The Evil Within 2 Critique - Every Scream A Painting

[@MontyZander]

Visit www.bestgameprice.net/the-evil-within-2 to start saving money on PC games for FREE, with no sign-up necessary!

[@QueenMonoChrome]

I kinda prefer that Father Theadore doesn't get a fight as himself and hides behind tricks and his brainwashed masses. That this cult leader, once you take away his cult and 'powers' is just a pathetic man desperate to be seen as some higher being. But Sebastian has fought greater and worse than Ted, and now that the mental attacks aren't working, he pretty much hard counters the fiery Father.

[@Ronin11111111]

I don't think it's too bad of a thing that this game finished the story. Most things nowdays try to be a forever series that will go on indefinitely, so having something like RE, but with a whole and complete story is more valuable than more Evil Withins IMO.

[@afoninja121]

I agree, but I do wish it could have ended intentionally so that it could wrap up the lose ends. If we do get a sequel one day, I'd hope that it actually wraps it up and moves on. Love the series, but I'm with you, not everything needs to have sequels until the end of time. We need new ips

[@El_Rabbit]

Agree. I feel like Sebastian's story ended in this game, but the overall story has loose ends. Tango can make a sequel with a new protagonist, maybe Joseph

[@sacredsecrecy9620]

The story isn't finished though?! Has noone seen the post-credits scene?

[@Ronin11111111]

@@sacredsecrecy9620 I kinda forgot about it TBH. Let me rephrase it this way: this is a good end to Sebastians story and it would be fine if Evil Within stays as a 2 part story about him. Of course the thread of Ruvik and the post-credits(that implies the shady organisation isn't finished afterall IIRC?) can be spun into further stories, but I hope that would star Kidman and/or Oda. Seb deserves peace. Also his character arc is basically finished.

[@wuldntuliktonoptb6861]

After star wars every piece of media in video games and movies has to be a trilogy or never ending. A 2 piece story is very unique. I can think of mgs and the Daniel Craig bond Era that wasn't a trilogy. Even star wars has 2 trilogies and a pile of shit split in 3 parts.

[@executivedata7]

Fun fact:Tatiana appears at the end of Evil Within 1 as a Mobius agent. She's easily missed tho given Sebs hazy vision after waking up

[@davidd.6448]

I always thought Castellanos was barely a character in the first game. Aside from him going "Huh... that's messed up" everytime something weird happens on screen there wasn't really much to his character. Voice actor change aside, in EW2 he feels like a completely different person in the sense that he's got an actual personality and character arc.

[@ethanwood5700]

I think through the collection of his journal entries. He becomes somewhat more fleshed out

[@bloodangel7731]

Stefano's chapters are my favourite. I wish he lasted longer as a villain and I wish we saw more of his art. He had potential to be the main villain of the game.

[@-JaggedGrace-]

I agree with that, but also I don't really understand why Sebastian was able to beat him. I think it would have been much cooler (at least storywise) if Sebastian had to find out a way to pit the gods of STEM against each other and clean up the remains rather than just power through all of them solo using his plot armor. And then we could have Stefano for the whole game, and much more time to understand Theodore as well.

[@-JaggedGrace-]

@MIS_behave Oh did I hallucinate the story? whoops my bad

[@ついつい-s2p]

He was so boring and poorly written compared to Ruvik though.

[@turismofoegaming8806]

Just play it on the hardest difficulty, he sticks around quite a bit then-

[@rajyavardhansingh4491]

​@turismofoegaming8806 played it on nightmare

[@gwen3504]

In addition to being seen as the unconscious feminine side of men, Anima also refers to the traumas and feelings of guilt that are irrationally repressed. You can think of it haunting Sebastian in STEM as a sort of manifestation of his past holding him back, preventing him from moving on with his life until he accepts that the things he feels guilt for aren’t his fault, and that the traumas that bind him can’t be allowed to fester. Those who submit to their Anima/Animus in STEM become the Lost. They’re not necessarily creations of Myra, Stefano, or Theodore. They’re just the parts of the human mind that lay dormant and torment us in our unconscious mind, which within STEM is also the conscious mind. If anything, its presence in Union shows just how bad an idea making a community within STEM really is: a place where people can live in “safety”, sure, but also a place where their conscious and unconscious minds unite, and leave them physically vulnerable to things that previously just ate in the backs of their minds.

[@B.von.Bentzen]

Nice post, I never really thought about the creation of non-Ruvik lost this way. They are lost to their nightmares.

[@lewispooper3138]

Men don’t have feminine sides

[@ilovekaelenn]

@@lewispooper3138 shut up

[@A2kisses]

@@lewispooper3138 Nice bait.

[@QueenMonoChrome]

I also think it's a point in favour for Seb's therapist being a Mobius plant, with Union then getting based off his data, hence why Anima starts haunting other people before Seb gets there.

[@brastongray2480]

I adore this game. Sure it has some flaws, but it just has this irresistible charm. Maybe this is bold to say, but it’s my favorite game of that generation

[@kouriier6112]

japanse studios always seem to be able to give their games plenty of charm

[@florentdbz9873]

I dont know maybe i put the hardest difficulty but i was suprised on how unfun this game was .especialy after playing the evil within one i really wanted to like the second one because i had such a great time but the second one was hell trash bosses you get like 2 amo sometimes you are left with nothing since you have to basicly unload half your mag into a zombies brain to kill it you have to run most of the game a boss whitch you spent over 10 min just shooting and barely killing can just spawn in the streets the amunition sistem is garbage the gun upgrades are fine but i really couldnt bring my self to enjoy it as much as i wanted to i just had to leave it i couldnt be bothered running half the game because i dont have enough amo or i have to save it while in the first game sure you had that but you fought every encounter you ran away from it at first but then you fight it and beat it it actually gives you a sence on progression unlike the second one tbh.

[@literallywho4661]

Stealth kill the mobs, loads everything you have to bosses. The only bullshit this game has is the flamethrower fuckers locking YOUR own flamethrower. And myra stage is just, meh.

[@ej5677]

@Auran Crash wtf are you talking about?

[@kouriier6112]

@Auran Crash well its made by a japanese studio so i wouldn't expect it to

[@caitlinfitzgibbon9410]

Stefano references Picasso when you first meet him. I can't remember the exact line, I haven't played this since it came out, but it's something to the effect of "Picasso had his blue period. I shall have one of red." Picasso's blue period was a point in the artist's life where the color that dominated his paintings was shades of blue. The dude was extremely depressed at this point in his life, and so he expressed that feeling in his art. Those pieces aren't just dominated by shades of blue, but the paintings themselves are pretty depressy. I take this to mean that Stefano's art is heavily influenced by his own feelings. Not just his desire for attention, but he expressed his emotions through his art to the point of obsession. He wants revenge for his treatment in STEM, and he wants control. Control not just of STEM, but of himself, his art, and the way people perceive his art. So, to me, his art represents those ideas, revenge and especially control.

[@Kane.JimLahey.]

My crimson period

[@scroll9728]

wow... I absolutely LOVE this analysis! Also my favorite cutscene of his lol

[@258DelTa]

I've just discovered your channel like two days ago and i'm binge watching your long-form essays, it's criminal that you only have 65k subs.

[@MontyZander]

Thanks!

[@edhero4515]

Exactly the same here, only 10 months later

[@ouij]

Well, since you asked, I think Stefano's art is very surface level but that's reflective of the symbolism of the game as a whole. Everyone in an active warzone exists in a quantum state of being both alive and dead. Stefano is a physical manifestation of this idea having lost an eye during his time as a war photographer, IIRC. His eyes represent the dichotomy of life and death and his art is an attempt to capture the space inbetween (sometimes literally). However, the... "sculpture" at about 52:17 reminds me of pieces like Ludovico Carracci's painting "An Angel Frees the Souls of Purgatory" - tonally, it's not a 1:1 remake or anything. I find it amusing that Stefano is trying to capture a state of purgatory when Union itself is essentially Purgatory. Theodore wears all black and lives in the fiery underground. Myra wears pure white and guards the mountain to the heavens. Hell, Sebastian even gets a line carved into his face like Dante. Real subtle imagery, guys. Oh, let's get back to the eyes, though. Stefano has one eye to symbolize both omniscience and evil. Theodore has three eyes (counting the cult emblem) symbolizing enlightenment and malevolence. Myra's eyes are originally veiled to signify that she's blinded to the truth. Later, she regains her two eyes to show her return to normalcy, both spiritually and physically. Or none of that is true and Shinji Mikami just walked in and demanded they cater to his bizarre eye fetish again. I have to stop watching your videos when I'm really high because I don't remember what point I was trying to make. Good game, though.

[@thefreshprince310]

Ok bro, I’m going to sleep, and you’re a nerd

[@tiffanywyatt5137]

Why do you need to get high

[@EggBastion]

@@tiffanywyatt5137 *_!?_*

[@aegis6485]

​@@tiffanywyatt5137Why not?

[@demonspider1167]

When stephano blew all those peoples heads off, I let out a good laugh because the way I saw it the message was "he blew the audiences minds"

[@awkwardtaylor4725]

I liked The Evil Within 2 when it came out. But I cannot stress enough how much more I’d like it if we actually got answers to what happened to Joseph after the first game. I mean, they could’ve abandoned his storyline altogether, but no, they clearly haven’t forgotten about him (based on the slides from TEW2), so?? Where’s my Joseph DLC, Bethesda? WHERE IS IT? …Anyway, great video, Monty!

[@austinmakohon6935]

Ghostwire Tokyo started out as EW3 where you played as Joseph but sadly that didn’t happen

[@kreevisful]

@@austinmakohon6935 That's insane if that's actually true! I would have given it a chance.

[@Spookybluelights]

The Evil Within 2 I think really took a lot of inspiration from Silent Hill Downpour, which has basically the exact same gameplay loop and even a similar story. I know a lot of people will balk at one of the "lesser" Silent Hills influencing anything, but Downpour had a lot of excellent ideas and many of them were even executed quite well. Some of it's side stories are extremely affecting and well paced or have great puzzles attached to them. The major difference was that the Evil Within 2 had a much more experienced team and enough time to actually make the game they wanted. As far the Evil Within 2 goes, it went a long way for me to scratch the itch Silent Hill left behind and I love it for that.

[@jharju2352]

Downpour would have been a relatively good horror game had it not been forced into the Silent Hill canon, imo.

[@turismofoegaming8806]

@@jharju2352 I think I’m gonna buy silent hill downpour because I’ve played all the other sonic hills are at least all the main nine games by Konami.. I’ve not played downpour or homecoming.. Or origins for that matter

[@jharju2352]

@@turismofoegaming8806 Right on, enjoy! I'd recommend skipping Homecoming and Origins, though.

[@Spookybluelights]

@@turismofoegaming8806 I'm quite fond of Origins, it's got a standout soundtrack and some of the areas you visit are really cool. But try and play the PSP version, either by emulation or a PSTV or something, the PS2 version is a pretty terrible port. If you're going to try Downpour, try and get the PS3 version, it's the one Konami actually let the developers patch somewhat so it's more stable than the Xbox version. And yeah, Homecoming isn't really worth anyone's time. It's good for a laugh for though if you're cool playing bad games for fun.

[@madeofmeats]

Tbh I think Downpour is probably the best western developed Silent Hill game, so the influences in another one of my favorite survival horror games is pretty cool

[@devinodriscoll]

Please keep making longform content like this. There is not a single video essayist that gets me thinking about the artistic value of this medium of video games the same way you do. This should speak volumes, as I am a moron whose feed mostly consists of MMA fights and training content. God bless

[@jdavidwebb]

I thought The Evil Within was good and enjoyable, but I actually loved The Evil Within 2. The story seemed more cohesive, the characters more relatable, the gameplay tighter and more fun... I put off playing it for too long because the first game just didn't make that much of an impression on me, but I was pleasantly surprised with how good the sequel actually was.

[@arthurdurham]

I agree. I didn't even finish the first game bc eventually it just felt like a slog. I enjoyed it for awhile but it lacked much depth. It felt like RE4 without the charm and extremely polished gameplay. The sequel I thought had way more going for it. More variety in the gameplay and a better story to have an emotional connection to.

[@ついつい-s2p]

relatable?? How?? TEW2 characters were all poorly written, one-dimensional trash.

[@theketaminekid1241]

@@ついつい-s2p Better than tew1 where there are no characters to be seen, just plot devices and hollow shells.

[@sagedeen4180]

As someone who lacks a stomach for horror I am still find myself able to fully enjoy your videos and your analysis of games I otherwise would have steered clear from. It's provided me a great insight into media I don't seek out often and your essays are top notch thank you so much for putting it out into the world!

[@edindjc8735]

Impeccable timing. I’m on the last chapter right now and I’m so interested to see what other people have to say about the game and I see this an hour after it’s uploaded. Definitely watching this once the credits roll.

[@Mattismen]

"A studio where young and talented creators get smothered in the crib" - Microsoft, 2024.

[@Itslvle]

1:30:27 I loved the little touch where your controller-face just got a lot more bloody after the chainsaw kill. *chef's kiss*

[@FiveFingerOutfit]

Really appreciated the Twin Peaks references, the black lodge looking area early on and the Fire Walk with Me trophy/achievement.

[@Fink-id6yg]

That last boss, the generator remix is so gorgeous looking

[@gabby3036]

Can I just mention how much I love Sebastian's run animation in Evil Within 2? I'm at 01:15:18 and I can't help but think how much I'm feelin this poor guy's desperation to get the fuck outta dodge.

[@dragonslayergeorge898]

Thank you Monty for the irresistable urge to play the The Evil Within series. brb in 30-40 hours.

[@docsaico]

Stefano reminds me so much of Sander Cohen. Love ‘em both, they’re so fascinating.

[@docsaico]

I really love this game so much, and I loved your coverage. Subscribed!

[@mygirlr83]

Honestly had to leave a comment because I am so happy you covered this game series with love and appreciation for the risks it took artistically. Thank you so much for letting me relive Sebastian’s story again for the campy art nightmare it was!

[@mikeykhan125]

✨️Agreed✨️

[@svetomov6997]

Monty - you did it again, man. This is one of my favorite games of all time, but I never stopped to ask myself "why?" Thank you, for wholeheartedly answering that question :) This wholesome essay that you decided to share with us is fantastic - depth, accuracy, sense of humor & genuine joy are the pillars of what is honestly one of the best gaming love letters I've ever heard. You should be proud of yourself for doing this video - I found a gentle smile blossoming while listening to you pinpoint from top to bottom all the lovely details & mechanics that make this game such a marvelous experience. I've played through it a few times, but even so it was delightful to learn more about a favorite. Thank you & good luck :)

[@Cs-cp6vo]

Evil Within 2 is one of my all time favorite games

[@Mondeoexe]

I discovered your channel after finishing TEW1 and I thoroughly enjoyed your video about it and its DLCs. I looked forward a lot watching this before starting TEW2 and after I finished it yesterday I immediately started watching this. Amazing work.

[@freshcheeses718]

1:28:34 the music you put over this part for Theodore speaking fits better than the music they actually used and I love it

[@jamesbrincefield9879]

This was my 2017 (I think that was the year) GOTY by a long shot and I’m glad people like you are introducing it to more people. It deserves way more recognition than it gets. I feel like being a sequel caused a lot of people who hadn’t played the first one to skip it and that’s a shame. I only played like halfway through the original and it never really clicked with me but I loved this game.

[@michakolaska6954]

Been waiting for this - you, Sir, have just made my work day easier to sit through :)

[@itsalexhyde]

I came to your channel recently after discovering your first video about The Evil Within. Love this franchise and the attention to detail you put in your analysis 👏🏼 Although the sequel appeared to mark the end of this franchise, I hope this art style and polished game engine can inspire other indie horror games

[@CoconutmilkFilms]

What a fantastic analysis! The two Evil Within titles kinda blur together in my head, but you did a great job in pointing out how the sequel manages to stand of its own! The theme of motherhood being one of the biggest ones, of course.

[@firebat9664]

I love this channel so much! You deserve to go viral! You make some of the best video essays out there.

[@tnecniw]

Heh 1:40:30 "The total opposite of horror" That game was hi-fi rush... And it is amazing.

[@arthurdurham]

Love the game, but I wish they did more of the side quests. My biggest issue with the game was it had a promise of less linear horror events but drops it. I remember wandering into the church and the whole thing with the preacher happened. It was an optional side mission that expanded the world that I fell into more organically due to curiosity, and it was a great experience coming across that. But except for some moments like that the game kind of drops the whole pretense of being an open hub with unexpected horror moments into a much more linear story progression. And while I still think it's an underrated gem it would have stood out much more if it leaned into the open ended aspects of it. I get they didn't want to do too much but I think it made things more interesting and should have been expanded.

[@Cure_Hana]

I feel like the recent RE: Village DLC, Shadows of Rose, might’ve taken some inspiration from Evil Within 2; not necessarily in terms of gameplay, but in the trippy, dream-like atmosphere of each stratum level Rose explores. One sequence at the halfway point even pulls some tricks to screw with the player’s mind in a way that reminds me of the opening photo gallery.

[@frankkennedy6388]

I was thinking the same. The new zombie designs look ripped from Myra.

[@isaaclai1636]

Rose going into the mold matrix looks so similar to Seb's entry into STEM.

[@JordetheArtist]

I feel like the og The Last of Us is where they got A LOT of inspiration for EW2. So by default then that would mean that RE8 also was inspired by The Last of Us. I mean in playstyle and emotions mainly.

[@goof827]

I chose to walk the final section of the game and though it took a while, I think it ultimately that time to like contemplate the journey I'd been through to get there, I think the ending of this game is one of my favorite and personally I think it's the most powerful game ending I've ever played through

[@saftsuparn3222]

I adore this video, your music choice was perfect!

[@blindjustice5695]

52:15 this art captivated me when I played the game. I was day 1 on evil within and day 1 for evil within 2, and I love the series, but this art captivated me, trapped me and I stopped playing and did admire it

[@BALDFURY69]

I've had this game since launch, tried to start it and put it down 3 times now. I don't think it's a bad game or anything, just kept putting it down. This video has inspired me to finally go through it :L cheers Monty 👍

[@SaberRexZealot]

Dude you’re on fire with these uploads

[@gamingwithty1744]

I binge these videos while I work and I love it keep up the dope work man

[@ethanpriest157]

I will always love the first game for being so aggressively on brand with my personal aesthetic tastes (basically just if David Cronenberg had directed Hellraiser), and I love TEW 2 for developing the gameplay to make it more fluid. I just wish they had done a little more connecting of dots between itself and it's predecessor. Mainly, the fact that what happened to/with Ruvik is just sorta waved away has been a big frustration for me.

[@mrfreddorenton]

We all know that the rebootquel 15 years from now will be The Evil Without. Brilliant goatee on the avatar Monty

[@Shaathurray]

Given my comment on the first Evil Within critique, i, at the time, never planned on playing Evil Within 2. But quite honestly, after this critique, im considering giving 2 a shot when i have an oppurtunity. Love these videos and the channel as a whole, hopefully i can join patreon soon as id love to help keep the roof over you and you fiances head and get nice, lengthy videos as this.

[@spookymushroom1654]

As someone who loves both Evil Within games, watching these two videos, appreciating them both for what they are, and amount of heart and effort behind them, was such a joy. On a side note, The Evil Within 2's contained, semi open world is something I hope to see more survival horror games to try to replicate n the future.

[@amigaway]

Had to finish the game myself before watching this critique ! I really enjoyed this one. Between the great variety of places you have to go through, the rather well paced story and the multiple approaches the game offers, it never felt boring. Instead I felt rewarded for exploration, either through the various drops or through some cool discoveries within the town. Even outside of the few scripted quests, most open buildings offer some specific setup that makes it feel special - a cutscene, a group of fallen grabbing corpses mid exploration, a place with a hidden computer accessible before it's part of a side quest, a key to an optional safehouse... The only issue I did have with the game was the fact I never truly felt vulnerable past the 15 minutes mark - the stealth mechanic seems way too unbalanced. Ennemies lose you whenever you go through a bush or two, even 3 meters from them all while you can perform stealth kills on them as they turn their backs to reset. In addition, killing them is encouraged since it leads to more upgrade material. Even most minibosses throughout the map (from acid spitters to guys with flame throwers) can be delt with easily by resetting their aggro and getting 2 or sometimes 3 stealth hit. There are some forced hiding sections of course, but the mechanic seems very forgiving (maybe because I upgraded stealth early ?). An exception can be made for the first boss and subsequent mini bosses that share it's design - these might be the only ennemy in the game that can hit you if you don't use stamina to run away - making them a more tense fight. All in all, Sebastian felt like too much of a superhero to me, as I killed litterally anything in my path with minimal ressources, for the game to feel scary. The tension was a bit higher in the closed environnements of the later third of the game but by this point you know most ennemies. I consider this game closer to an action game with a horror coat of paint (a bit like RE4 basically) than a terrifying experience. I don't think that takes much away from the game though. If the primary goal of a game is to be fun and interesting, then there is very little to regret here.

[@jakeking3859]

This is the first of your videos ive watched, and i gotta say i love the sass at the end. I wasn't able to finish the game myself, it's way too scary, but i like these games a lot. Thanks for spending the time to talk about these masterpieces

[@spouwnerring]

So what happened to Joseph and Ruvic? Their whereabouts are still unknown and that's a HUGE loose end that NEEDS to be tied up. If there ends up being a 3rd game, than it NEEDS to tie up EVERY loose end in this francise.

[@77jamess]

Ruvik transferred his mind into Leslie’s. That was the main thing at the end of the first game. Joseph is mentioned as alive, but we don’t know where he is.

[@spouwnerring]

@@77jamess that's not what I mean with "there whereabouts are unknown"

[@MidnightMedium]

Word. If another game gets made, we gotta get those two things addressed

[@andycic.544]

20:40 Nice Rocky Horror reference lol! Great video as always!

[@xonlyxjojox]

51:06 regarding the question: It tells me that there is beauty in death. Not the quiet ones but the violent ones as well. The dark nature of each death, is a counter-argument to the false nature of this Utopia. There’s no such thing as a perfect world, if the existing beings are flawed as well. The perfect mold for such thing cannot be manufactured, it has to exist organically without interference. As such, he tears it down with each murder by introducing the “truth” which is death. I also think that the matter of each death being artfully staged is his way of merging the flase utopia with the “truth” to mock the individuals/Mobius in the face thinking they can escape their true nature (evil/greedy etc…) I also feel the idea of being part of the play is a way to show the protagonist is just a character and not the writer of the play. He cannot control his fate nor predict the next scene. It indirectly presents to the protagonist that he is in no control of his life while under Mobius’s eyes. Sorry for the long comment😅 but seriously love the video essay! Great job👏🏼definitely subbing🙏🏻

[@lucariojet]

I remember watching Two Best Friends play this game and became completely enraptured. The first one struggled to keep my attention, but this one had everything I was looking for. The "Open-world" was a great change of pace and I never considered how similar it was to Silent Hill. The combat was infectious, while trying to platinum the game on the hardest difficulty, I had no issues replaying hours worth of chapters to spread out the limited save files. The story was simple yet endearing, I found myself attached to the characters, especially in those conversations and moments of reprieve. That last chapter was the icing on the cake as the game transitioned between the two protagonist's. I was in complete awe at how smoothly the segments connected. I really appreciate you taking the time to dissect and analyze this game. It was heartbreaking to reach the end of this adventure and find so few videos talking about it, or so few friends to share the conversation with. I appreciated your critiques that didn't whittle down to "It's not the first game", although I can understand how that could be a turn off for those who loved it. As much as I want a third one to tighten all the elements, I'm content with this ending. This felt like a wholesome goodbye to Sebastian and the happy ending he deserves after two full nightmares. What a ride. Excited for your next video Monty!

[@TylerMBuller12]

I really liked this game. I think it's kind of a hidden gem. Artistically it's awesome. It's been so long since I originally played it so I don't remember too much but I know I really enjoyed it. I would like to see a part 3 some day this is a promising franchise.

[@matman000000]

TEW2 is up there among the best horror games of 2010's. Its influences are obvious and sometimes adorably on the nose, yet it has such a strong identity and unique visuals intertwined throughout its design.

[@mateineagoe6732]

No way early on a Monty Video Christmas really did come early

[@turismofoegaming8806]

I absolutely loved playing through the evil within to the first time in 2017!! It’s one of my favorite horror games ever and it’s just one of my favorite games out of all of them period- Exploring the little segmented sections of the city was the perfect escape and breather for the tense survival horror action that would come and that was causing a constant threat to the hairs on the back of your neck!! It was just an absolutely awesome game and I have not enjoyed a survival horror game as much in recent years..

[@DroppedYourSoul]

I know I'm late to this party, but this video inspired me to make a fresh couple of runs through EW1&2. I had forgotten how much fun they were.

[@logancade342]

Still criminally under-rated, I see. Another excellent video 🤘

[@swagonichan8711]

I love the art direction for this game the Beauty they showed in these chilling scenes is unparalleled and we really haven’t seen anything like this since this game

[@hihowrya370]

Yes finally, after watching your video on the first The Evil Within, I am hooked with your channel. Glad you're covering one of my favorite games from the last 5 years which says a lot.

[@tnecniw]

I am a bit split myself, which game I prefer. The style of the first one was a bit better, but the gameplay and atmosphere of the second is genuinely amazing. However, personal note: I honestly really like Stefano's art. Gruesome, terrifying, gory... sure. But at the same time, it carries an intense beauty at the same time. Plenty of his work, if it wasn't just actually made out of real people, could have been genuine art pieces.

[@MontyZander]

THANK YOU

[@tnecniw]

@@MontyZander Not finished the video yet, you also like Stefanos art?

[@MontyZander]

@@tnecniw I do for sure!

[@tnecniw]

@@MontyZander Finished the video. Something I personally theorize... is that they are still in stem at the end. Something about that ending, something about it that I can't really put my finger on... feels artificial. As if they aren't out just yet. Maybe it is just me tho.

[@ruki4929]

How did I not find you earlier? Your reviews are amazing! I can listen to you talk about games forever: and seeing the backlog I'll have some listening to do, cheers! Im super interested in the evil within 2 but I have anxiety, so not exactly something I can play, so I really appreciate such an in depth review.

[@MontyZander]

Cheers!!

[@Zerohour2k12]

I just beat this a few days ago after the first game... This is a really brilliant video critique! I subbed and looking forward for more!

[@heromedley]

i love how monty’s logo get bloody as the video went on as well

[@NANI_47]

3:47 hearing that after the recent news hurts even more

[@danieldoesdumbstuff]

The Evil Within 1 reminded me of a mix of The Evil Dead and Saw, and I loved it. The Evil Within 2 is my favorite Horror Game Sequel ever made. It blows the OG away in every sense.

[@saltycomet]

💯💯💯💯💯💯

[@SheriffValentine]

1:03:30 what is the music in the bg??

[@LegoLad01]

OMG i'm a huge fan of jennifer Carpemter but i never knew she voiced Kidman in part one....what a surprise(for me)

[@GaijinHoloCh]

This dude is so underrated, amazing content 🙏

[@alastorrajin8565]

Loved the video, I'm happy this one came out so soon after your first. You make some bangers. You should really do a video on Signalis. It just came out and it's an amazing survival horror I feel like you'd enjoy it

[@MontyZander]

I rolled credits on Signalis last night! LOVED the game. Not sure I'll do a full video on it any time soon, but it's one of my favourites this year for sure.

[@plaguedoctorjamespainshe6009]

You can't interact with Layers of fear's horror indeed, but you can with it's comedy, triggering the doll jumpscare ad infinitum

[@Mister_Don888]

Working on a game that’s “the complete opposite of horror” turned out to be Hi-Fi Rush?

[@dragonbornexpress5650]

To be fair, it makes sense; Hi-Fi Rush is not scary in the slightest and it never pretends to be. After all, it's a rhythm based hack and slash action game with a very colorful artstyle.

[@Mister_Don888]

@@dragonbornexpress5650True

[@killerqueenbitthedust]

53:10 in a way stefano’s bossfight reminded me of walter sullivan’s bossfight in silent hill 4. Overall stefano is “sh4 coded” and probably my favorite villain in the whole evil within series (a tad biased because i’m italian myself but jesus his character is so good)

[@Hamun002]

The answer to the Anima's existence lies within Jung's work: she is an archetype, a consequence of the collective unconscious. The reason why she haunts STEM is that she is the background radiation of the people who live there, an unacknowledged believed reality that the people there share. She brings Sebastian to Beacon because that is what the consequence is. Her character modeling and animation suggests separation from the main antagonists and their minions, meaning that either she is her own entity, or that the entity manifests certain characteristics in a sort of set of archetypes, what the victim perceives as the "thing" that the Anima should be. Or someone really like Moira from EW1 and said "lets have that be like a side quest thing".

[@turismofoegaming8806]

The evil within two was my favorite game of 2017!!

[@razzmatazz6233]

i'm so happy for this video as i've always loved your reviews and the game too. it's a flawed game but it's the first ever survival horror i ever played when i was a kid, it totally sparked my love for survival horror and i keep coming back to this game!

[@ancientandbored]

I am obsessed with both games and your video was a joy to watch! Subscribed!

[@ilovekaelenn]

i tried to get into tew1 but the jank just made it inaccessible for me especially since it would've been my first horror game, but your video on the first game influenced me to try the sequel and holy fuck am i glad i did, it didn't terrify me as much as i had expected it to but damn it had me invested every step of the way

[@host7368]

I just saw pt1 of Evil Within critique, this video is a nice treat.

[@cliftonmoore8316]

i don't know what these fans are talking about this game was amazing.

[@savenok4869]

im kind of late but get this lately i was looking through some works of Francis Bacon(the painter, not the midlle age guy) and i found quite a lot of simularies between him and Stefano: 1. the both excel at picturing a moment of body change, pain and fear 2. You feel thoes vectors and movment of the object 3. both like to use perpendicular lines (often cubes) to separate and highlight body so i realy think that the insperation is comming from Bacons painting (i also recommend to look up his art)

[@JeanLucPicard85]

Evil Within is really underrated imo and the funny thing is both games have very positive reviews on Steam, they're just not loved by enough people quantitively speaking I guess. Still hoping against hope for EW3. I want to play Kidman, dive into her childhood, family, that village cult, its Victoriano connection and have a reunion with Joseph.

[@NoFutureInThis]

The death of Stefano and introduction of Theodore was so disappointing. He is such a a dork lol

[@supinearcanum]

Just started and holey hell those 1'ers are stunning. That fall into STEM is just a mindbendingly gorgeous shot, and how the fuck was this not all people were talking about in 2017?

[@hunterofcomedy]

Monty, I've been binging your analysis videos and I just wanted to say how much I enjoy them and your lore dump channel. With that said, thank you for giving the Evil Within series such a great analysis. While I don't necessarily agree with everything you put forth, for about 95% of it I agree or was given new understanding of things I never considered. I always thought the Anima (who I just called Ghost Lady) was a manifestation of Sebastian's trauma from Stem. I must have missed the stuff about Anima when I played this game last. Speaking of, I replayed Bioshock 1 and 2 recently because of your videos. I'll probably do the same with the Evil Within games...once I finish God of War Ragnarok. Either way, keep up the amazing work, my friend!

[@FirstLast-cg2nk]

Personally, I feel that having an actual boss fight with Theodore would have ruined the experience. The man, for all his posturing and egotism, is at his core a coward. It is why he relies on fear as a weapon to use against you, and as a tool to control others. But once you conquer your fears, he has nothing else to use against you, as fear was the only power he ever had.

[@WarrenValion]

I am pretty sure the white goop is supposed to represent plaster. That stringy quality of her Ruvik dress or her eye covering is similar to a single decayed layer of it. Probably reminiscent of her trying to keep her daughter safe and hold everything together, but like with a simple single layer, we get too see the cracks in that ideal, particularly the exchange of dialogue between Seb and Myra and what it means to live life and necessity of fear and love to grow.

[@Siferiax]

Love your long form critiques even though it takes me literal weeks to get through 😂❤

[@DarkestAB1]

Stefano very much reminds me of one of my favorite League champions, Jhin. “I live for the applause, you will die for it!”

[@arthurcuesta6041]

I love both of these games to death. EW1 is my favorite by a large margin, but both are full of charm. I really wish we'd get another entrance.

[@uriel7395]

One thing I find funny with Evil Within 2 was how obvious it was to me that they didn't cast an Italian to play Stefano. Dude comes out of nowhere and introduces himself by pronouncing his own name wrong. I should know, that's my name too.

[@jameswolf3302]

then how do you pronounce Valentini? I really want to know, i like to pronounce names the right way

[@uriel7395]

@@jameswolf3302 Valentini is fine, Stefano is what he pronounced wrong. The emphasis is supposed to be on the first syllable, not the second. The way he says it in game is an American pronunciation.

[@senecauk8363]

@@uriel7395 you mean like STEH-fun-oh, not Ste-FAHN-oh, right?

[@uriel7395]

@@senecauk8363 yea

[@Mon_55]

I liked both games! Mostly because the nurse was in both xD haha but I did enjoy the story of the first more. I thought we would learn more about what happened with Leslie, but nope. Didn't matter though because the nurse was back xD she was my favorite character for some reason

[@plaguedoctorjamespainshe6009]

I was just wondering when this video would come out, i was thirsting for it

[@DavetheTurnip]

Nice critique. The game looks so beautiful and interesting that I want to try it despite having trouble playing horror games. You do great work 😃

[@stonegardner9380]

Great video! My personal theory for the Anima is that it is a monster created by Sebastian, more specifically a literal remnant from his first time in STEM. Anima is the hidden feminine in the masculine, implying it came from a man, and it brings up the horror of Sebastian's past. As for the mechanics of it, perhaps during the last game STEM was corrupted enough to hold onto a piece of Sebastian's experiences, and it manifested in union as a result.

[@tyleroutland435]

I love evil within 2 way more than the first. I want a evil within 3 in the future

[@Spiderwerda]

Just wanted to say that the polish artist mentioned was called Zdzisław Beksiński, while Monty keeps saying it like Władysław Baczyński - polish pronounciation is quite hard on non-polish speakers. There was a Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński, a war time poet who died quite young, and Władysław Baczyński, who was a killer that shoot 4 people between 1946 and 1957. If any of fellow viewers would be interested in the artist, Zdzisław Beksiński is what you are looking for :)

[@MontyZander]

My bad - appreciate the correction!

[@tyling8677]

Anyone know what music plays from 4:15 until the end of that segment? I’ve had a bit of a look on art list but haven’t found it, I really like the piano work in this song.