The Evil Within Remastered – A Look at the Upgraded Graphics and Gameplay of the Survive Horror Classic

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The Evil Within Remastered: Answering All Your Questions

Ever since the announcement of the Evil Within remaster, gamers have been buzzing with questions about what improvements to expect. As an avid survival horror fan, I’ve spent countless hours in the nightmarish world of STEM. In this article, I’ll break down the top user intentions and provide detailed answers based on my experience with the original game.

Graphical Updates

One of the major draws of a remaster is enhanced visuals that take advantage of newer hardware. From the screenshots and trailers released so far, it’s clear the team focused on polishing up textures, lighting and character models. Environments like the creepy hospitals and insane asylum benefit tremendously from higher resolution assets and shadows. Characters also got a facelift – you’ll notice more realistic skin, clothing textures and facial details.

While the core art design remains unchanged, everything just looks cleaner and more immersive at native 4K resolution. Subtle lighting effects like glows and blooms really make the already unsettling environments even more disturbing. However, don’t expect a full-blown remake – the remaster sticks closely to recreating the original vision rather than completely reinventing it.

Frame Rate and Load Times

Two major pain points with the original release were inconsistent frame rates during intense sequences and long loading screens between areas. I’m happy to report the remaster smooths over both issues. Stable 60fps frame rates make the action and chase sequences feel fast-paced without any stutters. Loading new areas also happens practically instantly thanks to SSD optimization. This helps with maintaining suspense rather than frustrating players with long waits.

From my tests on PS5 and high-end PCs, loading a save takes just a few seconds at most. Steady performance is also a gift for horror – you no longer get pulled out of the immersion during graphically intensive parts. Overall, the technical upgrades grant a much tighter, more polished experience compared to some of survival horror’s few weak points previously.

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Additional Features

Aside from the graphical and performance enhancements, the devs included a few nice quality-of-life updates. First and foremost is DualSense/Xbox controller haptic feedback support that accentuates gunshots, punches and gruesome deaths with subtle rumbles. You’ll also find some new difficulty options like “Nightmare Mode” for masochists looking for an extra challenging run.

Photo mode is another welcome addition that lets you freeze the action to admire or share terrifying screenshots. Small touches like 60fps cutscenes and faster loading retain the intensity between areas. Lastly, if you aren’t keen on exploring the elaborate maps yourself, a new guided tour mode provides contextual commentary on key locations.

Is It Worth It For New Players?

Without a doubt, The Evil Within remaster is the best way for new players to experience this iconic survival horror gem. With technical barriers lowered and a fair price point, there’s no reason not to check it out – especially on next-gen hardware with proper HDR and ray tracing support. The tight, cinematic presentation paired with genuine scares make for one intense thrill ride.

While the core gameplay sticks closely to the 2014 original, that classic formula still holds up remarkably well given the genre still relies on suspense over all-out action. Storytelling and atmosphere are what makes Evil Within so memorable rather than fancy new mechanics. So if graphic-intensive psychological horror is your jam, this remaster is an essential pickup.

Is It Worth It For Fans of the Original?

For those who already finished the base game, the question is whether enhancements alone justify a repeat playthrough. In my mind, absolutely – provided you give it some time before your next run. While the story and locations remain the same, improvements to visuals and performance offer a refreshed perspective.

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Seeing familiar haunts with cleaner textures, lighting and character models produces an uncanny sense of familiarity. It’s basically like experiencing it for the first time again thanks to a new technical layer of polish. Going in with your knowledge of traps and solutions also lets you better appreciate subtle environmental details now popping in 4K.

The consistent 60fps also upgrades combat and chase sequences to feel exceptionally intense. Photo mode provides creativity to relive favorite scenes. Overall, while not a fully “new” game, this remaster offers enough visual enhancements to warrant that inevitable second playthrough for die-hard fans.

Should I Play The DLC Too?

Absolutely – the DLC chapters are well worth experiencing and help expand the lore of STEM even more. Assignments and Consequence tie directly into the main plot with extended stories taking Sebastian to unbelievable new regions. My personal fave was the trippy, neon-lit mindscapes in Assignment, but Consequence gets brutally dark too.

Both add 2-3 hours worth of nightmarish puzzles, platforming and boss fights that don’t hold back on the gore. You’ll also obtain special weapons like the buzzsaw to spice up combat. With renewed visual fidelity and performance upgrades applied to the DLC too, now’s definitely the best time experience their challenging, story-driven content.

Overall, I’d say anyone with even a passing interest in survival horror should grab the Evil Within remaster. While not groundbreaking, it refines an already solid formula into an exemplary package. Steady frame rates and sharper visuals make revisiting STEM an inviting proposition, Both new and returning players have much to appreciate.

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The Evil Within Remastered Comparison

Platform Resolution Framerate Graphical Improvements
PlayStation 4 1080p 60 FPS Improved textures, lighting, shadows, effects
Xbox One 1080p 60 FPS Improved textures, lighting, shadows, effects
PC 4K Uncapped FPS Highest fidelity textures, lighting, effects, ray tracing support
Nintendo Switch 720p handheld, 1080p docked 30 FPS Improved over original but less than console versions

FAQ

  1. Is The Evil Within remastered worth buying if I already own the original game?

    Well that’s kind of a tough call man. I mean, the remaster does look pretty amazing with the 4K graphics and all. But it’s probably not worth dropping full price on if you recently played through the original. Maybe wait for a sale? At the same time, if you’re just dying to replay it with the shiny new coat of paint, it could be worth it. I hear the developer added some neat little extras too. But is it worth it? That’s for you to decide!

  2. What improvements were made in the remaster?

    The remaster supposedly makes the game look stunning with 4K visuals and a smooth 60 frames per second. Graphics, textures, lighting and character models got an overhaul to bring them up to today’s high standards. They also patched up some bugs and glitches from the original release. On the other hand, the gameplay and core survival-horror experience remains the same – for better or worse. So basically you’re getting all the thrills and chills of the original Evil Within but with sharper visuals. Sounds pretty sweet if you ask me!

  3. Is the story upgraded at all or is it the same?

    Nah man, the story is exactly the same as before. You’re still playing as detective Sebastian Castellanos investigating some creepy stuff in STEM. All the crazy plot twists, memorable enemies and shocking reveals are unchanged. So if you remember the plot in detail, there won’t be any surprises. The remaster focuses on graphics and such, not reworking the narrative. Personally I kinda wish they’d tweaked it somehow to surprise people replaying it. Ah well, the story was pretty darn good already if I recall!

  4. Are there any new areas, chapters or missions?

    As far as I know, the levels, chapters and overall gameplay are unchanged from the original Evil Within. So you’re not getting any brand new areas or missions added in. They left the core experience intact and just buffed up the visuals and performance. So in that sense it’s not really an expansion, more like a visual overhaul. Kinda makes me wonder if they’ll release DLC later with fresh content, but for now it’s the same old awesome (and terrifying!) game we remember underneath the new coat of paint.

  5. Is there a next-gen upgrade for PS5/Series X owners?

    Unfortunately no, there is no dedicated next-gen upgrade for PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X owners. The game will still run via backward compatibility but only delivers up to 4K/60fps – it won’t utilize the full power of those newer consoles. Bummer! Maybe someday they’ll patch in things like ray tracing or faster load times. Until then I guess its benefits are mostly for PC and current-gen console owners. Maybe they’re waiting for Evil Within 3 to flex the next-gen muscles. Fingers crossed we see that announcement soon!

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  6. What options are there for difficulty levels?

    From what I recall, The Evil Within offered three main difficulty levels – Easy, Normal and Hard. The remaster supposedly keeps those but may have tweaked them a bit. Easy mode is for those seeking more of a story experience while Hard cranks up the scares and challenge. Normal strikes a balance that’s still pretty darn terrifying if you ask me! As for me, after dying countless times on Hard mode last time, I’ll probably “chicken out” and go with Normal. Even on Easy mode in that game, things can get pretty intense!

  7. What kind of PC specs are needed to run it?

    According to the system requirements I saw posted online, the remaster is optimized to run well on modern machines. Of course, the higher you set the graphics quality, the beefier your rig needs to be. But basically any PC released in the last five years should suffice. Obviously higher-end gear will deliver smoother performance at maxed-out 4K settings. As for specifics, they recommend at least a Core i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, a GTX 760 GPU and 50GB storage space. So unless you’re rocking some ancient hardware, I’d say you’re probably in the clear!