coming from someone who liked resident evil 4 but didn't understand why everyone put it in such high regards I gotta say this game is... alright.

What this has told me is that this formula of horror is definitely just not for me. First off, anytime in a horror game my character has a gun any horror aspect is completely lost, as I instantly have no fear. While I don't think the aim of this as well as resident evil 4 was to scare over all else, I always see that game touted as the best horror game so I will judge this one in the same light. While it may seem unfair to continuously place this game in re4's shadow, you have to understand just how similar these games are. In fact, the second chapter feels like a straight rip off of the beginning to re4, when Leon first enters the village. It was at this point I was tempted to drop this game as I figured it would have no original ideas to share.
Boy was I wrong big time! (not really)
But I stuck it out because I am dumb and put too much trust into others, and it ended up being a pleasant surprise and is actually better than re4?!?! (not clickbait). Let me go ahead and elaborate before I get a pipe bomb in my mail.

To start, as I stated earlier the horror is non existent (all though it does make for cool spooky aesthetic). And just like resident evil it has that same ♥♥♥♥♥♥ 3rd person every-enemy-is-a-bullet-sponge-even-the-generic-zombies-who-finds-this-fun-combat. So what does make it better? the nonexistent reader interjects. Well that my friend would be the super difficult task of having a decent actually cohesive story. I'm sorry RE fans, its story is a godawful mess, I genuinely cannot get anything out of it. With the Evil Within, while the story isn't amazing by any means (and definitely has some major issues) it at least is interesting, and has a fair bit of good developments and effective foreshadowing unlike Re4 which feels like it is being held together by Elmer's glue and Popsicle sticks. I wish I could say it made up for the games other shortcomings however the major issue I stated before holds it back just a bit too much. That is the games dialogue. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ do these characters have the worst writing. I swear every interaction between characters is a total of 2 sentences and sound as if they were talking to different people that they couldn't really here so ended up playing safe with a vague generic response to everything. Seriously this killed my immersion that these characters could be real people and really just felt as though they were set pieces to create conflict and advance the plot. So all in all, the gun-play is no good, there is no horror in the horror game, and the story while interesting is held back by stiff dialogue, so why exactly am I still recommending it?
The reason is the dlc.

While it seems a bit ridiculous to say this saves the game, as it would be like saying "yeah this car was a complete waste but those bumper stickers I bought separately really made the 30 year payment plan worth it" but I don't really care, Its what changed my outlook on the game as a whole.
First off "The assignment" and "The Consequence" do wonders for the story.
they fill in all the gaps and give great context to events that weren't well presented in the base game.
AND FINALLY THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY TALK LIKE PEOPLE THANK GOD.
also the game puts a bigger emphasis on stealth by stripping you of your weapons forcing you to play a bit more methodically. This actually does wonders for the horror, while still not scary by any means its a big up.
(The main monster is also the creepiest, and best designed of the game but I wont spoil it here)
I am convinced that there was a new director or writer or genius on board as the changes in quality feel so drastic (but I am to lazy to check this).
Moving on to the last dlc "The executioner", instead of improving the main story, we see huge improvements to the combat formula. You actually play as one of the monsters of the series, and as a result are able to absolutely annihilate enemies, throwing them in the air, at each other, or into conveniently placed spikes. It gives a good sense of weight to all your attacks and feels how I first would've imagined what it would be like to control a big daddy from bioshock before bioschock 2 crushed all of my dreams. And while it doesn't seem to be the focus, with zero voice actors the story ends up being a really sweet, wholesome tale and honestly would make for a solid standalone indie game.

So yeah, base game is aight, but I would never reccomend playing it on its own. The dlc's complete this game.
All in all its not bad.
Still not really for me though.

6.5/10