Dreamcast

The Ring: Terror's Realm

Ring does have its share of problems, in terms of combat and pacing. The modeling and animation are pretty average, the sound effects are overused, and the music is terribly repetitive. It's not a particularly good game. But Ring is simply weird enough to warrant a few hours of play, which is more than I can say for the majority of the games that pass over my desk. I wouldn't recommend importing this game for full price - but if you eventually find a copy of Ring in your local importer's clearance bin for twenty bucks, you might want to take a chance. Just watch out for Sadako.

It'd be easy to finish this review by saying that The Ring was a noble concept whose execution was flawed, but that's really not the case. It's yet another rehash of a tired gameplay concept, and the same has been done a lot better before. Die-hard survival-horror fans might possibly get a quick fix from this game, but even that's questionable. You'd really be better off playing through Code Veronica again.

In terms of graphics and sound, the Ring isn't so bad. The people models are smoothly animated, and the excellent music gets pretty intense at times. The dialogue is conveyed almost entirely through scrolling text, but I didn't mind because it was so easy to read. Hardcore Ring fans can bump up the grade by a letter (at their own discretion), but everyone else should pass up this survival horror debacle.

A good idea is ruined by bad execution. The animations are stiffer than a British tea party, the controls are unresponsive, and the looping, horrible music would make you long to be locked in a padded room with a repertoire of Barry Manilow tunes.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: The Ring is hands-down the worst thing I've ever experienced on the Dreamcast. It is an affront to gamers everywhere, and a slap in the face to Dreamcast owners in particular. Run now, out into the streets, and cry out the warning so that others may hear you. Don't let my pain have been in vain. Stay far, far away from The Ring!