So, in case you’ve been living under a rock, I feel obliged to mention that today marks the beginning of the year’s most anticipated, most renowned video game conference, E3. Every year developers, studio heads, and game system creators from across the globe come together to share the latest and greatest in the world of gaming, providing gamers with in-depth insight into cutting edge gaming technology and a glimpse into the future of the industry.
One of the most renowned and recognizable faces among these titans of the gaming industry is Shinji Mikami, the brainchild behind the original Resident Evil game and the one responsible for revitalizing the same franchise with its more action-oriented release, Resident Evil 4. According to Mikami, the survival-horror genre of video games that he helped pioneer has fallen to the wayside, and in his opinion has almost entirely disappeared from existence. “There aren’t any real survival horror games in the world right now,” Mikami said when asked why he returned to the genre. “That is the biggest motivation for me.”
With a rejuvenated passion spurring him onwards, Mikami’s newest creation promises to be his most spine-tingling project yet…
Working in conjunction with the fan-favorite developer Bethesda Studios (crafters of such famous franchises as The Elder Scrolls and Fall Out), Mikami’s Tango Gameworks has been working tirelessly to create the next great horror game. Though details surrounding The Evil Within have been public knowledge for some time now, it still remains one of the most anticipated titles at E3. Centered around the story of three detectives sent to investigate a mass murder at an insane asylum, the narrative takes a left turn when one of the detectives–presumably the main protagonist of the game–is knocked unconscious only to reawaken in an unfamiliar locale. Think Scorcese’s Shutter Island meets Mikami’s own RE4.
That being said, the studio head emphasized that this new game will mark a move away from the more “effective” weapons in the Resident Evil franchise. In place of machine guns and shotguns, players will have to rely on mere handguns at best, and well-placed traps or axes at their worst. Though the firepower might not be as explosive, the lack of reinforcements certainly makes for a scarier experience.
If you need any more proof of just how frightening this game could be, just check out the teaser trailer at the top of the article. Following the footsteps of Bethesda’s trailer for Skyrim, the trailer features live action real characters used to convey the sheer brutal reality of the world that The Evil Within inhabits. A grotesque, multi-armed creature rises from a pool of blood just as a frantic man works away at some barbed wire in a damp, musky basement. The overall effect is one of disquietude and uneasiness, like a trailer for the most heart-stopping of slasher films with all the promise of gaming nirvana.
Who knows if TEW will live up to the lofty standards that gamers will inevitably hold up for it. But if this teaser and all the forthcoming tidbits that Bethesda promises to release throughout E3 are any indication, you won’t want to play this title with the lights out.
