[HEADING=2]
For many gamers, hearing the name of writer Clive Barker will instantly bring back memories of his latest attempt at entering the gaming world: Clive Barker's Jericho. However, what many don't know is that Jericho was not the first game to feature his name; back in 2001, a little gem of an action-horror FPS was released under the title of Clive Barker's Undying.
[img_inline align="right" height="250" width="300" caption="This looks like a nice family"]http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/2834/undying.jpg[/img_inline]
Here's the basic setup: we play as WWI veteran Patrick Galloway, who receives a letter from an old friend, Jeremiah Covenant, asking for help regarding a family curse. He then travels to the Covenant manor and attempts to unravel the mysteries that surround the family, while trying not to get killed by the abominations that, commanded by Jeremiah's four siblings, have taken over the mansion and its surroundings. Unsurprisingly, the story is the best part about Undying, and it's something you have to experience for yourself to really appreciate, so I won't spoil anything else.
Patrick's journey will take us to several locations, ranging from the rather clichéd haunted mansion, or the family mausoleum, to the downright trippy Oneiros (a sort of alternate dimension that's under the control of an evil magician), or the more tropical setting that goes by the name of Eternal Autumn.
Each and every one of these locales is beautifully rendered and never feels out of place, despite their radical differences. The sounds effects are very realistic and help a lot when it comes to immersion. This is key, because the game (especially during the first half) is very, very, atmospheric, and it relies heavily on the player being immersed for it to work. Needless to say, it succeeds most of the time.
I won't lie, the game is quite scary. There's some really messed up imagery going on here (mostly related to each of the siblings' back story) that really elevates the game's horror element. It's the kind of experience that leaves you feeling extremely uneasy and disturbed for hours after you've turned the console (er...computer) off.
[img_inline align="left" height="250" width="300" caption="Oh..."]http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/5564/undyingcopy.jpg[/img_inline]
In order to accomplish his objectives, our hero has an arsenal of up to 8 different weapons, and the same number of magical powers. Although we only start with a (surprisingly effective) revolver, an amulet called the Gel'zibar stone (a.k.a Plot Device, for the more genre savvy), and the Scrye spell (a sort of night vision that also lets you see cool stuff if activated at certain places), things get a lot more interesting later on, with the introduction of weapons like the Scythe of the Celts or the Tibetan War Cannon, and spells that, among other things, let you revive dead enemies to fight alongside with you, or throw exploding skulls at your enemies (?!).
So, awesome story, great graphics and sound, superb atmosphere, and a large variety of enemies, locations, and weapons, what keeps Undying from being a masterpiece? Well... a couple of things...
For starters, the aforementioned large number of weapons and spells and the fact that the game doesn't pause when you're cycling through them, can make combat very frustrating in that regard. This is aggravated by the fact that there are a lot of different enemies, and they all have different weaknesses, which will have you changing between weapons and spells quite often. Not too mention that there are also a lot of items, such as first aid kits or different types of ammunition that also need to be selected and used in real time.
[img_inline align="right" height="250" width="300" caption="The Scrye spell lets you see some creepy stuff"]http://downloads.virtual-games.ro/games/shooter/undying/undying_001.jpg[/img_inline]
The levels are pretty big, but lack detail and a lot of the areas feel very same-y and bland (the last section comes to mind). The game is pretty linear as well, which wouldn't really be a complaint if it wasn't for the fact that it's that Silent Hill kind of linear, where the game-world looks huge and full of possibilities, but in the end there's only one path that's open for you, and a dozen of jammed and locked doors in between.
Also, the game has a very weird pacing; the first boss battle occurs about one third into the game, and then they all come out of nowhere. Of the four siblings (the game's main bosses), only two get a proper build-up and back story, the rest just kinda appear with very little foreshadowing. Not to mention that for the most part, the boss battles are very anticlimactic (and don't get me started on the joke that is the final boss).
Despite these relative minor flaws, Undying is well worth checking out. One of the forgotten gems of the horror genre, and an extremely fun and scary experience that you won't soon forget.
[HEADING=3]
Clive Barker's Undying
[/HEADING]
For many gamers, hearing the name of writer Clive Barker will instantly bring back memories of his latest attempt at entering the gaming world: Clive Barker's Jericho. However, what many don't know is that Jericho was not the first game to feature his name; back in 2001, a little gem of an action-horror FPS was released under the title of Clive Barker's Undying.
[img_inline align="right" height="250" width="300" caption="This looks like a nice family"]http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/2834/undying.jpg[/img_inline]
Here's the basic setup: we play as WWI veteran Patrick Galloway, who receives a letter from an old friend, Jeremiah Covenant, asking for help regarding a family curse. He then travels to the Covenant manor and attempts to unravel the mysteries that surround the family, while trying not to get killed by the abominations that, commanded by Jeremiah's four siblings, have taken over the mansion and its surroundings. Unsurprisingly, the story is the best part about Undying, and it's something you have to experience for yourself to really appreciate, so I won't spoil anything else.
Patrick's journey will take us to several locations, ranging from the rather clichéd haunted mansion, or the family mausoleum, to the downright trippy Oneiros (a sort of alternate dimension that's under the control of an evil magician), or the more tropical setting that goes by the name of Eternal Autumn.
Each and every one of these locales is beautifully rendered and never feels out of place, despite their radical differences. The sounds effects are very realistic and help a lot when it comes to immersion. This is key, because the game (especially during the first half) is very, very, atmospheric, and it relies heavily on the player being immersed for it to work. Needless to say, it succeeds most of the time.
I won't lie, the game is quite scary. There's some really messed up imagery going on here (mostly related to each of the siblings' back story) that really elevates the game's horror element. It's the kind of experience that leaves you feeling extremely uneasy and disturbed for hours after you've turned the console (er...computer) off.
[img_inline align="left" height="250" width="300" caption="Oh..."]http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/5564/undyingcopy.jpg[/img_inline]
In order to accomplish his objectives, our hero has an arsenal of up to 8 different weapons, and the same number of magical powers. Although we only start with a (surprisingly effective) revolver, an amulet called the Gel'zibar stone (a.k.a Plot Device, for the more genre savvy), and the Scrye spell (a sort of night vision that also lets you see cool stuff if activated at certain places), things get a lot more interesting later on, with the introduction of weapons like the Scythe of the Celts or the Tibetan War Cannon, and spells that, among other things, let you revive dead enemies to fight alongside with you, or throw exploding skulls at your enemies (?!).
So, awesome story, great graphics and sound, superb atmosphere, and a large variety of enemies, locations, and weapons, what keeps Undying from being a masterpiece? Well... a couple of things...
For starters, the aforementioned large number of weapons and spells and the fact that the game doesn't pause when you're cycling through them, can make combat very frustrating in that regard. This is aggravated by the fact that there are a lot of different enemies, and they all have different weaknesses, which will have you changing between weapons and spells quite often. Not too mention that there are also a lot of items, such as first aid kits or different types of ammunition that also need to be selected and used in real time.
[img_inline align="right" height="250" width="300" caption="The Scrye spell lets you see some creepy stuff"]http://downloads.virtual-games.ro/games/shooter/undying/undying_001.jpg[/img_inline]
The levels are pretty big, but lack detail and a lot of the areas feel very same-y and bland (the last section comes to mind). The game is pretty linear as well, which wouldn't really be a complaint if it wasn't for the fact that it's that Silent Hill kind of linear, where the game-world looks huge and full of possibilities, but in the end there's only one path that's open for you, and a dozen of jammed and locked doors in between.
Also, the game has a very weird pacing; the first boss battle occurs about one third into the game, and then they all come out of nowhere. Of the four siblings (the game's main bosses), only two get a proper build-up and back story, the rest just kinda appear with very little foreshadowing. Not to mention that for the most part, the boss battles are very anticlimactic (and don't get me started on the joke that is the final boss).
Despite these relative minor flaws, Undying is well worth checking out. One of the forgotten gems of the horror genre, and an extremely fun and scary experience that you won't soon forget.
[HEADING=3]
Score: 8/10
[/HEADING]