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The Evil Within: The Consequence DLC (PS4) Review

"Spoiler: The consequence is you play a bad videogame"
Following on from the incredibly disappointing The Assignment comes the conclusion to the story of Julie Kidman, in the form of The Consequence. What that consequence is, is still unknown but I would hazard a guess it’s more than just the two hours you won’t get back if you have the misfortune of playing this DLC.
Story wise as I mentioned before the game picks up right where we left off in the last DLC and covers everything that happens to Julie during the events of the main game. Almost nothing of any consequence (no pun intended) or importance happens and the whole thing rolls forward rather timidly.

Most of the story plays out in the form of entering a room and standing still while two ghostly apparitions have a conversation that you eavesdrop on which just so happens to contain massive information dumps each time. It’s a super tedious way to tell a story and one that gets more dull each time you are forced to endure it.
There is almost no atmosphere whatsoever or tension to speak of which is rather strange for a horror game. Each environment is structured the same; slowly walk and avoid enemies before either flicking a switch to open a door or grab the item you need and leave. It’s dull, lifeless and just a super lame way to structure the game.

I talked about in my last review the lack of all the things I liked in the main game and this is still the case here. No upgrades, no big open areas, no puzzles really. We do finally get a gun half way through this time which is a massive step up from the last DLC but with only 2 guns to use and hardly any enemies you can kill either it really is too little too late.
One cool concept is when you break your torch you have to throw chemical lights to light up an entirely dark area to be able to see how to navigate around. This in theory could create some tension but as you have unlimited chemical lights; being able to just throw hundreds around every corner and light the place up like a Christmas tree takes this element away almost immediately. Why there isn't a finite amount to use is baffling to me.

The main enemy from the first DLC returns and is excruciatingly annoying as ever. It one hit kills you if you get too close and there is no way to hurt it during many encounters. You have to just circle around it in small rooms waiting on a timer for a door to unlock. Couple this with the fact you can only sprint for about dour seconds before you character gets tired and takes a long rest equals a very lame experience indeed.
Overall the game is incredibly rigid to play and is put together very messily. You never have a sense of achieving anything or know where you're heading due to the world around you constantly changing. Plus with the formula of either avoiding enemies or standing and listening to a conversation as pretty much 99% of the gameplay; it becomes such a chore to play. The world and enemy design is still pretty great but it’s so hard to care after the act of playing the game nearly puts you to sleep.

The main game captured the style and energy of Resident Evil 4 so well and this couldn't be further from that. This plays more like the recent indie horror titles that are so limited in their gameplay that it plays more like an interactive novel than a videogame. The final boss battle is by far the best part of either DLC as it atleast tries something we haven't seen redone a million times by this point. It’s short but anything that doesn't follow the previous DLC formula is a welcome relief.
One of the biggest positives is that it only took around two hours to beat but it did feel way longer and not in a good way. To put the disappointment of this DLC into context; read my review of the main game. I loved it so much and this is by far the biggest drop off in quality for a DLC I have ever seen in my entire life. I feel like the only reason to even play this is if you bought the season pass ages ago like I did and was curious to try it out. You may not waste any more money but you will probably waste your time. You have been warned.
Rating
4.0
Pros
  • Combat does atleast return...eventually
  • Cool final boss battle
Cons
  • Still too much stealth
  • Rigid game structure
  • Pointless story
  • Annoying enemy encounters
  • Dull and boring throughout

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