I rented this game once or twice, and there was a lot to appreciate about the design. The atmosphere and sanity effects in the game were impressive. This game also freaked me out in ways that Resident Evil never did (or could).
Stratos' comments reminded me of something. One reason I've never been able to get into this game on a long-term basis is that it's so grim; continually watching so many of the characters come to a bad end in most of the chapters gradually decreased my interest. I recognize that it was a bold and fresh move on the part of Silicon Knights; however, this wasn't narrative decision that I really appreciated as a gamer. I was never able to bring myself to care enough to finish the game. Still, I don't really need or want a game to remind me that personal sacrifice sometimes goes to waste; I've seen too many examples and reminders of that in real life already. As the plot of ET went on, I often found myself wondering why I continued to play it.
I realize that this is a matter of personal preference; I don't really like excessively grim stories in any form of entertainment...mostly because watching suffering, fictional or otherwise, usually really bothers me. One reason that I've always loved old-school adventure and platforming games is that I've always enjoyed the idea of being able to perform superhuman feats, beat the odds or otherwise make some sort of lasting difference in a fictional world, even though I know that it's a formula that's been repeated ad nauseam since the dawn of adventure gaming.
It's not that I just like my games to poop rainbows and puppies; I like serious games with narrative weight. For example, I like Ico and absolutely adore Shadow of the Colossus, but both of those games have grim, or at least very melancholy, tales at their core. I suppose that Eternal Darkness just pushed the envelope a bit too far for me.
That being said, my favorite level by far was the level with Dr. Lindsey, mostly because of the Indiana Jones-type elements in both the character and his level. I think that's also because I realized that I wished the rest of the game had been more like that level. The shotgun was awesome, and I suppose it was one of the few times I felt like I was kicking butt. Of course, that probably just means that I sucked at the game. I'll also note that Dr. Lindsey is one of the few characters that doesn't seem to come to a horrific end; it was a nice break from the normal pace of the game.
Topic: RFN RetroActive Discussion (Game #3: Eternal Darkness) (Read 23769 times)
