The first Evil Within was a promising start to a new franchise, but did not do enough to feel like a true evolution of the over-the-shoulder survival horror gameplay pioneered by Resident Evil 4. The sequel, 2017’s Evil Within 2, expands upon the formula significantly, adding more open areas and improving on the stealth mechanics for a truly new experience.
While it sadly looks like a third game will not reach fans in the foreseeable future, the second title is living on as a cult classic as new legions of fans discover it. To help those who are still playing this unique horror game for the first time, the following list will highlight ten common mistakes most players make. Avoid these and your playthrough of The Evil Within 2 will be significantly more enjoyable.
10 Playing On The Wrong Difficulty
This one is not so much making the game harder on yourself as it is making it either too easy or too hard. For anybody well-versed in the survival horror genre, Survival mode is way too easy. Ammo is in abundance, enemies have little health, and combat is a breeze. This is perhaps in response to the first game’s difficulty, which proved troublesome for many. If you are looking for a true survival horror experience, go with Nightmare. It makes every item, bullet, and upgrade count. You also feel more rewarded for your efforts when scrounging for resources throughout the environment. But if you want a cosy playthrough, go with Casual or Survival.
9 Not Playing Stealthily
Survival horror used to be about dodging enemies in order to save ammo. The Evil Within changes things up by making stealth a major mechanic. While you can certainly go through the game guns blazing, we recommend taking the stealthy approach so enemies never know you are even in the room.
Taking down enemies from the shadows saves valuable ammunition which can be used during boss battles. Sometimes no other alternative is available, but when sneaking around is an option, always take this route.
8 Using Too Many Bullets
On earlier difficulties this will never be an issue, but Nightmare difficulty really puts the resource management pressure on you. Sometimes avoiding confrontation completely is the best option if it means conserving ammunition. You want to find a good balance, however, since killing enemies often rewards Green Gel, which is used to purchase upgrades from Tatiana. Even if you get spotted, it is better to run to a safe house and try the confrontation again stealthily than it is to kill all the enemies with your guns.
7 Rushing Through The Open Areas
The Evil Within 2 presents several explorable hubs where you can complete side quests, look for resources, and eventually make your way towards the next story objective. These areas are made to be explored, so take advantage of the opportunity. After all, on harder difficulties you are going to need everything you find to make it through. If you rush through these, you will absolutely find yourself wanting for health items and ammunition during more linear segments. These areas are also what separates The Evil Within 2 from other survival horror games, so take the time to appreciate them.
6 Misusing Coffee And Health Upgrades
Almost every safe house has a coffeemaker with a fresh brew that recovers a significant amount of health. Be careful not to abuse these, however, since they take time to recharge after a single use. When used appropriately, they are a great way to restore health without using resources. Similarly, permanently upgrading your health with Nurse Tatiana also restores all the health points, so only extend your max health when it is also time to heal. While it feels insignificant, doing these over the course of the game adds up.
5 Ignoring Side Quests
Survival horror and side quests do not seem like two words that go together, but the more open areas of The Evil Within 2 lend themselves to some side activities. While one may be tempted to go through the main path, we heavily encourage doing side quest when they pop up. Not only do they offer valuable resources and upgrades for the protagonist, but they also expand the story and reveal more details about the supporting characters. The same goes for the collectibles, all of which come with unique dialog.
4 Not Spreading Out Upgrades
While it is tempting to focus on one upgrade tree, this can also end up being a mistake. Stealth upgrades are valuable, but certain narrative segments require action and violence, meaning you need some stamina and good health to make it through. Adversely, do not go through the game thinking you do not need stealth upgrades. It may be easy enough to take out the normal rabble with stealth takedowns early in the game, but later on the stealth abilities are invaluable.
3 Ignoring The Shooting Range
It is not a Shinji Mikami survival horror game without a shooting range somewhere. Much like Resident Evil 4, there is a shooting range in the police station with two different minigames. The first one is traditional target practice, while the second is a puzzle-based game.
You do not have to reach the highest score, but dabble with them a little bit. Every prize provides some sort of goodies to help you along your journey, whether it be Green Gel, healing items, or a key to unlock safes in Nurse Tatiana’s office.
2 Trying To Kill Everything
Anybody who has spent time with survival horror games knows this as a cardinal rule of playing through them. You are never obligated, and are usually discouraged from, killing every enemy in the world. This is a major difference from Resident Evil 4, which actively has the player kill every opponent in sight. In The Evil Within 2, you need to conserve ammunition and resources, so sometimes it is best to avoid a confrontation. If enemies are not in your way, do not go out of the way to eliminate them.
1 Ignoring Aiming Upgrades
Aiming starts out extremely janky by design. Apparently, those years of living in a drunken stupor have really affected Sebastian Castellanos’ ability to shoot straight. To be fair, we’d probably have some problem keeping our hands stable if we were in a similar situation. Do not feel resigned to this aiming, since upgrades can steady your hand. Combat becomes more enjoyable once you are able to more easily lineup shots. This in turn makes headshots easier to pull off, which helps conserve ammunition.
