It could have been a bit better, but it could have be A LOT worse...(*spoiler-free*)
Concept - Main character wakes up in the hospital from hell. Sounds good so far, right? I think it was a GREAT concept to begin with...but there needed to be something to set it apart from all the rest of the survival horror games out there. Ok, how about putting it out exclusively for the Nintendo DS. Perfect! Now what? Piece together a cool storyline that will really capture the audience? Nah, don't worry too much about that...
Gameplay / Controls - This actually was MUCH easier to play than GoldenEye: Rouge Agent and Metroid Prime: Hunters, yet seemed to take the control scheme directly from both games. The entire game is played on the touch screen, d-pad, and L button (unless you use the lefty set up) with the touch screen being utilized for weapon select, map, options, and item access, and to look/aim. The d-pad is there for movement and the L button to fire weapons or switch on and off the flashlight. Quite surprisingy, the touch screen is very responsive with the only problems I encountered being when trying to access different pages of the map and turning 180 degrees can be a problem when you get surrounded by enemies.
Graphics - It's the hospital from hell...you can't expect it to be colorful and happy. Most of the floors are going to look alike because that's just the way hospitals are. However, the developers did a fairly good job of making things look how they should. We're not talking about a Picasso here, but they really did make it look creepy and run down with the blood splatters and scattered trash and debris. The real problem I had was the monsters. There were 2 particularly good-looking bosses in the game, there were only a handful of standard creatures to fight, and they were quite boxy in design. Difficulty - I've heard so many people complaining about the save feature being the downfall of this game. For those who don't know, the game saves everytime you go through a door. But that's only in case you turn your DS off in the middle of the level. If you should happen to die, you go to the beginning of the chapter you were just in and fight your way back through. This SEEMS irritating enough, but once you've died 2 or 3 times, you'll have the area figured out and you can blaze through the chapter in minutes. The entire game consists of 16 chapters and could be run through in as little as 3 to 5 hours. There are puzzles to solve in order to advance, but they leave clues that take only a little thought to decipher and the puzzles actually make some sense! It's not like Resident Evil where you combine a red and blue gem on a statue in a modern police office to reveal a hidden door. Some can be a little tricky, but aren't so difficult you can't figure it out without a little effort. As for the enemy AI, they can see you run past and hear you when you make a noise, but most can be avoided or taken down with a well-placed shot to the weakspot. Boss battles come down to figuring the best strategy to a well-placed shot and exploiting it until said-baddie falls. The real difficulty lies in ammo and health management and replaying levels when you die.
Sound - A good mix of ambient piano score, "background noise" and weapon effects. The rain and thunder really add to the forboding atmosphere. The downside of this is that some of the sound effects will make you want to gag on a slotted spoon...there are a few enemies (and a particular weapon) that sent chills dow my spine, not because the game was scary, but because of the shrill effects attached to the creature. Entertainment - The shallow story and monotonous levels and enemies might turn a few people off from this, but it's just pure fun. It's got a certain ammount of creep-out factor to it and it's one of the very few 'M' rated titles on the system (which adds to the novelty of the game), but when it's all said and done, is it worth the $30? Which leads me to my final point...
Value - I'm not going to tell you to go buy it just because I had a good experience. This game is definately not for everyone. Sure there are some flaws, but this is a stepping stone for the DS and the developer, and there could be some great improvements in subsequent titles. For those who are not ready to lay down the entire price of the game; rent it first. If you can't rent, wait for the price to drop or buy it used. Just don't go in expecting this will be the title to revolutionize gaming.
Last words - Taking into account that there were some minor design flaws and a lack of real replayability and storyline, I had to reduce my score a bit. I would have rated higher but some things I can't overlook. It was, however, a game that captured my interest and kept me playing to completion. I look forward to seeing more from Renegade Kid, but I hope they look back and see where they could make some improvements. Some want to hate the game; others want to herald it as the greatest thing to come to the DS. I just say it's a nice change of pace and a taste of things to come.