"Remarkably uninteresting."

Before I get started, I want to make sure people are aware of my perspective, because I feel that's important.

Introduction (i.e., Bias)
I'm not really a survival horror fan. I'm trying not to let this influence my opinions, but realistically, it probably does. Also, I've never been big on first person shooters. I am, however, a huge fan of all things horror such as zombies and what have you. My problem with survival horror games is typically gameplay related, not content related. I thoroughly enjoyed Resident Evil 4, for example, but disliked its predecessors due to awkward controls.

Another big bias factor that will probably cause a lot of people to disregard this review is that I have not finished the game, nor do I ever plan to. I realize this is enough for many people to simply stop reading right now, and that's fine with me. I feel, however, that the fact I find myself too bored to finish the game is testament to how dull the game really is. However, I obviously am not fully aware of how the story develops. I have, however, tried out all of the weapons thanks to Action Replay, if that helps at all.

To account for this bias, I've simply added +1 to what I want to give the game (I'd have given it 4/10 based on my ~2 hour gaming experience).

I finally wish to make clear that I was looking forward to this game, and I'm simply disappointed. It is not my intention to bash the game.



With that stuff out of the way...

Gameplay
On a fundamental level, the first person shooter engine is quite good. Congratulations go to Nintendo on that, since it's pretty much lifted from Metroid Prime Hunters if I understand correctly. That's okay, though, because Renegade Kid altered the controls significantly. In fact, they're now much less intuitive, and at least three times as frustrating.

By far, the most problematic aspect of the controls (and I'd venture to say with the game as a whole) is the flashlight mechanic. I can understand that it's a cool effect and that it adds challenge and atmosphere to the game. But the fact that you have to press R to switch from it to your weapon is just awkward. For right handed players, it means they have to twist their hand in a bizarre manner, or hit the button with their pinky, and I'm sure there are a few others methods too. One thing's for sure though, it's annoying. I find myself doing unbelievably stupid things as an alternative, such as running around blasting my machine gun in order to light up the screen (an option only available to those such as myself who are using action replay for infinite ammo).

As for difficulty, the game seems to be reasonably easy, but it's made much harder by its infamous saving system. I'm sure most of you are aware of its mechanics, but suffice to say that saving has pretty much no effect since when you die you have to start at the beginning of the chapter anyways.

I can't comment much on the story other than to say it seems quite formulaic. From what I've heard, many feel that it is strongly similar to Silent Hill, and I suspect that's no coincidence.

Graphics/Sound
Graphically, Dementium is quite a strong title. There's no secret about that, and I don't think I really have to explain why. I don't have any problems here, really. On the other hand...

Dementium has some of the most irritating and abrasive sound effects I have ever heard in any video game. I know this sounds like a minor gripe, but trust me, they grate on me so much it severely reduces my desire to play the game. Some of the worst sounds are made by these little high-pitched larva things which, at some points in the game, attack you in pretty much every room you enter. These enemies are annoying to deal with already, and having my ears raped while trying to fend them off is a staggeringly unpleasant experience.

Another awful noise is the buzzing of the bone saw weapon. As a weapon, it's very effective. I'd use it all the time if it didn't sound like a dentist's drill. But it does, so I hardly ever pull it out. It's almost comical, isn't it?

The music is pretty annoying, too. It's not inherently bad, but it all sounds the same and doesn't add much to the experience. This is coming from someone who often feels that music can be one of the most important aspects of a game, though.

Final Recommendation
Overall I'd say this game's only real value is as a tech-demo for the FPS capabilities of the DS. As an actual game, it's thoroughly unenjoyable and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. If you really insist on playing it, I'd advise a rent rather than buying it since the time to beat is reported as 7 hours and a lack of any unlockable features, etc. makes replay value non-existent.

If you want an enjoyable FPS for your DS... well, you're out of luck. But if you want one that's better than Dementium, give Metroid Hunters a try.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 11/05/07

Game Release: Dementium: The Ward (US, 10/26/07)