Review of Dementium: The Ward

This game was one of the main reasons i got a DS, but when the time came to actually get it i was hesitant. how good can survival horror be done with the power of N64 in this day and age? pretty well actually. this game doesnt set quite as strong of an atmosphere as its console relatives like FEAR, but theres plenty of "holy s---!" kind of moments and twisted looking places to explore.

Gameplay - similar to Doom 3 in that you can only see about 3 feet infront of you without a flashlight due to extreme darkness. you use the touch screen to turn, switch weapons, and look at your inventory/notebook/map. you walk with the directional buttons and shoot/turn off your flashlight with L. there's some other control schemes but that one works for me. there's also one set up for the left-handed. all the controls work really well. precise aiming can take some getting used to but after an hour or so its no problem.

Graphics - wow! this is deffinitely one of the best looking games on the DS. pitch black corridors and some of the best textures on the system produce a tense atmosphere. if this game wouldlve been released on the 64 it would've turned the survival horror genre upside down.

Sound - dark, brooding organ sounds behind mournful piano most of the time, and that does a good job contributing to the overall atmosphere. i wish the sound effects of the guns were a little better though.

Story - somewhat nonexistant for a while, but once it picks up theres some interesting twists and revelations. it starts out, you wake up in a seemingly abandoned hospital. theres blood everywhere. you dont know who you are or where you're at, but it doesnt take long to realize your not alone.

overall 8/10

- everyone whining about the save feature.. just keep an eye on your health. if it gets to 1 just turn the game off then back on. it saves as you enter each room, so if you dont actually let yourself die, its actually really convenient. that might be too tough though. you decide.



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