The Evil Within: The Consequence (PlayStation 4) Review

The first DLC ended with Juli discovering the truth behind Ruvik’s escape plan. Of course, those who have finished the original game already knew much of what was revealed, but seeing it from Juli’s point of view, uncovering the truth behind her actions, her motivations and her shadowy overlords really fleshed out the world and the somewhat disjointed story. This episode starts with the nightmare being over. Juli awakes in a hospital bed and everything is right in the world, right? Just answer the door to the nurse who is knocking and suddenly reality shatters, and the nightmare world of STEM returns.

One of the real strengths of this DLC story as a whole is how it reveals some of the big motivations and elaborates on story threads from the main game. Juli’s point of view is a great plot device, showing the story develop from a different perspective and casting a whole new light on some of the characters. The Consequence returns the player to some familiar levels from the main story, though in a very different order to how they’re experienced in the original. These revisited areas don’t feel overused; they feel completely different thanks to the difference in the tone and the enemies. Along with some new areas added on to each, these environments are a joy to re-explore from this different perspective. Similarly, seeing some of the big moments of the game from Juli’s point of view offers a fresh look on many scenes and helps to explain some strange moments from the story, including a very interesting revelation later in this chapter.

The best news about this DLC is that the developers haven’t tried to fix what isn’t broken; the core gameplay remains intact from The Assignment - the same nerve testing, slow creep through the dark, while avoiding the stalking grotesque abominations, the same highly limited weaponry, and the same puzzles for collectables. Each are done so well that, if anything, there could be more of this; it’s a real shame that many of these elements were not utilised more in the full game, so hopefully they will be major parts of the inevitable sequel.

While much of the gameplay from the first DLC remains unchanged, that doesn’t mean new things aren’t introduced. Quite early on in the game, Juli trades in her flashlight for a little while, replacing it with emergency snap glow sticks. These are fantastic and really add to the survival horror atmosphere; they create a small nimbus around Juli when carried, but can also be thrown to illuminate sections of the level. This is important when the area contains pitfalls that can lead to instant death and numerous enemies. Unfortunately, they have unlimited use, which is a little less of a fear device when the area can literally be covered with the light they give off; it would be good to have a set amount for the level, although there is a trophy, at least, for limiting their use, which some players will have real fun trying to obtain.

The first DLC did feel a little too easy in parts, with many checkpoints and the auto recovery of health. Although these issues remain, this episode offers more of a challenge; even on the regular difficulty mode, many gamers will find it very difficult to get through without a few deaths. With both the Cadavers and the spotlight-headed boss creature returning, there are a few encounters that will result in an instant death for those caught unaware; these give the game some fantastically tense moments to really deliver a challenge. The superb unlockable Kurayami mode from the first DLC makes its welcomed return here for the truly masochistic gamers. Kurayami plunges the player into complete darkness, bar their flashlight. It’s amazing the difference it makes. Suddenly straining to hear just which direction the shuffling footsteps and nightmare fuel sounds are emanating from as Juli creeps around the environments is great. It’s a shame this mode is unlocked on completion, as it would be a real experience to try it on the first playthrough when there is no idea of what is coming.

Taken as a whole, Juli’s story is a superb addition and features numerous elements that would have made the original game even better. This DLC can be completed in only two to three hours, but the Kurayami mode and the collectables, along with a host of actually-interesting-to-obtain trophies, all make up for a decent amount of playtime. Fans of the original game will enjoy the exploration into this other side of the story, and those who didn’t like the original may find something more to their tastes here, with the emphasis much more on survival horror to action horror.