TItle: Dead Space Developer: EA Redwood Shores Publisher: Electronic Arts Music Composed by: Jason Graves Writers: Warren Ellis, Rick Remender, Antony Johnston Release Date: October 13, 2008 IntroductionIn 2008, Visceral Games (then known as EA Redwood Shores) released Dead Space to the reception of accolades from all corners of the gaming community. The title set a new standard for cinematic horror in the world of video games, particularly that of science fiction. Now, almost a decade and two sequels later, it seems past time for a second look at the world of Isaac Clarke and his endless battle with both the alien Necromorphs and the demons inside him. The game handles perfectly on most modern PCs,and can be picked up from Steam for a mere 19.99$, a price well worth paying if you're looking for a fresh horror experience (presuming you haven't heard of or played it before, of course). Of course, like all great horror games, Dead Space is best played at night, in a dark room,, alone and with headphones on. With that in mind, let's begin. StoryDead Space takes place in the relatively far future, where humanity's hunger for raw resources has driven us to build massive starships known as 'planet-crackers' equipped with enormous tractor beams that allow them to rip sizable chunks out of a world's crust in order to harvest its materials wholesale. You play as Isaac Clarke, a voiceless and largely faceless engineer assigned to the USG Kellion. The game opens with you and your small crew of your even smaller ship being sent out to Aegis VII to answer a distress call from the planet-cracker USG Ishimura. This choice of making the protagonist an 'everyman' in the tradition of Half-Life's Gordon Freeman gives Clarke an extra layer of humanity and gives his situation all the more weight. He is not a soldier by any stretch of the imagination. He's just a guy trying to survive in the face of what rapidly turns out to be a very complex and terrifying situation. Isaac also has a love-interest, Nicole Brennan, who was stationed aboard the Ishimura as its medical officer. His efforts to discern her fate while staying alive himself also help to make him a very human and engrossing character despite his being mute and hiding behind a high-tech welding mask for almost the entirety of the game. Upon arriving at Aegis VII, Isaac and the rest of the Kellion's crew become stranded aboard the Ishimura, which is hanging dead in space over the barren planet. Of course, 'dead' doesn't mean 'empty'. Not five minutes after disembarking their wrecked shuttle, Isaac and his friends come face to face with the remains of the Ishimura's crew, who have died and then been reanimated in twisted, sickening monstrosities known as Necromorphs. These vicious creatures waste no time in slaughtering most of the rescue party, leaving Isaac largely on his own and virtually unarmed against a vessel full of nightmares that is falling apart around him. This quickly establishes a scene, a conflict and a sense of urgency that many games would dismember themselves to have. Dead Space's opening is an excellent example of good cinematic storytelling in a video game. The main characters are immediately introduced, with various subplots being established in just a few seconds while the player looks on at some stunning scenery, all while avoiding the trap of overwhelming the player with information. Over the course of the game, through video and text logs, as well as superb visual storytelling methods, Isaac and his surviving friends tease out enough information to reveal that the trouble aboard the Ishimura began when the planet-cracker's crew found an alien device called a 'Marker', which just happens to be the centerpiece of an in-universe religion known as Unitology (which is an obvious, but well-executed and good-natured dig at Scientology). The inclusion of this element of Lovecraftian mysticism and cosmic horror help the story attain a new dimension of horror beyond the grim and gory one. It also makes the universe that much cooler to dig into. Every character is well-acted, with incredibly solid writing backing up each and helping maintain a level of immersion that many AAA games strive for, but which few succeed in capturing. If it weren't so dark, Dead Space is a world I feel like I could live in. After the discovery of the Marker's existence, things don't initially change all that quickly. Isaac's priorities remain focused on staying alive and escaping, which is great, since it makes it that much more powerful when events take a turn for the worse and some great plot twists bring the big Macguffin to center stage. The lurking inhuman horror of the Necromorphs also pairs up well with the insidious subplot of insane or duplicitous humans that Isaac also finds himself facing later into the plot. The finale is awesome with some strong final twists to both the heart-strings and the narrative, bringing everything to a close very neatly. It is for this reason that I feel Dead Space, more than most other games, would actually work quite well as a movie, if handled properly. Certainly, there is a vast depth of lore that would have to be cut, but the game is so cinematic that it truly feels like some parts could simply be cut and pasted into a film with no loss in texture or flavor. GameplayDead Space also shines bright in the area of gameplay. One of the biggest differences between it and other horror-themed shooters is its unorthodox method of combat. Due to their undead nature, Necromorphs shrug off fire from most conventional weapons. Not even head-shots are a guaranteed kill, which is why Isaac is armed with an assortment of high-tech power tools which can be used to take apart his enemies limb by bloody limb.This focus on 'tactical dismemberment' has made the series stand out, and was one of its great selling points at the time of its release. No other series before or since has seen fit to copy the idea to my knowledge, making Dead Space possibly unique in the genre of action-horror and potentially beyond for its creative decision. Of course the system isn't perfect. Your equipment and weapons can be upgraded using power nodes hidden throughout the levels. All your tools have secondary functions as well to expand their utility, but this doesn't stop a lot of them from feeling somehow under-powered and very situational in terms of usefulness. Isaac also has some sci-fi techno-magic on his side in the form of his Stasis and Kinesis modules, the former allowing him to temporarily slow down enemies and objects while the second acts as a form of technological telekinesis, allowing him to grab items from far away. Both play a part in solving the various puzzles that serve as pauses in the game's well-crafted pacing, though requiring players to upgrade Kinesis feels like a redundant move in terms of design. The puzzles themselves are also relatively clever, and work as good breathing periods between combat segments. I will add that the zero-gravity segments feel a bit like a cheat, given how they simply consist of Isaac leaping from surface to surface rather than, y'know, floating around in zero-G. Despite its unique brand of combat and clever puzzles, Dead Space can still be boiled down a single rule: If it's ugly and wants to hug you, shoot off all it's limbs. Then stomp on it for good measure. Repeatedly. Enemy variety is also among Dead Space's triumphs, with each foe presenting different threats requiring different solutions, while leaving enough room for flexibility so that the player doesn't pigeon-hole themselves into a single play-style. One good example is the pregnant Necromorph, a gravid and repulsive foe that spews nasty, clinging smaller creatures all over the floor if you shoot it in its swollen belly without thinking first. The later game introduces even stranger adversaries, which keep the experience feel fresh and terrifying when combined with the game's excellent encounter design. Overall, Dead Space may lean towards horror in terms of design, but it still manages to present a strong experience as a third-person shooter in its own right. Sound & DesignDead Space remains unique in terms of visual styles, even after all these years. The game's color palate emphasizes brown a lot, which can seem tiring, but at the same time, it helps lend an odor of decay to the Ishimura and the other environments. The design of the enemies is also remarkably gruesome, with the developers admitting that they drew on images of people suffering from burns and car crash victims as inspiration, a valiant and nauseating sacrifice in the name of creativity, since it's adds a special and very visceral (Ha, see what I did there?) kind of body horror to the Necromorphs and the unsavory growths that come with them. It takes a special kind of dedication to spend months looking at the most awful, stomach churning imagery in the name of building something new and unprecedented. Almost in-game information is displayed via holograms projected from Isaac's suit, which prevents you from stepping outside Isaac's world and separating yourself from his situation. By adding this new dimension of immersion, the game makes everything feel that much more real. Sound is also a great factor, though unlike many other titles, darkness doesn't play as much of a role in making Dead Space scary. Most scary games rely on your not being able to see the monster and great audio design to inspire dread in players, but Dead Space takes somewhat of a different route, what with being partly a shooter game. Its methods rely on the uncertainty of your safety in various situations, since it works quickly to establish that no place is truly safe, with Necromorphs popping out of wall and ceiling vents like Ellen Ripley's worst nightmare, while in other situations, all you'll hear is some scuttling noises as unseen, undead predators stalk you. At the same time, it works to starve you of resources, especially on higher difficulties, which helps engender a feeling of powerlessness. Isaac is, after all, just an engineer, and reality isn't so kind as to leave convenient caches of power-tool components lying all over the place, even if it is on a mining ship. In fact this can sometimes go a bit overboard when you find yourself surrounded by enemies time after time and rapidly running low on ammo and exits. There's a difference between a fun challenge and irritating limitation which Dead Space sometimes crosses, but to its credit, it doesn't happen all that often. Of course it's also important to note one of the most crucial design elements of the game which actually bridges the gap between visual immersion and gameplay, is the lack of a heads-up display. Most shooters will simply display everything you need to know right on your screen, on the basis that you're wearing a high-tech helmet and there's no need to play coy. This works for first-person, but third-person games are different. By placing the camera outside the player character, you both increase the sense of agency, but decrease the amount of immersion if you just stick read-outs all over the screen. Dead Space beats this by having all the information you need to know incorporated into the universe itself. Ammo displays appear on a holography pop-up emitted from the weapon you're holding. In place of cross-hairs, your tool will also emit targeting lasers you can use to gauge your aim. Meanwhile Isaac's health is displayed as a blue segmented bar on the back of his RIG suit, making everything immersive and non-intrusive. It's a really ingenious move, and while not perfect, does a lot to decrease the problem of suspension of disbelief. Final VerdictSo where do we stand? After all this time, does Dead Space still hold up? Yes, I feel that it does. It's age in no way makes it less scary, or its story any less enthralling. The story of a scant few survivors trying to outlast an inexplicable and deadly catastrophe is a classic, and is simply made stronger by the well-played human elements and subplots that are laid into it. Sure, the visuals might be a little dated, but the art style and amazing level design somehow makes it feel four or five years younger than it actually is, with the complex environments and level designs looking and feeling just as nauseating and fear-inducing as they did when the game debuted. Furthermore, the gameplay still stands out as unique and challenging, especially when played with a controller, which is guaranteed to inhibit your accuracy in a panic, thereby adding to the difficulty and scare-factor of the experience. It's a title that every horror-fan should play at least once, and which deserves to be remembered as one of the great thrillers of video gaming history. Minimum System Requirements
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Operating System: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 or 10 Processor Capacity: 2,8 GHz DirectX: Version 9.0c RAM: 1GB Hard Drive Space: 7.5 GB --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
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TItle: Condemned - Criminal Origins Developer: Monolith Productions Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Writers: Frank Rooke Music Composed by: Nathan Grigg Engine: Lithtech Jupiter EX Release Date: April 11, 2006 INtroductionWhen it comes to scary games, Condemned: Criminal Origins is a mixed bag of good work and faded glory. Released almost a decade ago at the time of this writing, time has not treated this first-person beat-action-horror title as kindly as Monolith Productions' other, more memorable title, F.E.A.R., and it shows. To be fair, the game was originally released for the Xbox 360, and PC ports often suffer far more issues than games that are designed initially for multi-platform releases, but you'd think the developer would've bothered with some post-release polishing or patches over time. Unfortunately, they haven't, and so Criminal Origins fate rings true with its title, left to rot. Indeed, the entire series has since been abandoned after Condemned 2: Bloodshot received poor sales that discouraged Monolith from pursuing a PC version. Criminal Origins is available for $14.95 on Steam, though I'd recommend waiting for a sale rather than paying the whole price. GameplayCriminal Origins is played in the first-person, and its combat system is more beat-em-up than shoot-em-up. Firearms exist, but are limited to the number of rounds they contain when picked up. A heavy emphasis is placed on melee combat, where reflexes and the ability to recognize physical cues are key to survival. In Condemned, many things can be weapons: a board with some bolts in it, an electrical conduit pulled from a nearby wall. Heavier weapons, such as fire axes and crowbars, serve a dual purpose, granting the player the ability to access sealed or hidden areas and items. All the weapons are rated on their swing speed, blocking power, reach and damage. The player can also kick enemies if they manage to knock them down, or perform scripted finishing moves for extra style if they''ve scored a disarming blow. If you get swarmed (and you will), you can fall back on your taser, which has infinite ammunition, but needs to recharge between uses, rendering it very timing-sensitive in terms of usefulness. The combat is brutal and hectic, requiring much practice to master. It can also be excessively frustrating to get used to. Believe me; I know. I feel that on some level the reliance on melee was part of a decision to slow down the pace of the game. Fights are relatively few and far between, with ambiance and atmosphere getting the maximum chance to sink in. However, while I recognize the design choice, I do think it could've been handled better. It's hard to put a finger on just what makes the game so frustrating and exhausting but there are numerous small things. The inability to skip cutscenes; being trapped in rooms by invisible walls while phone conversations provide exposition; the small spaces provided by the environment for combat that often lead to being trapped and swarmed by enemies; the long, boring back-tracking sessions. All of these, piled on top of a plodding movement speed that should help engender caution, but somehow just feels like the players is wearing lead overshoes, not to mention a sprint bar that feels painfully small and slow to recharge during basic exploration. I feel if the developers had made players just a tiny bit faster, or given them some means of improving the sprint mechanic, things would've been less of a chore. The game also does not feature a jumping or crouching mechanic, which might be passed off as a restriction of the game's design, were it not for the fact that the lack of such abilities is a huge damper on immersion, which is what the goal of slower pacing should be. If I can't hop over a table, it it just makes it feel even more like I'm in a video game and less like a cop wading through a city full of psychos like the game aims to portray. Really, the whole movement system was a huge downer in regards to my enjoyment, and combined with all the other little grains of salt I had to put up with, it quite spoiled the whole game, to the point where I sometimes quit out of frustration or boredom rather than fear, which is a shame, because Condemned has the capacity to be a very frightening game. Count your bullets! Condemned trades convenience for immersion in quite a few places. There's no ammo-counter on the game's heads-up display. If you want to find out how much ammo you have, you need to open the gun and find out. One part of the gameplay I did enjoy above all was the integration of a detective-style mini-game, which pops up at various intervals to help progress the plot in a very immersive manner. The player is equipped with a suite of somewhat futuristic evidence-gathering tools, including a a UV projector for locating organic materials, a laser-light that marks trace elements and a pocket gas-spectrometer that can help locate corpses. Now and then, the player will run across a crime scene and need to work out the details to progress. Really, it's not that complex a system and the size of the equipment often makes you wonder if carrying all this stuff is what's slowing you down, but I found it highly enjoyable and immersive, though sadly not enough to make up for the game's other flaws. StoryThe story of Condemned is...weird, to put it bluntly. You play as Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent stationed in Interchangeable American City #12948-B, a.k.a. 'Metro'. Metro is suffering from a massive crime wave, and the game starts with Thomas and his very unmemorable partner being called in by a street cop to look at a murder which bears the marks of a serial killer the Bureau has been tracking called 'the Match Maker'. Shortly after arriving on the scene, a whiff of cigarette smoke alerts the trio of police to the fact that they are not alone. After pursuing the suspect through the building and experiencing some inexplicable hallucinations, Thomas loses his gun, which is then used to kill his partner and the officer helping them. Cut to the next day, with some odd continuity errors sprinkled on top. Thomas wakes from a nightmare about a freaky guy with dental problems to find that he's being watched by a man who introduces himself as Malcolm van Horn. van Horn tells Ethan that because the killer used his gun, the police will mark him as the culprit and arrest him. Ignoring the logical fallacies and unanswered questions (such as how van Horn got into the apartment, and why Ethan isn't more worried about a stranger watching him sleep), Ethan takes his advice and flees just as the police arrive. From there, things get progressively weirder. Honestly, it's really down to a question of whether or not you view it as an effort to enhance the surrealistic nightmarish nature of the whole game, or the writers just being bad at plugging plot holes. The characters come across as rather flat upon closer examination, which is fine for a shooter, but not a horror game. The voice acting is also pretty two-dimensional. except possibly for the enemies, which is always good. All told, the universe of Condemned has a lot of potential, but so much of it seems delivered in the most confusing manner possible. The game left me with a mountain of questions and too few answers. Why are there so many psychotic homeless people scattered through the game? What's causing these strange hallucinations Thomas seems prone to? Where do the emaciated, nameless freaks with a body-modification fetish fit in? What's the villain's motivation? Why are there so many violent and psychotic homeless people around the city? The world may never know...at least unless they play the second game. This just seems like sloppy story-telling to me. I was left disappointed in the ending, which resolved little and revealed less. They could've simply finished with revealing Ethan was suffering schizophrenia the whole time and I would've been less embittered, especially considering how exhausting the game is. Malcolm van Horn (on the right), claims to know Ethan's father, who is never discussed in detail. He never offers any proof of this either, which seems silly to me. I was more surprised that Ethan didn't shoot him on reflex than I was that the start of this section turned out to be a nightmare sequence. Sound & DesignThe saddest part of Criminal Origins may be the fact that on the surface, it looks and feels really scary. The game's focus on decaying and dilapidated environments is a big plus to its spook-factor, as is its choice of venues. The chapter set in the abandoned department store was particularly unsettling, and a very original choice. The difficulty is also a plus in this area, as I found myself dreading combat wherever it was threatened. Thomas feels fragile and human in the face of his enemies. My only gripe is that sometimes this sense becomes too strong. I didn't need him to smack down enemies in one hit, but perhaps if he could run for longer than a few seconds at a time, I wouldn't be so infuriated by Thomas' fragility. It would've also helped with the game's pacing, which is another element that burned me out incredibly quickly. The game's ten chapters might not actually be all that long, but even playing for thirty minutes at a time left me feeling like I had run a marathon with my wrists and wits, and achieved little. The game's replayability is also quite low. It has no multiplayer, and the collectibles and achievements (which consist of TVs, nondescript bits of metal and dead birds) are often hidden a little too well. Frankly, the game doesn't feel like it rewards you enough for exploration, given how many dark corners it has. Too often some areas felt like wasted space in terms of level design. Running up against dead-ends with nothing in them quickly became a persistent theme of my play-through. I'd also like to note that there is never a clear in-game introduction to the fact that certain objects can be moved to reveal hidden items, something I never suspected until much later. There's very little indication that this is possible given how static most of the environment is. That's another problem: the physics system sucks. You can smack a computer monitor with a crowbar and not budge it an inch. Too much of the world feels nailed down and inanimate; a constant reminder that none of this is real. It's confusing too, since the game clearly has a physics engine. It just appears the developers didn't put the effort into extending it to most of the environment. The sound design, alas suffers from major issues. When it does work, it's okay, although its obvious to most well-traveled gamers that a lot of the sounds used are recycled or public domain assets. I picked out noises and background ambiance that seemed to have been ripped straight from id Software's Doom 3, somewhat spoiling the effect. It was scary, but not enough that the fear caused me as much concern as my temper and tiredness. When the sound doesn't work, you'll notice quickly. One of the worst instances is a bug that no one has fixed in the third chapter where you find yourself clinging to the back of a subway train in motion and yet find it's not making any noise. It makes the whole sequence feel broken and laughable rather than terrifying and hectic. Birds are another hanging thread in Condemned's messy tapestry of story. Intermission screens talk about how Metro appears to be suffering from massive avian die-offs, though how that ties into the story is never really explained. Final VerdictCondemned is a game with so much promise, but in the end it falls flat on its dirty, bandage wrapped face. It makes a good presentation, yet is held back by its numerous flaws. Again, I'd like to stress this game was originally made for the Xbox 360, and that console-to-PC ports have a history of being bad. That still doesn't excuse the quality of what I saw. All I can really say is I feel so disappointed and tired by what should've been an electrifying and heart-pounding experience. Personally, I'm torn between buyer's remorse and what little enjoyment I got from what the game did right. I'm a cautiously optimistic person, and I always try to look at things in the best light, but alas, Criminal Origins is just so smudged in filth and grime that its hard even for a thriller-lover like me to love. If you really want to play it, I recommend doing it in twenty-minute bursts. That's how long I could stomach it before having to throw up my hands and find something with a bit more energy and polish to play. I only wish Monolith had cared more. Maybe then Condemned wouldn't feel so much like the rotting apartment buildings it puts you in.
TItle: Penumbra - Overture Developer: Frictional Games Publisher: Paradox Interactive Writers: Thomas Grip, Jens Nilsson, Tom Jubert Music Composed by: Mikko Tarmia Engine: HPLovecraft Engine Release Date: May 8, 2007 Frictional Games have been touted as the masters of the modern survival-horror genre ever since their release of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, a game that reminded gamers everywhere what true horror was really about. Before the release of their seminal masterpiece however, they were better known as the creators of the Penumbra trilogy, a series of games that laid the groundwork for their terrifying magnum opus. Penumbra: Overture was the first installment in that trilogy, and despite its age, should be given due consideration from any true survival-horror fan, for though it is not without flaws, it is just as deserving of recognition as its younger, more well-known cousin. For those less well versed in gaming nomenclature, survival-horror is largely what it sounds like: a game that focuses on the survival of the player character as they struggle to endure in a hostile and terrifying environment. It's most classic iteration is that of the haunted house, where scripted surprises and roaming terrors seek to keep the player on their toes and tense with anticipation. Puzzles are often included as barriers to progression, while stealth is emphasized and combat is either discouraged or nonexistent. Overture takes all of this into account in its efforts to spook the player while providing an engrossing experience, working hard to build an atmosphere so thick with dread you couldn't cut it with a bloody cleaver. Penumbra's story bears heavy signs of influence from the works of H.P. Lovecraft, best known for his popularization of the genre of 'cosmic horror' and being a card-carrying racist. Fear of the unknown is a powerful theme throughout his works, as is the concept of 'forbidden knowledge'. His famous Cthulhu mythos, which was opened to the public domain for expansion by other writers on his death, is full of cases of scholars and men of science who stray too far off the edge of the map and discover things so horrible that they are driven to insanity as a means of coping. Being in the light doesn't always mean you're safe. It may just mean that something else can see you and is running towards you out of the dark, teeth snapping and jaws drooling. These themes run strong in Overture, as the story opens with Phillip, a 30-year-old physics teacher, receiving a letter from his father (who he has been told died before he was born) shortly after his mother's funeral. The missive instructs him to destroy the contents of a safety deposit box in Mayfair which he has just inherited, and to ask no further questions. Phillip, of course, disobeys and reads the papers contained within, which lead him to an unmarked mine in the frozen wastes of Greenland. Determined to learn his father's fate, he sets out alone to investigate, before summarily getting lost in a blizzard and climbing down an access shaft to escape the elements. From there, everything goes downhill. Overture, like many games before and after it, conveys its plot through written notes that must be collected by the player during the course of exploration. Each one contains fresh information pertaining to the nature of the mine, its history, and its victims, of which there are many. Some contain clues to aid in the solving of the various puzzles that serve to obstruct Phillip as he tries to find either his father or some answers. All of this is complimented by the frequent ramblings of an unseen character named Red who has control of a shortwave radio which he uses to contact Phillip now and then, Penumbra's tale is told in the best tradition of Lovecraftian storytelling, wherein much is implied, but never fully stated. Imagination is always more enticing and terrifying than fact. Thus does the mystery of the mine keep you moving forward while the dread it instills makes you want to turn back, keeping you edging forward and jumping at every flicker of the lights. While there is much to be said for the handling of the story, the mechanics also shines through too. Overture's subterranean setting is often dark, but the game quickly gives you the tools to manage this, including a flashlight, a glow-stick and flares, all of which have their own pros and cons regarding usage. For example, the flashlight's piercing beam is useful, but can attract the attention of monsters if you're not careful. Also, it runs on batteries, which must be scavenged for in the environment. Meanwhile, the glow-stick suffers no such limitations on lifespan and rarely attracts attention, but only provides enough light to see a couple feet ahead of you. This clever triangle of light management comes into play quite often as you sneak around or otherwise try to avoid the mine's unsavory inhabitants. Chief among these are starving wolves, which would be simple enough were it not for the fact that close examination quickly reveals that these are not your ordinary ancestors of man's best friend. If you attract their attention it's best to hide from them, which can be done by crouching behind objects or in dark corners. The game also discourages looking at your enemies while hiding, as it will give Phillip a panic attack, causing his heavy breathing to alert foes to his presence. Who's a good doggie? You are, yes you are yo- AGGGHHHH!!! GET AWAY! GET AWAY!!! BAD TOUCH! BAD TOUCH!! BAD TOUCH!!! A good survival-horror game balances panic and dread, with a greater emphasis towards the latter. Panic is fleeting, whereas dread spiced with bouts of panic make for a more savory horror experience. Overture cultivates this in many ways, using every avenue to construct an atmosphere ripe for the soiling of pants, but none is more powerful than the soundscape. I have previously said that good sound design is one of the cornerstones of a great horror game, and this is where Frictional Games stands truly without rival. Their skillful use of silence and noise, as well as a menacing, unsettling soundtrack, combine to provide an almost-perfect paranoia-inducing auditory blend. Overture was the first game to make me need to take breaks to release the tension that the sound design had generated. I'm certainly not saying it's on par with Amnesia, whose sound design should be considered a physical threat to someone's mental stability, but the level of competence demonstrated is simply awe-inspiring, not to mention unsettling. One might suspect the development team must've made a deal with one of Lovecraft's elder gods to be this good. Apparently, the company does all its own sound design in the studio, meaning almost nothing is reused or recycled, and making every creak of wood and crunch of snow all the more meaningful and fresh. A good example of this application of sound can be found in the opening hour of the game. Shortly after trapping himself in the mine, Phillip decides the only way out is through. Descending into the frigid tunnels below, he leaves behind the entrance area, where despite being alone, there is the steady background noise of the howling blizzard to be heard through the hatch he used to enter. As soon as he goes further though, silence falls, with not even background music to provide comfort. The transition is jarring and unsettling, reminding the player they've just moved deeper into isolation and away from the outside world. It is the calm before a storm, and just when it's settled in that you're alone, something growls in the darkness; your first enemy. Sound is a powerful element for immersion of course, but its not all that Overture has in that department. Like the games that would follow, this first episode of the Penumbra trilogy includes the ability to pick up and manipulate virtually every object you come across, from rocks and barrels to sticks of dynamite. This is often used to impressive effect for puzzle-solving, as players are forced to turn wheels by moving the mouse in circles, or carrying items in front of them instead of in an unseen bag of holding, as in most other adventure titles. This renders mundane tasks more visceral and real, providing a level of agency to the player that few other first-person games of the time did. The system even plays into the stealth mechanics, allowing you to heft various objects, such as rocks, barrels, or even your supply of flares, into the dark as a means of distracting enemies hunting you. As you descend deeper, the environment changes, going from rustic and crumbling to ever-more established and modern, providing a sense of a journey through history as well as mystery. Of course, Overture is not without faults of course, being the first installment in the series. Most are minor quirks, such as the amusing physics glitches that are the hallmark of this early version the H.P. Lovecraft Engine, or the If one flaw stands out above all the others though, it is the fact that eventually you are given the means to defend yourself. Yes, the pickax you eventually pick up is clumsy and unwieldy, which helps discourage combat, and yes, the enemies you face often have numbers or endurance on their side, but the fact remains that once you have an instrument with which to fight back, the threat to the player is diminished, and so too is the terror. On a more picky note, the graphics of the game are rather dated, though if you're like me, then they only add to the atmosphere. The slightly blurred and sometimes low-quality nature of textures helps lend a sensation of surrealism, as if everything is taking place in a nightmare. Many developers feel ultra-realism is a major means of enhancing immersion. Personally I feel sound design takes precedent, but then it's all about the attitude you approach the game with. Really, I feel its unfair to make such criticisms in any case. When you consider that Overture was crafted at a time when Frictional Games consisted of four people who were using an engine they had built themselves and who had never released another game, it's hard not to feel impressed that they managed to produce such a high quality product despite the obstacles. The game ends with a cliffhanger, which is unsurprising given the series was meant to be released episodically. The whole thing adds up to maybe six or seven hours of gameplay, which again, can be contributed to the fact that it was made as part of a planned series. It doesn't overstay its welcome, and leaves you hungry for more, as any good game should. If you're a fan of the survival-horror genre then it's well worth your time and money. Overture and it's sequels are available on Steam as part of the Penumbra Collector's Pack for a mere $9.99. Check it out, but don't complain to me about any soiled undergarments afterwards. Minimum System Requirements
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Operating System: Windows XP/Vista (Requires Compatibility Mode for 7/8/9/10+) Processor Capacity: 1 GHz RAM: 512 MB Hard Drive Space: 800 MB --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- TItle: Doom 3 Developer: id Software Publisher: Activision Writer: Matthew J. Costello Music Composed by: Chris Vrenna, Clint Walsh Engine: id Tech 4 Release Date: August 3, 2004
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