Don't even put Resident Evil along side Eternal Darkness. Eternal Darkness is like 10 times the entire Resident Evil franchise put together. And yes, Alone in the Dark and Silent Hill don't compare either.
ED is perefct in almost every repect.
It has the most intricate story you'll ever see in any video to date. Spanning hundreds of centuries, you play with 13 different characters from 13 different times using historically accurate weapons. And the time impressions are spot on.
The graphics are crisp and the texture work is just plain good. It has the Nintendo feel all over it.
The magick system is the most complex you'll probably ever see in a videogame ever. You have countless combinations of spells you can execute and a HUGE variety of enchantments at your disposal. And pulling off spells are cool as hell.
And can you say..best voice acting evar? Downright perfect.
And as for the rest of the sound. Where can I start? Well, first of all. You MUST play this game in Dolby Prologic II. Anything else would be an injustice. The work that SK put into the sound is remarkable. The dragging of feet, footsteps in the distance, the sounds of weeping women, whispering in the darkness, strange voices and sounds eminating from all around you. Doors being knocked on when nobody is even around. This is the experience that I'm talking about. The sound in Eternal Darkness is the best aspect of the game and deserves a 12 out of 10 for perfection.
Ohh did I mention the insanity effects? Cool. At first they'll seem pretty obvious but after a time you won't even know you're going crazy. It's that good. You'll just be sitting there wondering. Was that an insanity effect? Even if you know of insanity effect already, you'll still be left confused.
For example [*****MINOR SPOILER***** {very minor}]
My sanity meter was completely empty and I was almost dead too. At the same time a whole bunch of spiders started to rush the screen, they came from out of nowhere and I couldn't tell if they were real or not. They looked real but they didn't look real. Kinda like how a dream looks. Seriously. For a moment there I could have sworn I was hallucinating for real. It wasn't until the insanity effect was over that I realized what just happened. [/SPOILER OFF]
I was amazed that even with my indepth pre-knowledge of the game, I could have been fooled that easily. From there on I was hooked to the experience like none other. The game will literally have you guessing, wondering and doubting your every move. You'll literally go insane and sometimes not know it. Yes the game is that good and the story will leave you floored. If you ever buy this game, do me a favor and never read any spoilers, reviews or guides before you play it. It will completely ruin the experience for you. The less you know, the better.
ED is probably one of the best games of all time. It instantly drops in the top 5, without a doubt. In it's own genre, nothing compares.
And this game is not merely about zombies or scarecrows. No, no no no no. It's about humanity and the ancients. What does that mean? Play it and you'll find out. But be warned.
The Darkness is cometh.
Are you ready.......?
[ June 28, 2002, 11:07 PM: Message edited by: pzirm ]