Survival horror, it's safe to say, is in a dark and foggy wilderness of its own at the moment. Ever since Resident Evil 4 revitalised the genre with its pitch-perfect blend of tense action, extravagant horror and pounding atmosphere, many games have strived to emulate and evolve its formula but few have succeeded entirely. Even Resident Evil 4's official follow-ups haven't managed it; Resident Evil 5 is a solid but clunky retread, and part 6 succumbed to a major personality crisis.

Elsewhere, survival horror has increasingly followed the action part of the equation while gradually losing the fear and sense of oppression. But now, having left Capcom a couple of years after Resi 4's release, director Shinji Mikami is returning to horror with The Evil Within, releasing on current and next-gen consoles, as well as PC, next year. Having gone through its current demo with a fine-toothed comb, we reckon it might finally be the follow-up that his genre-changing masterpiece deserves. Here are seven reasons why.