"When the sun goes down the monsters come out to play..."

'Nocturne' is perhaps one of the better survival horror games on today's market, and although it is flawed, it has enough going for it to make it a solid and enjoyable game, and one that will have you on the edge of your seat till the very end. The supernatural themes it deals with are plucked from years of supernatural myths, and deals with everything from vampires to zombies and even succubus’s in a brooding 1930's atmosphere. Prepare for survival horror nirvana...

1930's America, a dark plague is sweeping through the streets, hidden in every shadow is the presence of evil. Only one organization is equipped to take on this threat, The Spookhouse. A secret organization set up by Theodore Roosevelt in 1902 to combat supernatural forces. To the government they don't exist, to the public they occupy a small office that is but a mere front for their activities.
The operatives of this organization are sent in to cover up the existence of supernatural forces, and combat them wherever they spread.
You are a member of this organization. Your name; The Stranger. A shady individual with an even shadier past. His deeds are superhuman, and he is viewed as a silent, cold and extremely effective agent. Now you prepare to combat the forces of the dark, while unveiling your own dark past...
Full marks go to Terminal Reality and Gathering of Developers for this top plot; one that will keep you captivated right to the very end. This is so good it could almost be a movie!
Story: 10

'Nocturne' is a graphical masterpiece, even three years after its release. 'Nocturne' is played from a third person perspective with a fixed camera, much like 'Resident Evil.' The backgrounds are all pre-rendered and often dark and moody, sometimes too dark, but luckily there is a gamma correction option. Each backdrop sets the atmosphere perfectly, and you will literally be on the edge of your seat as you creep through a dimly lit passage. There are times when shadows will flash across the screen, and it's times like these that will get the adrenaline flowing. The enemies are vivid and well realized, from werewolves to zombies, vampires to skeletons, and all manner of hideous creatures in-between. This is truly a complete experience for any fan of supernatural themes. The character himself is well rendered and detailed too, dressed in a dark trench coat and hat, and wearing mysterious goggles that keep his eyes constantly covered.
The lighting effects are truly amazing, right down to the halo of your torchlight when you shine it over the screen. The Stranger carries two .45 pistols each equipped with laser sights that shine a beam of red. While laser sights weren't actually around at that time, it's still a wonderful graphical effect, albeit a simplistic one.
Unfortunately as is usually the case, this game requires quite a system to run. You'll want at least a Pentium II 400 and 32 Mb card if you want to run this game at any decent resolution. Still, if you have the system, 'Nocturne' sure is a treat to watch, and even more of a treat to play. Put this game on when friends come over and watch their jaws drop in awe, it's that good!
The main characters trench coat billows around in the wind, and reacts realistically to the turning of the character. There was one slight problem with 'Nocturne's' graphics however, and that was the sometimes-jolted animation. Grab the axe for example, and instead of swinging it The Stranger will seemingly bend in half with it, creating an odd and extremely unrealistic look.
Graphics: 9

The sound in 'Nocturne' is sheer bliss. Everything from the voice acting to the music is wonderfully done, even though the voices can get rather cheesy at times.
The Stranger has a gruff and mysterious voice, which suits the character so well, it's brilliant. The other characters are voiced well, although there is one or two 'not so good' voice actors, Sventlana Lupescu for example has a fake Russian accent that sounded rather forced. Otherwise, most of the voice acting was well voiced, adding immensely to the dark and moody atmosphere. The characters are all shady and dark, and the voice acting usually reflects that well.
The music was mostly classical pieces and violin solo's, creating a suspenseful atmosphere when the game called for it. The music changed as an enemy or shadow leapt across the screen, and complimented the edgy gameplay well.
Sound effects were well done as well, from the groan of zombies to the blast of the huge elephant gun. Everything sounded realistic enough, and overall added to the dark atmosphere of the game.
Sound: 8

The Stranger has many implements to combat the forces of the night, and uses anything from pistols to shovels for protection. One of the games strengths is in the way the weapons are more effective on different enemies. For example the 'Holy Relic;' a sword in the shape of a cross is extremely effective against vampires. Your pistol can be loaded up with different ammunition, such as silver bullets, extremely effective against vampires and werewolves. The variation in weapons is just great, as one minute you'll be toasting an enemy with a flamethrower and stabbing another in the heart with a stake the next.
The game is split up into four different 'episodes.' Each episode has a different story line, and has you facing off against different enemies. While the first three episodes were great the last was entirely forgettable, stripping you off your weapons and making you run maze like maps while avoiding the enemies. This sadly tarnished the game in my opinion, but even then there's no denying that the other episodes were great.
Most of the game is puzzle based, much like the 'Resident Evil' games, forcing you to think about each puzzle at hand. While quite often it was just a simple matter of finding a key, the puzzles were kept varied and interesting, and rarely too monotonous.
There are often a few gory moments within 'Nocturne,' as the hit location system that allows you to shoot specific limbs off the enemies. As if that wasn't enough you can then pick up the severed limbs and use them against other enemies, complete with blood dripping everywhere. This may disturb some, as unlike most games the portrayal of violence and gore in 'Nocturne' is very realistic and at times rather gruesome.
As good as 'Nocturne' is though, it is not without its faults. One of the most common problems is with falling damage, as often your character will take huge amounts of damage from seemingly small falls. Other problems with jumping puzzles can frustrate, as lining up jumps is not easy and often these areas don't seem to suit the general flow of the game. The quick-save key will truly become your best friend, and unfortunately, so will the quick-load key. On top of this some of the game is a bit harder in some sections then it perhaps should be, which can often frustrate. The last problem lies with the games controls, which can often be clumsy and awkward to use.
Otherwise, 'Nocturne' is a highly enjoyable game that will have you coming back for more.
Gameplay: 9
Life Span: 7

Pros
+ Graphics
+ Voice acting
+ Music
+ Imaginative enemies
+ Story line

Cons
- Clumsy controls
- Terrible last episode
- Falling damage
- Jumping puzzles

'Nocturne' is a great game that uses supernatural myths to draw its subject matter from, and as a result the game will truly play on your fears, leaving you gasping for breath. Almost every area of the game seems highly polished, and is for the most part highly enjoyable to play, and in the end that's all that counts.
Overall: 9

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/17/02, Updated 12/17/02