Clive Barker's Undying

The Good
The most worth mentioning feature of the game was the stunning story line.As you play the game you feel that you are part of some great mystery which only you can unfold.In my view this game can be converted into a successful hollywood movie.The second most astounding feature is its great graphics & thus great graphics which is one feature every gamer looks forward to.There is no need to describe the sound effects of the game as it has won numerous awards for its marvellous sound effects which can produce shivers down the back of even the bravest of gamers sometimes.Overall you will find this game the most horror of all games released so far including the horror games released for other consoles.If you have not played this game yet then you have missed a great gaming experience in my view.Thanks.

The Bad
There are two features of the game which are not upto the mark of excellence in my view. Firstly, the surruondings are not quite interactable that is, I mean to say that you cannot braek a glass window or move a chair.Secondly , the end is not upto expectations.The final boss in the game looks kind of funny .You expect to see a horrible grand looking final boss after seeing through a number of creatures that can create your worst nightmare and in the end you get to meet something you cannot describe.

The Bottom Line
In my view this is an excellent game in almost all respects.The graphics ,the sound ,the story are all brilliant and I think every gamer who loves horror ,action ,adventure or fantasy games should give it a try.

The Good
The first thing that got my attention was the atmosphere. While it starts with the cliche dreary night in an old mansion, I got the feeling that this wasn't the average cheesy horror flick as soon as I saw the howling beast prowling just outside the manor gates. The period architecture and design with curtains fluttering in open windows, dark musty catacombs, and wind swept ruins are both fitting and fighting. What truly gives the gameplay its depth is the superb direction. Rarely has any game kept me in suspense and not alone truly made me jump in my set as Undying has.

The plot slowly begins to unfold when you meet an old friend, Jeremiah. The story, which in itself is a rarity in FPS, is an intriguing and horrifying mystery of a cursed family with twist befitting a novel. Most of it unfolds as you talk to the mansion's inhabitants or read lost journals and letters. While it's not entirely original it does add a great bit of depth to an otherwise ordinary FPS.

The monsters and beast in the game are fairly good, but not exceptional. The roster includes some that are rather typical for a horror game, and most are not original either. The others though are really inspired. Most of them are by far not weak and are sometimes surprisingly conning. Also most are quite viscous in close quarters. To make matters worse, for the player that is, some tend to be in groups, making encounters all the more challenging. This is somewhat balanced by the stronger weapons and spells that are acquired later in the game, but many are rather slow to reload or recharge, making some encounters a real fight for survival.

As for some of the more technical aspects, the graphics and textures are average and sometimes poor, but still fit nicely with the setting and architecture. The map architecture on the other hand is great, much better than Unreal, which used the same engine. The models and animation are somewhat mixed. Some are good, but others have too few polygons and wooden movements. The facial texture animation, however, at times was surprisingly well done, with realistic expressions. While these seem like minor gripes the game still fairs well for its time.

The Bad
My biggest gripe with the game is how torturous dying in the game is. While watching the various fatalities that the enemies preform are interesting, they grow old quickly, yet for some reason you cannot skip past them. You are forced to watch them again and again and again. The same holds true for most cutscenes during the game. After that, instead of loading your last saved game, it loads a secret saved game that is created each time you enter a new section of the game. While this maybe be typical for a console game, it is simply inexcusable for one on the PC. So if your not fast enough to reload when you die, you have have to watch the enemies brutally deal its finishing blow and wait for the game to restart back to the beginning of the section before you can load your own saved game.

Also, the gameplay seems somewhat unbalanced. You have to travel a great deal before you meet the first boss, but the bosses and major beast become much more frequently during the second half. It's seems as if the ran out of ideas and started rushing the game to a conclusion, which is a merely a rather cheesy setup for a sequel.

Some of my other gripes are the game's linearity. While this is somewhat common in a FPS it is to the point of being ridiculous. The mansion is full of doors that seem to be stuck, even though the door might have opened before and some of them are even ajar, yet fail to budge. The conversations are also linear has they simply play out from beginning to end without any interaction whatsoever. Also the games creators seem to believe that there were silver bullets lying around a monastery in the 1200's!

The Bottom Line
Undying is among the best action games in the horror genre with a great story, settings and plot that will keep you hooked to the very end. I've played many and this is by far the one only one that has successfully made me jump or wince time and time again. This game is not for the faint of heart, but if you're game for a good scare then I recommend Undying.

The Good
EA did a lot of work on this game. There are a multitude of little details that create an immersive atmosphere. Like Clive Barker himself, The developers derived a lot from established fantasy and mythology. The sad, sordid tales of the Covenant family add to the storyline as you see how each member descended into madness. The monsters were unique and stood out from the usual FPS fodder.

The sound was perfect. The sound of loading your gun, to the ethereal call to scrye hidden scenes, it completes the game unlike many before or after.

The graphics were amazing, considering that it used the now considerably dated UT engine. Especially remarkable was the detailed models, nearly photo realistic in some scenes.

Game play was intense and kept you on raw nerves.

Music was sparse and didn't interfere with the game play. It was an eclectic mix of classical and world beats.

The game really rewards exploration by hiding goodies everywhere. And occasionally, you'll get a glimpse of someone's macabre sense of humor.

The Bad
First off, No freakin' sequel. The game ending was wide open. The inventory required some quick juggling to keep alive in tight battles. In an attempt to balance the weapons out, you'll find out that in battles with mixed creatures, you're going to do more retreating than attacking.

The Bottom Line
A thinking person's FPS. Better than Doom 3 with a fraction of the hardware requirements.