Tango Gameworks have successfully ticked all the right boxes when it comes to the survival-horror genre and The Evil Within is one of those must play titles

Concept: Marry Resident Evil 4's gameplay with a much darker, unpredictable world that takes its scares seriously Graphics: A top-notch demonstration of this generation's visual potential, despite occasional texture pop-in.

The Evil Within is a new title in a series developed by famed Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami. We first got our hands on the game when we previewed it at this year's E3 ( read more on that here ) .

Forget about the Resident Evil connection: The Evil Within stands alone and still manages to feel relevant, despite far more sophisticated contemporaries.

Gloriously varied; blood-scribed love letter to all things horror; Terrifying enemy design and a genuinely compelling bad guy

Boss battles can lead to tedious repetition that numbs any sense of fear; Some minor technical issues mar an otherwise lavish experience

As the man responsible for unleashing Resident Evil on gamers, Shinji Mikami is one of the undisputed masters of horror games. Capcom's zombie series eventually went on to focus more on action than scares, and Mikami went his own way to return to the roots of the genre.

They're all laughing at me, but I'm standing in the corner. I can't, it's a hallway. Flies shouldn't be able to laugh, but they're showing their yellow teeth and breathing, exasperated at human filth. I'm human. Am I? Can I?

The Evil Within is everything that has been missing from survival horror games of late. It's a creepy game that introduces us to a new franchise built upon the best of Mikami. The modernised take on Resident Evil 4 controls and resource management are joined by the spooky mansion and chainsaw...

+ Creepy atmosphere; + Classic survival horror combat; + Well designed environments; + Plenty of favourite Mikami moments

- Ugly textures/pop-in issues; - Story isn't great and loses its way; seemingly to lengthen the game

The Evil Within doesn't mess about. Within ten minutes, after a b-movie-like intro cinematic, you find yourself in a room full of corpses and blood.

Channels those Resi 4 vibes; Incredibly tense; Gameplay is great

A bit too long; The story isn't up to much; Will prove too much for some

( Received my copy early on October 10th,friend hooked me up) Shinji Mikami ( father of survival horror) is the director of The Evil Within and it has been said that this title will be the last videogame he directs and what a way to go out.

Despite letting some of its most compelling aspects die off, The Evil Within is still worth a shot for bringing some unique ideas in the first place, and giving us a new way to think about survival horror.

A compelling and visually powerful world; Unravels an engaging mystery; Offers a new take on the survival horror genre

Forced and sometimes finicky combat; Enemies and sequences that feel like filler; Dropped plots