Survival horror video game The Evil Within was almost unplayable for PS4 upon release date, until the day one patch was rolled out.

Gamers have reported awkward pauses in gameplay and several instances when framerate completely drops.

"...version 1.0 actually runs 30 to 40 per cent slower than the same game running with the day one patch. Scenes that manage to deliver an even 30fps in version 1.01 lurch along at an awful 20fps instead," Eurogamer reported.

"No matter how poorly something like Daylight or Thief ran on PS4, the unpatched version of The Evil Within makes those games look positively smooth by comparison."

Those who will not go through the patching process will surely experience serious performance issues.

Meanwhile, early reviews of the video game largely tackle graphics design and gameplay experience.

Gamespot gave The Evil Within seven out of the possible perfect score of ten or a "good" remark.

"Because for as much as The Evil Within does stumble, it always seems to recover. What it does at its core it does so well that all those issues floating on the periphery eventually fade away to reveal a satisfying if slightly blemished return to classic survival horror," a review said.

Joystiq, on the other hand, feels the game does not give players a fair chance to win.

"It doesn't provide enough information for you to make good decisions and it handicaps your ability to fight well. It requires so much repetition that it can't possibly maintain any sense of tension or unease, and its story is told so aimlessly that you'll likely forget the plot between scenes," the Joystiq review commented.

Evan Narcisse at Kotaku praised The Evil Within's demonically ingenious setting, but the sheer inability to lead players to execute basic commands led him to not recommending the game.

"Other pivotal battles have you facing down big, lumbering enemies in tight, cramped spaces that don't let you take advantage of your speedier movement," he said.

The Evil Within, developed by Tango Gameworks and published by Bethesda Softworks, hit store shelves on a Oct. 14 release date for PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC.