ot all that frightens resides on film or the pages of a book. Since the success of Shinji Mikami's Resident Evil, millions of gamers have swarmed to monitors in darkened rooms for their fix of terror. There is something about not only being scared, but interacting with the scary environment, that makes survival-horror games (as the genre is called) addictive. Clive Barker's Undying is the latest horror-swarm magnet, and its gripping tale and what's-around-the-next-corner tension make frighteningly good gaming. Here's the story.
At the bidding of his longtime friend, Jeremiah Covenent, Patrick Galloway has returned home to Ireland. A renowned adventurer and supernatural investigator, Galloway has been summoned to search out and extinguish the evil that courses through Covenent's estate. Galloway is no stranger to the ethereal world; in fact, he served in Covenent's special anti-demon unit in World War I. Yet, unknown to Galloway, there is more at the estate that meets the eye, and as the game unfolds he'll discover an unspeakable horror that must be stopped.
It is the gamer's responsibility to do the stopping. The house must be searched, puzzles solved and monsters killed. The view is first-person, and Galloway has a vast array of weaponry and spells with which to combat the forces of evil. From pistols and shotguns to summoned
lightning bolts and a sixth-sense-like vision, Galloway has a weapon or spell for every monster and occasion. The game is story-driven from Galloway's view and includes no multiplayer option.
Intense interactive insanity
Writing aside, the best part of this job is reviewing quality games, and Undying is quality gaming at its best. The gaming world has long needed talented writers--rather than game designers who think they are--to pen its stories, and in Undying, Electronic Arts has hired one of the best. From the well-crafted story to the believable dialogue, Barker's talent shines at every twist, turn and frightening revelation.
This is interactive creepiness at its finest. From the moment Galloway enters Covenent's estate, there is an edge-of-the-seat unease that permeates the game. The wind moans, ghosts flit briefly across the edge of Galloway's vision, halls suddenly darken, monsters break through skylights and attack viciously. In one memorable moment, Galloway approaches a mirror. As he closes on the reflective surface, his image smiles back. Suddenly, a ghost appears in the mirror, hurtling down the just-traversed hall to attack Galloway. Spooky.
The ambiance is dark and the voice acting is top-notch, as is the dialogue delivered. Futhermore, the game's actors and cutscenes are rendered using the actual game engine. So they advance the plot seamlessly, without jarring the gamer from the creepy reality Barker has created. The 3-D accelerated
graphics are detailed--walking through a victim's blood leaves footprints on the floor--and believable enough to make players jump when a dog-like Howler suddenly appears.
Undying is a rare game, one that yanks the gamer into another world and doesn't let go until the mystery has been solved and the game sadly completed. It has action, it has story, and it has beautiful visuals. It is a gem for gamers and horror fans alike.
Buy a copy, slap on your headphones, turn off the lights, put your back to an open door and play at midnight. It's better than anything you'll see at the movies.
-- Mark
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