Finishing The Evil Within 2 Brings Back A Contentious Part Of The First Game

Appropriately for a survival-horror game with some nightmare-inducing imagery, The Evil Within 2 launches on October 13. And as you'd hope, there are rewards for completing the game beyond just getting to see the story through. [Potential mild spoilers below.]

One in particular stands out: Cinematic Letterboxing. When it launched, the original Evil Within had to be played with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, which meant having black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. The developer argued this was "used for gameplay purposes" and provided a more cinematic experience. Nevertheless, many players complained, and a patch was ultimately released that allowed the game to be played in a more traditional manner.

The Evil Within 2 similarly plays out in full screen, but finish the game and a Cinematic Letterboxing option is unlocked. Judging by the notification screen, which you can see above, developer Tango Gameworks has a sense of humor about the entire thing. "You've unlocked the ultimate reward: A more cinematic game experience!"

You can check out this letterbox mode in the video above. As noted above, The Evil Within 2's release date is Friday the 13th and it will be available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC; you can look for our review soon. Shinji Mikami, who directed the first game and is a producer on the sequel, has said he is interested in porting the game to Nintendo Switch. Bethesda is already working on Switch ports of Skyrim, Doom, and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.

Additionally, Bethesda has announced a new charity campaign themed around The Evil Within 2. Titled "The Good Within," the fundraising campaign is raising money on CrowdRise to support the American Red Cross's disaster and humanitarian relief efforts globally.