Parents' Guide to

The Evil Within

By Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Extremely gory and scary adventure challenges mature gamers.

Game PlayStation 3 , PlayStation 4 , Windows , Xbox 360 , Xbox One 2014
The Evil Within Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • The Evil Within Game: Screenshot #1
  • The Evil Within Game: Screenshot #2
  • The Evil Within Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 15 parent reviews

Adam M.
Adam M. Adult
February 23, 2023
age 18+

This game is absolute nightmare fuel and is only suitable for adults.

The Evil Within is an incredibly tense "survival horror" game with an emphasis on gore and gratuitous violence. The game is terrifying - often in a stressful way - and there's no way young kids should play it. There is a story, but it's bewildering and involves sadism and mental cruelty, with references to psychosis, suicide, self-harm, murder, arson and the deaths of children. The monsters and the environments are nightmarish. The very first enemy you encounter is a grunting, bellowing nutcase with a chainsaw called The Sadist. The most infamous boss is a spider-like woman who bursts screaming from the floor and pursues you throughout several levels. The weakest enemies are insane former humans with blades and barbed wire in their flesh. All death sequences, yours and the enemy's, are graphic. The Evil Within is one for mature players with robust mental health who can tolerate extremely stressful situations, enjoy very high difficulty levels and aren't put off by excessive violence.

This title has:

Too much violence
yeet_10101
yeet_10101 Adult
December 24, 2018
age 14+

Very Gory

This game is obviously gory, but is displayed in an animated style. It is not as extreme as some games. but could scare a lot of people. The game is amazing overall and if you aren't scared, then just be aware of the mindless violence.
See all 15 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Conceived and developed by Shinji Mikami -- creator of the iconic Resident Evil series -- and the team at Tokyo's Tango Gameworks, THE EVIL WITHIN is a creepy, gory "survival horror" game about a young detective who investigates strange happenings in a psychiatric hospital. A distress call is sent to the police about a mass murder on the premises, and, sure enough, Det. Sebastian Castellanos finds dismembered corpses, bloodstained walls, and an evil presence still roaming through the corridors and rooms. Worst of all, he can't get out. Using limited weapons and the environment, gamers must stay alive long enough to evade (or attack) these hellish creatures and escape from the hospital. The third-person single-player game challenges players to figure out a way to escape, which isn't easy, as there are enemies, traps, and other obstacles at every turn.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (15 ):
Kids say (17 ):

Despite a few random issues -- some long load times, a lead character with no personality whatsoever, and lip-syncing that doesn't match and breaks the suspension of disbelief (probably because the game was ported from the Japanese version, called Psycho Break) -- The Evil Within is a chilling, thrilling adventure. Fans of survival horror will appreciate this game's challenging scenarios, such as being chased by someone who wants to trap you in a cage, hiding in a locker as someone tears apart a room with a chainsaw, or sneaking past a butcher chopping up body parts. Ammo for your weapons is scarce, which adds to the tension. The high-resolution graphics, smart lighting techniques, and creepy atmosphere nicely add to the fright, even if many of the levels are linear in design.

Though it's not perfect, those who love survival horror games will be happy to know that The Evil Within was worth the wait; the genre is alive and well in this gory offering from Mikami-san. It's definitely something for mature gamers to play with the lights off and speakers cranked. But it's unquestionably not for kids.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what makes The Evil Within scary. Is it the gore? The limited ammo? The fear of the unknown? The psychiatric hospital setting? Why is it sometimes fun to be scared?

  • Talk about video game violence. Why do you think it appeals to gamers? How can players make sure that behavior exhibited in video games doesn't roll over into real life?

Game Details

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