Going in to The Evil Within I had high expectations. Not because it was a new game developed by Shinji Mikami or that it would redefine the survival horror genre but because it was a NEW survival horror game that harkens back to the roots of the genre.
In a lot of ways The Evil Within accomplishes this, but think of it as more of a trip back to the PS2 era of survival horror than its true roots. Limited resources, chainsaw wielding enemies and rocket launchers remind me of Resident Evil 4. Shifting between worlds, grotesque monsters and psychological thrills bring me back to Silent Hill 2. All of these factor in to what I would consider a satisfying game in the vein of the relatively recent survival horror style.
Outside of being a survival horror fan there are certain aspects of The Evil Within (and most survival horror games) that could turn people off.
Limited resources in a game like this are supposed to create tension and force the player to be more cautious with what they are given. At certain points in the game though, this is thrown out the window. You are faced off against hordes of enemies with no way to progress without killing them all. Once you run out of ammo you are left with your fists and in most cases this means death. This isn't true for most of the game, the beginning in particular felt very balanced and the game gave you just enough resources to push through without it feeling like you needed to scrounge every nook and cranny.
Finally, and the reason this game to me was only good instead of great was the balance of action. When I think of a survival horror game I think of creepy atmosphere, unsettling environments and avoiding fights whenever possible not running and gunning. The Evil Within suffers from trying to do both. The game gives you sneaking mechanics and traps to lure enemies into to reserve your ammo but in the end it feels like it just wants you to use your gun. The environments are gorgeous and intriguing but a lot of time you are so focused on fighting your way through you don't have time to explore. You are stocked by dangerous monsters/villains where your only choice is to run but this just never happens enough.
All in all I enjoyed the game and would recommend it to any survival horror fan. As a fan myself I have learned to forgive games of this genre from certain short comings. This may not hold up for everybody though.