The Evil Within
The Evil Within
Game
Game2017
The Evil Within 2
Developer Tango Gameworks
The Evil Within 2 is a 2017 survival horror game developed by Tango Gameworks and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is the sequel to 2014's The Evil Within. The Evil Within 2 was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in October 2017. The game received generally positive reviews from critics; like its predecessor, it received praise for its visuals, atmosphere and gameplay, but received some… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
352 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
82
LovedLoved
208 positive · 46 negative
95% range 77–86%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 208 | 46 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 33 | 3 | 55 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 6 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
8,756 of 9,639 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
84% recommend · 183 yes, 36 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 219 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (28,626 of 31,100 positive).
Many players find The Evil Within 2 a significant improvement over the first game, praising its gameplay and open-world design. [1][2][3] Some reviewers lament the loss of the original's horror atmosphere and claustrophobic tension. [4][5][6] Several posters express disappointment that the series was discontinued after this entry. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [6]
I don't know if I am CRAZY for thinking this game is just a mediocre version of the first game, because the reviews of critics and players say otherwise. I will say the first game has a distinct grit and atmosphere that the sequel doesn't do well on. Instead of claustrophobic corridors of bloodied grit and gore, this game's attempt of the open world genre falls flat due to the main map being a VERY bright and open …
- [1]
Doesn't give me the same horror vibe as the first one did but i overall enjoy this one more, the gameplay is allot better imo. You can play this without playing the first one but i still highly reccommend the first one.
- [4]
Well, compared to the first game, this game lost all of the horror aspects. No, i'm serious. Like, in the first game, you'll mostly feel scared and trapped (mostly because of the map's design itself or by how dark the environment is). This game is more focused on the action and stealthy aspect (seriously. I can save tons of ammo for the last fight because i always do stealth kills on normal enemies). The point is, …
- [10]
Pretty good. In fact, it's fantastic! So much better than the first game, from the tighter controls to the more open-ended gameplay. Combat feels much more satisfying as well. A shame the matches had to go but weapons have much more oomph to them and headshots are killing floor levels of satisfying. I'm glad Sebastian is actually involved within the narrative this time too. It's a shame this game wasn't the one to …
- [3]
A truly surprising horror gem that completely went under the radar. The Evil Within 2 is a great improvement over the obnoxious original installment. I believe the big reason why this sequel didn't sell well, is because the original game was infamous. When the sequel arrived people weren't excited to revisit the universe again. The sequel is what the original game should have been. An open world, stealth horror …
Summarised from 34 of the 304 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 10, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked The Evil Within 2 talk about gameplay is smoother and more satisfying than the first game; those who didn't talk about less scary and horror-focused than the first game. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
The Evil Within 2 received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. Ray Porreca's score of 7/10 on Destructoid said it was "Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun." Mollie L Patterson said in Electronic Gaming Monthly: "Though I never expected to ever see a sequel to The Evil Within, we've now gotten one, and I'm rather glad that we did. While The Evil Within 2 isn't without problems—and I'm not sure it's the kind of game I'll ever want to play through a second time—by the time the final credits rolled, I had legitimately enjoyed the adventure I'd just gone on, and the…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 352 · most liked first'I should finally play The Evil Within 2' I says to myself. 'I've never played it before.' Installs game. Boots game. Sees 'New Game Plus' option. Hmmm. Oh. I have a save file that shows I finished the game. In 2021. Yep, don't remember doing that at all I'm fine everything's fine. Just fine.
neutral · AI labelView post →3. The Evil Within 2 I've got a lot of love for the Evil Within games, the first game wasn't amazing, but it was one of the first modern Survival Horror games I really loved since the PS1 era. The second was a big improvement, and will always stick with me.
positive · AI labelView post →It’s strange that such a solid game never got a sequel -- abandoned, while Resident Evil, the true G.O.A.T., keeps coming out regularly.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☐ Beautiful ☑ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☐ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☐ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check if you can run paint ☐ Potato ☑ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer ---{…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Something The Sinking City 2 reminded me of a little, was The Evil Within 2. That game had a sort of mini open-world, a town location you traversed and visited more linear sections, and this does something similar; We have a little boat with which we explore and travel to and from set locations.
neutral · AI labelView post →The Evil Within 2 - A Hidden Masterpiece Crippled by PATHETIC Human Dialogue Status: Completed after Resident Evil Requiem Verdict: Fuller. Deeper. And yet… STILL HELD BACK. Ohhh, how it pains me to admit this… This is the superior game. Yes. YES. You heard me. More freedom! More systems! More actual gasmeplay!! Not some pathetic, hand-holding corridor crawl designed for weak-minded flesh creatures! This… this is a hunting ground worthy of MY attention! WHAT THIS GAME…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Doesn't give me the same horror vibe as the first one did but i overall enjoy this one more, the gameplay is allot better imo. You can play this without playing the first one but i still highly reccommend the first one.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Microsoft would pump out dozens of awful brainless games before doing anything with this studio and series. How you going to shut down a horror based series made by the Don of survival horror? Sold the team to another developer and it seems only Hi-Fi Rush ip was sold to them. Rest in peace king
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Evil Within 2 is a psychological horror game, but it’s also a very specific kind of domestic drama: a story about a father who goes to literal hell because everyone keeps telling him it’s his fault. Sebastian Castellanos returns, older, sadder, and somehow still employed. He is informed that his daughter Lily is alive, trapped inside a nightmare simulation built from broken minds. His response is immediate and correct: grab a gun, enter the madness. Because he is, genuinely, a good…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just give the creators of this game a round of applause! They worked on the mistakes that were in the first part and added many new and useful features. They changed everything that was wrong in the first part. They deserve our attention, and you simply must play this masterpiece. The developers' hard work was not in vain, right? Overall, I want to say that the game has a very interesting plot and exciting battles. There are some moments when the main character gets stuck in walls or monsters…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well, compared to the first game, this game lost all of the horror aspects. No, i'm serious. Like, in the first game, you'll mostly feel scared and trapped (mostly because of the map's design itself or by how dark the environment is). This game is more focused on the action and stealthy aspect (seriously. I can save tons of ammo for the last fight because i always do stealth kills on normal enemies). The point is, if you want more action, this is perfect. If you want the horrors, the first one…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is so special to my heart - it's one of my first "serious" solo speedruns. I've speedran this game for 6+ years on and off, and it's one of the games I genuinely enjoy speedrunning at any point. And after 5+ years of submitting this, The Evil Within 2 will be at SGDQ26 <3
positive · AI labelView post →I have spent over 2 weeks completing the entirety of the Evil Within 1. I was compelled by the amazing and extremely unnverving artstyle, crude, very difficult and unforgiving combat, and the compelling, and a rather simple story which did a very cool nick where it left everything beside notes to the player's imagination. And also definetely the great horror elements which made the game feel like a really good psychological/japanese horror where you feel isolated and helpless throughout most of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Best game ever its diffrent and a classic in all horror games." I wish the company didnt go broke otherwise we would have a part 3 arround this year." I will add this. Money was the issue and the problem is Micorsoft (like allways) they own the rights to the game and Tango Gameworks was cut off from the funding. But i have heard rumors that the Team was planing it come out soon and they did work on TEW 3 in the background.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For all you horror gamers, VIDEO GAME OF THE YEAR has a lengthy chapter on Resident Evil 4 along with extra essays on Silent Hill 2, Soma, The Evil Within 2, and more... Buy the book! It's better than full-size Halloween candy linktr.ee/jordanwminor
neutral · AI labelView post →I couldn't shake the feeling that this was some kind of open world game. Although it's not exactly open world ? The Union feels more like the mansion from RE1 or the police station from RE2. I would have liked an approach like the first game On the one hand it's an open world you run around and collect all sorts of loot and there are even side quests and some are nothingburgers, while others are bangers. There's still a certain vibe that game has, but it feels that the goat Mikami didn't…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sometimes I think about The Evil Within 2 and I get sad, because it didn't sell well at all (despite being great!) and they seemingly dropped DLC plans for it. The game has a few characters that set up clear DLC plot hooks too. At least the ending (horror stinger aside) is very definitive.
positive · AI labelView post →One of the greatest survival horror games ever created, period! Evil within 3 would be fire, if we ever get it in the future.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Evil Within 2! One GREAT horror game!
positive · AI labelView post →Its a wrap just finished The Evil Within 2!! Overall i really enjoyed both the first game nailed the brutal horror vibe, but the sequel completely leveled up the story, exploration, and gameplay mechanics. Sebastian’s journey through Union made every moment count. My rating 9/10! 🎮🔥
positive · AI labelView post →This is another one of those games which are good if we look at them by themselves, and... moot if we compare them to the earlier game. This is the issue with Steam's recommendation system: would I recommend it? Yeah. Do I think this game deserves a bit of backlash for the direction it took after the first game? Absolutely, and I'll explain more about it later. But Steam will just turn all of that into a statistic based on whether people recommend the game or not. So. The Evil Within 2 is a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This week's schedule✨ ✧ I just love games with stories that will emotionally destroy me😌so Thursday, we're playing a game called Neva! ✧ Friday, we're continuing The Evil Within 2! I need more of that green goop injected in my brain.. twitch.tv/0ji_vt
neutral · AI labelView post →This week's schedule✨ ✧ it's taken me unbelievably long to play the sequel to my favorite game of all time, but we're finally playing The Evil Within 2 on Friday! ✧ Saturday, we're romancing??? some spooky guys in Homicipher! twitch.tv/0ji_vt
neutral · AI labelView post →Pretty good. In fact, it's fantastic! So much better than the first game, from the tighter controls to the more open-ended gameplay. Combat feels much more satisfying as well. A shame the matches had to go but weapons have much more oomph to them and headshots are killing floor levels of satisfying. I'm glad Sebastian is actually involved within the narrative this time too. It's a shame this game wasn't the one to receive any DLC.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am sort of curious to see how many of the positive reviews have played the original Evil Within. This game is nothing like the original and it suffers for it. Exposition is forced on you, theres several plot holes that make no sense, and actually at times the story feels like its just making it up as it goes. I dont know. I remember liking this one a fair amount when it first came out 8 years ago, but this most recent revisit has made me do a complete 180 on it. If you like open world zombie…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Happy National Video Games day everyone! I've seen the trend going round of everyone's top 3, but since I have my top 10 games pinned on my page, here are some games I love that I dont talk about much: Super Mario Sunshine Tinykin Croc 2 Planet Coaster Overcooked 2 The Evil Within 2 Rain Fear 2
neutral · AI labelView post →I like the story and the world as such, but... that's about it on the positive side. The gameplay is too unwieldy and not enough fun. You aim like you've just downed 3 bottles of Jack Daniels and are trying to hit a randomly swaying target that can eat 10 bullets to the chest and 2 or more in the head. Stealth is way too finicky and uncertain with how slow you crawl around and how random the behaviour of the zombies is. Melee is a disaster, you can knife a rotting zombie 15 times straight…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Intro: The 4K cutscenes + skip intro mod are mandatory. At first the game felt weirdly stuttery even though it was showing 144 FPS. This guide fixed it for me: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2891256428 This game gave me a lot of mixed feelings, so I'll try to list everything. Cons: - I don't like the new voice actors. Overall, as the game goes on, you kinda stop caring, but for example Sebastian's voice actor can only really pull off those suffering, miserable…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My god is this game such a visual improvement over the first game. I don’t know if it’s because I was used to the visuals and cinematic of the first game, but this one is such eye candy comparatively speaking. If you have played the first game, welcome back, if you haven’t, you have more neurons that I. Overall, this game removes the majority of the jank that would cause you to die in the first game, making this a much better experience. The open world format that changes as you go along with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ok, next game choices, since I'm still not feeling a super long JRPG: The Evil Within 2 Devil May Cry 5 God of War Ragnarok Star Wars Jedi Survivor Final Fantasy XV Mass Effect Legendary Edition
neutral · AI labelView post →I really enjoyed my time with the game. The gameplay is quite satisfying and the ending emotional. I'm really sad there won't be a third game in this franchise...
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The gameplay strikes a stronger balance between action and survival. Resource management remains important, but combat feels smoother and more responsive, allowing for multiple playstyles such as stealth, careful planning, or direct confrontation. Enemy encounters stay tense, and the improved controls make every decision feel impactful.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I booted up The Evil Within 2 expecting spooky monsters and psychological horror…What I did not expect was to spend 20+ hours aggressively simping for a traumatized dad with killer cheekbones and a gore-obsessed art twink who speaks like he’s auditioning for the world’s bloodiest Vogue photoshoot. Sebastian Castellanos could growl “STEM” in my general direction and I would evaporate on the spot. Every time this man staggered around all sweaty, groaning, bleeding, and emotionally devastated I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't know if I am CRAZY for thinking this game is just a mediocre version of the first game, because the reviews of critics and players say otherwise. I will say the first game has a distinct grit and atmosphere that the sequel doesn't do well on. Instead of claustrophobic corridors of bloodied grit and gore, this game's attempt of the open world genre falls flat due to the main map being a VERY bright and open spaced map. This not only takes away from the fear factor, but ruins what the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Evil within 2 is a really good game but it is a shame that it doesn't continue with the story from the first game with Ruvik, this is more about Sebastian and his daughter, You are not missing much if you never played the first Evil within, you can just play this one just fine, it has it's own story. The gameplay is so much better compared to the first game but it doesn't have a dodge mechanic for some reason, it has a skill tree but it doesn't do much in my opinion maybe for stealth…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Happy Raptor Day! 🦖good luck to everyone who wants to get mauled by a raptor today or whatever. Mog and I went for a nice walk tho. We're gonna beat The Evil Within 2 tonight and then start the dino game Oakwood 🦖 Twitch.tv/OceanH2 🏳️🌈
neutral · AI labelView post →Should finish SH2 this weekend. I was gonna play RE3 and The Evil Within 2 afterwards, but I think Silent Hill has drained me so much, I need a game with color and sincerity again
neutral · AI labelView post →💔The first part of the game is certainly more interesting in terms of atmosphere and story, but this is a decent sequel too—and most importantly, they improved the game mechanics💔 💔It’s a pity that the chances of a third part being released are negligible. I would be interested to find out what Ruvik is doing, since he made it into the real world in the first part💔 💔After playing through two parts of this game, I realized that a sequel is necessary because many questions remain unanswered💔
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game, lots of fun sneaking around shooting freakos in the head and is genuinely scary af at times
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love this thing, even if I can recognise it has some flaws. The main thing to take away from this game is that it goes for different things than the first game did. For example, I didn't miss the "Grey" that defined the first games environments. This game does not try to recreate every aspect of the first, and I think that's a good thing. The Good The environments on display here are absolutely gorgeous, with great use of color, particularly early game. This has some of the best…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →6/29 - 7/5 Stream Schedule ✨ All times are listed for PDT or UTC -7 This week I will be playing Meccha Chameleon with chat! Playing We Escaped a Twisted Game with Masamaki! (https://www.youtube.com/@Masamaki21) Trying Waterpark Simulator and continuing The Evil Within 2 and Forza Horizon 6!
neutral · AI labelView post →The influences of Silent Hill and Resident Evil (4 onward) on this game are inherent to it, in that they berth it's only redeeming qualities. I regret that Steam only allows me to say "yes" or "no" in my review, as the majority of games are not good or bad but merely mediocre, and it is a great weight on my heart to sentence The Evil Within 2 to a "no". This is a 5/10, but I can't recommend it. So, it is a "NO" Now, prepare for a meandering review of The Evil Within 2: The combat is mediocre,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A truly surprising horror gem that completely went under the radar. The Evil Within 2 is a great improvement over the obnoxious original installment. I believe the big reason why this sequel didn't sell well, is because the original game was infamous. When the sequel arrived people weren't excited to revisit the universe again. The sequel is what the original game should have been. An open world, stealth horror game. Evil Within 2 embraces stealth horror, expands the lore in a very…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It wasn't as good as the first game, but it wasn't that bad.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I started playing The Evil Within 2 after a good many years since I've played it (I think around 4 or 5 years something along those lines). I adore the game its so awesome, and the main character is gorgeous I just needed to get that out there lmao thanks for listening #Art #OC #3D
positive · AI labelView post →Alan Wake 2 feels like a game from a parallel universe where The Evil Within 2 was the most popular survival horror game of the decade and Resident Evil never had the resurgence. Much as I love those recent RE games, this is a dispatch from a better world.
positive · AI labelView post →ABSOLUTE VIDEO GAME, BETHESDA GIVE US TANGO GAMEWORKS BACK YOU CHARLATANS. Do NOT fool yourself, this is NO B team, this game rubs shoulders with the big boys, silent hill, resident evil and dead space (rip), TEW2 goes in an entirely different direction than the first and boy they did amazing, it's a survival horror with a semi open world and a really good crafting system, it has SUCH a strong story about family (a lot of horror games are about fathers going to hell for their families what's…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game #48: The Evil Within 2, is done Improving upon its predecessor’s gameplay, Evil Within 2 combines fright, gunplay and intensity for a truly great entry, even if its story, antagonist and atmosphere do not match the same levels that 1 had
positive · AI labelView post →i give this game a big thumbs up and an apple pie with cup of black coffee
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great PS4 era classic, only play if you are okay with the fact the 3rd game was forgotten about and will never see the light of day. :(
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fantastic sequel. Amazing psychological horror. Simply another masterpiece from Tango Gameworks. MY SCORE: 8.5/10 A great sequel that is definitely worth playing but it doesn't have the spark and horror DNA like its predecessor. The story is all over the place. I have the feeling that they put at least 80% of what was written on their idea board into the game. There were so many twists, turns, questionable things that I could not entirely follow. It had elements of a HORROR THRILLER,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A great sequel; the improved gameplay and the shift to an open-world style make it a significant step up from its predecessor.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Evil Within 2 builds on the original with a more refined take on survival horror, adding some cool semi-open world sections that make exploring a lot more fun. It still delivers creepy moments and intense encounters, keeping that tense horror vibe alive. The gameplay feels smoother overall, but the story doesn’t always land and can be a bit all over the place. Even so, it’s a solid follow-up that’s worth checking out if you liked the first or just want a good scare.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bad Inside Again 🟢A direct sequel to the previous game, you play as an Ex-Cop now - Sebastian - and you need to save your "actually alive now" daughter (Sam Fisher moment). On your way you will encounter various horrors such as: -Pedophiles -Sectants -Toxic Mothers -Bureaucrats -And I guess some zombies and ghosts Jokes aside, the storytelling is good, it has its Ups and Downs, but its inferiour to the previous game since you actually know now why all of this is happening, so you cant be…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Post 3 Media for Spooky Month, Tag 5 Scary Movie: The Thing Scary Video Game: The Evil Within 2 Heavy Metal Song: Bite Me by AJ DiSpirito ft. Zephyrianna
neutral · AI labelView post →I feel like a fool not playing The Evil Within 2 sooner. I enjoyed it so much.
positive · AI labelView post →Was not expecting to finish this game tonight but either way that was the end of The Evil Within 2! Overall, gonna be honest, better than the first game. Game even made me deadass cry at the end. We ended up raiding @axipom.bsky.social afterwards!
positive · AI labelView post →Good morning adventurers! Today I (Chusi) will be continuing FearFest with "The Evil Within 2". I've heard many good things about this game around the tavern! I look forward to playing it in about 2 hours! 9am EST! #vsky | 🐉 | #vtuber | 🏹 | #envtuber | 🍺 |
neutral · AI labelView post →This is going to be a spoiler-free review for The Evil Within 2 with some minor spoilers for The Evil Within 1, so if you haven't played the first game, please don't read this. I will write my review comparing this game to its predecessor, as I see quite often that other reviews try to level down this game by doing that. I will try to do it more justice and have a fair comparison while also not focusing solely on comparison alone. Hope you enjoy! After the events of Beacon Mental Hospital,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of my favourite gags I’ve seen in a game is in The Evil Within 2 where one of the main characters says he’s not leaving a room because “it’s fucking evil out there” and then Sebastian goes “there’s Evil Within, too” and they both slowly turn to look at the camera
positive · AI labelView post →
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