A surprise update for Tango Gameworks and Bethesda’s survival horror game The Evil Within 2 lets players experience Sebastian’s entire adventure from first-person perspective. The update is available now on all platforms — PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
“A lot of players like playing horror games in first-person, so for those who want to see some of the game’s situations through Sebastian’s eyes, it’s a really neat experience,” Tango Gameworks producer Shinsaku Ohara said in a press release.
The Evil Within 2, like its predecessor, previously only offered the traditional third-person perspective, commonly used in action-adventure games.
“I think exploring Union in first-person makes the scale feel even bigger than it does when you’re in third-person. Also, being able to see our environments and enemies up close allows players to get an even better look at how much effort went into their designs,” Ohara added.
Users can flip back and forth between third and first-person at any time through the pause menu. The trailer above shows off the new perspective, including looks at one of the game’s more eery moments set in a long, constantly changing corridor.
First-person perspectives have become increasingly popular in horror games. After spending two decades in third-person, Capcom’s Resident Evil series made the jump to first-person in Resident Evil 7 last year. Indie horror titles like Outlast 2 and Layers of Fear have also thrived from letting players experience the frights from the eyes of the protagonist.
While we didn’t find The Evil Within 2 particularly frightening when we reviewed it last year, seeing the world conjured by STEM as Sebastian sees it could definitely heighten the terror.
If you held off on picking up The Evil Within 2, you can download a free trial on PS4, Xbox One, or PC. The trial includes the first-person option and all your save progress from the opening chapters will transfer should you choose to buy the full version.
Even though Bethesda didn’t unveil the first-person mode ahead of its release, speculation about the feature’s eventual arrival has been around since shortly after launch. PC players uncovered the hidden option and successfully found an unofficial way to play the game in first-person from the get-go.
The Evil Within 2 is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
