Viewing Thread:
"Eternal Darkness Review from IGN Insider....."

Thought some of you may be intrested to read this, if any of you had any doubts about this game I think you can forget about them it sounds funning brilliant and it got 9.6/10 which is a rather good score.

June 21, 2002 - Developer Silicon Knights' psychological thriller Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem has been in development for a long, long time. The title, which travels gamers through the depths of time and challenges them to complete quests using a dozen different characters, began its life as an N64 game, but was cancelled and switched over to GameCube as Nintendo's next-generation console matured. Nintendo and Silicon Knights worked on the project for two years more, enhanced it considerably, added new elements, tweaked and fixed controls, blew out graphics, sound and other aspects. All of this while gamers eagerly, and sometimes impatiently, waited.
But the wait is finally over and the good news is that it's all been worth it. Eternal Darkness is the truest testament to proper development time and commitment. The game grabs hold of players and doesn't let go, captivating with its brilliantly crafted storyline, its mesmerizing visuals and scenery, its character development and more. These details are only equaled by the title's polished controls, combat system and beautifully conceived magick system, which will bait and hook gamers beyond anything else. Add in the element of surprise through "insanity effects," one of the title's more interesting exclusives, and a long and satisfying adventure and the result is something very special.

Resident Evil, this game is most absolutely not. What it is, however, to dedicated players who fully explore its length and intricacies, is one of GameCube's absolute best games, and indeed one of the greatest titles we've ever played.

Keep reading to find out why in our nearly spoiler free review of the game.

The Facts


Gripping, mature storyline spanning over 20 centuries
Innovative insanity meter adds new level of unpredictability to gameplay experience
Advanced, dramatic camera system
12 playable characters
A host of historically accurate weapons
Unique enemy targeting system enables players to dismember specific body parts of enemies
Deep and engaging magick system enables for a wide variety of spells and enchantments
Quick combo system for high-action situations
Superior 3D engine includes bump-mapping, radiosity light maps, ray-traced light maps, volumetric fogging, 24-bit color, 640x480 resolution running at 60 frames per second
Detailed animation system including reactive animations, facial animations, and more
Full-motion video sequences
Moody sound effects and well-composed musical scores presented in full surround sound
Exquisite attention to detail ranging from Latin voiceovers to historically accurate fighting styles
Over 50 hours of gameplay with alternate gameplay paths
Dolby Pro Logic II supported
Progressive scan mode supported
16x9 widescreen mode supported
Requires 15 blocks to save on a GameCube memory card
Gameplay

Eternal Darkness is not a game to be entered into lightly. Players expecting to jump into the title and reap all of its benefits within a half hour are in for a disappointment. On the other hand, committed gamers will be treated to a long, epic adventure filled with surprises, unpredictable twists and turns, scares, and a magnificent sense of accomplishment, both from a completion sense but also from a character development standpoint.
The story follows Alexandra Roivas, a young, beautiful woman whose grandfather's body has just been found in his dark and moody mansion, bloodied and torn apart, his head missing. When she learns that the local police have been unable to uncover any clues regarding the obvious murder, she decides to take matters into her own hands. It's when she arrives at her deceased relative's mansion to investigate that the tale of Eternal Darkness truly begins.

We're not going to give away a single plot development. But there are a couple of facts about the game players should know. First, the storyline and related quests span time itself -- a period of some 20 centuries to be specific. Players will take on the role of 12 different characters through the ages, from a Roman Centurion to a priest during the period of the Inquisition, a hunter and collector in the 1980s and even ancestors of the Roivas family line. Each character in the game has a point and a place relative to the overall storyline, which slowly unwinds and unravels as players make progress.

At first glance, players may shrug Eternal Darkness off as a Resident Evil clone, a prejudgment that couldn't possibly be further from the truth. Sure, the two franchises share a third-person view in common, and admittedly Silicon Knights' title also features some zombies, but beyond these similarities the efforts are surprisingly different. Eternal Darkness delivers a much deeper experience than Capcom's survival horror series has ever conjured in any of its games. Control, which coincides with true 3D worlds versus 2D pre-rendered ones, is undeniably tighter, enabling gamers to run and turn swiftly and accurately without worry of the robotic limitations associated with Resident Evil. But beyond this, players have access to much, much more, including weapons and items, of course, but also a wide assortment of magick, which we'll detail below as it's so important to the adventure. It's all intertwined flawlessly and as a result the play experience feels much more polished.

The combat system, one of our biggest gripes with early builds of Eternal Darkness, has come together fairly triumphantly. Players can equip their characters with all sorts of destructive weapons, from historically correct swords and blades to real guns, crossbows, blow-guns, pistols, shotguns and countless others that we couldn't possibly detail. The sheer variety is impressive, but perhaps more so is that each weapon affects not only the enemy, but also the player differently. Bigger swords, will, for example, slow the swipe of a small character's swing down, and so on. Some weapons may also conflict with walls in closed environments so players will have to wisely choose which sword to use in certain situations. It all becomes a part of the game's strategic element, a pulsating, tangible thing that is hard to miss. Further improving on the combat aspect of the game is the ability to target specific body parts of foes, something that players will also learn and need to do properly to remain a success. Immediately targeting and slicing a zombie's head off, for instance, will immediately render the beast a non-threat, as it will be unable to see or find the player afterward, and will instead walk around the immediate area aimlessly. Some monsters take more damage in specific spots, and gamers will slowly but surely learn these weak points. Indeed, one character is able perform autopsies on the enemies after they are killed to discover their weaknesses, another example of Silicon Knights' overwhelming attention to detail.
That's not to say that the combat system is perfect though. Some collision gap problems still persist, though they are not nearly as troublesome as they once were. By this, we mean that when a player slices an opponent with a sword, there is the occasional error in which it does not look as if the blade really connected. Worse still, when some enemies are killed, they drop to their knees and fall down, and occasionally they actually fall through the body of the player. This serves to take the gamer out of the universe, even if momentarily. These collision problems are not an issue as they are not commonplace, but a notable drawback all the same.

The combat system is totally connected to the use of magick, or spells and enchantments, in the game, which are every bit as important, if not more so. Basically, as players make their way through the adventures, they acquire runes that form various magicks. That is the very simple explanation of how it works -- it's actually much more complex, but for the purposes of this review we'll keep it slim. There are three primary colors of magick: red, green and blue, or (RGB) if one prefers. Red spells work against green spells, green take out blue, and blue conquer red. It's this formula that is the base for the amazingly detailed and satisfying magick system. Gamers can perform just about any spell they'd like, from enchanting a sword or gun so that its more powerful to shielding themselves, putting up magick walls that enemies can't walk through, dispelling these same types of enemy walls, and more. It's possible to cast a spell to transform into a trapper, a small scorpion-like beast that shoots out a ray of energy, and then take the animal to spots on levels that the regular character might be too big to go through. Similarly, players can cast magick to turn into a zombie. Or cast a 'See Invisible' spell to make a secret door hidden in a wall suddenly appear. It's also possible to cast magick to restore health, sanity, or magick even, all of which are measured in bars on the item screen. Players must also learn to balance their magick resources with their health and sanity, a task that is integrated into the strategy of the game, and very well so.

But there's more to the magick system still. The differently colored magicks must be learned and applied correctly to different beasts. Some weapons must be enchanted a specific color in order to trigger events. The magick system runs even deeper though. Players will eventually be able to make their own spells. It's a language. The runes symbolize nouns, verbs and adjectives, and if gamers can correctly complete a magick sentence, a unique spell will be born. Different gamers will be able to conjure original spells. According to Silicon Knights, even members of the development team who have played through the game several times have been amazed at the different spell formations they have been able to construct each time through. There are, in fact, several instances where players will be challenged to form the correct magick sentence in order to conjure a spell needed in a particular spot. The level of satisfaction after correctly doing so cannot easily be measured. Indeed, the magick system as a whole is one of the most intuitive and comprehensive we've played. Brilliantly done.

There are other elements to Eternal Darkness though. There are puzzles, of course, and a great many of them. Some are incredibly easy to figure out and others require the use of magick and some careful item retrieving and placement, and therefore are more difficult. But none of the puzzles are so stupidly designed as to totally baffle players. Rather, if one thinks about a puzzle long enough, the answer will present itself in a logical manner within the context of the game universe. Unlike the semi-retarded puzzles in the Resident Evil series, in contrast.

There are insanity effects -- hallucinations that have a major role within the game. Players will not get specific examples from us. But if a character's sanity bar drops too low, strange things will begin to happen. Very strange things sometimes. These occurrences are sure to set the dark mood of the adventure and have an impact on the play experience. Going insane too much can create unwanted obstacles for players and in doing so may also endanger one's health and magick supplies. Some of the insanity effects we've encountered have proven very disturbing. Some even attempt to pick at the mind of the player outside of the game universe. A few of the effects are overused, and one or two of them aren't as scary as they might sound on paper, but overall this element of the game is very welcomed, and players will absolutely adore the crazy things that transpire.

And speaking of transpiring, the big question: exactly when does Eternal Darkness end? How long is the game? The adventure is epic, we can assure gamers of that. We estimate that the skilled gamer will have at least 20 hours of play time with the title, and the average one up to twice that. With a gargantuan, unpredictable storyline to boot, and three branching plot paths available to players (each with different outcomes, not to mention altered play mechanics, different monsters, and more), the replay value is equally unprecedented. Eternal Darkness is a game that flows in such a way that players will be drawn to complete the adventure. Plus, hardcore gamers willing to play through the story all three times will be treated to a special uber-ending.

Graphics and Technology
Eternal Darkness presents players with phenomenally beautiful scenes at points and just pretty ones others. The title runs on a slick engine that draws indoor environments, some very large and open, with highly detailed textures and architecture, fantastic lighting effects, radiosity light maps, ray-traced light maps, volumetric fogging and more, all running in 24-bit color. Silicon Knights' game supports progressive scan mode, thank you very much, and 16x9 widescreen mode, again thank you very much. Players will be happy to know that even with multiple polygon monsters on-screen at once, particle and lighting effects in full force, and vast engine-drawn architecture rotating, the framerate never drops -- not even for a moment -- from its 60 frames per second fluidity. How's that for polish?
Some of the environments are much prettier than others and the engine seems to lend itself on indoor areas versus outdoor ones. As Pious Augustus travels through a desert scene in one of the cinemas, gamers will see crisp textures, some wind particles, and more, complemented by the well-animated and designed character, of course. But it's also possible to spot texture seams and some overall polygonal-squared background objects, a problem that is less noticeable during indoor exploration.

One of the best examples of the game's beauty is a cathedral level roughly halfway through the adventure. Here, a priest explores the gigantic religious structure, which is surrounded by a dark night, rain and thunder, and is flawlessly presented. From the bump-mapped texture work on the walls, to the pristine stained glass windows, or the lightning flashes that momentarily illuminate the church -- it all looks outstanding. Many of the other levels are similarly inspired, composed using realistic architecture appropriate for the time and very atmospheric.

Player models are a mixed bag. The art style for these characters is realistic and gritty, and in most cases jaw-dropping. Each animates with a different style and uses weapons with a realistic fight stance and attack local to the time period, which is very impressive. In one stage, a character that has been injured badly changes his stance to shield his eyes from the flames of a torch, a very nice animation addition. The persons are fast moving and loose -- none of that stiff, robotic nastiness from the Resident Evil series. Constructed on the norm using 3,500 to 5,000 polygons, according to Silicon Knights, they however sometimes lack skinning, which is particularly noticeable in up-close cut-scenes. These characters still look very good, but not incredible.

The game's camera system is somewhat of a godsend. It is supremely cinematic. As Eternal Darkness runs in full 3D, the camera can pan, sweep, zoom around corners, slant, rise over rafters, and basically shoot the action from any direction -- and it does. When players go insane, the camera will shift to the side and shoot the game from a slanted angle, which is very disorienting and, after awhile, plays into the mood. But more than that, when a corner is turned, the camera switches positions to follow the action, almost always angling the play from the perfect position while remaining stylistic and atmospheric. Only rarely -- very rarely, have we encountered problems with it, and they have been very minor. If every third-person game of this nature featured a similar camera system, the world would truly be a better place.

The particle effects are beautiful at points and slightly disappointing others. When casting magick, runes appear around the character and drop to the ground, at which point a barrage of fantastically colored particles kick into motion and illuminate the immediate area. It looks amazing. On the other end, though, some of the effects for blood, particularly that made after a sword connects with an enemy, is not as realistic as we might have hoped.

Sound
Eternal Darkness delivers one of the best audio experiences to be found on Nintendo's next-generation console. First, it supports and runs in Dolby Pro Logic II for players with capable receivers. We hooked it up to our setup and it blew our mind -- perfect surround coming from every speaker, crisp and clear, not to mention moody and frightening. But of course there is more. The game also brings gamers close to five hours of in-game speech dialogue, which is wonderfully acted and sounds great. On top of that there are well-composed musical scores, from a Gladiator-like soundtrack in Augustus's level to an intentionally offbeat, nervous track during Dr. Roivas' battle for his sanity. Really, the title features some truly amazing music.

Some of the music tracks are used too much though. One of them, a "thump-thump" of a gong mixed with background whispers and other spooky noises, seems to be featured in many of the levels, and players may grow tired of it. Also, while many of the sound samples are excellently used, especially for insanity effects, some of the one-liners characters utter are similarly overused. When going insane, for instance, the line "This can't be happening to me!" is often repeated. In the end, however, the good far outweigh the bad and horror fans will be delighted by some of the atmospheres realized through audio alone in Eternal Darkness. Hats off.

Closing Comments
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is my favorite GameCube title to date. It is also one of my favorite videogames of all time. Does that surprise you? It shouldn't. It comes from a development studio well-versed in making deep, intriguing games, and it's a title that has been in construction for several years. Nintendo and Silicon Knights have molded the game into something that might initially trick some into believing it's a Resident Evil clone. However, this couldn't be further from the reality of the situation. The truth is that the title exceeds the play mechanics of Capcom's series in just about every way, from tighter controls, to a much more compelling storyline, 12 playable characters, the addition of multiple combat types, and a magick system that could really become a game all by itself. The end result is far more satisfying.
But there is something every gamer should know going in: Eternal Darkness doesn't offer an immediate pay off. Players will have to invest into the adventure, play, expand, build, learn the magicks, figure out the story, and really advance to reap the full treasures the title has to offer. And don't get me wrong -- the treasures are grand, beautiful things to behold.

Simply put, an amazing achievement that shouldn't be overlooked. Games do not come any better than this. The greatest insanity of all would be to avoid playing it.

You know what needs to be done. Buy. Do not hesitate. Go now!

-- Matt Casamassina

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is a very difficult game to rate. By all accounts it features a polished design, one of the best plotlines I've ever experienced, and developed gameplay concepts, centered on an inventive insanity meter and incredible magick system. For me, without question, it's the first must-have GameCube adventure, an experience no intelligent gamer should miss. What I think makes it difficult to rate is its style. As with all games, it will cater to a specific audience. I don't think it appeals to as wide an audience as, say, Zelda for instance. But then again, either does a title like Resident Evil. But I don't bring up Capcom's survival horror because I think Eternal Darkness is some knock-off of it. In fact, I think it completely the opposite of the genre, where Sanity's Requiem excels beyond it in numerous areas. You won't survive the horrors in Eternal Darkness -- believe me. I've frequently made the movie analogy that if Resident Evil were The Night of the Living Dead, Eternal Darkness would be Psycho. There's a big difference. Of course, I think Eternal Darkness will appeal to a similar audience because of mature content. Yes, indeed, Silicon Knights has injected a storyline into ED that draws on the minds of scholars and famous writers. As well, there's plenty of gory subject matter and very adult themes. It didn't get an M rating for nothing.
I digress, however. The biggest thing I think potential buyers of this game need to understand is that it is not for those with short attention spans, or anyone who can't commit to spending some considerable time with a title. We so continually get complaints from readers that there aren't enough lengthy games on GCN. Well, this is the one you've been looking for. This is the first single-player experience that really offers up a lot of gameplay worth and even replay value. After investing about five hours you'll just start to scratch the surface of Eternal Darkness. At this point you'll have a vague concept of what's going on and you will have only barely began to use the magick system. You're really an amateur after playing 20% of the game, and things begin to really ramp up.

This is what makes Eternal Darkness so rewarding. It's a smooth curve of gameplay progression and intensity. With a dozen characters to play, everything remains fresh. It truly is like reading a book and you'll have your favorite chapters. On the technical side, everything from the slick graphics engine to the detailed sound design and stunning third-person camera design is lovely. Sure not everything is perfect, but most is exceptional.

I highly recommend picking up Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. Nintendo and Silicon Knights have crafted a truly intelligent psychological thriller, complete with balanced gameplay and plenty of surprises you'll never forget.

Play it alone. Play it loud. Play it now.

- Fran Mirabella III


Presentation
A beautiful mix of slick menus, awesome visuals and audio, plenty of options and variety. Wow. 10.0
Graphics
Fanstastic art mingles with great technology. Brutally fast 3D engine, big indoor environments, crisp textures, great animation, lighting effects and more. Some seams, occasional poor particles. 9.0
Sound
Spectacular music tracks with tons of atmosphere. Excellent voice acting and sound effects. Very ambient. Some repetition. 9.0
Gameplay
Epic. Not for those unwilling to invest. Everyone that does will love it. Great control, combat, sweet magicks, excellent story. The full package. 9.0
Lasting Appeal
Huge quest -- 20 hours for the skilled gamer and longer for the rest. Lots of secrets. Plus, gamers can play through three times for an uber ending. 9.0
OVERALL SCORE (not an average) 9.6

Im with you Sibs...my faith in this game has been unshakeable!



;)

Wow, another must have GC game for my Christmas list, I'll just add it now.

Oh damn, ran out of space, I'm just off to buy another 500 page notepad.

:D

Sounds quite reasonable... if you can get Cube games cheapish from the US then that should sort you out fine. Oh, but just another Q about it, does it take the form of a CD/DVD to put into the cube or is it a memory card like thing you need to put into the mem card slot...?

Thank you in advance to anyone who answers, and cheers to Dringo. :-)

£20.

So, how much is this Freeloader...?

:D

Unless you get a Freeloader you're gonna have to wait till October though :(

My unfailing faith in this game has paid off. Ever since I heard about it and saw the first shot I thought it looked good, then I heard about the insanity effects and it spanning centuries and I thought, 'looks like it could be awesome, lots of potential'.

NGC mag said the version they played a month or so back wasn't too great, but I still figured it'd work out in the end. And by the sound of that shining review it has. That is definitely near the very top of my want list. Actually, I'm sure if it was out now it would be top. I can't wait. An epic title, sounds like it'll be scary as hell to play up until the wee hours this Summer, wondering if I'm insane or not...

Pass the drool bucket...

I'll be getting it, but it's the sort of game that doesn't want spoilers so I'll say no more.

I'm not so sure if I want scary games though.

I picked up Luigi's Mansion today (25 quid!) and that was bad enough... ;-D

Whitestripes wrote:
> Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo -
> oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo -
> oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo -
> oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
> When does this game come out again?

April 30th... at least it better.... next week in America... *Dringo buys freeloader*

NO!


I WANT I WANT I WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!




;)