Clive Barker's 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.