Tango Gameworks and Bethesda’sThe Evil Withinis a masterclass in surrealist horror.The Evil Within’s marriage of psychological survival-horror and gruesome third-person action originated fromTango’s Shinji Mikami ofResident Evilfame, but while it was successful enough to greenlight a sequel,The Evil Withinhas not presented any supposed plans to continue. In the case thatThe Evil Withindoes continue, there are multiple routes it could take.
The originalThe Evil Withincentered more around claustrophobic corridors and psychological imagery, while the sequel introduced a miniature open-world neighborhood with side quests. Both had their fans, and it would be exciting to see where Tango could take a threequel. That said, the more likely option would be for Tango to either remake or remasterThe Evil Withinfor modern audiences to assess whether it could still have franchise potential with new players.
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The Evil Within Could Be Remade or Remastered for New Audiences
IfThe Evil Withinreceived a remake, an argument would surely be made that it does not need one. Remakes are commonly precluded by the idea that the game is old or outdated, and thus in need of a substantial enhancement to visuals and gameplay that could modernize it for a new generation. Fans can decide for themselves whetherThe Evil Withinor its sequel are outdated, but as the original game nears its tenth anniversary in a couple of years, it seems fair to assess whether a remake or remaster could be on the table.
The Evil Withinhas the same awkward content as any other third-person action game, but its movement and stamina are a point of contention that a remake or remaster could improve upon. It is understood thatThe Evil Within’s terrible stamina managementwas purposeful to prevent players from sprinting away freely from enemies, but it hardly makes sense that Sebastian Castellanos cannot run for 10 seconds without being winded and staggered.
There are multiple quality-of-life improvements a remake could introduce toThe Evil Withinthat would help its gameplay feel modern. Meanwhile, graphical updates would keepthe same tone and atmosphere that the originalThe Evil Withinhas, but with current-gen visuals and performance.
It is unfortunate that the franchise has seemingly not done well enough to continue, but a remake or remaster could potentially reinvent it in a more favorable way. Narrative details could also be changed if a remake was considered, but that would likely be best reserved for a new sequel or unrelated entry inThe Evil Within’s canon.
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The Evil Within Could Receive a Threequel
If for no other reason,The Evil Withincould receive a remake or remaster to rejuvenate the franchise and open the door to another sequel.Alan Wake Remasteredwas a basic graphical update that seemingly launched in an attempt to remind fans of its franchise and invite in a new generation to prepare for the upcoming sequel.The Evil Withincould indulge in a similar marketing strategy to propel it into another sequel. A substantial remake with actual changes to gameplay would be preferred, but a simple remaster would also be exciting now that current-gen graphics and performance have paved the way for ray-tracing, VRR support, and more.
The Evil Within’s enormous pools of blood could look incredible with lapping waves as players wade through them. Further,The Evil Withinenemiessuch as Laura would look fantastic with better detailing on their hideously creative character models. If a complete sequel or unrelated entry was announced, it too would surely have graphics rivaling that of other modern survival-horror games.
Even though Sebastian’s narrative seems to have concluded at the end ofThe Evil Within 2, it is plausible that he could return in another installment. Otherwise, it would be great to see a new installment take place in a different location with different characters to wholly reinvent the franchise and perhaps steer it in another direction that Tango could sustain.
Tango has since developedGhostwire: Tokyo, which originated asThe Evil Within 3. There have seemingly been no plans to exhumeThe Evil Withinsince, but there is more potential with Tango’s debut franchise, and it would be a shame to see it shelved indefinitely.
The Evil Withinis available on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
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