"Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here!"

Escape from Monster Manor-3D0

Escape from Monster Manor has always been a favorite of mine on the 3D0. It may not be the greatest game in the world, but, lets face, on the 3D0, your options for great games are limited.

First off, this a Doom Style first person shooter that was so common back in the day. But, there is a twist. The game goes for a much more "survival horror" approach then Doom. So, if you are like me, and have to collect and play any and all horror games, and, you just so happen to own a 3D0. This might be right up your alley.

Now, to save time and space, from now on I will refer to Escape from Monster Manor as EFMM. So...here we go.

Graphics:

The graphics in EFMM are a mixed bag. On one hand, you have the backgrounds, which are a step down from Doom. They are mostly repeated textures over and over again and the every corner of the game is at a 90 degree angle. Each of the twelve stages does look different from each other and they all have their own feel to them. There are objects in these level. But, they really look terrible. They are basically 2d images pasted on the level, so, you can circle strafe around a chair and you will always be looking at the front of it. Makes you wonder why they couldn't of made them 3d, or at least have the objects have 2 seperate images for front and back like Doom.

Then, on the other hand you have the enemies. Which look great and they use a clay animation effect that really brings the enemies to life. They also surprisingly animate rather well. Which isn't really common in a game such as this. The way the Wraith's scythe slashes at you or the Puke Face morphs all looked impressive. Especially considering the age of the 3D0.

Sound:

I personally love the Music. From the upbeat music at the beginning of the game, to the spooky ambience in the later stages. One song in particular in the 11th stage actually kept me at the edge of my seat for the entire level. With the creaking of gates and the screams and lighning. It actually did a good job of making you feel like something is right around the next corner trying to kill you(Which there usually was).

I also love the Narrator in this game. He has just the perfect amount of cheese in his lines to make you laugh. The intro is actually funny if you like old cheesy horror movies. And, the way he taunts you at the end of each level is a nice touch. Hell, they even made a song using some of his lines that plays in level 6 or 7.

Story:

Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here

Evil spirits and unholy enemies have been unleashed upon the world. The talisman kept them at bay, but it is broken asunder, and the fragments scattered throughout Monster Manor and its shadowy estate. To save humanity, you must gather the fragments and restore the talisman. There are many levels of danger and horror to navigate, and the evil ones are desperate to stop you in your quest. They await you at every turn. lurking in corners and catacombs, hungry for the taste of your living flesh. With just your wits and your weapons, you must foil the evil ones' plans to destroy your world.

Concept:

EFMM plays a lot like Doom, but with a horror twist. The game tries to accomplish this by a few things. First off, you have only have one weapon! Yup, I said it, one. A laser gun...with 10 shots. Next, ammunition is limited, so you can't play it like Doom where you run down a hallway emptying a clip to take on a single enemy. You have to play it smart and make your shots count. A few missed shots in the later levels can leave you running around with no ammo trying to dodge enemies while looking for more.

Now, does the game succeed in being scary. Well, Yes and no. At times, like on the last two levels. The music and level design mixes well to give you a genuine feeling of tension. As you run around each level low on ammo desperately searching for an exit.

But, on some levels, the ammo you get is too limited. Not because you waste too much. But, because of a certain enemy that was poorly executed into the game. The SPIDER!!! This is best seen in Level 10. Where you are attacked with a massive amount of these little things. The game forces you to NOT use ammo on them and try to dodge them. But, doing this will annoys you to no end. They will mass together and around every turn, THERE THEY ARE. Blocking your path. Not only that, but these masses of spiders with slow down your game quite a bit at times. The fact that you can't run THROUGH the spiders is annoying as well. It literally took me weeks to get past level 10 the first time, just because I would get frustrated, turn the game off, and not play it for a good week.

Luckily though, the levels with spiders are limited and there are only 1 or 2 stages where the spiders really are a major problem. Also, with the exception of Level 10. The game is fun to play.

Gameplay:

There are 4 types of monsters you will encounter in this game. There is also a mini-boss or two usually guarding the exit. But, they are just stronger versions of these monsters.

Wraith-A wraith with a scythe. Often attacks in groups, but slow and easy to take down.

Puke Faces-Floated heads that look normal at first, but quickly morph when they see you and change into an ugly thing that pukes acid at you. I suggest taking them out before they morph or waiting around a corner for them to come to you because their projectiles are the strongest attack in the game. One DIRECT hit with them hits you multiple times and pretty much kills you.

Spectre-The most deadly enemy in the game. They hold a knife, move fast, and hits even faster. If this thing gets close to you, at least half your life will probably be gone before you get away. Keep at a distance and take em out.

Spider-This is the most annoying enemy in the game. Not only do they attack in groups, but, you cannot hit them until they jump at you. They are pretty much just a waste of ammo. They just mass together and block your path. I hate these things with a passion and wish they weren't in the game because in some levels(Level 10 to be exact) they will frustrate you to no end.

There are 12 levels in EFMM. You start in the Manor and eventually move into catacombs, graveyards, and labyrinth. There is a save option at the end of each level and you can save and name up to 5 files.

The goal of each level is to collect the talisman shard and find the exit. This is much more difficult then it sounds since each level is actually quite large, and is quite easy to get lost. Luckily the game includes a rather good map feature. It will become your best friend in this game, so get used to using it.

You can collect gems to get extra lives. Though personally, I don't see the point in extra lives. Since it basically just puts you back at the beginning of the level with the map reset and all enemies and items back to their original positions. Might as well just make me load my game? They could of at least keep the areas of the map you uncovered instead of resetting it.

Overall:

This is a fun FPS game for the 3D0. Perfect for horror fans or fans of old doom style games. It's got its problems, but, what game doesn't. And lets face, decent games, even playable ones are a rarity on the 3D0.

7.7-Rounded up to an 8

Tread Carefully NOW!!!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/05/06