The Evil Within 2 references the first game in lower profile moments, too, indicating that Sebastian re-enacts his trauma persistently. The first two casual references emerge as soon as he enters his safe room. He recognizes the transport mirror, and he notes (with confusion) the presence of the cat, which only the player can know from Kidman's DLC. He asks why his mind summoned both. The answer lies in the metanarrative.

Isolated references to The Evil Within appear in character designs, gameplay setpieces, dramatic events, and background visuals. An overview of evidence proves how much the game looks back to its predecessor.
 

Character Designs	The Evil Within 2	The Evil Within
Stefano and Ruvik have large, destructive eyes.
Myra and Ruvik wear white, hooded cloaks.
Effigy and Amalgam share posture and are composed of several bodies.
The cat from Kidman's DLC appears in Sebastian's save room.

 

Gameplay Setpieces	The Evil Within 2	The Evil Within
We sneak through rooms without firearms. Both bear the same warning sign.
We navigate tripwires that require the player to rotate the camera to perceive depth.
We pull large levers and shoot small ones to redirect fire.
We hide from eyes that project surveillance spotlights.
We shoot free from the tentacle snare of an enemy who will eat Sebastian.
We hide from creatures that hunt Sebastian with prehensile "necks."

 

Events	The Evil Within 2	The Evil Within
Orderlies wheel Sebastian, restrained and in first-person, into STEM.
Kidman physically connects Sebastian to STEM.
Sebastian navigates between the world and his safe room via mirrors.
Tatiana disappears into the first in-world transport mirror.
Stacked monitors play flashbacks, a reference to Kidman's DLC.
An antagonist "corrupts" Sebastian's safe room.
Sebastian shoots a version of himself connected to STEM.

 

Background Visuals	The Evil Within 2	The Evil Within
Stores and newspapers bear the "Krimson" moniker, even though Krimson City has no meaningful relationship to Union. The Krimson Post boasts a front page photograph of Beacon Mental Hospital.
Familiar decorative assets appear. Asset re-use is normal in game development, but it assumes metanarrative significance in The Evil Within 2.
Safe rooms have bloody stamps on their doors.

Through these references, we know how our partner is doing: not well. The Anima encounter marries The Evil Within 2's metanarrative and story archetype together, showing how the player factors into Sebastian's growth. His re-enactment of Beacon will simultaneously push us away and draw us closer.