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118-498: The Evil Within is a 2014 survival horror game developed by Tango Gameworks and published by Bethesda Softworks . It was directed by Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami . The game centers on protagonist Sebastian Castellanos as he is pulled through a distorted world full of nightmarish locations and horrid creatures. Played in a third-person perspective, players battle disfigured nightmare-like enemies, including bosses , using guns and melee weapons, and progress through

236-400: A first-person perspective and encourages resource management and puzzle-solving, more akin to earlier entries in the franchise. Many of these earlier entries were also remade with modern graphics while retaining their survival horror aspects with the remakes of Resident Evil 2 , Resident Evil 3 , and Resident Evil 4 . After these were well received, other games were remade, such as

354-453: A New Game Plus will usually have the player characters start the new game with the statistics and equipment with which they ended the last game. Key items that are related to the story are normally removed so they cannot ruin the game's progression, and are given back to the player at the time they are needed; likewise, characters that the player acquires throughout the story will also not appear until their scheduled place and time, but will get

472-415: A few too many places to be Mikami's magnum opus. It artificially forces players into punishing combat scenarios more times than can be ignored, and plots and themes with great promise end up sputtering out in disheartening fashion. Still, it would be wrong to dismiss all the things it does right. Between a gorefest that's thoroughly engrossing, amazing feelings of triumph created by the imposing difficulty, and

590-545: A figure known as the Administrator (Rob Brownstein / Jin Yamanoi ) begins talking to Kidman, demanding her to extract Leslie instead of killing him regardless, but Kidman refuses to complete the mission, warning him that they do not know what Ruvik is capable of. He then appears in front of her as a dark misty figure and pursues her until Kidman manages to escape him. Outside the church, she sees Beacon Mental Hospital in

708-541: A gigantic creature created from Ruvik's subconscious and defeats it, waking up in the bathtub. He pulls himself off the machine, removes Ruvik's brain from the STEM, and crushes it. He wakes up in the tub again with Kidman by his side, monitoring him. Kidman motions for Sebastian to stay quiet. Sebastian falls unconscious, and later wakes up in the same tub, with no one around except for the bodies of Jimenez and Connelly. As police and S.W.A.T. reinforcements arrive, Sebastian exits

826-438: A harrowingly rewarding gameplay trial." Shaun McInnis of GameSpot spoke well of its striking atmosphere, tense combat that encourages resourcefulness, and rewarding skill progression system, but criticizing the nonsensical story and forgettable characters, autosave system, and a few frustrating boss fights. As the aspect ratio of the game received criticism, a patch was released on June 23, 2015, that allows players to play

944-404: A horrific setting and atmosphere without the overuse of violence or gore. In 2010, the cult game Deadly Premonition by Access Games was notable for introducing open world nonlinear gameplay and a comedy horror theme to the genre. Five Nights at Freddy's effectively incorporated jump scares into the genre with the first game in the series releasing in 2014. Further evolution of

1062-498: A horror game released that year was Sega 's arcade game Monster Bash , which introduced classic horror-movie monsters, including the likes of Dracula , Frankenstein's monster , and werewolves , helping to lay the foundations for future survival horror games. Its 1986 remake Ghost House had gameplay specifically designed around the horror theme, featuring haunted house stages full of traps and secrets, and enemies that were fast, powerful, and intimidating, forcing players to learn

1180-419: A host, when Sebastian and Joseph intervene, prompting her to shoot Joseph, before Ruvik separates them again. Sebastian finds Leslie and guides him back to the hospital. At the top of the lighthouse, he sees his own body in a bathtub hooked to the STEM machine. Kidman arrives and attempts to convince Sebastian that Leslie has to die. Ruvik interrupts them, gets hold of Leslie, and absorbs him. Sebastian battles

1298-404: A limited inventory, while battling or escaping from horrifying creatures, which could lead to permanent death for any of the characters, thus creating tension and an emphasis on survival. It was also the first attempt at creating a scary and frightening storyline within a game, mainly told through scattered diary entries left behind fifty years before the events of the game. Developed by Capcom ,

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1416-571: A maze populated with real-life characters from the game as part of its annual Fright Nights event to promote the game. Prior to the game's release, Titan Comics released a four-part miniseries set before the events of the main game The Art of the Evil Within , a book collecting concept art and behind-the-scenes material from the game, was released by Dark Horse Comics alongside the game on October 14, 2014. The game also features downloadable content (DLC) missions which feature Juli Kidman and

1534-549: A new survival horror intellectual property , until the record was later broken by Dying Light , when it was released in January 2015. At E3 2017 , Bethesda revealed The Evil Within 2 . The game takes place three years after the events of the original game and features Sebastian returning to STEM to look for Lily, his believed-to-be dead daughter. It was released PlayStation 4 , Windows , and Xbox One on October 13, 2017. Survival horror The term "survival horror"

1652-485: A part of Kidman before being shot. Awakening in the real world, Kidman sees Leslie emerge from a STEM terminal and being taken away along with Joseph, as well as the vessel that housed Ruvik's brain now empty, much to her confusion. A woman then calls out to Kidman from behind, who is revealed as Myra ( Tasia Valenza / Rica Fukami ), Sebastian's wife. Myra says "he" will need a debriefing as soon as Kidman gets back. With no one watching her, Kidman frees Sebastian, and tells

1770-442: A plot that gets to the core of some very unsettling themes, The Evil Within brings enough to the table that it deserves a taste." Lucy O'Brien of IGN gave it a positive score of 8.7 out of 10 in her review of the game. She praised the gameplay and horror of the game, but criticized the boring protagonist, Sebastian, and the saggy and convoluted plot, stating that "while its story does end up buckling under its own ambition, there

1888-501: A primary option, such as a limited number of weapons or invulnerable enemies; if weapons are available, their ammunition is sparser than in other games, and powerful weapons such as explosives are rare, if even available at all. Thus, players are more vulnerable than in action games , and the hostility of the environment sets up a narrative where the odds are weighed decisively against the avatar. This shifts gameplay away from direct combat, and players must learn to evade enemies or turn

2006-400: A recording that can be played which are recorded by characters through the game. Collectables can be found in levels themselves or in the safe house. The player unlocks several bonuses for completing the game. Extra weapons, character models and bios, 'Nightmare' and 'AKUMU' difficulties (the game's hardest difficulty levels, AKUMU being the hardest), and New Game+ are some of the unlocks. If

2124-459: A result of player actions, altering locations and creating new paths or teleporting the player to new areas. Sebastian can find and use Syringes and Medical Kits to heal himself when injured. The Medical Kit expands Sebastian's health, but causes hallucinations to occur for a short time. Collecting vials of 'Green Gel' hidden throughout the game, players can upgrade Castellanos' abilities; more ammunition, extra stamina, and additional health are some of

2242-636: A return to form for the series due to several developmental decisions taken by Climax Studios . This included the decision to openly break the fourth wall by psychologically profiling the player, and the decision to remove any weapons from the game, forcing the player to run whenever they see an enemy. Examples of independent survival horror games are the Penumbra series and Amnesia: The Dark Descent by Frictional Games , Nightfall: Escape by Zeenoh, Cry of Fear by Team Psykskallar and Slender: The Eight Pages , all of which were praised for creating

2360-431: A safety measure, Ruvik calibrated STEM to work with only his brain as the core. In retaliation, Mobius simply killed him and extracted his brain for installation in order to use the machine, thus allowing Ruvik to maintain control of the STEM world. Kidman realizes that Mobius in fact wants the meek Leslie as a replacement for Ruvik's brain – an easily manipulated 'blank slate' mind, which they can use to power STEM and create

2478-466: A school bus and drives away, but Ruvik telepathically launches the bus into the hotel. Kidman recovers and is separated from Sebastian and Joseph, losing her handgun in the process. Along the way, she encounters paintings of Ruvik that are trying to take control of Leslie. Kidman manages to save Leslie, but he runs out of fear. Proceeding further, she finds more paintings trying to take control of Leslie. While trying to fend them off, hands of Laura burst from

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2596-400: A world of their own design. When Jimenez, aided by Sebastian, tries to use Leslie to return to reality, he realizes that Ruvik wants to transfer his mind to a compatible host, and escape into the real world. A beast created from Ruvik's subconscious kills Jimenez, and Ruvik scatters the group across his mind. Kidman finds Leslie first and is about to shoot him to prevent Ruvik from using him as

2714-430: Is a corpse. After Leslie's outburst, she pursues Leslie, but is brought back to Mobius HQ. She goes through a door and is brought to Beacon, where she accesses other rooms and learns about Leslie's synchronization with Ruvik's brainwave due to his loss of family, and her being an expendable agent that could potentially neutralize Ruvik. Rushing through dozens of Haunted, Kidman is able to get in an elevator that leads up to

2832-561: Is little here that takes away from the joy of experiencing survival horror under the steady hands of a master of the craft." Christopher Livingston from PC Gamer gave it a mixed review, praising the survival portions of the game, tense and often exciting atmosphere, satisfying stealth, exciting action sequences, as well as the nicely detailed environment, but criticizing the recycled, and very often, not scary bosses, poor character models, late texture pop-ins, sluggish control, frustrating camera angles, limited video options and poor decision on

2950-564: Is mostly a first-person shooter at its core. Meanwhile, the Fatal Frame series has remained true to the roots of the genre, even as Fatal Frame IV transitioned from the use of fixed cameras to an over-the-shoulder viewpoint. Also in 2009, Silent Hill made a transition to an over-the-shoulder viewpoint in Silent Hill: Shattered Memories . This Wii effort was, however, considered by most reviewers as

3068-517: Is not unusual for survival horror games to draw upon elements from first-person shooters , or even role-playing games . According to IGN , "Survival horror is different from typical game genres in that it is not defined strictly by specific mechanics, but subject matter, tone, pacing, and design philosophy." Survival horror games are a subgenre of horror games, where the player is unable to fully prepare or arm their avatar. The player usually encounters several factors to make combat unattractive as

3186-400: Is separated from his partners and is forced to flee from a monstrous man wielding a chainsaw . Upon reuniting with his colleagues, they attempt to escape via ambulance while Krimson City is destroyed by a massive earthquake, eventually causing them to crash. Freeing himself from the wreckage, Sebastian wanders through dark forests and abandoned buildings full of monstrous creatures and witnesses

3304-515: Is separated from the former, while the latter turns into a Haunted and attacks Kidman. After she defeats him, the world changes and after getting past several obstacles, she finds Leslie and takes him to the church, to be confronted by Ruvik who attacks Kidman through Leslie. She learns that Ruvik can leave STEM through Leslie by overriding himself into Leslie's body, and he informs Kidman that Mobius has been keeping tabs on her as much as he once was. Kidman tries to shoot Leslie, for both to disappear, and

3422-424: Is shortly revealed that Joseph is suffering from a strange form of transformation which compels him into a murderous rage, similar to Oscar's. While he is able to control it for the most part, Joseph warns Sebastian to be wary of him if he turns. The two eventually find and rescue Kidman from drowning in a crude contraption, though they are soon separated again after hearing the high pitched noise. Sebastian learns of

3540-494: Is usually considered a first-person shooter with survival horror elements. Regardless, the genre's increased popularity led Western developers to incorporate horror elements into action games, rather than follow the Japanese survival style. Overall, the traditional survival horror genre continued to be dominated by Japanese designers and aesthetics. 2002's Clock Tower 3 eschewed the graphic adventure game formula seen in

3658-524: The Alien science fiction horror film series, was released. The game updated the concept of a single un-killable villain chasing the protagonist throughout most of the game, requiring the player to use stealth in order to survive. In 2015, Until Dawn , developed by Supermassive Games , was published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 4 . The game is an interactive drama in which

The Evil Within - Misplaced Pages Continue

3776-492: The Dreamcast incorporating action elements from beat 'em up and shooter games . Konami 's Silent Hill , released in 1999, drew heavily from Resident Evil while using real-time 3D environments in contrast to Resident Evil' s pre-rendered graphics. Silent Hill in particular was praised for moving away from B movie horror elements to the psychological style seen in art house or Japanese horror films, due to

3894-477: The aspect ratio . He stated that all these technical issues have dragged The Evil Within from enjoyably challenging to needlessly frustrating. Tim Turi from Game Informer praised its high replay value, jump scares, well-executed lighting, dark, unpredictable world, as well as the sounds of enemies, but criticizing the distracting texture pop-in and disappointing story. He summarized the game as "an unnerving experience that keep your palms sweaty while delivering

4012-562: The "Calamity Kid" achievement in the game Bastion . Others may require or be required by additional purchases in the form of downloadable content , such as in Yakuza: Like a Dragon . Final Fantasy XIV is a MMORPG with an extensive story line called the "main scenario quest" or colloquially the "MSQ". A New Game Plus option was introduced during the Shadowbringers expansion patch cycle, which allows players to replay

4130-442: The 1979 Japanese only stealth game Manbiki Shounen (Shoplifting Boy) by Hiroshi Suzuki and the 1979 sci-fi horror film Alien , the gameplay of Nostromo involved a player attempting to escape a spaceship while avoiding the sight of an invisible alien, which only becomes visible when appearing in front of the player. The gameplay also involved limited resources, where the player needs to collect certain items in order to escape

4248-486: The 2024 remake of Silent Hill 2 . Sources: New Game Plus New Game Plus , also New Game+ ( NG+ ), is an unlockable video game mode available in some video game titles that allows the player to restart the game's story with all or some of the items or experience gained in the first playthrough. New Game Plus modes are typically unlocked after completing the game's story at least once and sometimes contain certain features not normally available in

4366-509: The Dark uses static prerendered camera views that were cinematic in nature. Although players had the ability to fight monsters as in action games , players also had the option to evade or block them. Many monsters could not be killed, and thus could only be dealt with using problem-solving abilities. The game also used the mechanism of notes and books as expository devices. Many of these elements were used in later survival horror games, and thus

4484-504: The Dark , notably its cinematic fixed camera angles and pre-rendered backdrops. The control scheme in Resident Evil also became a staple of the genre, and future titles imitated its challenge of rationing very limited resources and items. The game's commercial success is credited with helping the PlayStation become the dominant game console , and also led to a series of Resident Evil films. Many games have tried to replicate

4602-504: The Japanese approach tends to favour psychological horror . AX-2: Uchū Yusōsen Nostromo was a survival horror game developed by Akira Takiguchi, a Tokyo University student and Taito contractor, for the PET 2001 . It was ported to the PC-6001 by Masakuni Mitsuhashi (also known as Hiromi Ohba, later joined Game Arts ), and published by ASCII in 1981, exclusively for Japan. Inspired by

4720-619: The Mobius members to leave Sebastian, Connelly, and Jimenez there, as they were not going anywhere. The Administrator's voice is heard and says that "No one is". The Evil Within began development in late 2010 under the codename "Project Zwei". Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami served as the game's director, with development taking place at his studio Tango Gameworks . The studio was bought by ZeniMax Media in 2010, shortly after development began. Initially, Mikami had no interest in making another survival horror game but after realizing there

4838-624: The Night ; new areas, such as in Parasite Eve ; new items, such as in the Metal Gear series; new challenges, such as in the .hack series, or new weapon and armor upgrades, like in God of War II 's Bonus Mode and God of War (2018) 's New Game+ mode. Games that connect to online marketplaces may require the player to complete a New Game Plus game to obtain certain achievements , such as

The Evil Within - Misplaced Pages Continue

4956-441: The apex of Beacon where the Mobius facility is, as the Administrator taunts Kidman, explaining that STEM was built on the premise of fear as a way to control individuals, with the true purpose of her mission serving as a test run for the Administrator's new method of infused control. Having broken out of his influence, she faces the Administrator, who makes a final attempt to end Kidman but is defeated, who remarks how he will always be

5074-466: The apparition of a disfigured man in a white hood. Sebastian runs into Oscar, who is suffering from a strange form of transformation which compels him into a murderous rage. Sebastian is then forced to kill Oscar in self defense. Sebastian soon encounters one of Beacon's doctors, Marcelo Jimenez, who is searching for his patient, Leslie Withers. Jimenez identifies the hooded stranger stalking them as Ruvik. Sebastian eventually reunites with Joseph, though it

5192-474: The appropriate item is found. Because it has several features that have been seen in later survival horror games, some reviewers have retroactively classified this game as the first in the genre. Malcolm Evans ' 3D Monster Maze , released for the Sinclair ZX81 in 1982, is a first-person game without a weapon; the player cannot fight the enemy, a Tyrannosaurus rex , so they must escape by finding

5310-402: The ceiling or crash through windows. Survival horror games, like many action-adventure games, are sometimes structured around the boss encounter where the player must confront a formidable opponent in order to advance to the next area. These boss encounters draw elements from antagonists seen in classic horror stories, and defeating the boss will advance the story of the game. The origins of

5428-704: The character called The Keeper through a series of mission-based levels with sadistic objectives. The content allows players to play in a first-person perspective and was released on May 25, 2015. The Evil Within received "generally favorable" reviews from critics for the Xbox One and PS4 versions, while the PC version received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic . Computer and Video Games ( CVG ) described it as "the game Resident Evil 5 should have been", although they were critical of some technical issues. VideoGamer.com liked

5546-490: The design concept of enemies, such as those wrapped in barbed wire or filled with glass shards, is that they are victims suffering under a greater evil. The asylum itself was inspired by the Winchester Mystery House , a Californian mansion famous for its architectural curiosities. The Evil Within is built on the id Tech 5 modified by Tango Gameworks with a new dynamic renderer enabling dynamic lighting to

5664-467: The distance, before its lighthouse blinds her. Waking up in the Safe Haven and meeting Tatiana Gutierrez (Julie Granata / Yūko Kaida ), Kidman explores the area before being able to leave. Ending up back at the Mobius headquarters, she decides to go the bottom floor to the STEM terminal because she thinks Leslie is heading there. Along the way she learns more about Ruvik's relationship with Mobius and

5782-510: The downed enemy using a limited supply of matches to permanently defeat them. Certain items in the environment, such as bottles, can be thrown to stun or distract enemies. There are seven different types of collectables in The Evil Within : 'Personal Documents'; Sebastian's personal log, detailing his life as a detective and his life with his wife and daughter. 'Documents'; the personal logs of other characters. 'Map Fragments'; pieces of

5900-457: The enemy's patrol routes and hide from them. However, reviewers eventually criticized the traditional Japanese survival horror formula for becoming stagnant. As the console market drifted towards Western-style action games, players became impatient with the limited resources and cumbersome controls seen in Japanese titles such as Resident Evil – Code: Veronica and Silent Hill 4: The Room . In 2005, Resident Evil 4 attempted to redefine

6018-586: The enemy, the Keeper, as playable characters. A story-based campaign following Kidman was released as two separate DLC packs, which introduced new enemies, locations, and focus on unsolved mysteries from the main game. The first of the two DLCs, titled The Assignment was released on all platforms in March 2015 worldwide, while The Consequence followed later in April 2015. The final DLC content, The Executioner , follows

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6136-488: The enhanced stats from the previous playthrough. Games with multiple endings, such as Chrono Trigger , may feature a New Game Plus mode which allows the player to explore alternate endings. Many games increase the difficulty in a New Game Plus mode, such as those in the Mega Man Battle Network series and Borderlands series. Others use the feature to advance the plot. In Astro Boy: Omega Factor ,

6254-432: The environment against them. Games try to enhance the experience of vulnerability by making the game single-player rather than multiplayer, and by giving the player an avatar who is more frail than the typical action game hero. The survival horror genre is also known for other non-combat challenges, such as solving puzzles at certain locations in the game world, and collecting and managing an inventory of items. Areas of

6372-473: The excellent combat and creepy environmental design come together. But those moments are fleeting, inevitably sapped of their delightful terror by design choices that feel trapped in the glory days of a decade ago." GamesRadar 's Ashley Reed gave the game a 3.5/5, commending the game for providing innovation and a story that keeps the player involved. Even though she mostly liked the game, Reed had several criticisms, stating: " The Evil Within stumbles in

6490-473: The exit before the monster finds them. The game states its distance and awareness of the player, further raising tension. Edge stated it was about "fear, panic, terror and facing an implacable, relentless foe who’s going to get you in the end" and considers it "the original survival horror game". Retro Gamer stated, "Survival horror may have been a phrase first coined by Resident Evil , but it could’ve easily applied to Malcolm Evans’ massive hit." 1982 saw

6608-594: The fire, Ruben's father hid him in the basement of the family manor. Deeply traumatized over Laura's death, Ruben eventually killed both of his parents, took control of their fortune, and continued to "donate" money to Beacon Mental Hospital in exchange for test subjects for his experiments into the human psyche. Ruvik began designing STEM as a means for him to reshape reality, so that he could physically travel back into his memories and live his life again with Laura. Jimenez then took notice of Ruvik's work, and revealed it to Mobius, who wished to use it for their own purposes. As

6726-539: The game also featured up to 20 possible endings . However, the game would not be released in Western markets until 2011. Riverhillsoft 's Overblood , released in 1996, is considered the first survival horror game to make use of a fully three-dimensional virtual environment. The Note in 1997 and Hellnight in 1998 experimented with using a real-time 3D first-person perspective rather than pre-rendered backgrounds like Resident Evil . In 1998, Capcom released

6844-635: The game had gone gold on September 25, 2014. The Evil Within was released for PlayStation 3 , PlayStation 4 , Windows , Xbox 360 , and Xbox One in October 2014. In Japan, the game was released as Psycho Break . The Japanese version had to remove gore-related content to receive a D-content rating (allowing its sale to customers 17 years of age or older) to avoid limiting its potential audience; this content can be restored via optional DLC. Warner Bros. Movie World in Queensland , Australia, created

6962-542: The game in full screen. In Japan, The Evil Within sold 176,691 physical units across all platforms, along with an estimated 4,138 digital units. In the United Kingdom, the game was the second best-selling game on the all-formats chart during its week of release. In the United States, it was the third best-selling game of October 2014. It set the record for the highest-selling first month of sales for

7080-405: The game is credited with making the survival horror genre possible. In 1994, Riverhillsoft released Doctor Hauzer for the 3DO . Both the player character and the environment are rendered in polygons . The player can switch between three different perspectives: third-person , first-person , and overhead . In a departure from most survival horror games, Doctor Hauzer lacks any enemies;

7198-525: The game was a horror action RPG revolving around a female SWAT member Lila rescuing survivors in an isolated monster-infested town and bringing them to safety in a church. It has open environments like Dragon Quest and real-time side-view battles like Zelda II , though War of the Dead departed from other RPGs with its dark and creepy atmosphere expressed through the storytelling, graphics, and music. The player character has limited ammunition, though

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7316-467: The game was originally slated for localization in 2004 but abruptly cancelled. Building on its previous success in Korea and interest, a remake was developed in 2015. Fatal Frame from 2001 was a unique entry into the genre, as the player explores a mansion and takes photographs of ghosts in order to defeat them. The Fatal Frame series has since gained a reputation as one of the most distinctive in

7434-416: The game world will be off limits until the player gains certain items. Occasionally, levels are designed with alternative routes. Levels also challenge players with mazelike environments, which test the player's navigational skills. Levels are often designed as dark and claustrophobic (often making use of dim or shadowy light conditions and camera angles and sightlines which restrict visibility) to challenge

7552-457: The game would become the main inspiration behind their later release Resident Evil . Its horrific imagery prevented its release in the Western world, though its influence was felt through Resident Evil , which was originally intended to be a remake of the game. Some consider Sweet Home to be the first true survival horror game. In 1989, Electronic Arts published Project Firestart , developed by Dynamix . Unlike most other early games in

7670-467: The game's emphasis on a disturbing atmosphere rather than visceral horror. The game also featured stealth elements, making use of the fog to dodge enemies or turning off the flashlight to avoid detection. The original Silent Hill is considered one of the scariest games of all time, and the strong narrative from Silent Hill 2 in 2001 has made the Silent Hill series one of the most influential in

7788-508: The game's levels. There is a nurse called Tatiana who greets Sebastian when he teleports to the safe house. The player has access to various weapons such as a revolver, shotgun, sniper rifle, knife, grenades, and the 'Agony Crossbow', a projectile weapon that fires bolts capable of freezing, blinding, electrocuting, or exploding enemies. Ammunition for weapons is very scarce, but mechanical components can be harvested to craft additional bolts. One source of components, bombs, are traps that react to

7906-563: The game's map; once collected, they are stored at the safe house. If the player collects all 28 map fragments, they will unlock the Burst Handgun and the High-Penetration Sniper Rifle. 'Newspapers'; newspapers detailing events concerning or involving Sebastian. 'Missing Persons Posters'; posters of characters Sebastian encounters throughout the game who have been reported missing. 'Audio Tapes'; tapes containing

8024-516: The game's most common enemy; 'Reborn Laura', a multi limbed, long haired, crawling creature; Ruvik, the game's main antagonist; 'The Keeper', a large humanoid with a safe as a head who wields a large meat tenderizer hammer; and 'Sadist', a large humanoid wearing a spiked metal mask on his face, wielding a chainsaw covered in blood. Sebastian Castellanos, the protagonist, needs to make use of the environment and things he may find in order to survive. The game world can transform during scripted events and as

8142-447: The game. Tessellation is also added. On April 15, 2013, and over the next few days, Bethesda Softworks revealed a series of short cryptic videos teasing the new game, officially announcing it on April 19, 2013, revealing the title, the platforms it will be released on, and a live-action teaser trailer. A second trailer was released on September 17, 2013 and an extended gameplay video was revealed on September 27, 2013. Bethesda announced that

8260-493: The genre and moved into a distinct genre often referred to as "action horror." Survival horror refers to a subgenre of survival video games that include horror game elements. The player character is vulnerable and under-armed, which puts emphasis on puzzle-solving and evasion, rather than the player taking an offensive strategy. Games commonly challenge the player to manage their inventory and ration scarce resources such as ammunition. Another major theme throughout

8378-467: The genre by emphasizing reflexes and precision aiming, broadening the gameplay with elements from the wider action genre. Its ambitions paid off, earning the title several Game of the Year awards for 2005, and the top rank on IGN 's Readers' Picks Top 99 Games list. However, this also led some reviewers to suggest that the Resident Evil series had abandoned the survival horror genre, by demolishing

8496-415: The genre continues to grow among independent video game developers . The Last of Us , released in 2013 by Naughty Dog , incorporated many survival horror elements into a third-person action-adventure game. Set twenty years after a pandemic plague, the player must use scarce ammo and distraction tactics to evade or kill malformed humans infected by a brain parasite, as well as dangerous survivalists. This

8614-415: The genre conventions that it had established. Other major survival horror series followed suit by developing their combat systems to feature more action, such as Silent Hill: Homecoming , and the 2008 version of Alone in the Dark . These changes were part of an overall trend among console games to shift towards visceral action gameplay. These changes in gameplay have led some purists to suggest that

8732-531: The genre has deteriorated into the conventions of other action games. Jim Sterling suggests that the genre lost its core gameplay when it improved the combat interface, thus shifting the gameplay away from hiding and running towards direct combat. Leigh Alexander argues that this represents a shift towards more Western horror aesthetics, which emphasize action and gore rather than the psychological experience of Japanese horror. The original genre has persisted in one form or another. The 2005 release of F.E.A.R.

8850-536: The genre is that of isolation. Typically, these games contain relatively few non-player characters and, as a result, frequently tell much of their story second-hand through the usage of journals, texts, or audio logs. While many action games feature lone protagonists versus swarms of enemies in a suspenseful environment, survival horror games are distinct from otherwise horror-themed action games. They tend to de-emphasize combat in favor of challenges such as hiding or running from enemies and solving puzzles. Still, it

8968-503: The genre was carried out via platforms such as itch.io that allowed independent creators to distribute games more easily and therefore became hives of experimentation, an example of which is the emergence of games with PS1-style low-poly aesthetics, such as those developed by Puppet Combo , that became a genre unto itself which eventually went on to be published on more mainstream storefronts such as Steam. Overall, game developers have continued to make and release survival horror games, and

9086-474: The genre, with the first game in the series credited as one of the best-written survival horror games ever made, by UGO Networks . Meanwhile, Capcom incorporated shooter elements into several survival horror titles, such as 2000's Resident Evil Survivor which used both light gun shooter and first-person shooter elements, and 2003's Resident Evil: Dead Aim which used light gun and third-person shooter elements. Western developers began to return to

9204-559: The genre, it featured a science fiction setting inspired by the film Alien , but had gameplay that closely resembled later survival horror games in many ways. Travis Fahs considers it the first to achieve "the kind of fully formed vision of survival horror as we know it today," citing its balance of action and adventure, limited ammunition, weak weaponry, vulnerable main character, feeling of isolation, storytelling through journals, graphic violence, and use of dynamically triggered music - all of which are characteristic elements of later games in

9322-567: The genre. According to IGN, the "golden age of survival horror came to a crescendo" with the release of Silent Hill . A game similar to the Clock Tower series of games and Haunting Ground , which was also inspired by Resident Evil 's success, is the Korean game known as White Day: A Labyrinth Named School (2001). "White Day" was reportedly so scary that the developers had to release several patches adding multiple difficulty options, and

9440-548: The graphic-adventure gameplay of the original Clock Tower rather than following the Resident Evil formula. Another survival horror title that differentiated itself was Corpse Party (1996), an indie , psychological horror adventure game created using the RPG Maker engine. Much like Clock Tower and later Haunting Ground (2005), the player characters in Corpse Party lack any means of defending themselves;

9558-445: The ground and ensnare Kidman, and Leslie points a gun towards her, but he manages to resist Ruvik's control and shoots the painting, saving Kidman. Retrieving the handgun from Leslie, Kidman takes him along, hoping that this way he will be safe. Following this, a scene from the main game plays, but from Kidman's perspective, as she sees the Administrator instead of Sebastian, who informs that they know what Leslie will become and that Ruvik

9676-486: The gunplay and horror, but disliked the story and its pacing, stating: " The Evil Within has enough magic to make it a worthy investment." Destructoid said: "[The game] will definitely scratch the itch of someone who has been pining for a return to the older days of gaming, but everyone else who has come to expect that certain layer of polish likely won't be amused." Polygon 's Philip Kollar summed up his thoughts by saying: " The Evil Within has great moments where

9794-507: The horror atmosphere of its predecessor. However, the game often considered the first true survival horror, due to having the most influence on Resident Evil , was the 1989 release Sweet Home , for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It was created by Tokuro Fujiwara , who would later go on to create Resident Evil . Sweet Home ' s gameplay focused on solving a variety of puzzles using items stored in

9912-459: The hospital and notices Leslie walking out of the main gates. Entering the machine, Kidman is attacked by Oscar Connelly ( Kiff VandenHeuvel / Keiji Hirai) while in the forest and falls off a cliff. She hears Mobius talking to her and attempts to use a keypad. Blocked out by the keypad, she is forced to find a way to get access, avoiding several creatures along the way. After being trapped by Ruvik and subsequently rescued by Sebastian and Joseph, she

10030-424: The initial playthrough , such as increased difficulty, altered combat or encounters, and more. The term was coined in the 1995 role-playing video game Chrono Trigger , but examples can be found in earlier games, such as Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei , The Legend of Zelda , Ghosts 'n Goblins , and Super Mario Bros. . This play mode is most often found in role-playing video games, where starting

10148-489: The intricacies of the house and rely on their wits. Another game that has been cited as one of the first horror-themed games is Quicksilva 's 1983 maze game Ant Attack . The latter half of the 1980s saw the release of several other horror-themed games, including Konami 's Castlevania in 1986, and Sega's Kenseiden and Namco 's Splatterhouse in 1988, though despite the macabre imagery of these games, their gameplay did not diverge much from other action games at

10266-451: The levels, avoiding traps, using stealth , and finding collectables. The Evil Within was released for PlayStation 3 , PlayStation 4 , Windows , Xbox 360 , and Xbox One in October 2014. Upon release, the game received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the game's horror elements, gameplay and atmosphere, while criticism was directed at the game's story, characters, and technical issues. A sequel, The Evil Within 2 ,

10384-500: The main threat is instead the sentient house that the game takes place in, with the player having to survive the house's traps and solve puzzles. The sound of the player character's echoing footsteps change depending on the surface. In 1995, WARP 's horror adventure game D featured a first-person perspective, CGI full-motion video , gameplay that consisted entirely of puzzle-solving , and taboo content such as cannibalism . The same year, Human Entertainment 's Clock Tower

10502-446: The original Clock Tower , and embraced full 3D survival horror gameplay. In 2003, Resident Evil Outbreak introduced a new gameplay element to the genre: online multiplayer and cooperative gameplay . Sony employed Silent Hill director Keiichiro Toyama to develop Siren . The game was released in 2004, and added unprecedented challenge to the genre by making the player mostly defenseless, thus making it vital to learn

10620-431: The player and provide suspense, although games in the genre also make use of enormous spatial environments. A survival horror storyline usually involves the investigation and confrontation of horrific forces, and thus many games transform common elements from horror fiction into gameplay challenges. Early releases used camera angles seen in horror films , which allowed enemies to lurk in areas that are concealed from

10738-649: The player character can punch or use a knife if out of ammunition. The game also has a limited item inventory and crates to store items, and introduced a day-night cycle ; the player can sleep to recover health, and a record is kept of how many days the player has survived. In 1988, War of the Dead Part 2 for the MSX2 and PC-88 abandoned the RPG elements of its predecessor, such as random encounters , and instead adopted action-adventure elements from Metal Gear while retaining

10856-503: The player completes the game on AKUMU mode, they'll unlock the Brass Knuckles weapon. While investigating the scene of a mass murder at Beacon Mental Hospital, Krimson City Police Detective Sergeant Sebastian Castellanos, his partner Joseph Oda, police officer Oscar Connelly, and Junior Detective Juli Kidman find themselves suddenly thrown into an unreal world, after hearing a high-pitched noise. Shortly after this occurs, Sebastian

10974-511: The player controls multiple characters and features a butterfly effect system in which the player's choices can change the story and may dictate who survives the night. All playable characters can survive or die, depending on the choices made. Players explore the environment from a third-person perspective and find clues that may help solve the mystery. Multiplayer asymmetrical survival horror games gained popularity as well. Dead by Daylight , released in 2016, features one player taking on

11092-548: The player uses the game's Stage Select mechanism, explained in-story as a form of time travel, to avert disaster, while in Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem , the player defeats three different final bosses, one in each playthrough, to access the true ending. Some New Game Plus variations alter established gameplay. This includes unlocking new characters, such as in Castlevania: Symphony of

11210-431: The player's proximity or movement. Bombs can be stuck to walls or the floor, in chests, and in vending machines. The bombs can be disarmed via a minigame . Melee combat is designed only to create distance between the player and enemies, although the player can instantly kill some unaware enemies after sneaking behind them. Enemies that are downed or incapacitated are capable of reviving; to avoid this, players may set fire to

11328-438: The player's view. Also, many survival horror games make use of off-screen sound or other warning cues to notify the player of impending danger. This feedback assists the player, but also creates feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. Games typically feature a variety of monsters with unique behavior patterns. Enemies can appear unexpectedly or suddenly, and levels are often designed with scripted sequences where enemies drop from

11446-441: The protagonist endures a confrontation with the ultimate antagonist. Another major influence on the genre is Japanese horror , including classical Noh theatre , the books of Edogawa Rampo , and Japanese cinema . The survival horror genre largely draws from both Western (mainly American ) and Asian (mainly Japanese ) traditions, with the Western approach to horror generally favoring action -oriented visceral horror while

11564-422: The release of Square 's Parasite Eve , which combined elements from Resident Evil with the RPG gameplay of Final Fantasy . It was followed by a more action-based sequel, Parasite Eve II , in 1999. In 1998, Galerians discarded the use of guns in favour of psychic powers that make it difficult to fight more than one enemy at a time. Also in 1998, Blue Stinger was a fully 3D survival horror game for

11682-420: The release of another early horror game, Bandai 's Terror House , based on traditional Japanese horror, released as a Bandai LCD Solarpower handheld game . It was a solar-powered game with two LCD panels on top of each other to enable impressive scene changes and early pseudo-3D effects. The amount of ambient light the game received also had an effect on the gaming experience. Another early example of

11800-569: The role of a killer and four others play as survivors. The game is also notable for featuring multiple characters from other survival horror franchises, such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill . Other examples which use similar one versus four gameplay include Friday the 13th: The Game , VHS , Evil Dead: The Game , and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre . The Resident Evil series abandoned its action-oriented direction beginning with 2017's Resident Evil 7: Biohazard . The game utilizes

11918-616: The ship, and if certain required items are not available in the warehouse, the player is unable to escape and eventually has no choice but to be caught and killed by the alien. Another early example is the 1982 Atari 2600 game Haunted House . Gameplay is typical of future survival horror titles, as it emphasizes puzzle-solving and evasive action, rather than violence. The game uses creatures commonly featured in horror fiction, such as bats and ghosts, each of which has unique behaviors. Gameplay also incorporates item collection and inventory management, along with areas that are inaccessible until

12036-412: The story of Ruvik, born Ruben Victoriano, through various memories that Ruvik places him in. Ruben was an intellectually gifted but mentally unstable child, and was close to his sister, Laura. While playing in a barn on their family's estate, Laura was killed, and Ruben was severely burned after the barn was set on fire by some farmers as an act of revenge against their parents. Due to his disfigurement from

12154-428: The successful formula seen in Resident Evil , and every subsequent survival horror game has arguably taken a stance in relation to it. The success of Resident Evil in 1996 was responsible for its formula being used as the basis for a wave of successful survival horror games, many of which were referred to as " Resident Evil clones." The golden age of survival horror started by Resident Evil reached its peak around

12272-414: The successful sequel Resident Evil 2 , which series creator Shinji Mikami intended to tap into the classic notion of horror as "the ordinary made strange". Rather than setting the game in a creepy mansion no one would visit, he wanted to use familiar urban settings transformed by the chaos of a viral outbreak. The game sold over five million copies, proving the popularity of survival horror. That year saw

12390-440: The survival horror formula. The Thing from 2002 has been called a survival horror game, although it is distinct from other titles in the genre due to its emphasis on action, and the challenge of holding a team together. The 2004 title Doom 3 is sometimes categorized as survival horror, although it is considered an Americanized take on the genre due to the player's ability to directly confront monsters with weaponry. Thus, it

12508-417: The survival horror game can be traced back to earlier horror fiction novels. Archetypes have been linked to the books of H. P. Lovecraft , which include investigative narratives, or journeys through the depths. Comparisons have been made between Lovecraft's Great Old Ones and the boss encounters seen in many survival horror games. Themes of survival have also been traced to the slasher film subgenre, where

12626-490: The survival horror genre. Despite this, it is not likely a direct influence on later games in the genre and the similarities are largely an example of parallel thinking . In 1992, Infogrames released Alone in the Dark , which has been considered a forefather of the genre. The game featured a lone protagonist against hordes of monsters, and made use of traditional adventure game challenges such as puzzle-solving and finding hidden keys to new areas. Graphically, Alone in

12744-637: The time. Splatterhouse in particular is notable for its large amount of bloodshed and terror, despite being an arcade beat 'em up with very little emphasis on survival. Shiryou Sensen: War of the Dead , a 1987 title developed by Fun Factory and published by Victor Music Industries for the MSX2 , PC-88 and PC Engine platforms, is considered the first true survival horror game by Kevin Gifford (of GamePro and 1UP ) and John Szczepaniak (of Retro Gamer and The Escapist ). Designed by Katsuya Iwamoto,

12862-481: The turn of the millennium with Silent Hill , followed by a general decline a few years later. Among the Resident Evil clones at the time, there were several survival horror titles that stood out, such as Clock Tower (1996) and Clock Tower II: The Struggle Within (1998) for the PlayStation. These Clock Tower games proved to be hits, capitalizing on the success of Resident Evil while staying true to

12980-512: The upgrades. Players have a safe house called 'Safe Haven' that can be accessed during scripted events and by finding bright glowing mirrors. The safe house is a mental hospital and has several accessible areas such as a save point , an upgrade room (where the player may upgrade Sebastian's skills), and the safe room where keys are used to open storage safes which contain useful items such as green gel and ammunition. These keys are collected by finding and breaking 'Madonna' statues hidden throughout

13098-416: The way they treated him. Reaching at the terminal, she is led back to Krimson City and goes through the police department, where she sees memories of Sebastian and Joseph and begins feeling sympathy for the former. Heading back towards Beacon Mental Hospital, she meets up with Sebastian who gets turned into a Haunted by Ruvik but manages to save him and find Leslie. The Administrator chases her until she gets to

13216-540: Was a demand for one, he felt compelled to respond. The other reason was because he believed that contemporary horror games relied more on action than survival. The game was announced in April 2013. Believing that the tropes of the survival horror had become predictable over time, the design deliberately attempts to make the player feel powerless by taking place in confined spaces, limiting ammunition, and presenting near-invincible enemies that promote running and hiding over engaging in combat. Art director Naoki Katakai said that

13334-420: Was a survival horror game that employed point-and-click graphic adventure gameplay and a deadly stalker known as Scissorman that chases players throughout the game. The game introduced stealth game elements, and was unique for its lack of combat, with the player only able to run away or outsmart Scissorman in order to survive. It features up to nine different possible endings. The term "survival horror"

13452-583: Was first used by Capcom to market their 1996 release, Resident Evil . It began as a remake of Sweet Home , borrowing various elements from the game, such as its mansion setting, puzzles, "opening door" load screen, death animations, multiple endings depending on which characters survive, dual character paths, individual character skills, limited item management, story told through diary entries and frescos, emphasis on atmosphere, and horrific imagery. Resident Evil also adopted several features seen in Alone in

13570-644: Was first used for the original Japanese release of Resident Evil in 1996, which was influenced by earlier games with a horror theme such as 1989's Sweet Home and 1992's Alone in the Dark . The name has been used since then for games with similar gameplay and has been retroactively applied to earlier titles. Starting with the release of Resident Evil 4 in 2005, the genre began to incorporate more features from action games and more traditional first person and third-person shooter games. This has led game journalists to question whether long-standing survival horror franchises and more recent franchises have abandoned

13688-475: Was followed by a sequel in 2020. Shinji Mikami , the creator of the Resident Evil franchise, released his new survival horror game The Evil Within , in 2014. Mikami stated that his goal was to bring survival horror back to its roots as he was disappointed by recent survival horror games for having too much action. That same year, Alien: Isolation , developed by Creative Assembly and based on

13806-471: Was praised for both its atmospheric tension and fast action, successfully combining Japanese horror with cinematic action, while Dead Space from 2008 brought survival horror to a science fiction setting. However, critics argue that these titles represent the continuing trend away from pure survival horror and towards general action. The release of Left 4 Dead in 2008 helped popularize cooperative multiplayer among survival horror games, although it

13924-415: Was released in October 2017. The single-player story is arranged in 15 chapters, which players complete in order to progress through the story. The game is played from a third-person perspective in which scavenging for supplies and learning when to fight or run are key factors in surviving the dangers of the game. Such dangers include: bear traps, barbed wire traps, bombs, and spike traps; 'The Haunted',

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