The man behind The Evil Within video game

A scene from The Evil Within video game.

Chris Schulz talks to Japanese horror game director Shinji Mikami, the man behind The Evil Within.

Herald: The Evil Within is due out in a couple of months. Is it the same game you set out to make three years ago? Or has it changed along the way?

I set out to make survival horror and it is still that, but various parts of the game have developed over time for the better.

What are gamers in for - what can we expect from The Evil Within?

I think people can expect tense moments and a good amount of scares. At the same time, I would like people to enjoy some good gameplay and just have fun with it. There is an overwhelming sense of accomplishment when you overcome fears and the adverse conditions you are faced with.

The Evil Within looks insanely scary. Did you set out to make the scariest game you could?

My hope is that for most people, the controller in their hands will be dripping with sweat. They might want to have a towel on hand when they play.

How did you go about designing the creatures in the game? Do you dream these things up while you're sleeping?

Basically I tell my designers the general image of the creature I have in my head. Then from there it's pretty much in the hands of the designers. If I like the designs they come up with, I approve them. It's pretty simple. Unfortunately, my scary dreams have more to do with reality so it's very rare that a creature will appear in my actual dreams.

A scene from The Evil Within.

How important is music in the game in terms of building atmosphere and tension? Is this a major priority?

We put in a lot of time and care in the creation of the music and sound in this game: from the voices of the enemies, sounds of enemies dragging their feet, and wind and other ambient sounds. Actual music is often used as accent in order to ramp up tension in the game.

How do you know when you've gone too far? Did you have to take anything out of the game for being too disgusting?

There is no magic formula to know when I've gone too far. There is that moment when I know that if I pushed it just a bit more it would be off putting to players. I let my instincts decide where that fine line is.

Is it harder to scare people these days? What are your favourite ways to scare people in the game?

I think it is; especially people who watch a lot of horror movies or play a lot of horror games. Chances are they know all of the scare tactics in the book. So you always have to keep changing things up and keep players on their toes.

What do you do to relax after working on something as horrifying as The Evil Within?

I like to drive to onsen (hot-springs spa) in my car and relax. When I'm at home I like to watch comedy shows on TV.

- nzherald.co.nz