The Evil Within was a fairly interesting game, with great visuals and an interesting premise. It left some plot hooks to be explored in a potential sequel. Good news: said sequel is actually coming in swinging. The Evil Within 2 explores the past of Sebastian Castellanos, the first game’s protagonist, and uncovers secrets maybe better left untouched.

Not dead?

One of the reasons behind Castellanos’ gruff exterior is the loss of his daughter in a fire several years before the event fot he original game. The Evil Within 2 sees him in an even worse state, broken after his superiors in the police did not believe his reports of the events.

Thankfully, ex-detective Castellanos gets a new spark of hope, being told his daughter didn’t die, but was kidnapped instead. What will follow is Sebastian’s journey back into a bizarre, dark world through a contraption known as STEM to track his daughter.

What dark connections and grim secrets is he going to reveal? It’s not exactly known yet, because, obviously, nobody’s going to spoil everyone before the launch. Nonetheless, the idea is interesting, and digging up old traumas of a character is as good a theme as any number of bloodthirsty enemies.

Open-world nightmare

Although The Evil Within 2 reportedly won’t lack for linear, scripted, guided sequences, according to certain outlets, there’s going to be an open-world aspect to it all, mostly in-between the directed parts. Sebastian will get to roam freely the game’s central city and the areas around, often following vague hints and tracks he picks up during normal gameplay. He’s going to have a tool helping him amplify and follow sounds, often leading to a smaller narrative, a puzzle, or an unfamiliar threat. In any of these points there’ll also be a chance to get some much needed loot, too.

Crafting and progression

It turns out that in a place ravaged by demons shaped by violent and desperate memories resources are scarce, and that includes mostly things Castellanos’ is going to need to survive. The Evil Within 2 has a crafting system you can access anytime in your safe zone hub. You’ll be able to forge ammo for your guns, and, perhaps more importantly, upgrades to them, so your guns stay vaguely effective against the monsters you encounter.

As a cop through and through Castellanos will also be able to recover lost vitality via a damn fine cup of coffee in the same hub area.

Interestingly, Sebastian can also upgrade himself with the Green Gel, boosting his abilities just enough to make surviving alone a little less of a terrifying prospect.

Bizarre, twisted monsters

The mindscape traversed by Castellanos is full of entities born of pain and despair, their form twisted to reflect their obsessions and flaws. The Evil Within 2 has already teased a three-legged monster with an old-timey camera for a face, and we can expect more of this brand of weird. The Evil Within 2 may not beat Agony in terms of pure demonic nightmare fuel, but I’d say that it has body horror down pat, and reportedly enough flair and sense for suspense to pull it off in a scary way without necessarily resorting to jump scares.

Vague conclusions

After a fascinating first game, the sequel faces high expectations. Tango Gameworks, the game’s developers seems devoted to making it a worthy and worthwhile follow-up, and a great game in its own right. Further exploring the weird worlds created in STEM and the protagonists troubled past, The Evil Within 2 launching on October 13 this year appears to be a very strong game of 2017’s Q4.