Eternal Darkness Review from IGN

Sigma · 06-21-2002, 10:25 PM

Can someone with insider tell me what they game the game and the ratings for the graphics, sound and whatever else. If possible the statements that go with these ratings.

Bond · 06-21-2002, 10:27 PM

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, can play through three times for an uber ending. 9.0

OVERALL SCORE (not an average) 9.6

I'll put money on that Gamespot gives this game a lower score.

gekko · 06-21-2002, 10:42 PM

Embrace the dark! Must have ED!!

9.6 is a good score. "A" quality material!

ED is my master!! Denis is my god!

DeathsHand · 06-21-2002, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gekko
Embrace the dark! Must have ED!!

9.6 is a good score. "A" quality material!

ED is my master!! Denis is my god!

And you still havn't even played it yourself yet!

Didn't GTA3 get like a 9.something also?

"GTA3 SUX0RZ!"

Anyways... sounds good... too bad I won't have enough money to buy it for like.... awhile.....

gekko · 06-21-2002, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeathsHand
And you still havn't even played it yourself yet!

Tomorrow

gekko · 06-21-2002, 11:01 PM

Quote:

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-verses 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

GameKinG · 06-21-2002, 11:10 PM

uber ending, eh?

Jonbo298 · 06-21-2002, 11:14 PM

IGN giving a 'Cube game a rating higher than 9.0!:eek: They must not be as biased as before

But I wish I could buy it, but a rental will have to do. (darn back surgery, can't get a job until doc says so

)

Xlinx · 06-21-2002, 11:41 PM

IGN and Denis are a bit to close for my comfort... kinda like how you cant tell your girlfriend she's fat...

I'll wait for Gamespot

GameKinG · 06-22-2002, 02:21 AM

the only other game they gave a 9.6 was super smash bros. as far as I know. And that was a trusted rating. Maybe this is on level.

Blix · 06-22-2002, 02:48 AM

Yeah! IGN is not biased. Weren't lots of people whining about IGN giving GC games low scores? I think this game deserves the score it got. i just trust IGN more now.

bobcat · 06-22-2002, 03:07 AM

Well that gives me a lot more confidence in buying this game.

Which I will. When's it due in the US?

I remember when ppl saying how it played really slow when they saw the movies, yet it say "Brutal fast Gameplay" or something.

I wish I could get this game now. Heck I gotta wait till September for RE!!!

That sux

Shadow_Link · 06-22-2002, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Xlinx
IGN and Denis are a bit to close for my comfort... kinda like how you cant tell your girlfriend she's fat...

I'll wait for Gamespot

Heh... Just like how all the Xbox editors at IGN are with all the developers...

Angrist · 06-22-2002, 07:39 AM

Not bad, but I think other sites may give it a lower rating.

I want to know if the animation still is so... weird. I guess I'll check out some IGN movies. Could someone post the direct urls of the movies, that way you can watch more than 5 a day.

Bond · 06-22-2002, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shadow_Link

Heh... Just like how all the Xbox editors at IGN are with all the developers...

Do you have factual proof of that?