Nocturne

The Good
Yes this game is definitely more of an action title than a horror. Nocturne packs thrills and firefights around just about every corner. If only Terminal Reality would have made some sequels, then I think this series could have really shone.

In Nocturne you are thrust into the role of The Stranger, the mysterious and gravelly voiced bad-ass, with a skill for killing the things that most men fear. An agent of The Spookhouse, an agency funded by the government to fight the things that go bump in the night. Nocturne features are great back story and plot in general. Nocturne also does a good job of mixing history with the supernatural. And it pays homage to all the horror gods. Stoker, Poe, Shelly, and Lovecraft. Among others. The game unfolds over several years as the story comes full circle. It is a shame we never got to see more Nocturne games. Nocturne would also make an interesting movie, or graphic novel.

The Graphics are incredible. Even today, years after the games initial release it still looks great, either using software rendering, or if it is supported your 3D card. Lighting effects and shadows are all realistic looking and nice to look at. The characters are all well designed and unique. The Stranger is such a cool character! The monsters are appropriately creepy. The back rounds are pre-rendered, and are all sharp, and clean. Be warned this game is very dark. You will either have to play in the dark or turn up your monitors brightness. Playing in the dark is more fun however.

All is well in the sound department. The voices are all appropriate to the character that they belong to. The sound effects are a little loud but convincing. And the music what little there is all good, particularly the ending theme, the only one that has lyrics.

The Gameplay is where the game drops the ball. The missions are all well designed and can be great fun, but the execution is where the game falters.

The Bad
The imprecise controls make jumping and dodging harder than they need to be. Further frustrating is the fact that there are some parts of the game where you have to make a jump or die. And you probably will die many times at these parts. You can save your game at any point so be sure to do so at these points. Also The Stranger’s greatest enemy is not a werewolf or vampire, but the games camera. Which cannot not be manually controlled. And the game almost always picks the worst camera angle possible. Making this game to much like the horrid Resident Evil series.

The Bottom Line
Fans of horror will find a lot to like here. But this one is far from perfect. Also be warned that this game carries a M rating for a reason. The is graphic violence. Like limbs being blown and ripped off. Gratuitous language, and nudity.