I was surprised by Eternal Darkness. Having read very few reviews before picking it up, I was expecting a straight survival horror game in the vein of Resident Evil. The adventure elements especially surprised me, as ED obviously has some roots in games like the Seventh Guest. Even more impressive was the story and the atmosphere, which have a very Lovecraftian feel to me. It's not particularly scary in a direct way, but the implications are incredibly dark and foreboding. It's a theme that I enjoy and that not enough games manage to do successfully. Of course, the gameplay is also stellar. The sanity and magic systems are unique, to say the least. The magic system, which isn't fully utilized into about a quarter of the way into the game, allows for quite a bit of customization. Although it's hard to say that spells created with it are 'unique', the system certainly goes a long way to make you feel that way. The sanity mechanic is also interesting and can produce quite a few frightening effects. The graphics and sound are excellent as well. Owning both an X-box and a Playstation 2 in addition to the Gamecube, I personally feel that ED is one of the best looking games across all three systems. Played on a progressive scan television with a surround sound setup (A Yamaha receiver and B&W speakers) both the graphics and sound go a long way to extend the atmosphere. Textures are crisp and the models are high poly, giving many items and characters in the game world a realistic and tight look. Overall, it's hard for me to NOT recommend Eternal Darkness to anyone with a Gamecube and the willingness to complete what amounts to a very long game. It's an enjoyable, pretty, good sounding, and rewarding experience.
Other Helpful Reviews for Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
I bought "Eternal Darkness" half-heartedly. It just didn't seem like a genre I was interested in. I had never been one who played survival horror games. The closest I came was the "Castlevania" ser... Read Full Review
:Good Idea: · This game has such a creepy theme that I had to turn the lights on while playing after a certain point. This is the only game I've had to do this for. Well, besides Dark Seed for PC, but this puts t... Read Full Review
