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The Evil Within also within Europe on October 14
While the big hitters sometimes arrive on the same day worldwide, typically a game's release schedule sees it launch first in North America on Tuesday, then Europe and other PAL regions two or three days later. That was the case with Mikami horror The Evil Within, which was due to launch in Europe on October 16. For whatever reason - maybe the kindness of its heart, a lost bet, or a throw of the die on the craps table of marketing - Bethesda's decided to bump that up to October 14, matching the release date stateside. The new date applies to Europe, the Middle East, India and South Africa, as well as both physical and downloadable copies across PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Bethesda also points out the game's still coming to Australia and New Zealand on October 16 and Japan on October 23.
The Evil Within launching October 16 in Europe
Good news, survival horror fanatics of Europe: You won't have a long wait before The Evil Within scares the sweet bejeezus out of you. Bethesda announced today that Tango Gameworks' brain-bending gorefest will hit Europe, South Africa, India and the Middle East on October 14, arriving the same day as its scheduled North American release. Directed by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, The Evil Within traps players at the scene of a grisly mass murder, where they must carefully ration limited supplies in order to survive. Bethesda recently released an hour's worth of streamed gameplay footage if you want to mentally prepare yourself for what horrors await in the full retail version. The Evil Within will launch on October 16 in Australia, October 17 in New Zealand, and October 23 in Japan. [Image: Bethesda]
The Evil Within cast features Rorschach, Dexter's sister
The Evil Within's villain is voiced by a man with a sinister cinematic past: Jackie Earle Haley, the actor behind the mask of growling antihero Rorschach in the Watchmen film. Haley also played Freddie Kreuger in the 2010 A Nightmare on Elm Street remake, as well as the disturbing neighbor in 2006 drama Little Children. In short, the man can do dark. Starring alongside Haley in the Shinji Mikami horror is Jennifer Carpenter, who Dexter fans will recognize as Debra Morgan, the long-suffering sister of the serial-killer title character. Carpenter voices Judi Kidman, the junior detective partner of player protagonist Sebastian Castellanos, played by Hell on Wheels lead Anson Mount.
Watch one hour of The Evil Within, if you can
You couldn't make it to Gamescom to try out The Evil Within? No problem, because Bethesda put together an hour-long gameplay stream just for you. Provided you don't nope out of it, of course.
Gamescom Awards evolve, favor 2K's monstrous game
The votes are in, and the winner of the Gamescom 2014 Awards is ... *drumroll* Oh, you saw the headline and figured out the pun already? Well, you're right; it's Evolve, the 4v1 monster-on-human huntfest from Left 4 Dead developer Turtle Rock Studios. The game took home not only the award for "Best of Gamescom," but also the awards for "Best Console Game Microsoft Xbox," "Best PC Game," "Best Action Game" and "Best Online Multiplayer Game." Other highlights include Super Smash Bros. taking home the "Best Mobile Game" award for its 3DS iteration, while its console counterpart took home the "Most Wanted Consumer Award," a title that premiered at this year's ceremony. LittleBigPlanet 3 also won multiple awards, specifically the "Best Social / Casual / Online Game" award and the "Best Family Game" award. We're relatively sure that Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call won the award for "Best Simulation Game" due to its simulation of music, but we can pretend it won because it simulates being an adorable JRPG character singing along to catchy tunes, too. Check out the full list of winners after the break.
Be The Keeper in The Evil Within's Season Pass DLC
Bethesda announced today that it will offer a Season Pass for Tango Gameworks' upcoming survival horror game The Evil Within, bundling a selection of new playable missions split off from the game's core campaign. The game's first planned add-on allows players to assume control of The Keeper, an imposing (and presumably unfriendly) figure who wields a deadly axe throughout a mission-based mini-campaign. The Evil Within's second and third DLC packs will showcase a two-part story arc featuring co-star Juli Kidman in a playable role. The Evil Within's Season Pass will be available for $19.99. Pricing for individual DLC packs has not been announced. [Image: Bethesda]
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]
Trade blood for The Evil Within swag at QuakeCon
Quakecon attendees, don't forget to make sure your blood is topped off to participate in the American Red Cross blood drive for an official The Evil Within chill pack. "The Good Within Blood Drive" will take place at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas (the same location as the convention) on Friday, July 18 and Saturday, July 19. Those seeking to participate in the exsanguination can sign up in the Topaz room. You must be at least 17 years old and meet certain other requirements. QuakeCon 2014 will take place July 17 - 20 and participants can now enjoy the exclusive DOOM reveal with light-headed joy. [Image: Shutterstock]
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.
Joystiq Weekly: Battlefield Hardline, Watch Dogs review, Evil Within preview and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. With Sony upping PlayStation Plus to six games per month, we're pretty confident that the service is trying to ruin our lives. We're not obligated to tackle every single title, of course, but in the cycle of starting downloads for games "just in case" we ever feel an inkling to play them, we're losing track of which games we should feel guilty about not finishing and which games we should feel guilty about paying $60 for and not finishing. If not for the bills, assignments and the omnipresence of life's ever-ticking clock, we'd plop down in front of our TVs for a few years and knock out every game we ever felt intrigued by. To hell with "everything in moderation" - moderation wouldn't clear out our shelves of "yeah, maybe one day" RPGs, nor would it help us get the timing for our go-to Street Fighter combos down to the exact frame. Moderation is just a feeble admission that we can't control time (yet), and it ignores our potential to play all the video games, which we'll definitely get to. Eventually. Some day. Unfortunately, getting through every game we've ever wanted to play is still just a fantasy for now. Unless you find a way to break the laws of life's constants - if you do, you should totally let us know. We can do co-op or something. Until we reach that dream state, you can get a glimpse of Battlefield Hardline, read reviews for Watch Dogs and Among The Sleep, and dig into a neat feature on Watch Dogs that explains how legalities ruin everything. It's all waiting for you after the break!
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?
Bethesda under fire from barbed wire industry, reports The Onion
The Evil Within publisher Bethesda Softworks is under fire from the barbed wire lobby for its portrayal of the industry's spiked resource, The Onion has learned. Remember: The Onion. [Image: Bethesda]
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]
Wolfenstein art book launches in May, more from Bethesda to follow
Bethesda has partnered with print publisher Dark Horse Comics to produce a series of hardcover art books detailing the creation of Wolfenstein: The New Order, Dishonored, and The Evil Within. "The Art of Wolfenstein: The New Order," due in May, showcases concept art, characters designs, and developer commentary across 200 pages. "The Art of The Evil Within" will launch in August, while "Dishonored: The Dunwall Archives" will hit shelves in November. Series books retail for $39.99 each. "The Art of Wolfenstein: The New Order" is currently up for pre-order at Amazon for $25.88. [Image: Bethesda / Dark Horse Comics]
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 invites you to watch a lot of gameplay footage
We've got two videos worth checking out for anyone interested in Shinji Mikami's (Resident Evil) upcoming horror game, The Evil Within. The first is 12 minutes that gives a pretty solid sense of what the game is going to be like, with the second a 30-minute gameplay presentation from the Eurogamer Expo's developer session.
