How Many Chapters are in The Evil Within?
The original The Evil Within survival horror game developed by Tango Gameworks contains a total of 15 story chapters. Read on for an in-depth examination of this cult classic‘s content and design.
Main Campaign Length and Completion Time
Focusing solely on core objectives required to progress the plot, The Evil Within takes an average of 15 and a half hours to complete. This assumes players are already familiar with basic mechanics – first playthroughs typically last over 20 hours.
For perfectionists aiming to fully explore every area, collect all collectibles, and complete all side quests, total completion time can easily exceed 38 and a half hours.
The Evil Within strikes an effective balance between action set pieces and slower-paced exploration interludes across its 15 chapters. Let‘s analyze each aspect in closer detail:
Core Story Chapters
The Evil Within‘s 15 story chapters focus on Detective Sebastian Castellanos‘ descent into the nightmarish world of STEM to rescue his daughter. Chapters range from 30 minutes up to nearly 2 hours in length.
The opening chapters focus chiefly on introducing players to the horrifying enemies and environments while limiting available resources and weapons.
The mid-point sees Sebastian allying with other characters also trapped in STEM before confronting the primary antagonist Ruvik.
Finally, the concluding 5 chapters feature relentless chases by unstoppable boss characters, wrapping up with an intense multi-stage final battle.
Side Missions
In addition to main story objectives, most chapters include optional side areas Sebastian can explore to uncover collectible mementos, medical supplies, and ammunition.
Some isolated regions even initiate self-contained side quests with unique enemies or objectives. Taking the time to thoroughly sweep each environment often doubles chapter completion times but awards useful rewards.
Post-Game Content
Successfully finishing the plot also unlocks New Game Plus mode for a replay using acquired weapons and upgrades while facing amplified enemy difficulties. Special DLC packs introduced alternate storylines following supporting characters and challenging game modes restricting player abilities.
Ultimately the core 15 chapter campaign comprises the lion‘s share of the average 35+ hour playthrough. Their distinct themes, memorable monster encounters, and variety of hostile locations all contribute to an engrossing old-school survival horror experience.
Game Difficulty and Scare Factor
The Evil Within skillfully balances challenge and intensity without ever feeling unfair to players. While exponentially harder than most games on their easiest settings, the four available difficulty modes ensure both veteran horror fans and genre newcomers can tailor the experience to enjoyable levels.
In terms of frights, the game weaves together unsettling atmosphere, graphic monster design, and clever subversion of common tropes to inject palpable terror devoid of cheap jump scares.
Let‘s examine the key contributors to its pervasive feeling of suspense:
Challenging Gameplay
The Evil Within‘s four difficulty settings all influence enemy resilience, damage inflicted, and resources available:
| Difficulty | Description |
|---|---|
| Casual | Enemies and bosses have 25% less health than normal and inflict reduced damage, designed for players who wish to experience the story over challenge |
| Survival | Default mode balanced for moderate challenge |
| Nightmare | Enemies can kill Sebastian much faster and are more aggressive in pursuing him |
| Akumu | Defines brutality – player dies after a single hit, all enemies do 3.5x damage |
As evidenced by the ruthless Akumu mode which severely punishes any mistake, mastering the game‘s combat, stealth, and resource management systems is extremely demanding. Players must carefully choose when to fight or flee and properly conserve ammunition.
Oppressive Atmosphere
The Evil Within‘s visual and audio design ensure nowhere in the nightmarish world of STEM feels safe:
- Gritty Lighting and Textures: Environments appear filthy and decayed, accentuated by smoke, dust, and flickering lighting
- Disorienting Hallucinations: Audiovisual glitches and apparitions catch players off guard after moments of calm
- Ominous Ambient Noise: Piercing screams, unidentified rustling, and unnatural growls heighten anxiety
- Claustrophobic Architecture: Cramped halls and maze-like forests exacerbate feelings of helplessness and confusion
Combined these elements cultivate potent dread which lingers even in scenes devoid of immediate danger.
Disturbing Enemy Design
Freakish appearance and behavior of creatures encountered also contribute significantly to scares:
The Haunted enemies move erratically and attack viciously in numbers
Whether seen up close or concealed in shadows, the diverse menagerie of enemies all share uniformly grisly traits making combat encounters viscerally upsetting:
- Decaying flesh, exposed organs, and bloodied implements
- Twisted, jerking motions and pained wails
- Relentless aggression and group coordination
As clever subversion of common genre tropes also amplifies shock factor:
"Few things are scarier than a little girl who wants to kill you. Especially one that travels by way of instant teleportation." – IGN
In particular, boss enemies like Laura with surprising backgrounds often represent the game‘s most disturbing moments.
Comparison to Sequel and Genre
Since original release in 2014, The Evil Within has gained status as a defining survival horror entry thanks to its commitment to potent atmosphere over action as primary goal. Sequel The Evil Within 2 expanded the formula with a larger world and new mechanics but struggled commercially.
Let‘s analyze how the games compare and fit into genre evolution:
The Evil Within 2
Direct sequel The Evil Within 2 downplays psychological tension in favor of more combat encounters and player agency via semi-open world areas.
Progression allows some customization of protagonist Sebastian‘s core attributes and crafting system to create ammo and healing items.
Due to underwhelming early sales likely stemming from releasing between two highly anticipated titles (Wolfenstein 2 and Assassin‘s Creed Origins), publisher Bethesda soon marked down prices to spur adoption.
Genre Evolution
The Evil Within series stands in stark contrast to contemporary survival horror trends de-emphasizing challenge to appeal to wider audiences. Compared to AAA examples like Resident Evil 7 and horror-inspired experiences such as Alien Isolation:
- The Evil Within retains strict resource scarcity mechanics true to early Resident Evil and Silent Hill games
- Checkpoint saving creates relentless tension rather than allowing players to manually save progress whenever desired
- Upgrades expand capabilities minimally over the course of the game rather than quick transformation into action heroines/heroes
This adherence to hardcore horror conventions combined with fresh setting and enemies has helped both games stand out since release despite muted financial success. Their uniquely nightmarish worlds offer intense, terrifying experiences for players craving vintage gameplay with modern presentation.
Actionable Tips for Gameplay and Progression
The Evil Within‘s uncompromising challenge can overwhelm unprepared players, but utilizing some helpful strategies makes overcoming the PAK System‘s deadly traps feasible:
- Stealth Approaches: Crouch walking to mask movement and using bottles/bolts as distractions opens up many combat arenas for safer passage
- Prioritize Weapon Upgrades: Increase crossbow reload speed to maximize DPS from a safe distance while conserving other ammunition
- Collect Everything: Search thoroughly and destroy every crate – supplies are extremely limited so waste no opportunities
- Manual Saving: Retry difficult sections instead of relying on checkpoints by saving often once the option unlocks
- Take Breaks: Few games maintain such stifling dread for long durations – don‘t marathon or terror may transition into frustration
Ideally balancing patient exploration, precision aiming, quick reflexes, and calm nerves allows progress even through the game‘s most sadistic gauntlets.
DLC Expansions
Those seeking even more nightmare fuel from The Evil Within can invest in one or all of the three DLC packs which introduce new story content spanning 5-8 hours each:
The expansions flesh out backstories for supporting characters and drop players in challenging new scenarios:
| DLC Pack | Description |
|---|---|
| The Assignment | Focused on detective Juli Kidman‘s investigation surrounding strange events at Beacon Mental Hospital prior to the main story |
| The Consequence | Direct continuation of Kidman‘s arc, further exploring the mysteries of STEM |
| The Executioner | Unique content playing as The Keeper, a towering boss enemy pursuing Sebastian |
Priced $5-$10 depending on sales, the DLC delivers strong value with quality areas, enemies, and narrative depth.
Optimizing Performance
Given aging original release dates, what hardware best handles The Evil Within‘s technical demands?
CPU is more critical than GPU when targeting 60FPS gameplay. At minimum, a 3rd generation Intel i5 processor and mid-range dedicated GPU like the NVIDIA GTX 1050 or AMD Radeon RX 560 suffice. Performance should scale higher across modern systems provided sufficient VRAM is available.
Adjusting lighting quality and anti-aliasing down from maximum settings helps overwhelmingly if framerate dips below targeted ranges.
The Bottom Line
Through masterful environmental and mechanical design choices which shatter player comfort without ever feeling unfair combined with financial commitment to beloved core horror principles, The Evil Within stands tall as exemplar of premium survival horror in the modern era.
