fan can't be happy with it, it's excatly what I've wanted.
Yes it doesnt have the polish and the budget of the old days, Mikami is not under Capcom's glory days with the best technology and a big budget, he has to do with a smaller budget and a crappy engine and yet he prove again that he knows survival horror, this is a must have for anyone who is into this genre.
Really hope it is doing well sales wise, I see lots of people streaming it on PS4, it's a good sign right?
Yes it doesnt have the polish and the budget of the old days, Mikami is not under Capcom's glory days with the best technology and a big budget, he has to do with a smaller budget and a crappy engine and yet he prove again that he knows survival horror, this is a must have for anyone who is into this genre.
Really hope it is doing well sales wise, I see lots of people streaming it on PS4, it's a good sign right?
TheSadRanger
Banned
Just got to chapter 6 on nightmare, so far so good. Had a few deaths on the chapter 5 boss but all is good.
Nothing has been as hard as chapter 2 yet on nightmare. That was brutal -_-
Nothing has been as hard as chapter 2 yet on nightmare. That was brutal -_-
focusing on sprint and physical abilties primarily.
I did a few on the shotgun..Just to make each shot matter a bit more against tough enemies.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
Yes. I had a nightmare slightly like this as a child.
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
Get matches to at least 10. Get your sprint maxed, if possible. Flash bolts to at least 10 seconds. Upgrade your syringe recovery amount.
The harpoon is great when maxed, but the last upgrade is very expensive.
Otherwise, definitely upgrade your shotgun stock and handgun ammo stock at some point. They're cheap. I also thought upgrading the handgun accuracy and crit chance was cheap and effective.
NoirVisage
Banned
I say sprint, and the pistol crits are must upgrades, a 50% chance to kill an enemy outright with a single headshot is beautiful in this game, accuracy to get rid of the shakes helps too..melee..i wouldn't waste points in, i maxed it and still have trouble downing regular haunted in less than 4 punches in chapter 2 in my repeat playthrough -__-
Sanctuary
Member
You can select any chapter in NG+
Not sure if the consoles have this option, but auto aim is only available on Casual when playing on the PC. I'm sure it kind of makes a big difference when going for head shots. The accuracy upgrade is barely noticeable for the cost too. Probably wouldn't have any issues with headshots using a mouse, but I'm playing on the couch.
Onlythisfar41
Neo Member
Just finished chapter 7 and beat
Overall I am absolutely loving everything about this game. The atmosphere is amazing with many tense moments littered throughout. I love that the game has set my expectations of constant danger high enough that Ive actually been startled by my own shadow a few times thinking it was an enemy coming up on me.
Edit: Also playing on survival or survivor whatever it is called. Wish there was the highest setting available initially as I always play games as hard as they go even right from the beginning but Im still liking the challenge. Cant wait to beat the game and ramp up that difficulty and give it a go again.
good old Mr. Box Head. That was an awesome encounter because you take him out pretty quick the first time and I was like, wow that wasn't too bad. Then you're turning the valve in the next room and he pops up out of the ground and you realize, oh shit Im in trouble. Awesome game so far.
Overall I am absolutely loving everything about this game. The atmosphere is amazing with many tense moments littered throughout. I love that the game has set my expectations of constant danger high enough that Ive actually been startled by my own shadow a few times thinking it was an enemy coming up on me.
Edit: Also playing on survival or survivor whatever it is called. Wish there was the highest setting available initially as I always play games as hard as they go even right from the beginning but Im still liking the challenge. Cant wait to beat the game and ramp up that difficulty and give it a go again.
Finally done with the game. Here are my thoughts.
The Evil Within has a lot of small issues that I mentioned already before. It really baffles my mind that third-person shooter problems that have already been solved in one way or another throughout the past generation are still present here. Geometry collision is straight up amateurish at times; the game doesn't always recognize if you want to jump over or on certain objects. Invisible walls are not only badly placed but also immersion-breaking. Not being able to move through certain kind of plants is almost offending; I mean, this shit is just a big no-no in this day and age.
Then there is stuff like animations not being constantly context-sensitive. I don't know who is responsible for making Sebastian punch a wooden box that is to his feet but it looks dumb. The stomp animation isn't being used more often which would have helped. Enemy A.I. can be creepy - but only if it works. The funny thing is that most of the higher-ranked enemies are much smarter than the normal haunted ones when it comes to actually trying to kill the player when he is 10 steps away from you. Picking up items can be a real chore since you need to wait for the pick-up icon to pop up. Why can't I just stand in the item's radius and press A to pick it up? Another thing that gave me headaches is hit detection. I am by no means on the same level as professional eSport gamers when it comes to aiming in the third-person realm, but I think I am good enough to deal with most games and their shooting mechanics. The hit detection is incredibly strict which can be very frustrating at times, especially when you have no ammo left. I don't think it's acceptable if a enemy stands right in front of you and your shotgun misses. And don't get me started on that damn melee attack.
That being said, none of this did really hurt my enjoyment of playing through the game. I think when The Evil Within is at its best, it almost rivals Resident Evil 4. Now, don't jump on me: no, The Evil Within is not as revolutionary as RE4 and won't have the nearly same impact, but there were moments during the game and various elements that not only matched what RE4 did but sometimes even surpassed it. While TEW fails at creating exciting high tension gameplay right at the beginning - and I say that as someone who thought the first two chapters were alright - it picks up after the first few hours and becomes something special. Whatever happens from chapter three on is something neither Capcom nor Visceral Games didn't manage to replicate since the genre was redefined.
Mikami's style is clearly visible and TEW shows that in terms of encounter design this dude fucking knows his shit. I love how the game manages to surprise you with difficult enemies at unexpected locations; how it takes you from one area to a completely different one in a seamless transition that you just can't expect. They really nailed the feeling of not being in control of what the fuck is happening around you, and to me it felt very terrifying at times. Especially the stalker enemies who are fast as hell boosted my blood pressure to unknown levels since most of these will kill you with just one hit. To me, the pacing gets better from chapter three on and the game reaches unbelievable heights until chapter 10 and then it drops and normalizes itself. Not quite as perfect as RE4, but I can't remember the last time a game made me want to play more than just 1-2 hours. But I love it. In one moment you shoot masked, dynamite-throwing psychos and in the other you try to escape from a creepy, grotesque human blood-spider.. and then the level collapses and something new happens and you have to escape even further. I really had a blast.
The presentation overall is good. Best thing about it is the sound design; they really created something magnificent. A lot of disturbing and disgusting sound effects that add a lot to the tension and atmosphere. Visually, the game is hit and miss. Lighting can be spectacular, the gore is among the bloodiest and severe representations of violence in video games and there are lots of creative visual effects that are not only quite unique to this game but also fit the narrative where perception plays a huge part. Character models are fantastic and the game can look outstanding at times. But then there are moments where textures pop-up or when textures don't look good enough. Even the gore I just praised has some issues, namely when limbs get cut off and the blood spills.. that blood doesn't even look like liquid. But man, I would never go so far like other posters and claim that this looks like an early Xbox 360 game - go visit an eye doctor.
Maybe the best visual feature is the art design; monsters not only look malice as hell, but each and every one has actually a purpose and explanation for their existence which matches their design (when you beat the game,
). It doesn't happen very often that enemy design and narrative go hand in hand like that. Set pieces can look stunning at times and offer a great variety. A lot of horror designs and ideas are in here and switch between physical and psychological violence. The game itself tends to focus on putting pressure on players by letting them experience high-tension situations which make them question their abilities which to me is a huge part of survival horror even though purists and idiots who spend too much time on terminology don't want to accept this. Horror elements paired with moments that force you to make use of what the world gives you: that is survival horror, and survival horror doesn't always need to be combing herbs in clunky menus and sprinting through various pre-rendered backgrounds with a control set that was copy and pasted from world war two games.
So yeah, all in all I think the game is good. If I had to give this a score, it would be between a 7-8/10. A lot of elements feel outdated, such as the saving system or the game being split up in chapters, but this doesn't hinder the qualities of it. I mean, we have to see the game for what it is: a new IP by a new developer with a veteran on top working with a foreign company and foreign toolsets and creating a product for five different platforms, two of which came out almost a decade ago. A game like TEW being realized in such a weird engine like id Tech 5 is an achievement that the team can be proud of I think. They didn't reinvent the wheel but delivered a solid product that needed some more time in the oven.
I hope they get the opportunity to work on a sequel (and use different tools) and then realize a more consistent experience. The engine and being cross-gen were two factors that held this game back and I think if they get another shot they will deliver something great.
The Evil Within has a lot of small issues that I mentioned already before. It really baffles my mind that third-person shooter problems that have already been solved in one way or another throughout the past generation are still present here. Geometry collision is straight up amateurish at times; the game doesn't always recognize if you want to jump over or on certain objects. Invisible walls are not only badly placed but also immersion-breaking. Not being able to move through certain kind of plants is almost offending; I mean, this shit is just a big no-no in this day and age.
Then there is stuff like animations not being constantly context-sensitive. I don't know who is responsible for making Sebastian punch a wooden box that is to his feet but it looks dumb. The stomp animation isn't being used more often which would have helped. Enemy A.I. can be creepy - but only if it works. The funny thing is that most of the higher-ranked enemies are much smarter than the normal haunted ones when it comes to actually trying to kill the player when he is 10 steps away from you. Picking up items can be a real chore since you need to wait for the pick-up icon to pop up. Why can't I just stand in the item's radius and press A to pick it up? Another thing that gave me headaches is hit detection. I am by no means on the same level as professional eSport gamers when it comes to aiming in the third-person realm, but I think I am good enough to deal with most games and their shooting mechanics. The hit detection is incredibly strict which can be very frustrating at times, especially when you have no ammo left. I don't think it's acceptable if a enemy stands right in front of you and your shotgun misses. And don't get me started on that damn melee attack.
That being said, none of this did really hurt my enjoyment of playing through the game. I think when The Evil Within is at its best, it almost rivals Resident Evil 4. Now, don't jump on me: no, The Evil Within is not as revolutionary as RE4 and won't have the nearly same impact, but there were moments during the game and various elements that not only matched what RE4 did but sometimes even surpassed it. While TEW fails at creating exciting high tension gameplay right at the beginning - and I say that as someone who thought the first two chapters were alright - it picks up after the first few hours and becomes something special. Whatever happens from chapter three on is something neither Capcom nor Visceral Games didn't manage to replicate since the genre was redefined.
Mikami's style is clearly visible and TEW shows that in terms of encounter design this dude fucking knows his shit. I love how the game manages to surprise you with difficult enemies at unexpected locations; how it takes you from one area to a completely different one in a seamless transition that you just can't expect. They really nailed the feeling of not being in control of what the fuck is happening around you, and to me it felt very terrifying at times. Especially the stalker enemies who are fast as hell boosted my blood pressure to unknown levels since most of these will kill you with just one hit. To me, the pacing gets better from chapter three on and the game reaches unbelievable heights until chapter 10 and then it drops and normalizes itself. Not quite as perfect as RE4, but I can't remember the last time a game made me want to play more than just 1-2 hours. But I love it. In one moment you shoot masked, dynamite-throwing psychos and in the other you try to escape from a creepy, grotesque human blood-spider.. and then the level collapses and something new happens and you have to escape even further. I really had a blast.
The presentation overall is good. Best thing about it is the sound design; they really created something magnificent. A lot of disturbing and disgusting sound effects that add a lot to the tension and atmosphere. Visually, the game is hit and miss. Lighting can be spectacular, the gore is among the bloodiest and severe representations of violence in video games and there are lots of creative visual effects that are not only quite unique to this game but also fit the narrative where perception plays a huge part. Character models are fantastic and the game can look outstanding at times. But then there are moments where textures pop-up or when textures don't look good enough. Even the gore I just praised has some issues, namely when limbs get cut off and the blood spills.. that blood doesn't even look like liquid. But man, I would never go so far like other posters and claim that this looks like an early Xbox 360 game - go visit an eye doctor.
Maybe the best visual feature is the art design; monsters not only look malice as hell, but each and every one has actually a purpose and explanation for their existence which matches their design (when you beat the game,
you unlock a model viewer which let's you read up some stuff on it
So yeah, all in all I think the game is good. If I had to give this a score, it would be between a 7-8/10. A lot of elements feel outdated, such as the saving system or the game being split up in chapters, but this doesn't hinder the qualities of it. I mean, we have to see the game for what it is: a new IP by a new developer with a veteran on top working with a foreign company and foreign toolsets and creating a product for five different platforms, two of which came out almost a decade ago. A game like TEW being realized in such a weird engine like id Tech 5 is an achievement that the team can be proud of I think. They didn't reinvent the wheel but delivered a solid product that needed some more time in the oven.
I hope they get the opportunity to work on a sequel (and use different tools) and then realize a more consistent experience. The engine and being cross-gen were two factors that held this game back and I think if they get another shot they will deliver something great.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
health has been quite useful.
ugh_the_boot
Banned
I'm doing up crits on my handgun and stock carrying capacity. I love having more than enough supplies so when shit hits the fan I can unload my stocked arsenal. It's gotten me out of trouble in so many games in the past this method (I panic under pressure a bit lol so I need the safety net).
TheSadRanger
Banned
There's more enemies and they are much more aggressive. As some of the people playing AKUMU have noted
fake Ruvik is also running around early in the game as well, ran into him in ch.3 and another chapter, forgot if it's 4 or 5.
I'm only on ch.6 on nightmare though so if I see anything different later on I'll post about it.
Lucent
Member
So it's sounding like Nightmare is just like Akumu in about every way, with the only difference being that Akumu has
1-hit kills.
EDIT: I really wish they had let us play Nightmare from the start.
NoirVisage
Banned
yeah I'm a filthy casual, I thought the gun sway worked the same on all difficulties, it definitely made a difference when i got 4 upgrades to it, trying to shoot haunted was a battle with Seb's drunk vision and their mad movements.
Thass what I been sayin!
WheelHoss1
Member
Everything. But Dead Space scared the crap out of me, too.
I don't know what it is. Scary movies don't scare me anymore, and I miss that. But scary video games. . . . There's just something about having to keep going on your own. When I'm watching a scary movie, I can just sit there and watch the action. But with a game, I have to actively participate with the dread. It works on me.
ZombiU scared the crap out of me. But Resident Evil 4 didn't. Part of it is not feeling powerful, which may change when I get more weapons. But everything they're doing in this game is working on me, especially on a visual level. It looks as good as any PS4 game to me on most technical levels, and that makes it super immersive. Definitely a contender for GotY for me, so far.
grandwizard
Member
Seeing a lot of reactions to this game around the web is really confirming something I suspected for the last few years which is that people don't actually want what they have been clamoring for. Every time a new Resident Evil would hit there would be a wave of complaints about too much action and too overpowered characters etc, but now here we are and I keep reading about people getting frustrated that they have not enough ammo to kill everyone or the character control is clumsy. TEW is depowering game after an entire generation of games that claimed to be 'survival horror' but are really just empowering third person shooters, and now that it's out the reality is that a lot of people do not actually want that.
It's like the only sides of the spectrum that are accepted is completely vulnerable, hiding and stealth side like Amnesia, Outlast, PT,etc, and the complete opposite end into action. TEW hits what I believe Mikami was talking about in all those interviews, not trying to be either and fall in the middle. You are MUCH more vulnerable than your standard action game, and have less resources in this game than any game has dared to give you in the past generation, but you can still fight. Sometimes it's better to run, but fighting is made that much more intense because of how vulnerable you are and how limited your resources are.
Perhaps it's just been too long since one of these that people forgot what it was like.
It's like the only sides of the spectrum that are accepted is completely vulnerable, hiding and stealth side like Amnesia, Outlast, PT,etc, and the complete opposite end into action. TEW hits what I believe Mikami was talking about in all those interviews, not trying to be either and fall in the middle. You are MUCH more vulnerable than your standard action game, and have less resources in this game than any game has dared to give you in the past generation, but you can still fight. Sometimes it's better to run, but fighting is made that much more intense because of how vulnerable you are and how limited your resources are.
Perhaps it's just been too long since one of these that people forgot what it was like.
family_guy
Member
I guess since I'm playing Alien Isolation in parallel this game's sound just doesn't do it for me but maybe I need to get farther in. I don't like the enemy sounds that I've encountered up through Chapter 4. They sound like they were lifted from RE4 but maybe not even as good as that. The constant grunts are annoying to hear after awhile.
WheelHoss1
Member
I agree, and it is precisely this balance that makes games like this, ZombiU, and I'd even say Dark Souls so fun. At times, you have to be super-conservative, bait out 1 enemy at a time, run and hide, etc. Then, there are times when you are a complete badass. I'd rather have this type of game then a game where you just mow shit down like Gears of War any day, but that's just me.
I don't think the sound is that great either, especially from a positional standpoint. I use the Pulse Elites and it's impossible to track enemies accurately with sound. I experimented with the chainsaw guys. He was standing in right front of me and I moved slightly in a couple directions and it would make the sound position seem like it was originating from behind Sebastian, far off to the side.
Sanctuary
Member
Health is probably the least useful upgrade though.
1. When you die, you start at a fixed amount anyway.
2. Syringes still only return a fixed amount, so upgrading the syringe a few times makes more sense than health since full health packs are pretty rare.
3. Akumu
Lucent
Member
lol that's where upgrading health would be like throwing green gel away.
NoirVisage
Banned
ha ha wow..okay..
I enjoyed the sounds, I didn't listen through a headset, but I enjoyed the ambient noises and relished the telltale noises and sounds of torment coming from the haunted.
So im having a real hard time with this game. Posted it earlier so some may know my issues but anyways heres my question.
Just finished chapter 3. I can only tolerate 20-30 minutes at a time of the game. I started it at the normal difficulty, and I die, a lot.
Thinking of lowering it down to casual on chpt 4(that's possible right?) so my real question is how much easier is casual? Is it less enemies (dont like that, hope theres the same amount), more green gel, more ammo?
I guess i could stay on normal, but being able to only play it for such short periods kind of ruins the experience when you keep failing.
Just finished chapter 3. I can only tolerate 20-30 minutes at a time of the game. I started it at the normal difficulty, and I die, a lot.
Thinking of lowering it down to casual on chpt 4(that's possible right?) so my real question is how much easier is casual? Is it less enemies (dont like that, hope theres the same amount), more green gel, more ammo?
I guess i could stay on normal, but being able to only play it for such short periods kind of ruins the experience when you keep failing.
Death Metalist
Member
LOL.
For me the crow was just flying in circles while grabbing onto the statue, I blasted the fuck out of both with my shotgun.
SlasherJPC
Banned
I thought I got that one before "it" ever came out. Def not during the sequence.
Lucent
Member
As soon as
she spawned, I ran back to where I was past the oil and lit it on fire. She ran into it and ran away. Then I opened the locker and the crow flew in circles and I just shot it down and broke the statue with a melee after. All I did. The crow stayed in the room.
EDIT: Here's a recording of what the crow was doing with me.
Oh, wow, I didn't even need to ask. All I had to do was move a few steps from where I had it paused and
the oil slick automatically caught on fire from the sparking live wires next to it, scaring her away. That was easy.
Baldwin_the_First
Member
I freaked out last night because there was a statue floating around the ground and coming my way. Turns out, it was a statue stuck to a rats back. Took a screenshot and went on my way.
You're telling me there's a reason for those statues?
You're telling me there's a reason for those statues?
Death Metalist
Member
Yup. You break them and they drop keys that are explained when you go back to the
save hub, by the nurse.
Sanctuary
Member
Something some people tend to forget it seems is that these "virtual" headsets, or sound cards using Dolby Headphone (or a similar tech) are not able to replicate exact positional audio that you would hear through a 5.1+ stereo setup. It's an approximation. I've heard instances like described above through my own headphones that sounded correct through a stereo.
If you really want flawless positional audio through headphones, you need a rasterizer, and those cost a fortune.
hey_it's_that_dog
benevolent sexism
Although it makes an interesting narrative to claim the very same people who complained about one thing are now complaining about the opposite, you have no evidence for that. Some people in this thread like being low on ammo and underpowered, some don't. What makes you think either of those groups wanted the opposite at a previous point in time? You can say "people said..." until the cows come home but "people" have a whole lot of different opinions. It's a hivemind fallacy to say people wanted one thing now they want another unless you have tracked the opinions of specific individuals and shown that they are self-contradictory.
Onlythisfar41
Neo Member
I have my pistol upgraded more than any other weapon but Ive spread my upgrades through a bit of health, one tier up for running and then I upgraded the freeze and fire agony bolts.
Freeze has saved my ass on many occasions so its the one bolt that I really put some work into. My pistol Ive up'd the damage on twice as its the gun I typically have the most ammo for and therefor are using the most. However upgrading my shotgun to hold more bullets and carry more ammo was key.
I think putting most of the upgrades into your weapons, and mainly pistol, serves the best dividends in the game. Im only through chapter 7 right now but so far this game is great.
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
I like that different people have gone through very different upgrade paths and they all feel like their way is the only way. That's a classic sign of a well considered upgrade system.
The Xtortionist
Member
SlaughterX
Banned
Just started playing this on my PC and it looks good, runs fine and doesn't even seem very demanding on my PC in 1080p (since the fans never really kick up too high like when playing Crysis 3 or any other really graphic demanding game), but the shit already crashed the second time I died on the first chapter. Hope I don't regret not getting the Xbox One version... is anyone else having stability problems with this game on the PC?