Evil Within 2 review scores: Is PS4, Xbox One horror sequel the scariest game of the year?

The Evil Within 2 is out now on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

The horror sequel is said to place a greater emphasis on story and will feature larger areas that players are free to explore.

With the game in the hands of players, Express Online has rounded up a selection of Evil Within 2 review scores to see if it’s worth buying this weekend.

Check out the reviews and screenshot gallery below…

IGN – 8/10:“The Evil Within 2 gives you more options to play your way in a much bigger survival-horror playground than the original.

“Although a disjointed plot and weak protagonist make it slow to get started, being pursued through an intriguingly bizarre world by plentiful and disturbing monsters kept my palms sweaty and my heart in my throat thanks to a strict adherence to the most important survival horror rule: you should always be on the back foot.”

Eurogamer – No Score: “The original Evil Within was hailed as a sort of alternate-history exercise, a game from a timeline in which Shinji Mikami carried on working with Resident Evil after shipping the revolutionary fourth instalment, released when Resident Evil itself was deemed to be at low ebb.

“Though far from a deranged new breed of monster it was an intriguing mutation, blurring Resi 4’s pace and direction with the cerebral menace of a Silent Hill.

“The sequel is another curious outgrowth, but its changes and additions often feel more wayward than fascinating, and in key respects – the story, certain levels, those niggles in stealth and combat – it falls rather flat. Still, there are chills and spills enough here to sate most patrons of the bloody arts. Whether a third game is warranted at this point is another matter.”

GamesRadar – 3.5/5: “The Evil Within 2 doesn’t quite manage to step out of the first game’s shadow – but while it may not have the same bold, unified style, you won’t have to worry about frustrating mechanics or enraging difficulty spikes.

“If you’ve got a soft spot for the original game in your survival horror-loving heart, you’ll surely enjoy this sequel (and get a kick out of the many callbacks to the previous plotline).

“After my 16-hour-long journey alongside Sebastian, I find myself looking back fondly on The Evil Within 2, with its satisfying mix of tense scares, hard-hitting combat, and impressive hallucinatory set pieces. And above all, I’ll never forget that time Sebastian unironically told a photograph “I’m going to stab the s**t out of you.”

GameSpot: “Though there’s some occasional technical hiccups that result in some particularly frustrating moments and weird pacing issues, this horror sequel elevates the tense and impactful survival horror experience in ways that feel fresh and exciting.

“What this cerebral horror game does isn’t totally new, but it rarely feels routine, and offers plenty of surprises. Coming in at a lengthy and surprisingly packed 15-hour campaign, the sequel does an admirable job of ratcheting up the tension and scares when it needs to, while also giving you the freedom to explore and proceed how you want.

“It’s a tough thing to balance, but The Evil Within 2 does it remarkably well, and in a way that leaves a strong and lasting impression after its touching conclusion.”

Trusted Reviews – No score:“What remains to be seen is whether or not TEW 2 can continue to find those scripted moments of dark delight in its open-world areas over the game’s full duration, or whether the item-collecting and back-tracking through previously explored areas ends up sucking the venom out of the game’s scarier aspects.

“So far it feels as though the game’s being weighed down by its systems, rather than augmented by them.”