Darkness has finally fallen upon the GameCube. After numerous delays Eternal Darkness has been released onto store shelves and it was well worth the wait. It has quickly become my favorite game on the GameCube and is easily the best game released so far this year. Sure, that’s a bold claim, but upon playing the game for about four or five hours I think most players out there will come to the same conclusion.
Ever since Eternal Darkness was announced there was a shroud of mystery around the game. Silicon Knights had big plans for their new epic and didn’t want gamers to find out all the surprises they had in store. And believe me, there are plenty of surprises locked away in the game just waiting for you to discover them. Because of the very nature of this game it’s very difficult to write a review without spoiling at least part of the story. I can tell you that if you like adventure games with a mysterious storyline and combat similar to, but infinitely better than Resident Evil, then you should definitely pick up this game without even reading the rest of the review. Having said that, I will still try to refrain from going into detail with regards to the plot. This game is best played when you know nothing of the story or its characters.
Eternal Darkness is a game that spans across centuries and focuses on twelve different playable characters. You begin playing the game as Alexandra Roivas who is awakened one night by an urgent telephone call. Her grandfather was found murdered in Rhode Island and she leaves immediately to investigate the odd manner in which he was killed. Early on in the game she will stumble upon the Tome of Eternal Darkness. She begins to read the book and from here the story unfolds via chapters, with each one allowing the player a new character to control and thus partake in the storytelling. At the end of each chapter you will once again take control of Alexandra who will have learned all of the abilities and knowledge of the character you previously played. By finding new chapters for the book the story progresses onward, and what a story it is. Never before in a game has a story been so captivating, entertaining, and rewarding. The attention to detail throughout the game is amazingly evident and also reassuring that four years of development went to a good cause. Many details will be passed over by most gamers, but those who pay attention and read every word and look at every item in the game will find themselves so caught up in the story that hours will fly by in minutes and meals will be forgotten. This is what gaming is all about, an escape from the confines of reality, and this game does it better than any before it.
Eternal Darkness is part Resident Evil, part Tomb Raider, and part graphic adventure. It’s really in a category all its own because it just plays so well, but unlike the cheap scare tactics of Resident Evil, Eternal Darkness has class. I guess it’s closer to Silent Hill, but even creepier due to the insanity effects. Without going into much detail, Eternal Darkness features a Sanity Meter. Upon seeing a supernatural being your character’s sanity meter will suddenly drop. Only by killing the beast will you regain some of your sanity. As your meter drops strange things will begin to happen randomly. For example (and this is a warning for those of you who wish to remain spoiler free to skip the rest of this paragraph), you may begin to hear giggling noises or sudden knocks at the door. You might see a book fly off a bookcase or your character may begin to mutter strange things while watching blood spill out from the walls. There are so many different effects in the game that they never get old. I’d be surprised if you played this game and weren’t shocked or surprised by at least a few of the effects. This new form of gameplay enhances the experience by allowing the player to constantly question whether what they’re doing is real or a hallucination. It becomes fun to lose sanity on purpose just to see what will happen next.
The controls in Eternal Darkness will take a bit of getting used to for those Resident Evil veterans. The “L” trigger is used to run and the “R” trigger is used to target enemies. What’s unique is that you’re able to target body parts on the enemy, usually the arms, torso, or head. By taking off an enemy’s head you’ll be able to survive longer since it will no longer be able to follow you around the room. The control stick moves your character in the direction you point it and the “B” button is context sensitive. Upon dealing enough damage to the enemies you will be able to perform a finishing move with the “B” button, which is different depending on character and weapon used. The control pad is used for casting magick that you’ve assigned to it for quick access. Overall the control scheme works great and after an hour of playtime you’ll be running circles around the enemies, unless of course your character can’t run all that fast. Each person controls differently depending on his or her body mass. In addition, each character will tire at different rates, so if you keep running around with a warrior he will take a long time to tire out, whereas a heftier guy will run out of breath much quicker. The same is true with heavy versus light weapons. Also, you will discover that different weapons are better in different situations. A long sword won’t work too well in a narrow hallway since there isn’t enough room to swing it.
A central part of the game is the magick system. Later in the game you will find Runes that will be decoded with Codices. Spell scrolls will be peppered throughout the quest for you to locate. These will teach you new spells, but you must first have the proper Runes in your possession to cast them. You can experiment and try to make new spells before you find the actual spell scrolls, which is actually quite fun to sit around and try to do. The magick system is quite intricate, but not overwhelming in execution. It may seem so at first, but it all makes sense once you’ve played enough of the game. Many of the puzzles involve proper use of the correct spells and the fun is discovering these clues and solving the puzzles on your own so I won’t give any specific examples. I initially thought the spell system would detract from the game, but I was quickly proven wrong and now believe it is one of the best aspects of the game due to its creative use in so many situations.
At first Eternal Darkness may seem a bit weak in the graphics department. The first scenario in the mansion where you play as Alex and the next era where you play as Pious don’t show off the capabilities of the Cube as much as they could have. The problem is that the character models on both characters aren’t up to par with some of the later ones. It’s almost hard to pinpoint the flaws, but if you look at Alex’s head (in particular her ears) you’ll see the bitmaps and if you watch her arms and waist there are some antialiasing issues. I must say that I’m nitpicking by even bringing these issues up. However, I know in the past the graphics have always gotten flack for apparently being sub-par. After playing the game extensively it becomes evident that the graphics aren’t bad at all. First of all, the game runs in progressive scan for those with television sets that can handle the connection. In addition, the game supports 16x9 wide screen sets. These features alone show the developers want gamers to have the best possible experience. As you progress further into the game you’ll discover that the new character models are vastly improved, especially when it comes to the clothing they wear.
Moving along to other parts of the presentation, it must be noted that the backgrounds are exquisitely detailed. The game is in full 3D, unlike Resident Evil, so it’s all the more impressive that the graphics look so good. The texturing in this game is far and away better than anything done on the system thus far. As you traverse the different landscapes you’ll notice how great each and every environment looks. The attention to detail in the brick walls and the wooden floors is impressive. Never does it seem like the game is reusing the same textures over and over again, giving each new location its own distinct appearance. Enhancing the graphics further is the camera system. I can’t stress enough how fantastic the camera is in this game. Not once, during my entire playtime did I ever get frustrated with my camera angle. It moves around perfectly to give the player a good view of the surroundings. That doesn’t mean that you won’t be walking toward the camera at times, because that does happen. The programmers designed it so that it pans back far enough to give you ample time to dodge an attack while keeping the suspense heightened by not allowing the player to see what lies directly ahead. As your insanity meter drops the camera will tilt a bit to give the game a more horror movie look to it, which adds even more to the already surrealistic chilling scenes.
Last, but certainly not least are the lighting effects. The game really doesn’t have great environmental lighting effects, like those seen in Resident Evil. However, when you cast spells the lighting bestows an ominous glow around the room. One spell allows you to enchant your weapon, which causes it to glow, and thus lights up your character and the surrounding creatures and environment. If you ever find the game too dark, there’s an option to turn up the brightness so you can see while traversing the dark corridors. When all is said, the graphics are indeed above average and are more detailed than many games on the market today.
Where the game truly stands apart from the rest is in the audio department. First up, the voices are the best I’ve ever heard in a console game. Utilizing talent from Legacy of Kain and Metal Gear Solid, among others, Eternal Darkness truly sets the bar of excellence as far as voice acting is concerned. Every main character is voiced and it’s very high quality so you won’t hear any hissing noises when someone talks. The lips match nearly perfectly to the words spoken and while there is an option to activate subtitles, this is one game where they’re not needed. In a few instances characters may speak in Latin or in other languages, but the game automatically subtitles those scenes and as the talking continues the voice will seamlessly switch over to English, which is one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced in a game. It’s very subtle, but everyone I’ve seen play the game thought it was an extremely cool effect.
Beyond the perfect voices are the sound effects and music. The game is presented in Dolby Pro Logic II, but even if you only have a Pro Logic or 2 speaker system the game sounds excellent. Those with a surround sound setup are in for a real treat. The game makes great use of the rear speakers throughout the entire adventure and when you cast your magick you’ll appreciate the full aspect of surround sound. As your sanity meter drops you will begin to experience all sorts of odd noises. Sometimes you’ll hear wind chimes in the distance or babies crying or the sound of a woman being beaten mercilessly. These sounds are intermixed with the music and the end result is quite disturbing. The music is equally good. Each time period has a different piece of music and each track is at least a couple minutes long, if not longer. The musical scores fit each chapter perfectly and more than one person has already mentioned that they would buy the soundtrack if one were to ever appear. The aural aspects of Eternal Darkness are extremely important to the game, more so than any other I’ve ever played. You’ll definitely want to play it with the volume cranked up and the subwoofer on.
Much has been ado about Nintendo releasing a Mature game. It’s been done before with Conker’s Bad Fur Day, but never before has a Nintendo published game been so worthy of the rating. Most games receive the M rating due to excessive amounts of violence and gore, and lucky for us Eternal Darkness has that area covered. What’s so unique about the game is the content of the story. There are some truly disturbing scenarios in the game that deal with religious aspects that aren’t normally touched upon in games. The spells are chanted in a somewhat demonic voice that still sends chills up my spine when I hear them. To accentuate the violent cinemas and gameplay is a fantastic story that spares no expense in its telling. From boiling body parts to carving up main characters for sacrificial ceremonies, it’s all in here. This is a far cry from the Nintendo of yesteryear where even a simple cross on top of a gravestone had to be removed for fear of backlash from the public. It’s refreshing to play a game that doesn’t tone down the content for the end-user. It makes the story extremely enjoyable and caters directly to the 17 and older audience. The talent that Silicon Knights exudes in its storytelling makes games like Resident Evil and most RPGs (of which will remain nameless) seem dull and contrived.
Eternal Darkness is a keeper. It’s the best game on the GameCube and the best game I’ve played in a very long time. Cube Club events and previous showing of the game to the public pale in comparison to the real game. After you play the game for two hours I guarantee you won’t be able to stop until you’ve finished. The story is so detailed and intricate in design that you’ll discover things that other players may have missed. There are secrets to discover and the game is extremely rewarding when you do. The difficulty level is spot-on and although you may get stuck in a few spots, you’ll soon slap your forehead and figure it out over time. The graphics are great, the sound is perfect, and the fun factor is off the scale. Nintendo and Silicon Knights have created the best reason to own a GameCube. I give this game the highest recommendation available. Don’t skip out on this one! It’s all in the details.
