We expect a sequel to build off its previous game's lore. The Evil Within 2 seeds its story in The Evil Within's, but it goes a step further. It breaks the fourth wall, incorporating the player's memory of the first game as a game into its storytelling.

The connection presents an obstacle to most players. Years have passed since the first game's release, and its story is notoriously obtuse. Rabbit trails run through The Evil Within: the logic behind its environmental shifts, the significance of certain monsters, backstory betrayals, and so on.

Trammeling these paths takes a fan site's ardor. A full lore review runs athwart our purpose, but appreciating The Evil Within 2's storytelling requires engagement with its predecessor. A high level refresher on the first game's context, atmosphere, and encounters will clarify how The Evil Within conditioned the neurosis that Sebastian brings into The Evil Within 2. Even more, it will reveal the player's culpability in his decline.