 Videogame Review | |||||
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 In Depth Review: Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem [GCN]
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That was until Eternal Darkness came out! This is a great title for the most hardcore of survival-horror players or anyone who is turned off by the GC’s lack of Mature rated games. If it was Silicon Knights’ goal to absorb and horrify gamers with the game’s atmosphere alone then they succeeded. From start to finish this game’s graphics leave you not only wondering what lies beyond that next door, but also wondering if you really have the courage to open it. With a cornucopia of visual effects, some genuinely chilling enemies, and wonderful character models there are not many negative things to be said about Eternal Darkness’s visuals However, there are a very minute amount of problems, which mar Nintendo’s graphical masterpiece. For one, some of the FMVs look very grainy. With the exception of the character models, the FMV scenes didn’t look a whole lot better than the FMV scenes of FF7. I just don’t get it; this is the Gamecube, not the PS1. Another small complaint is that the shadow effects were nothing great. This is a small problem, but a problem nonetheless. Chop off a monster’s head, finish him off to regain your sanity, heal with your magic, and figure out a way to get out of this damn room you’re stuck in (repeat until you watch the ending cinema). Contrary to how it might sound, this never gets old. This is due to controllable characters in the double digits, tons of weapons, an awesome sanity feature, a system of combat in which you target enemies’ individual body parts, varied puzzles, great controls, and a superb magic system. The only problem I had was that one small part of the game is very boring. This is the part where you play the architect. You’ll know when you get there. However, this game will still steal hours of your sleep. This is wonderful gameplay. Eternal Darkness tells a wonderful story. I’m not going to ruin it for you, but it is very complex and also very rewarding once you figure out what the hell is going on. The only complaint I have with it is that you don’t always feel like you know enough about the characters’ past. But in the end, it’s a very compelling story. Eternal Darkness succeeds where most games with a length of 15-20 hours fail. It offers an awesome wealth of replay value. The extra ending you get for completing the game 3 times is reason enough to go back and play it again. There are plenty of other side-quests, bonuses, and alternate settings to justify a replay without even taking into consideration the extra ending. I have nothing but good to speak of this game’s replay value. You NEED to at least try this game. I recommend a purchase. Thanks to Silicon Knights, Nintendo, and the Trigames people. In Loving Memory of my Grandma |
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