"Of the few M rated DS titles, this one takes the cake."

As stated in the title, Dementium: The Ward is one of very few M rated DS games. In my opinion, this is the only one that truly deserves that rating. This game really shows how far the DS can take a game. While the game isn't perfect, it's pretty close.

Story: 3/10

This is by far the game's weakest point. Very little elements of the story are revealed to you, and even when th game is over you will still have a lot of questions, maybe even more than before. Throughout the majority of the game, the game just has a typical "Survive and get out" story. When the game does give you pieces of the story, they are often so minor and spread out that you may even forget them or not even think that it is related to the story.

Gameplay: 10/10

Flawless. The controls are based off of those in Metroid Prime Hunters, so they are easy to learn and get used to. Collision detection is sometimes a little funny, but that usually only pertains to the monsters when they run into minor objects (shelves/chairs). Some of the features in the game actually surprised me, such as how roaches react to light and how wasps react to light.

Like Doom 3, you are often forced to choose between seeing the environment or equipping a weapon. The weapons (and flashlight) each have their own easily accessible icons on the touchscreen. The touchscreen is also where you choose to examine objects, access your journal or map, and your settings. The game autosaves after (almost) every room, but if you die you must restart the chapter. This is easy to bypass by turning off the DS right before you die, but I think it is a good thing in the sense that it gives you an incentive not to die.

Sound: 10/10

Wow.....just wow. every noise in this game (except one) is worth hearing. All of the monsters sound as they should. Every footstep you take sounds as it would in real life. even some of the minor sounds, like turning your flashlight on/off sounds real. However, what really makes this game is the music. If this game had no background music, it wouldn't have even half of the feel that this game has. This is actually the first game I've played where the music was so creepy that it weirded me out. Three words describe the only sound that is actually painful to hear: Electric Buzz Saw.

Graphics: 10/10

This game is incredible. These are hands down the best graphics I have seen on a DS game. Even though most of the environments are the same, you need to understand that this is a hospital you are in. The level of detail that this game has is incredible. The lighting is amazing, but not perfect. Objects don't cast shadows, but every other aspect is amazing. When you are outside, the storm effects are insanely realistic. This game really surprised me.

Replayability: 6/10

This game is fun, but it won't last forever. going through it 3 or 4 times is quite enjoyable, but anything after that and it would probably just get boring. Also, this game is only around 4 hours long for the average player. (side note: to get the best experience with the game, play in the dark with headphones/earbuds on)

Overall: 9/10

This is an excelent game on the DS. I highly recommend it to any DS owner. Sure, the game has it's flaws, but what game doesn't? This is a great game for a great system. If you aren't into survival horror, then I suggest that you at least rent the game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/28/08

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