You play the brother of a bride to be who is to be wed to a wealthy Romanian Count. Little do you know, that the Count has held your sister and your family prisoner inside his castle? It’s up to you to rescue your friends and family from his clutches and the evil hordes that await you.

Visually Nosferatu is both horrific and gorgeous at the same time. Using a dirty film technique brought on by the Silent Hill series, the game strives at revealing as little light and recognizable images as possible. Plenty of shadows, pillars, and objects make great hiding places for the undead. The level design is wonderful, guiding you though the castle in great depth and detail. What’s more the game will randomly redesign the castle each time you play, so no two games will be the same. The enemies range from the normally terrifying dogs, to the sadistically ugly Vampire himself, complete with stiff as a board rising from the coffin animation. The animations over all are a little jumpy and the textures remind one of Undying, which isn’t necessary great news considering that game is a little old. No real new graphic technology has been shown here, but the sheer immense terror felt while playing this game will no doubt make up for the mediocre visuals.

Audio also plays a big part in the presentation. Brilliant voice acting from many supporting characters and cut scenes can be heard to move the story along nicely. The game’s surround sound is incredible, and the surprising shock audio will no doubt make you jump out of your computer chair more than once. Whether it’s a dog coming from a corridor, a monster lunging towards you, or even the crashing of thunder a just the right moment, the game knows how to touch a nerve. The music is somber and gothic setting an unsettling feeling as you wonder the castle. Like the sound effects the music also knows when to hit the loud shocking notes at just the right moment. The other effects such as weapons and holy crucifix effects are done genuinely well. Like the dark visuals, the audio plays a big part in the scare factor, and succeeds with pant wetting results.

Nosferatu does play like any first person shooter before it, with the hint of puzzle element involved. You gather your weapons throughout the game, and fend off foes with your mouse. You also wonder the castle finding keys, heath packs, and other items to help you accomplish your goals. You have a decent arsenal of weapons to choose from, and considering this is 1912, don’t expect Uzi’s or rocket launchers here. You have swords, muskets, the old stake for the heart of the veil, and many other weapons of that day to utilize in thwarting the evils of the castle. The enemy A.I. is very quick and very tough, thankfully there is a save anywhere option to ease the frustration. All in all the game plays like most any FPS, but the element of fear brought on heightens the emotion.

The game from beginning to end is around 8-10 hours long, and with the random castle design, you can reply through the game without feeling major repetition. Unfortunately no multiplayer options are here, so it’s a single player affair.

In the end, if you didn’t get enough scares this Halloween or you just love to be frightened, for the 30-dollar price tag it’s worth the cash indeed. You may need that extra money to replace your soiled pants the next day. Play this one alone and in the dark. The Boogeyman gives this title major props for the sheer terror it brings.