I've got high hopes for Tango Gameworks' The Evil Within. It's the return of Shinji Mikami and, hopefully, big-budget survival horror. Games like Outlast have scared us silly, but it's also possible to point to series like Dead Space as evidence that gamers are quick to catch on. Once we discover the game's behind-the-scenes logic, it's all over. No more suspension of disbelief.
"Not much has changed when it comes to instilling terror in the player," Mikami told Edge. "But people have got used to the tropes of horror and they know what's coming next, so in that sense it is harder to make them afraid."
What's the solution? He didn't elaborate. But based on what Tango has shown of The Evil Within, the key seems to lie in creating a sense of tension where we're left holding on for dear life. Seemingly unstoppable forces like Boxman will help there. I'm more concerned about the action-oriented elements and how they'll be balanced with the game's survival horror.