The creator of Resident Evil aims to re-invent survival horror

Jan 14, 2014 15:40 GMT  ·  By

What we know: The Evil Within is a horror survival video game created by Tango Gameworks, currently led by Shinji Mikami, and published by Bethesda on the PC, the Xbox One, the PlayStation 4 and current-gen consoles.

The game is designed to bring the genre back to its roots and create an overall narrative that manages to thoroughly frighten the player while also giving him plenty of ways to influence the world around him and create a path for his escape.

Mikami says that he wants scarcity to be a big part of The Evil Within and that he has been busy creating a line-up of enemies and creatures that should frighten gamers when they first meet.

The story is centered on Sebastian Castellanos and his two partners, who are trapped inside a nightmarish dimension where nothing is as it seems.

Using limited info and resources, a player will have to avoid the most powerful creatures, take out the lesser ones and find a way to make sure that madness does not overcome him.

Launch will take place before the end of the year, but no clear window has been announced.

Why it matters: The Evil Within is a very ambitious project because the potential of survival horror seems exhausted in an age where empowerment is the main element of most action games.

Shinji Mikami certainly has the pedigree to create something impressive, given the fact that he has created Resident Evil, but an initial walkthrough of one area shown last year failed to scare most of those who actually watched it.

Much can change in terms of both world and creature design before The Evil Within is actually launched and the fate of an entire genre hinges upon its long-term sales.

The full list of Incoming 2014 Games articles can be read on Softpedia.