2-Dec-2002 Has this new scary tale got that Nintendo (dark) magic? Has this new scary tale got that Nintendo (dark) magic?
First with Res Evil and now Eternal Darkness, the big 'N' is continuing its campaign to convince gamers its their newest console isn't all bright colours and sunshine - that the GameCube has a dark side.
Drawing inspiration from classic gothic supernatural horror, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is a hugely entertaining adventure that leads you into a disturbing alternative world where ancient monsters are being awoken, ready to destroy mankind.
Tome raider You play the central part of the adventure in modern-day USA as Alexandra Roivas, a Lara Croft-alike trying to discover the secret of her grandfather's grisly death. Alex begins to search the Roivas mansion for clues and stumbles across the Tome of Eternal Darkness, a book containing a hidden history of powerful 'magick' and the ongoing battle against a race of terrifying undead creatures.
As Alex finds chapters from the book scattered around her grandfather's house, you get to play one of 12 different characters from the past, each linked by fate to the Tome. These include the monk Paul Luther, trapped in a strange French cathedral at the time of the Spanish Inquisition in 1485, and Dr Edwin Lindsay, an explorer who, in 1985, discovers more than just treasures in an Asian temple.
Having several main characters is a great gaming device; Silicon Knights has succeeded in weaving a coherent and enthralling multi-branching storyline through time.
Monster, monster The analog stick controls characters and each has his or her own distinctive, historically-accurate weapons with which to attack, such as swords, guns, crossbows and torches. Enemies include the easily-combustible Xel'lotath Zombie, a skeletal monster called a Bonethief that wears the skins of its victims, and huge, hulking, three-eyed beasts with flesh-tearing teeth and claws, known as Horrors.
The combat system requires you to hold the R button, then use the control stick to choose the part of the creature you wish to attack. Once your character retrieves the Tome from a terrifying alternative dimension at the beginning of each episode, you also get access to the powerful, dark magic arts.
A Rune with a view As you progress, you discover more Runes, the building blocks of magic, which you can arrange in a special Circle of Power to make different spells. They perform many functions such as healing, creating a shield, revealing hidden doors and objects, enchanting weapons to make them more powerful and even summoning the undead to help you.
Three kinds of magic are available and each battles the other. Choosing the right kind of spells in battle is very important, giving you heaps of options and a generous amount of gameplay depth.
Another major innovation is the Sanity Meter, showing your character's state of mind. When you encounter monsters, you lose sanity, which can only be replaced by using magic or by performing a 'Finish Him' death move. If you really start to go mad, you start seeing bizarre hallucinations that can include your character turning into a zombie or shrinking to a few inches high. It's another gaming element that makes Eternal Darkness unique.
The detailed, real-time 3D graphics are much more dynamic than the static backdrops of Resident Evil, and the excellent cutscenes have some of the best voice acting in a videogame. The Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound is also superbly atmospheric. Get the picture yet? Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is frighteningly good.
Jamie Sefton
// Overview
Verdict
A highly original third-person adventure with genuine jump-off-the-sofa scares, neat gameplay innovations and a superb, eerie atmosphere.
The Sanity Meter is one of the game's most original aspects - get ready to hallucinate! Some of the hallucinations even play tricks on you, the player, so you should try to make sure you keep sane...
There’s a flash of light and you’re back to just before you entered the room. “This can’t be happening!”, your character wails in despair...
A hideous winged creature finally destroys what’s left of your character’s grip on reality – the Sanity Meter is completely empty
You escape and make it to a ladder leading to another room. But as you enter this chamber,
your head suddenly falls off!
Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, UK BA1 2BW England and Wales company registration number 2008885
