Survival/Horror games, while not being the oldest gaming genre, have gotten a tad stale over the past few years. For every original series out there, there are countless rip-offs that lack the ingenuity of the real gems, yet somehow manage to spawn more sequels than a VH1 reality show.
Luckily, “Dementium†is not one of those series and its sequel, “Dementium II†is a bloody, gruesome gameplay experience that is easily the best survival/horror romp on the DS and a testament to solid gaming design, as it manages to encompass a chilling tale in the palms of your hands.
If you’re looking for something different on the DS, “Dementium II†offers mature gamers something completely different from the majority of offerings on the system.
Mario watch out, South Peak games has a winner here, that is easily the sleeper hit of the year on the system.
Taking control of a mental patient after brain surgery, the story of “Dementium II†is a cool one that will keep you entertained and hungry for more. With clues all around the hospital, you’ll be rewarded as you play through. Difficult boss fights and heavy exploration aren’t common commodities in many DS games and considering the fact that this is essentially a first-person survival/horror title, it’s a rare gem that is easily in the same vein as the “Condemned†series.
The fact that the game is able to establish and maintain that feeling throughout and not go stale, all in the palms of your hands, prove just how solid a title it is.
Aside from the more than capable graphics and eery sound effects that set the tone, the game’s best qualities are its controls. Using the directional pad to move your character and the stylus to look around and aim your gun, the control is intuitive, comfortable and fun. As a result, even killing menial enemies and exploring the same sections of the hospital for clues you missed is far from repetitive.
Speaking of menial enemies, the games only downfall is that many of the foes you encounter in between boss fights are a joke, but considering there’s so much to do, you kind of need to have those small fights in between to loosen up the tension and keep the game from being overly exploration heavy.
Feeling like part “Doom†and “Condemned,†with some of “The Suffering†thrown in for good measure, “Dementium II†is well-crafted title that will not only pass the test of time, but proves once again that the game library of the Nintendo DS is capable of much more than gimmicky titles that don’t force the system to move forward.
Make no mistake about it, “Dementium II†is not only a great FPS Survival/Horror title on the DS, it’s an excellent game on any system.
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