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It's 'harder' to scare players today, says Shinji Mikami

You may not know the name Shinji Mikami, but you'll definitely recognise his games. This is the man who created Resident Evil, and set a standard for interactive horror that has never been matched. Now he's returning to the genre with the upcoming The Evil Within, and his job isn't as easy as it used to be.

"Not much has changed when it comes to instilling terror in the player," Mikami has told Edge. "But people have got used to the tropes of horror and they know what's coming next, so in that sense it is harder to make them afraid."

That's why he's taking things back to basics with The Evil Within. Ammo will be scarce and enemies will be tough, making the player horribly vulnerable. "The scariest parts will be when you encounter enemies that cannot be killed with a gun," Mikami explains. "Even if you shoot them they won't die, so you'll have to run or use a trap to beat them. That should be fun - and also scary."

He also seems to have had a change of heart, after once declaring Evil Within would be his last game. "I don't think I'll ever completely stop doing creative work," he now says. "We're a studio that makes things, and that means we need a leader who also makes things. So I don't think I'll be taking my hands off the wheel completely. I want to give younger staff the chance to make games - that's something I'm very passionate about - but I'm not sick of making games or anything. I want to continue in a creative role. That will never change."

The Evil Within is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC in 2014.

Published: 05/12/2013

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