- "Hope Sykes is out in the real world. One in four chance. Maybe he'll get lucky..."
- ―Sebastian upon Sykes' departure
Julian Sykes is a MOBIUS Technician and member of Alpha Team. He is a supporting character in The Evil Within 2 and a minor ally to Sebastian Castellanos during his stay in Union.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Julian Sykes has always had a knack for anything technical, being a reasonably experienced software programmer and hacker by admission. At one point prior to the events of the first Evil Within, Sykes learned of an enigmatic organization called MOBIUS and, upon discovering just how powerful they are, actually tracked them down personally to offer them his expertise. Needless to say, Sykes was accepted.
Union[]
As a member of Alpha Team, Sykes was sent inside Union about one week prior to Sebastian's own insertion to investigate the disturbances caused by the disappearance of its STEM Core, only to be beset by deranged versions of the townspeople and separated from his team.
After reaching the Business District, Sykes and Sebastian crossed paths when the former was swarmed by a gang of Losts, though with their combined effort the duo managed to reach safety. Turns out, the storage shed just next to where he was attacked was a Safe House that he was trying to reach.
As Sykes settles in this safe house, he also offers Sebastian the Getting Back Online side quest. Helping him here is optional, though if Sebastian agrees to it, he will disclose his plans for an alternative exit from STEM which requires a server within The Marrow to be restarted. Completing this side quest nets Sebastian valuable supplies and Sykes' very own Silenced Handgun, who then tells him to contact him again after a while.
After some amount of time, Sykes will have found a way out of Union. Through his final side quest The Last Step, Sykes instructs Sebastian to clear out a small sublevel of STEM in which houses a pod which is his supposed means of escape. As he finalizes the sequence, Sykes bids Sebastian good luck and farewell, before disappearing within the steam generated by the pod.
Post-Union[]
After vanishing inside the pod, a research log becomes readable on the terminal nearby, which states that the supposed "way out" was actually a failure, with a 25% chance of actually escaping STEM when used. Those who did not succeed in getting out are believed to have ceased to exist, theories range from death to victims being teleported to an undocumented and inaccessible sublevel of STEM from which there is no escape.
As such, it can be inferred that Sykes either got lucky, or has "ceased to be" in the outside world.
Appearance[]
Sykes is a MOBIUS operative of African-American descent, and wears the standard long-sleeved uniform seen on most other male agents. He wears a small silver earring on his right ear and as per standard dress code has his hair trimmed down to a close buzzcut.
Personality[]
Unlike his fellow agent Liam O'Neal, Sykes displays no outward hostility or distrust towards Sebastian upon first meeting him, either by nature or through gratitude.
Thanks to his knowledge regarding Sebastian, when speaking to him he is very open-minded and opinionated about his employers, and isn't afraid to speak at length about his history. Sykes is quick to trust the former detective, even with matters that are normally classified, as shown when he divulged certain secrets about MOBIUS research that not many high-ranking people have even heard of.
If helped and treated with respect, Sykes can also be very grateful and appreciative of one's efforts, and will compensate them fairly for their troubles.
He is both pragmatic and a risk taker, choosing to seek out MOBIUS to be in their employment, as well as choosing to escape Union through an experimental route.
Quests[]
Speaking to Sykes at his safe house after saving him allows Sebastian access to his two personal side quests, which involve helping him finding a way out of Union.
Out in the Open[]
- Chapter 7: Lust for Art - As Sebastian nears the Grand Theater area, several gunshots will ring out from a nearby parking lot. This is Sykes defending himself from a roving pack of Losts. Investigating the scene will prompt him to ask Sebastian for help. Simply clear out the enemies and talk to Sykes in the safe house to complete this quest.
Getting Back Online[]
- Chapter 7: Lust for Art - This quest is obtained upon speaking to Sykes in his safe house after rescuing him from the Losts. Sebastian will then need to backtrack to The Marrow via Post Plus and activate a console in a small room just near where he first encounters The Watcher.
- Completing this quest unlocks The Last Step later on and enables Sebastian to open special orange MOBIUS chests, with the one in the safe house itself containing a Silenced Handgun.
The Last Step[]
- Chapter 13: Stronghold - After returning to the Business District and checking up on Sykes, he will mention an experimental wing within The Marrow that houses an escape pod. Problem is the wing is currently infested by the Lost which Sebastian must clear out. After doing so, Sebastian will radio Sykes to come in, at which point the quest completes and Sykes presumably leaves STEM.
- Completing this quest nets Sebastian the Double-Barreled Shotgun.
Trivia[]
- If Sebastian does not help Sykes, his body can be found later in Chapter 11 when Sebastian uses Exit 72. There will be an axe in his neck and Sebastian makes a sad remark that he should have helped Sykes out.
- It's heavily implied that without Sebastian powering on the servers, Sykes attempted to do it himself and was killed in the process.
- Sykes is the first and so far only ally in the game to actually and personally award Sebastian with any kind of firearm or even a weapon, with O'Neal and his broken Flamethrower notwithstanding.
- Before Sebastian pursues Stefano Valentini into the Theater, Sykes remarks that "If [he] can make it out of the MOBIUS building alive, the first thing [he's] gonna do is disable his damned chip".
- In the event that Sykes indeed did escape Union as he had planned and wasn't lowered into STEM, it is possible that he was able to also disable his chip in time as he had planned, whether it be by use of his programming skills or by contacting Juli Kidman.
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