20 Most Hotly Anticipated Games Still To Come In 2014

8. The Evil Within (Oct 21)

The survival horror genre has been in an awkward transitory phase for the last few years, braced between wanting to appease fans of genre classics such as the earlier Resident Evil and Silent Hill games, and looking at the cash-dollar value of introducing more action-orientated elements, as in the disappointingly dumbed-down Dead Space 3. Expectations are high, then, for the latest game from Resident Evil brainchild Shinji Mikami, The Evil Within, which Mikami promises will be a welcome return to hardcore, old-school survival horror. Following in the footsteps of the Resident Evil franchise, the game revolves around a protagonist hurled headlong into a grotesque world, as he is hunted by monsters and must use his wits (and a few bullets) to keep them at bay. That said, most of the previews from journalists who have played the game suggest that while it's competently-made and atmospheric, we shouldn't expect Mikami to reinvent the wheel: set-pieces have been noted to be similar to Mikaki's Resident Evil 4, though there is the additional ability for players to sneak into hidey-holes where enemies cannot reach them. Even with the middling previews, we can't help but be gleefully excited for what is purportedly Mikami's last game, a Hail Mary pass to save the flagging survival horror genre. Predicted MetaCritic Score: 68