A requisite for any GC collection; terrific atmosphere!
It's somewhat difficult to categorize Eternal Darkness. It's not really an adventure game, it's not very combat-focused, and it doesn't quite fall into a survival-horror genre (although it does a decent job pulling off the horror aspect). It's more story and mechanics-driven. It has a neat magic system based on a triangle (actually, this triangle idea plays a rather large role in the story itself). There's also a sanity meter. The meter depletes as you run into enemies, which in this game are mostly zombie-like creatures. As the meter depletes, lots of interesting things happen, with effects that can be subtle (the occasional scream in the background, blood running down the walls, etc) or blatant (a roomful of enemies and the game says it can't find the controller is a good example). Some of them are freaky; some come off as lame.
The combat is pretty simple for the most part, using a combination of conventional weaponry (dated for the time period of the chapter, of course) and magic, which is based on the aforementioned triangle system. Aiming is pretty easy, hold R and press up or down until you target the body part you want. The enemies are pretty bland, consisting of only a few overall types, except for the bosses, who are few and far between, but very cool. The puzzles are pretty simple mostly, but numerous and
The graphics are pretty good overall. They're not an eyesore by any means but this is an early Gamecube title that was originally meant for the N64, and it shows. The character models are all right, the animations not so much. The environments look good, if a little on the bland side. The lighting and shadow effects are good for their time, and the cutscenes still look beautiful. The overall sound quality is pretty good too. The voice acting is top-notch, and the sound effects are all done well, especially the sanity effects. The music is good, but repetitive. The controls are excellent, fluid and natural. The only major gripe with presentation is the fixed camera angle, which can on occasion make it difficult to see what you're doing or where the enemy is.
Eternal Darkness does have some replay value. The "real" ending can only be obtained by playing through the game three times. Not coincidentally, there is a choice you make early in the game that takes you down one of three different storyline paths. Choose a different one each time to get the complete ending.
With its ambitious storyline, unique mechanics and generally smooth gameplay, Eternal Darkness is truly worth playing. It's a unique, fun, and creepy experience, and when played alone with the lights off, it has a fantastic atmosphere. It's cheap now, so run down to the bargain bin and dig it up!