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Pick your favorite The Evil Within case art, win a signed copy
Bethesda is polling fans to decide which alternate cover art should be bundled with Tango Gameworks' upcoming survival horror game The Evil Within, and ten copies of the game signed by director Shinji Mikami are up for grabs as a voting incentive. Voters can pick between the "Asylum" exterior shot, the ocular "Piercing Eye," or the limb-bending "Twisted" cover art. The winning design will be featured on the back side of The Evil Within's sleeve art, similar to BioShock Infinite's reversible cover. Voting ends on August 8. We've collected all three designs in the gallery below -- which one is your favorite? [Image: Bethesda]
The Evil Within pushed up to Oct. 14 for early scares
Sometimes fear sneaks up on you. News from QuakeCon – via the game's official Twitter account – reveals that The Evil Within, the upcoming horror game from Resident Evil mastermind Shinji Mikami, is now launching on October 14 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. The date shift brings the game forward in our calendar, a week earlier than the game's originally expected October 21 release date. The Evil Within, in development at the ZeniMax-owned studio Tango Gameworks, was originally set to scare gamers at the end of August before moving to October. Thankfully, the game won't arrive on October 7, which is already a terrifying date for everyone's wallet. [Image: Bethesda]
Japanese gamers can play The Evil Within unedited with 'Gore Mode' DLC
While the retail version of Bethesda's The Evil Within will hit Japan in a censored state compared to other regions, Japanese players will have the option of restoring the game to its full gory glory with add-on DLC available after launch, Famitsu reports (via Siliconera). Directed by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, The Evil Within is a survival horror game that puts players at the scene of a recent mass murder, alone and ill-equipped to handle lurking creatures. ZeniMax Asia general manger Tetsu Takahashi notes that an edited Japanese release will earn a lower CERO content rating, allowing it to reach a wider audience. "If we were to make it the same way as the foreign version, it'd be rated CERO Z [18 and up] and we felt that it'd be best to release it the way the creators make it," Takahashi said, via Siliconera's translation. "However, that would limit the sales and advertising, so we'd lose the opportunity to reach out to as many customers possible." Downloadable copies of The Evil Within will be split between CERO D (17 and up) and CERO Z versions at launch, while the Japanese retail release is CERO D-only. Japan's "Gore Mode DLC" will restore The Evil Within's violent content, which will remain uncensored in the North American retail release launching on October 21. [Image: Bethesda]
NOPEing out of The Evil Within
I wasn't overly impressed with The Evil Within when I saw it last year. It felt too copy/paste to me, too many familiar elements from too many familiar games. It all felt like more of the same, and while I could understand the desire to return to the roots of survival horror, I didn't enjoy it. It wasn't my jam. I wasn't scared. I'm scared now. I was given the option of choosing which of two sections I'd like to try out, and I opted for the one that focused more on exploration, story, and puzzle solving. I'd seen the combat in previous demos and knew the drill there, but I wanted to get a sense of the atmosphere the game had to offer. Scarce resources and the need to burn your enemies (to make absolutely, positively sure they stay dead after you put them down) is a fine basis for combat, but if The Evil Within wasn't creepy, I wasn't going to be interested.
The Evil Within needs two more months within the oven
The Evil Within is staying reclusive until October, after Bethesda announced new release dates for the Shinji Mikami game. Originally due to launch in late August, the asylum horror is now coming to North America on October 21, Australia on October 23, and Europe on October 24. A Bethesda statement reads, "Shinji Mikami and his team at Tango Gameworks have asked for additional time to further balance and refine the game in order to deliver the polished, terrifying pure survival horror experience they set out to create." To see that "pure survival horror experience" in action, check our our new preview in which we fight off zombies in a swimming pool of blood, and stick needles into the brainstems of detached heads that are still living. [Image: Bethesda Softworks]
Video preview: Taking a blood bath in The Evil Within
The above video preview potentially contains minor spoilers for The Evil Within. Watch at your own risk. In the underbelly of a rotting asylum, a generally unremarkable corridor shifts through the fabric of reality. Unfortunately, I'm in that corridor. So I look back for companions that were there a second ago but now are gone without trace. I realize I've no choice except to forge on, but when I do reality changes again, and I'm the other side of a door I didn't open. Mere seconds later, I'm wading through a basement that's literally overflowing with blood and guts. A minute after that a hooded spirit appears, opens his arms wide, and melts into a thousand little red spheres that slither into the crimson lake and awaken a small undead army. As the zombies advance on me in this swimming pool from hell, I try to reflect on how I got here. Wasn't it only a few minutes ago that I was leisurely exploring the grounds, gunning down the odd zombie here and there? How had that light stroll transformed into the river Styx so quickly?
The Evil Within unleashes a new gameplay trailer
Bethesda's latest gameplay trailer for The Evil Within has bits that remind us a teeny bit of the isolated, cult-based horror classic The Wicker Man, albeit in a mental hospital with rivers of blood, chained up trolls, and dudes in aprons wielding huge hammers ... wait, is that a safe on his head? Shinji Mikami's survival horror probably doesn't have much to do with The Wicker Man, but it's clear to see the influence from arguably his most revered work, Resident Evil 4. The game stars detective Sebastian Castellanos, who's sent along with other officers to check out a series of mysterious murders at the Beacon Mental Hospital. Sure enough, Seb's colleagues get massacred and our hero wakes up to find all manner of monstrosities roaming the halls of his new reality. And then Christopher Lee places him in a giant wicker statue and burns him alive while the islanders sing and rejoice - it could happen. The Evil Within bursts out of its shell on August 26 in North America and August 29 in Europe, and you'll be able to explore it for yourself then on Xbox One, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. In the meantime, check out our hands-off impressions following last year's reveal. [Image: Bethesda]
The Evil Within scares up August 26 launch date
The Evil Within will launch August 26 in North America and August 29 in Europe, Bethesda announced today. The latest from esteemed Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, The Evil Within will arrive on PC, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360 and PS3. The Evil Within casts players as Detective Sebastian Castellanos, who's investigating the scene of a mass-murder before being ambushed and knocked unconscious, waking to a deranged world full of gruesome creatures. The game was first announced in April 2013 and is developed by Tango Gameworks, a Japan-based division of ZeniMax Asia founded in March 2010 by Mikami. Our hands-off demo of the game at E3 2013 saw the immediate impact of Mikami's direction. [Image: Bethesda Softworks]
The Evil Within screens and gore galore
The Evil Within is looking downright sinister in these latest screenshots, courtesy of publisher Bethesda. Like, the kind of sinister where ghoul hands reach up from a mangled body and a dude dressed in butcher garb walks forward with an oversized meat tenderizer.
The Evil Within runs through darkened hallways at TGS 2013
The Evil Within makes an appearance at this year's Tokyo Game Show with trailer that is fittingly reminiscent of Japanese horror movies like The Grudge. While investigating a gruesome massacre, Detective Sebastian Castellanos makes a number of important discoveries. First, backup isn't coming. Second, there's almost always something behind you, and third, this building has way too many darkened, forgotten corridors for its own good. Horror fans will have a chance to discover what The Evil Within might be in 2014, when the game is expected to release on the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, and PC.
The (Resident) Evil Within
Shinji Mikami's creative influence on The Evil Within is immediately apparent. Mechanically, my brief hands-off E3 demo had a lot in common with Mikami's survival horror milestone, Resident Evil 4. The over-the-shoulder camera, slow pacing and pulse-quickening enemies were all there. That The Evil Within shares so much with Resident Evil 4 is a two-sided proposition. Resident Evil 4 was one of the greatest games of its day, but its ground has been retread many times by subsequent survival horror games over the years, and even by Mikami himself in Shadows of the Damned. Where The Evil Within seems to stake its greatest claim is in its visual and thematic elements. The game stars a detective named Sebastian – Seb to his friends – who is sent to investigate a disturbance at a mental hospital. An unknown event has claimed the lives of several patients and possibly a few police officers.%Gallery-191139%
Bethesda teases first concept of Mikami's 'Zwei,' explains what 'pure survival horror' means
After Tango Gameworks head and veteran game dev Shinji Mikami outed news on his current game, "Project Zwei," to Famitsu earlier this week, publisher Bethesda apparently decided to do its own big debut. In an email missive early this morning, Bethesda announced Mikami's project as "the realization of *pure* survival horror" (Bethesda's asterisks, not ours), and included a collage of various environments in Zwei, "that communicate the tone and direction that the production is taking."Mikami said true survival horror is a situation "in which the player confronts and overcomes fear." From that note, we can only assume that the Black Eyed Peas must play some role in Zwei. Mikami added, "I've found my focus and once again I'm striving for pure survival horror. I am being very hands-on in the development of this game to ensure that the quality is there. Rest assured."As reported earlier, the game is still in the initial stages of development (as evidenced by the collage of environments above). It's expected to launch on "HD consoles" at some point in 2013.
Resident Evil's Mikami welcomes Bethesda to the world of survival horror
Nope, it's not Billy Corgan's next group – "Project Zwei" is actually Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami's first project from his Bethesda Softworks-supported Tango Gameworks. The name (codename?) of Mikami's project was revealed to Famitsu in a recent interview (interpreted by Andriasang, via Sokuho), wherein Mikami says the game will be of the survival horror variety, drawing on his past work with the Resident Evil series.The interview also reveals that the game is still rather early in development – not entirely unexpected for a game not due for at least another year – and that Mikami is content in his relationship with Maryland-based publisher Bethesda Softworks.Little else is known about the title, with Mikami only saying that the game is intended for "HD consoles." As for the name? "Zwei" is tied to the German for "two," but Mikami says the name has no connection to the game's content.
Shinji Mikami's studio gets Skyrim shipment, may never get any work done now
Former Capcom superstar Shinji Mikami formed the development studio Tango last year, and it has yet to produce a tangible product -- and after this generous gift from sibling company Bethesda Game Studios, we shouldn't expect any progress for another year or so. Bethesda, part of the Zenimax Group with Tango, sent one Skyrim collector's edition for every employee at Mikami's studio, which, as we can see in the photo, is more than two. Tango is based in Tokyo, but Bethesda sent over English versions of Skyrim because there is no collector's edition for the Japanese version, and because people in countries that aren't the U.S. generally know more than one language. They call it globalization. Weird.
Zenimax trademark 'Dishonored' points to potential new game
Bethesda Softworks parent company Zenimax has filed for an extension of a trademark for a potential new game called Dishonored. System Link just found the trademark, which extends to a few domain registrations -- all signs point to this being an unannounced game right now. Everything else at this point is speculation, though we're fairly certain that Bethesda and id aren't involved -- both have Skyrim and Rage to worry about at present. Zenimax does own several other studios, however, including Machinegames Sweden AB, Tango Gameworks, Arkane Studios and Vir2L Studios, any of whom could be tapped for this project. Finally, let's not forget Zenimax Online Studios, the parent company's MMO developer formed in 2007 ... right around when the trademark was first filed. Coincidence?
Shinji Mikami talks about his life before games and after Capcom
Tango Gameworks head Shinji Mikami tends to be reticent in interviews, but he opened up to Famitsu in a recent talk (translated by 1UP), discussing abuse from his father, and how he ended up at a Capcom job fair mostly out of interest in free food. He also talked at length about his displeasure with moving into a producer role at Capcom after the first Resident Evil. "There was a time when I wanted to leave Capcom because of that," Mikami said. "I joined Capcom in order to create things, and I thought that going away from that would be counterproductive. It was hard, not being directly involved with the development process." Even so, it was with some reluctance that he took over directing for Resident Evil 4. "I had been a producer for eight years, and the moment I finally get a chance to return to development, it's on RE. That sure wasn't what I intended!" Discussing his future at Tango, he didn't put quite the sense of finality on his next game as he had in a previous interview with Famitsu. "Sooner or later, I'll have to shift my attention to raising new talent and handing the baton over to them. Joining the ZeniMax family puts me in a situation where I can leave the more boring details of that to other people. I'm trying not to expect too much, but I do feel that this is a chance for me to keep working in the front lines of development." [Image: Tango Gameworks]
Former Grasshopper composer, ex-Capcom staff join Mikami's Tango
Shinji Mikami is putting that Zenimax money to good use, adding three new members to his Tango Gameworks team. The biggest name among the new acquisitions is Masafumi Takada, former Grasshopper Manufacture composer, and the man behind the soundtracks for Killer 7, God Hand, No More Heroes, and recent Platinum Games releases Infinite Space and Vanquish. Environmental artist Naoki Katakai and programmer Shinichiro Ishikawa, both of whom worked on Resident Evil games with Mikami in the past, have also joined the team. You can read bios of all the new staffers, and see drawings of them with nosebleeds, here. Tango also opened an art blog, which currently features the grisly image seen above -- a possible first look at the studio's new game.
Mikami making AAA title for Bethesda, will be his last as director
In an interview with Famitsu (translated by 1UP), Shinji Mikami and Bethesda's Asia GM Tetsu Takahashi revealed that Tango Gameworks is already at work on a major, AAA title for Bethesda. "That's the only sort of title we're interested in," Takahashi explained. "Any such project is going to involve tens of millions of dollars either way, so instead of cutting dev time and features and hoping for a million copies sold, it's better to take your time, make something great and aim for five million instead. We believe that there's actually less risk when you do it that way." According to Mikami, this project will be his last as a director, though he intends to focus on running Tango after the (currently unannounced) game is complete. "I can only last for so long handling both director and company president duties," Mikami said, "and besides, I want to give our younger developers a chance." Bethesda knew of Mikami's intentions before its parent Zenimax acquired Tango, he insisted, and he was brought on with the understanding that he wouldn't be directing every game. That said, Mikami reassured that he would aim to put "all of my experience, my energy and everything else I've got into this game."
Shinji Mikami still working on Shadows of the Damned after Bethesda deal
Zenimax's acquisition of Tango Gameworks -- and therefore of Shinji Mikami -- won't affect his existing deal with EA Partners and Grasshopper Manufacture to make Shadows of the Damned. In a statement to Eurogamer, the new parent company said that "Shinji will serve as creative lead on the games developed at Tango Gamework[s] and will fulfil his remaining obligations to Grasshopper pursuant to their prior agreement." We wouldn't bet on Mikami continuing to freelance with other companies after the existing agreements have elapsed, which casts doubt on his contribution to a Vanquish sequel with Sega -- if one is ever approved. In addition to confirming his continued influence on Grasshopper's stylish shooter, the statement suggests that Tango Gameworks will continue to operate as a unit, rather than having its staff absorbed into Zenimax's Bethesda teams.
Shinji Mikami to develop games for Bethesda, as Zenimax acquires Tango
Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami isn't cooling his jets after completing work on the chaotic sci-fi shooter, Vanquish. Zenimax Media has acquired his Tango Gameworks studio in Tokyo and repositioned it as a division of Zenimax Asia. As creative lead at Tango, Shinji Mikami will oversee development of games for the Bethesda Softworks label. "It's refreshing to find a publisher who understands, trusts, and supports the development of blockbuster games and works to make it a collaborative effort," Mikami said of the announcement. "The library of AAA franchise titles ZeniMax owns speaks for itself. We are very excited to be joining ZeniMax and working with a company that is dedicated to creating the best games ever made." Shinji Mikami's games also speak for themselves, usually in gruff and scary voices. In a profile posted on the Tango website, Mikami described his goal as "making games from the viewpoint of the creator," and producing something that would "unify everyone's love of games around the world." With famous Japanese creators like Tomonobu Itagaki, Suda 51 -- and now Shinji Mikami -- forging deals with the likes of THQ, EA and Zenimax, it seems that a strong Western partner is becoming crucial in achieving that. [Image: Tango Gameworks]
