Eternal Darkness

Kevok

Has anyone picked it up yet? Is it any good?

I want to get it but don't have the money yet

Mr E

After reading some reviews last night (everyone was giving it 90+% or 9/10 or 10/10), so I decided to pick it up today.

Just played it for an hour. 4 words:

Oh...my....god....WOW! :eek:

I'll play some more and write more tomorrow.

- Dave.

Mark

For a game seemingly so good (I know Ill be buying it anyway), not as many people as I would have thought seem to be interested in it.Odd

Cake Fiend

About four hours into the game, here are my thoughts. I'm a bit knackered atm (can't sleep, zombies will get me...) so I'm not going to make too much effort to write clearly:

Negative points:

So far, the going has been a bit too easy. The enemies are too slow and dumb to pose much of a threat except in large numbers. Hopefully that will change as the game progresses. Also, I'd like to see more variation in enemy types (but tbh you could say that about so many games it's not much of a point).

The game is pretty much set on a train track after the big path choice of the game - the levels are almost all very linear, it's generally a case of 'go to this place, get this thing - go back and go to this other place, get this other thing - go back to the middle ground and use both things'. A bit more variety would be nice.

The graphics are a bit grainy-looking for a game that has been in development so long. It was originally planned for the N64, and TBH it sometimes looks it. Nice lighting effects though.

Another appearance of ye olde set-position camera. I thought we got rid of this with Resident Evil. Swinging it around every once in a while doesn't cut it anymore, I would prefer full control (C-stick? hello?). I suppose the excuse is 'it's more atmospheric'. Fair enough, it's spookier if you can't see the enemies coming, but it generally gets on my tits.

Clichés. All over the place. Right off the bat - oooh, the planets align, a monstrous evil befalls Earth, here we go again.

The insanity system, while innovative, could have been developed further. It still works well, only I'd prefer if there was a bit more difference between the effects each individual character suffers. Maybe prolonged extreme insanity could have more long-term effects on the character's psyche. Some subtle visual hallucinations at the half-sanity point or something.

Positive:

It's fun. That's what matters. Even with the bad points above (none of which are game-ruiners) it's an interesting, captivating, entertaining game. The storyline, while a bit naff sometimes, does maintain interest, and I'm becoming engrossed in the unfolding plot. It has very spooky undertones, working on deeper psychological levels (the insanity system doing a good job) than the standard zombies-jumping-out-of-closets way. I had to watch TV for half an hour before going to bed after playing to get my mind off the game and calm the nerves a bit. People are learning from Silent Hill...

The magick system pwns. Mix-and-match spells add that bit more player-interactivity to the game and I'm looking forward to messing around with more powerful spell combinations. You can see enemies casting spells which you might be able to copy later on in the game when you get more powerful magic, which would be pretty cool.

They've done a good job with the sound. From disembodied voices as you go up the insanity scale to the unexplained knocking and ringing around the mansion, the developers work at trying to keep you spooked. The voice acting, while still a bit pants, is still damn impressive for a video game.


I play games because games are fun. I like fun games. This game, for all its minor faults, is fun. I like playing this game because, so far, it's fun. QED. If you like fun games, buy this one. It doesn't look like it'll last too long, but the candle that burns twice as bright and all that. Imagine the bastard child of Shadowman and, I don't know, Nethack maybe, Silent Hill is its half-brother and you have Eternal Darkness.

Oh, and it's got a widescreen mode. More games need a widescreen mode.

Kairo

Originally posted by Sico

The insanity system, while innovative, could have been developed further. It still works well, only I'd prefer if there was a bit more difference between the effects each individual character suffers. Maybe prolonged extreme insanity could have more long-term effects on the character's psyche. Some subtle visual hallucinations at the half-sanity point or something.

Isn't the Call Of Cthulu game doing something like that, FPS style? You start seeing little flashes of images in the corner of the screen , to full blown psychotic hallucinations and so forth..sounds l44t

Anyway, more on topic, I never liked Resident Evil...and they've certainly made enough clones.

Cake Fiend

Eternal Darkness is nothing like Resident Evil in case anyone thinks it is.

Cake Fiend

I'm bumping this because you heathens aren't giving it the attention it deserves.

BTW, I finished one of the three 'alignments' last night after about 16 hours of play. Short but sweet.

TinCool

Hmm, I'm off to the Square to buy Vice City this evening, don't tell me I have to buy another one. Man, 140 beans (or there abouts) down the toilet, better be worth it.

Kevok

140?? you're not buying from Game are you? GO to Smiths it's just accross the road.

Even try Virgin, might be cheaper there too.

Senbotsu

did the game say that your memory card is been wiped or that the controler is not plugged in?

I was surrounded by Zombies when it said that the controler was unplugged and I freaked out!!!:mad:

Excellent game none the less

-Senbotsu

Mr E

Question.....

I'm on Chapter 4, and get to the room where you get the big sword and you have to kill off some waves of skeletons and zombies. On the 4th wave, bone thiefs emerge from 2 of the zombie corpses and attack you.

How exactly do you shake them off if they jump on you? When one jumps on you, the icon for the analog stick appears. Are you supposed to wiggle it left and right? Up and down? Rotate? No matter what I do, they still kill me.

I've played that chapter up to that point about 10 times, and I'm getting sick of the 3 minute unskippable cutscene at the start !!

- Dave.

Mr. Fancypants

Just got past that bit tonight TmB! If those bone collecters get there mits on you just shake the analog stick around like a mad thing and they fly off. Have only gotten killed by them once so far.
It doesnt matter what way you shake it, just shake it like crazy.

Gonzo

I bought Eternal Darkness this afternoon in Virgin (Blanchardstown) and its 39,99€ there.

btw Virgin in Henry Street are selling Tony Hawks 4 Gamecube version for 39,99€ also. Great deals!

Dont go near Game for your Gamecube games. Rip-off merchants.