History YMMV / TheEvilWithin2

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Did Sykes know about the [[spoiler: 25% chance of success with the emergency pod?]] He did say he was willing to try anything to get out, but then why didn't he mention it to Sebastian himself? On the other hand, it doesn't take a genius to know that a father like Sebastian would never want to take such a risky option with his daughter.

** [[spoiler: O'Neal]] as the first Harbinger you face is an incredibly difficult boss. Not only is he a BulletSponge that can take dozens of shots to the head even on a lower difficulty but he has a long reaching flamethrower that also results in the arena catching fire. You can use sprinklers to put out the flames but he is methodical in searching the small area you're trapped in. He also sports an incredibly potent melee attack if you get too close.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Stefano Valentini is quickly becoming this, if the hordes of OOC fanart and romantic headcanons are anything to go by.

* ContestedSequel: The changes made to Sebastian's personality and design, the overall atmosphere having less of an emphasis on SurrealHorror, the forefront presence of Mobius, and the absence of fan-favorite Joseph have gotten mixed reactions from a lot of gamers. The gameplay itself is also subjected to this, with fans of the original preferring its high difficulty and resenting the removal of certain mechanics such as the match system, while fans of the sequel praise its WideOpenSandbox elements and toned down difficulty.
* DemonicSpiders: Pretty much every non-standard enemy in the game.

** Finally, [[spoiler: the death of [[BigBad The Administrator]] and the destruction of Mobius is very satisfying to witness considering all of the pain and misery they've caused to not only our protagonists throughout the games but the world entire]].

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** The first game mentions Sebastian's backstory, including Lily's death and the disappearance of his wife, but only through files, which led some to believe that TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot by never actually exploring any of it. In this game, his backstory is the central focus.
** The sequel tones down the high difficulty that was a criticism of the previous game. Checkpoints are much more frequent, stealth is made easier thanks to new upgrades and the addition of bushes that conceal you, and you're now allowed to restore your health in safe houses via coffee brewers (although they take a while to refill).
** The sequel also has a lot more straightforward and less of a mind screw plot than the first game, which served as this to those who felt that the plot of the first was too complicated to follow.

* ThatOneSidequest: The [[spoiler:Anima]] sidequest isn't ''too'' difficult, especially given that the player only encounters it three times (technically four if you go through the trouble of unlocking the full barreled shotgun), but the quest itself requires relying entirely on stealth in tightly spaced areas and solving puzzles in order to escape. Not to mention, when we say entirely on stealth, we mean it since it's an instant death if it notices you and you're unable to kill or even hurt it. The second encounter is particularly frustrating since the player gets trapped in two separate rooms, the second of which you're actively being hunted, and must use a small mirror to figure out where the exit is.

* ContestedSequel: The changes made to Sebastian's personality and design, the overall atmosphere having less of an emphasis on SurrealHorror, the forefront presence of Mobius, and the absence of fan-favorite Joseph have gotten mixed reactions from a lot of gamers.
** The gameplay is also subject to this, with fans of the original preferring its high difficulty, and resenting the removal of certain mechanics such as the match system, while fans of the second game praise its WideOpenSandbox elements, and more approachable nature.

* PlayTheGameSkipTheStory: Compared to the first game, the sequel's plot isn't considered as strong by some people due to lessening the complexity, making the tone slightly more LighterAndSofter, and deemphasizing the [[SurrealHorror surrealism]]. However, the sequel makes up for it by improving on a lot of the gameplay flaws from the original, such as lowering the overall difficulty and adding a few extra features like the skills mechanic.

* ContestedSequel: The changes made to Sebastian's personality and design, the overall atmosphere having less of an emphasis on SurrealHorror, the forefront presence of Mobius, and the absence of fan-favorite Joseph have gotten mixed reactions from a lot of gamers. That being said, it's agreed even among those critical that the gameplay itself is an improvement over the first one, the WideOpenSandbox elements have been heavily praised, and the strong level design have won the game a lot of fans.

* ThatOneAchievement: Beating the game on "[[NintendoHard Classic Mode]]". While this game's version of "Nightmare" is considerably more merciful than the first game as long as you know what you're doing, "Classic Mode" is practically the original game's difficulty taken UpToEleven. Not only do you have to complete the entire mode [[MinimalistRun without being able to upgrade any of your skills or weapons]], [[CheckpointStarvation but the autosave feature is disabled and you're only allowed to save]] ''[[CheckpointStarvation 7 times]]'' [[CheckpointStarvation throughout the whole course]].