The Evil Within 2 was a weird situation. It was a game that I really, really liked, but that I could only play in short spurts. I don’t know if it was the camera angle, the combat, or a combination of multiple things, but I could only play it for an hour or two at a time before I was just done. It’s a very stressful game, as well, so maybe that’s part of it. Thankfully, the developers realized this and patched the game to offer a few helpful options to take advantage of, should you choose to do so.

DISCLAIMER: I played The Evil Within 2 on Casual difficulty, with the Infinite Stamina cheat enabled. And I recommend that to anyone that plays the game. It’s a fucking blast.

With its default settings, The Evil Within 2 is tough as shit. Ammo is extremely scarce, monsters pack a punch, and Sebastian still has a bizarrely short sprint time. Look, I’m not even close to being considered in “good shape” but even I could sprint down to the end of the block, and if there’s a crazy ass monster made up entirely of arms and heads, I could probably get in an extra block or two. I wouldn’t feel very good afterwards, and I’d probably just let the monster eat me at that point, but I could do it. Sebastian can sprint for approximately five seconds. It’s bizarre.

I know, I know. You can upgrade his stamina, but it’s negligible. It’s never been a good mechanic and it just seems like a weird design choice made specifically to enhance the difficulty. It’s like when a character is blocked off from a walkway by an easily climbable box or wall. It just kinda makes you roll your eyes.

Luckily, the Infinite Stamina cheat removes that stupid design mechanic and actually gives Sebastian the athleticism displayed by his physique.

Casual difficulty opens the game up so, so much too. Here’s the thing, Sebastian’s abilities are upgraded by spending this “green goo” that is dropped by monsters. That’s how he gets stronger, faster, better with weapons, etc. BUT on Normal difficulty, ammo is really scarce, and stealth is encouraged, while confronting and killing monsters is not (too much of a waste of ammo). You can still perform stealth kills, but they’re risky. Less dead monsters means less green goo to spend on upgrades. So it’s kind of a catch-22. Casual difficulty lets you kill as much as you want, because the ammo is a bit more abundant and the monsters don’t require as much to take down. The result is a ton of green goo to spend on upgrades. This is the way to go, in my opinion.

Death can still be found, though, even on Casual. There are “hide and seek” moments and chase sequences that will still result in instant death should you get caught, and if enough monsters gang up on you, you’re still in trouble, so it’s definitely not a cakewalk. But you still get to feel like a badass not having to run and hide all the time, and to me that’s what gaming is all about; I don’t play to run and hide, I play to feel like a badass.

I couldn’t even begin to explain the story, so I won’t even try. It’s the same kinda wackiness you’d expect from a Resident Evil-Silent Hill inspired horror (to be fair, it is Shinji Mikami’s creation, so the RE comparison is a no-brainer). If you like those games you know what to expect.

Oh, and also, I will say that the ending to The Evil Within 2 is fucking epic and does not disappoint. That’s not something I say very often nowadays. The endings to most games suck. Not only is the final boss fight incredibly cool (if a bit easy on casual) but the following sequence is also a really nice change of pace rather than the token “run and escape the exploding facility” that is a staple of the Resident Evil franchise. Without spoiling much, let’s just say the game switches perspective back and forth between what is happening in Union and what is happening outside in the real world, with transitions that are really smooth and unexpected. It was a very satisfying ending that I actually really enjoyed.

The Evil Within 2 will be one of those rare games that I intend to re-visit. There’s a New Game + mode that should carry over all of my upgrades, so I look forward to powering through like a badass and annihilating everything that stands in my way.

That’s the way it should be.