"A brilliantly crafted storyline and clever gameplay"

Months before the release of Eternal Darkness, I delved deeply into any article I could find about the game. I was very eager to get my hands on it, because from what I had heard it was incredible. Then the day came. After playing for a while I found the game to be strange and I was not very comfortable with the story. That changed,
however, and it now takes place among my most favorite games ever.

STORY: 9/10

First of all, I'll say that the story of the Eternal Darkness is the most clever I've ever seen in a video game. It has been brilliantly crafted to blend in with certain parts of history and, surprisingly,it works. It would make perfect sense if this story were in reality,because the way the writers have placed these stories of magick and deviancy into history has been very fitting with the happenings around whatever times they have been set.

The story of the humanity itself is played out in Eternal Darkness, and has been done very respectably. I cannot stress enough that the way it is done is so ingenious, original and imaginitive. Only once you've completed the game will you understand what I mean. Even then you'll have to play it again to find out more than you knew the first time around.

The characters are the very pinnacle of the story. Nearly every role has an important story to make the main story a whole. Almost all conversations in the game are necessary to be observed, or else you will not completely recognize the story behind the Eternal Darkness in its true glory.

The problem with the story? I think some would agree that it is quite a tough one to get into. At the beginning of the game you're thrown right into the middle of it and won't have much of an idea of what is happening. I can imagine a Resident Evil buff playing this for thirty
minutes and asking himself ''Where are the zombies? Where's the virus?'' and turning the game off. If you are going to play this for the first time, remember that you won't really understand what's going on until the
fourth or fifth chapter, and only then will you have a median idea. If you can wait until then (and it isn't too long a wait, if you're good), then you have nothing to worry about. I'm not saying that the first three chapters are pointless, I'm saying that you'll understand why the incidents happened in those chapters and what cause they were towards.

One more problem. The game doesn't have any ''No way!'' moments that are guaranteed to shock. It's a great story, but it's more a story where everything makes sense and just, well, is THERE. No shocking moments, but a bright, brillaint and deep plot if you're willing to undertake it.

GAMEPLAY: 8/10

In Eternal Darkness, you play as twelve people, through twelve chapters, who all have different attributes and goals. The most exciting part of the gameplay is starting as a new person in a new time and place. You'll notice that they become better developed fighters as you progress,
because sometimes when you take control of them they have no real fighting abilities. Some have alot of health while another may have little health at all. But the man with little health may have more sanity than the man with more health, and can withstand the sight of zombies and
monsters longer without going crazy.

The insanity bar is a new and unique method. When character runs into a room filled with zombies, they will become frightened at the fact and the sanity meter will go down. The lower it gets, the more insane your character becomes, which means you will see things that aren't really
happening. It's a good idea, but you'll rarely fall for it. You can regain sanity, which is good, because it becomes an annoyance after a while. A necessity in doing so, because after your sanity meter is empty your health meter will start to decrease!

Do not be fooled by all the hacking and slashing you will be doing early on in the game. This game is no hack-and-slash, though it comes along with a truck load of it available to you. Sometimes it's necessary and at other times it isn't. I do enjoy the combat in this game, very much, actually, though some people play for a while and shrug the game off as a lame ''Kill! Kill! Kill!'' game. I'll let you know that the combat in this game is alot of fun, however. Unlike Resident Evil, when you're stuck in a room and three zombies are coming after you, you have the choice of slicing their arms, head or stomach with the sword that is possessed by the character you control. Swords are much more useful than guns in Eternal Darkness, which came as a surprise to me, seeming that it is the other way
around in Resident Evil.

My argument against the combat is that killing the zombies is far too easy. The story gives a reason to this (it gives a reason to alot things, which rocks), but perhaps they could've put some more of the tougher monsters in the game, which I'll leave for you to see for yourself. Even if you've taken alot of damage, revival of energy is too easy with the magick system.

The magick system has its good points and its bad points. The obligatory use of magick has been well done. Some of the puzzles blocking your way from a section of a place
you haven't reached will make you wonder what magick you're going to have to use and what Ancient you're going to align it to. There is a total of three possible alignments that you'll earn throughout the game, and one is weak to another while it's strong to the other one (for example: Scissors, Paper, Rock. Get it?) and you must learn which one beats which by looking carefully at your surroundings and trying

new things you haven't yet attempted. As you progress through the game your magickal powers will become more powerful, which I believe makes the game too easy. When your health become low, you can fill it up by using the Recover Spell. I believe that this spell is far too helpful
and should of been less limited or else not included at all.

Puzzle solving is not difficult. Most of the time you'll find an item and know exactly what to do with it soon after. The clues were too obvious, even in the later stages of the game. The puzzles could of and should of been harder.

The atmosphere of the game is eerie and dark, but not scary. The creepy music that you are welcomed by at the beginning makes you feel that anything could jump out of anywhere, though it won't happen. Otherwise, the atmosphere works remarkably.

Lots of killing, thinking, magick and puzzles await you, and they are worth looking for. Great gameplay, just a few flaws.

SOUND: 9/10

The music in the game is very fitting with the time and area you are in. It adds to the atmosphere you are in, giving either a dark, deviant or safe feeling to your current surrounding. For example, when you're in a temple in Persia, the music is what you would find in an Aladin movie, only more mature. When you're walking around a dark, empty church, the music is suspensful and sinister, with whispers and silent chatter which will make you wonder if it was happening or not. The music has no drawbacks. It's simple and fitting.

The sound effects are impressive. When a zombie walks towards you, you can hear the sick sounds of its filthy feet when they touch the ground. When slashing an arm off a zombie, you will hear the slash of the sword and the noise of the blood spilling everywhere. If you have Dolby Pro Logic II support, then I really suggest you try it out.

Some sound effects are very annoying. The continous loop of hearing a man being tortured and a baby crying when your sanity meter is low will annoy you after a while. Certain monsters make noises that will be a pain to your ears. If you can overcome these little issues, the sound effects
are otherwise very well done.

The voices make the story even more convincing. A few actors from Metal Gear Solid were borrowed and have done impeccable jobs with their voice acting abilities. I happened to like the voices of each character but one (I'll
leave that to myself though). Sometimes characters are a little too exaggerated, but other than that the voices are perfect. Richard Doyle, who plays Pious Augustus, has done a marvellous job with his well said lines and expression. Very dandy.

GRAPHICS: 7/10

I do like the graphics in this game. Like the sound, the dark textures really fit in with the atmosphere and surroundings. The character models are very detailed and facial expressions are great.

When you get a cutscene that shows a door open or something else happen, everything around it freezes. You, the monsters, the surroundings and anything but what is being focused upon. I particuarly don't this shortfall. Sometimes when you kill a monster it will fall right through you. This
could of been fixed easily, but it hasn't been.

Not bad and not perfect. Just good.

LASTABILITY/REPLAY VALUE: 8/10

The game should take around 15-20 hours to complete. It's a long game, perhaps one of the longest on Gamecube. Alot of replay value is in store for you, but only if you're willing to go over what you've done before. Believe me, it's worth it if you wish to know everything about the story.

BUY OR RENT?

Buy. It's long, fun, clever and you'll want to play it more than once.

OVERALL SCORE: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/28/04