Dementium: The Ward/Dementium II Double Header

Never thought anything worthwhile aside from Pokemon would be on the DS, did you? Well, here is a rare sight: a horror FPS on the handheld system that actually creeps you out. What is it?

Dementium: The Ward (2007)




Story

While we don't have a deep, complex, Silent Hill-esque story, here's the gist:

You awaken to find yourself in a bed insane a dark, cold, bloody insane asylum, festering with monsters. Upon seeing a large monster drag a hapless woman down the hall, you decide to take pursuit. However, the deeper you go into the asylum to escape, the more horrifying things you encounter as you dig deeper into the truth behind your prison, the woman, and a mysterious young girl who eludes you at every turn.

Let's begin the review with my critique of the story, which is weird considering that we still have a few descriptive sections to immerse you into what the game will bring, like the Characters, Monsters, Bosses and Weapons section. Since Story is the first section, I don't see why we can't bring our critiques to the table before we go anywhere else! When I first played Dementium: The Ward, I was too terrified by the atmosphere and monsters to really focus on anything else. However, after I got further into the game, it was actually unveiling something that struck me as being a lot more interesting than the beginning. You begin encountering and seeing this mysterious woman and girl, you keep finding out more about yourself, like an instance where you find a record player that (I think) says "You're upset with *name blurred*", and you come across some interesting story elements. For a horror FPS on the DS, I was actually really impressed.

I was let down by the ending.

Characters

William Redmoor: A man who wakes up in the insane asylum, this is the nut who you play as! Not much is known about him, but soon you learn more about yourself as the game progresses.



Mysterious Woman: A poor woman who is seen being dragged by the Cleaver, she is a seemingly innocent victim. As you go deeper into the asylum, though, you learn she is connected to your past.



Mysterious Little Girl: You see her from place to place, and you think she's just another Japanese cliche. However, the more you learn about her, the more appropriate she is in the context of the story.



Mystery Surgeon/Jedi: A douchebag you meet in the second-to-last level, and is the final boss. Not much is known about him, but he seems to know William well.



Monsters

The Chestmaw


The first monster you encounter in the game, these nasty guys charge at you with their mouthes agaping, ready to fuck you up. How do you kill them? Easy! Shoot 'em in the heart!

Scritters

(What more do you want, they're fucking roaches)

Simply roaches with an appetite for flesh. The best thing to do? Simply walk past them. They run from light. There is a flying variety that you also encounter later, but you need to turn your flashlight off when these fuckers are around because they are attracted to it. Again, simply run away.

Infantile Mollusca


Easily the most FUCKING ANNOYING monster in the game, you meet these guys in the Infant Ward. They constantly cry as they approach you, their circular maws open to nibble you to death. Shoot them once with your pistol, and they're as good as dead.

Screamers


When you first meet these guys at the end of the Infant Ward chapter, you go "HOLY FUCK WHAT THE HELL ARE THE-". Then you die horribly. You can't kill them when you first encounter them, but when you get more that just a shotgun, you can mow them down with no problem.

Sneaky Torso


Yeah, I know. The name is kinda gay. They are sneaky because they can climb on the ceiling as well as crawl on the floor to spit acid at you. They also make cicada noises. Yummy.

Vomiting Maw


Yup, it's these guys again. They spit acid out of their chests, though, and take more hits to kill. Again, aim for the heart.

Bosses

Boss 1: The Cleaver


OH FUCK, MY EX FOUND ME! Anyway, this is the Cleaver. You meet him at the beginning of the game, but you actually fight him a little later on. Compared with the bosses in Dementium: The Ward's sequel, these bosses are nothing to write home about because they aren't really that tough to beat. Each boss has a basic pattern, and the Cleaver is no exception. He has two attacks: either waddle up to you and smack you with his cleaver, which will incapacitate you for a few seconds as he laughs and walks away, or fire green liquid from his syringe from afar. If he gets anywhere near the morgue lockers on the walls, he will also open them and release some Infantile Molluscas. Just keep shooting the fat bastard while keeping your distance, and he'll be finished in a jiffy. Remember, head shots hurt the bosses more!

Boss 2: The Wheelchair


The Wheelchair finds you in Chapter Six, "The Buzzsaw." Ironically, this is a chapter not named after a boss, but after the Jesus Christ of weapons you find if you have the patience to find it. This boss is not exactly just a wheelchair, but a man bound to one who wears a gasmask, and threatens you with a machine gun hand like Barret from Final Fantasy 7. Anyway, the main strategy for this guy is hard to explain, but what you need to do is this:


When he reloads his weapon after he fires five shots, run up and shoot him. Again, we have a very elementary pattern that almost begs to have been improved on, because bosses like this kind of suck. Give me a boss with a challenge, and I'll be happy. Shoot him enough, and he'll eventually die. Remember, head shots (again) hurt more!

Boss 3: Green Room


Okay, this isn't even a fucking boss fight but whatever. It's considered as such by the game, so we have to begrudgingly treat it as if it were a boss battle. After you put a record in a gramophone, you see the mysterious woman lying bloody and dead next to you. You hear a scream, and you turn to see the girl in white running away and through a door. When you follow her, you run into a sealed green room that looks like it's been covered in toothy vaginas. Ew. Basically, shoot them all on the walls and ceilings until they die. They also spit out Infantile Molluscas that want to give you a kiss, so avoid them like the plague if you don't feel like wasting ammo. What I did was constantly keep running and just shoot whatever maw was in my way, and this strategy seemed to work for me.

Boss 4: The Cleaver Returns
Oh man the developers fucked up with this one. You take an elevator all the way up to the floor where the Cleaver rears his fat face again, but you have an advantage. Let him waddle up to you while you stay in the elevator, and you can shoot him in the head with your shotgun while he gets stuck in the doors! He will not try to shoot the green liquid at you when this happens, and he will try to keep waddling towards you to use his mighty cleaver! Take advantage of this glitch if you want, or be the good guy and use the same tactic as Boss 1 to beat him. Did they run out of ideas with what bosses to throw at you, so they had to recycle the first two Big Bads you encounter? I don't know, but it's alright, I suppose. As I said, take advantage of the glitch, or use the same strategy as Boss 1, to kill the Cleaver again.

Boss 5: The Wheelchair Returns
No glitches to exploit here, so just use the same strategy as before to deal with his ugly mug. Like the Cleaver before him, the Wheelchair uses the exact same tactics as before, namely shooting at you from down the hallway. You'll have the sniper to clip at him from afar this time, but he also has a nasty surprise at his disposal: he fires acid canisters at random, so watch out for those when you run up to shoot him in the face.

Final Boss: Mystery Surgeon/Jedi


The final boss that you encounter a chapter earlier comes out of nowhere, but he may be responsible for this whole nightmare. Follow him into the basement, and after enduring countless rooms with a bunch of enemies you get to face off against this phantom menace. The basic strategy is to not let him get too close to you, or he will bitch slap/punch/karate chop (?) you to death, and this takes a helluva lot of health off. If you get too far, though, he Darth Vader-force chokes you. However, to break free, shoot both of his hands that are emanating a white aura, and he will not only take damage but back off. At first, he can be a bit daunting, and he is all the harder by the fact that you don't have any way to heal yourself for the entire battle, so you are going to die. A lot (thanks for the invention of an awesome catchphrase, Until We Win). Just keep shooting him in the face with your revolver, while being sure to avoid whatever attacks come your way, and he'll be down for the count.

Weapons

The Nightstick


The very first weapon you'll come across, it's possibly the most useful thing you'll find!... until you come across the next weapon on the menu...

The 0.9mm Pistol


Bangbang! As in every good FPS game, you get a pistol that is used to pick off the weaker enemies with ease. This will make the Chestmaws easier to deal with, and will make the Infantile Molluscas bearable to handle. That is, until you find...

The Shotgun

Ah yes, who could make an FPS without a decent BOOMSTICK? This is extremely useful against bosses of all shapes and forms in the earlier part of the game. Just be wary that it takes a little long to reload, although it does pack a powerful punch when used correctly. However, it's nothing compared to...

The Machine Gun


Hell yeah, now we're talking! While not as powerful as the shotgun, it is much faster, has much more ammo, and can cause a lot more damage in the long run. This is super effective against those pesky Screamers, and it'll serve you a lot of good when dealing with almost anything else. However, when you want to talk business with enemies who are far away, you need...

The Sniper Rifle

Yes. A fucking sniper rifle. No monster is going to fuck with you now! Complete with a scope you can adjust, picking off faraway enemies is the best thing you can do with this. However, if you want to get up close and personal, this is the thing for you...

The Electric Buzzsaw


You have found the Jesus of weapons in this game. Have fun.

Gameplay

For a while, the Nintendo DS has been known for two things: being the next in the Gameboy line, and being a fucking joke. Cheap flash games have been released for it, the stylus gameplay has been mediocre at best, and nothing new or innovative has been done with it. However, Dementium: The Ward changed two things. It showed us that the DS could actually host some great games, and the stylus control system, when done correctly, can actually lead to some innovative and enthralling gameplay.

You use the D-Pad to move forward, strafe, or move backwards, but the DS stylus is used to point the character in a certain direction. Being a first-person shooter, you turn your head with the stylus, basically. You can also access the different items at your disposal, enter doors, and pick up objects with this stylus system. Naturally, it may sound difficult, but when you pick the game up it's actually very intuitive and easy to use. Not only this, but the controls are actually smooth! It's surprising how well Renegade Kid executed the control scheme to the extent where Dementium: The Ward is very fluid in its controls, and the game doesn't suffer for it. I remember games that were made with shitty or sub-par stylus controls (Star Fox Command, I'm looking at you), but these are easily the best controls I have seen on the DS in a long time. For once, DS stylus controls don't suck donkey 'nads!


Above: Sucking donkey 'nads.

However, something that I will complain about in terms of game design is the general lackluster diversity in both setting and monsters. The setting, an abandoned and horrific mental hospital, is the only place you will be for the entire game, and so you will be passing through the same corridors, offices, and surgery rooms from start to end. The diversity of monsters is somewhat lacking, as later in The Ward the enemies who appear are simply stronger, re-colorized versions of earlier critters. Green Infantile Molluscas, acid-spitting Chestmaws, stronger Screamers... originality in terms of creature design was lacking in 2007.

Sound

The sound department has some mixed reactions from me. On the positive side of things, the sound effects were creepy as hell when you use really good headphones, which is required for horror survival games on a handheld portable system. From the heavy breathing of a nearby Chestmaw to the terrifying screaming of Screamers before they appear and eat your face, the atmosphere of The Ward can be a bit overbearing thanks to the sound. The music also helps add to the ambiance. At first I was bugged that it wasn't just bangs and clangs like Silent Hill, or just silence, but then again, who needs to copy another franchise? The music that Renegade Kid uses in The Ward is fitting and deliciously creepy!



However, a blessing is a curse as some of the monster sound effects are annoying as fuck to listen to after a while. The Screamers and Infantile Mollusci have their distinct sounds, but after the shock has worn off the crying and screaming can get a bit tiresome. The noises are overbearing, but for the wrong reasons. This is a minor complaint, so it won't hurt the score all that much!

Graphics

Okay, in terms of graphics compared with Xbox 360 games, PS3 games, or even the Wii's games, they are shit. However, this isn't on a home console, this is on a handheld system. In comparison with anything else that has come before or after the graphics on the DS, Dementium: The Ward has some pretty good graphics that remind me of one of the medium-quality Nintendo 64 games. Renegade Kid may have made a few missteps about the level design and the monster design, both being repetitive into oblivion, but the strength in the horrific presentation still lies with the graphics that actually enhance the sense of terror. You won't wet yourself, but you'll be sincerely creeped out. I have to agree with another review that I read about Dementium: The Ward in terms of graphics because they said that while the game does not sport ultra-realistic graphics that show every little detail, that is what actually helps the horror be even more effective. It sports a surreal tone to it, and I know that other horror games that are ultra-realistic, like Clive Barker's Jericho, are actually less frightening thanks to the ultra-realism to the monster and level designs.


Scary? No. Disgusting? Hell yes.

The Verdict:

Gameplay: Easily some of the best gameplay I have actually experienced on the Nintendo DS that is not only fluid, but actually utilizes the Stylus screen in its major gameplay mechanics. 10

Graphics: Compared to home consoles, they are shit, but compared to other games on handheld systems, they are actually some pretty groovy graphics that remind me of the early days of the Nintendo 64. 8

Sound: Creepy as hell, but hampered by some of the more aggravating sounds that come from some of the enemies, like the Infantile Mollusca or the Screamer. 7

Story: Sans the very end, the story actually impressed me for a survival horror on the DS. Weak in some aspects, The Ward actually gave us a bit of a mystery in finding out the past of William. 7

Replay Value: After you beat it, I don't really see any reason to come back to play Dementium: The Ward again. With a running time of maybe three hours, you'll easily beat it in an afternoon. However, if you want to pick it up again after a few months, then you'll get to immerse yourself in the creepiness all over again. 4

Overall: Despite the fact the overall score is hurt by the replay value, I highly recommend Dementium: The Ward to horror congaseuirs who actually have a Nintendo DS (the five of you that do). 7

Dementium II (2010)





Story

You find yourself being wheeled down a corridor in a maximum-security prison of some sort, and you're taken to your cell. However, upon finding a postcard signed by your name, the world around you changes into a hellish landscape, and we're thrown into the madness all over again. The Doctor who fought you as the final boss from The Ward reveals that whatever was wrong in your head has been released into the world, and it's spreading. Oh, and he's also the active antagonist. Will you be able to not only solve the mystery on your troubled past, but also potentially save the world from your own sick fantasies? Have fun!



Again, let's begin the review with the Story section because it helps clarify some things further into the review. First off, I must admit that the story is actually better and worse than the previous Dementium, for different reasons. In one respect, it is much more mysterious, and there are a lot of things that aren't explained. A lot more is left to interpretation and your imagination, like what exactly happens at the very end. I've actually seen fan speculation about what happens at the end of Dementium II, and that is the sign of a good game. I'm not calling it Bioshock in terms of storytelling, but it has a very tight set-up in that department for a DS handheld title.



In another way, the story is slightly more involving, and you are sucked into the world you're exploring as you get mysterious notes from yourself, and get to interact with other characters more often. This advances the story and adds to its depth, and that's a good thing, but at the cost of cutting out that loneliness that you feel when you accidentally lock yourself in the bathroom, and the power is out. Claustrophobia is one of the best elements of a survival horror game because it makes your heart race, and it feels like you have no escape. Claustrophobia is emphasized by the absence of other characters, even if they end up dying, and Dementium II is weakened because of the fact that you're always interacting with either the Doctor or Elizabeth.


Above: Claustrophobia.

The Doctor? Elizabeth? Who are these people? Well...

Characters

William Redmoor: Back in the saddle, eh Nutty? Looks like you've gotten yourself in another tight situation. Luckily, you've experienced the madness before, and you're prepared this time!

Elizabeth: She's also back, it seems! Turns out, she's your wife, and you seem to be unable to catch up with her when you get notes from her in Chapter Two. What is her role in this game, I wonder?



Amanda: Remember the girl in white from Dementium: The Ward? Congratulations, she's your daughter! Upgraded from Japanese cliche to a plot device, you also need to find out where she is as you work to stop the mad doctor from accomplishing whatever it is he wishes to accomplish!

The Doctor: Remember that dick who came out of nowhere and wound up being the final boss of the first game? He's back too, and he plays a larger role in Dementium II. Truly, he will be the Agent Smith to your Neo, and dear god I just made a Matrix reference in a horror review.


Monsters

As well as a few returning favorites from the first game, we also have a whole host of new critters that will make your skin crawl! Are you excited? So am I! A lot of these are not the official names, so .... yeah!

Chestmaw


Oh hey, these assholes are back, and gimpier than ever! Equipped with hook hands, the Chestmaws are the first enemy you encounter. They have been updated appearance-wise, and now move less like insane idiots who just run at you, and more like possessed marionettes, possibly due to their new legs. Smack 'em with whatever weapon is on hand, and move on.

Security Guards w/ Electric Batons


Early on in Dementium 2, before everything goes to shit, there will be a hoard of security guards to try and put you back in your cell. Knife them for greater effect.

Mollusca


WAAAAH, WAAAAH, WAAAAH. If you played The Ward, you'll have that noise burned into your memory forever. Alas, these annoying fuckers return, but in blissfully fewer numbers. Shoot them once for a happy ending.

Hopper


Complete with a creepy noise, these little assholes come out of nowhere and leap towards you. They are easy to avoid, but just don't let them get too close or they will chomp you with their big jaws. They take a few hits, so they are easily dealt with.

Shadow Whisperer


These guys are just plain creepy. They slowly stalk you while whispering very menacing things, and they cannot be killed. Running is your only alternative. If they catch you, they send you to a room in the Hell dimension where a whole gang of Chestmaws will no doubt eat you. Kill them to return to the room where you can try to get past the Shadow Whisperers again.

Aerial Hunter


These flying anuses come at you in Chapter Two, when you step outside into the snowy village. They spit things at you from afar, they have a buzzsaw attached to their tails, and if you kill them they have a few Mollusci inside to eat you. FUN.

Wailers


Close relatives of the terrifying and deadly Screamers from the first game (only because they look the same), Wailers are far less deadly, and far less terrifying. Instead of coming at you at a million miles an hour, screaming your health to zero, they spit black ink at you. Give 'em something to REALLY cry about!

Spitters


Ooooh man, when I first encountered these guys last night in a dark room with no other noises to be found, you can guarantee I almost shat myself when several of these dudes came out of nowhere. They laugh at you when you injure them, and they spit wads of acid from afar. They take a little bit to kill with the earlier weapons, but this doesn't mean they are difficult to kill. They need to die, or they will keep following you.

Slime Mine

These guys aren't that difficult to kill, they are easy to spot, but hurt like hell when they catch up to you. Since I can't find a picture of these guys for the life of me, they look like puss-filled orbs wrapped in chains. Acid splashes all over you when this happens, so you need to be quick with dispatching them, and do it far away.

Reanimator


OH GOD, IT'S CTHULHU. While this green critter resembles the Elder God, it shares its name with the movie adaptation of Herbert West: Reanimator. I think this monster is an homage to H.P. Lovecraft... as a matter of fact, this game might just be that as well. Anyway, they spit acid at you from afar, and smack you if you get too close. They cannot be killed with normal weapons, and require the Flamethrower to vanquish these cosmic terrors.

Machine Gun Security Guards


While their final design doesn't look as horrendous as the picture above, the Machine Gun security guards are the survivors who battle both you, and the monsters who have escaped from the Plane of Anguish.

Screamer


JESUS, THEY'RE BACK! Wipe them out with a shotgun or machine gun to take them out, since they're still annoying to kill. They also explode after their death this time around, so be wary of that harrowing experience.

Bosses

Boss 1: The Gnaw


As you investigate the sudden transformation of the prison complex, the Doctor releases this snuggly creature after you. The Gnaw is a fairly simply boss that will take a long time to actually kill because you only have the prison shank, which only takes small chips from his HP. What he will do to attack is try and swipe at you, or leap on the ceiling, try to get above you, and then come crashing down. When you get his HP below the midway point, he'll also spit a spray of goo at you that sometimes contains Molluscas.

Boss 2: Wendigo Witch


After you escape the prison and come across a snowy town, you begin to find notes from your wife, Elizabeth, telling you to meet her in your special place. I'm drawing parallels between that and Silent Hill 2, but I digress. Eventually, you come across the second boss, the Wendigo Witch. This nasty bitch is the town legend that has a nasty temper. You get a knife that serves the purpose of causing the Wendigo Bitch some major damage, but you also have a revolver and a shotgun at this point.

Her basic attack is coming at you from the shadows, lunging across the battlefield. The screen gives you some indication as to what direction she is coming from, so just shank her with the knife and cause some damage. She has other attacks, like making magic rise from the ground and hurt you, but if you get half of her health down, she will fuck with your mind. FUCK WITH IT. If you use your gun, she'll make you drop it, and if you retrieve it, she'll be standing right there to hurt you with magic. She'll pose as Elizabeth and make you come near her, only to turn back into the Wendigo Bitch and slash you with her fuggin' huge claws. Your best bet in this half of the battle? Use the Mystic Knife. USE IT. Also, a helpful tip is that while you would have been able to shank her with your knife as she flew across the stage in the earlier half of the battle, this isn't advised in the later half. Wait until she stops moving to go in for the kill and slice her ugly ass up.

Boss 3: Gorgamesh


This big and lovable oaf actually isn't what I would call a boss, as he later returns as a regular enemy in the later chapters, but I'm keeping him here just for the hell of it. He's as easy as the Cleaver from the previous game, and he resembles him a little. All you need to do to beat him is to run away and shoot from afar. That's it, and he should go down after a barrage of shotgun and machinegun bullets. He's pretty slow so he's easy to evade, but don't let him hit you because his power is devastating if his fat ass actually catches up with you.

Boss 4: The Colossus


This fucking thing. THIS. This is not the final boss as the video above inaccurately states, but good god this thing is huge. He's invincible to every other weapon but dynamite, which you will be able to pick up during the battle. So how do you beat him if you haven't come across dynamite before this moment? You need to run away from this humongous monstrosity, collecting dynamite as you run. Then, after you collect enough pieces, turn around and lob them at the ugly fucker's mouth and watch him explode! This boss is actually pathetically easy for his size, and all you need to worry about is letting him get too close. If he's far away, you'll be fine.

Final Boss: Malatesta

No pictures could be found for Malatesta, so this youtube video will have to do.

So, you discovered the Doctor's evil plans all along, and you've survived all else that he has thrown at you. Are you prepared to enter the Plane of Anguish and end this nightmare once and for all? After you fight your way past all of the nasty critters that want to make you breakfast, you finally find yourself face to face with The Doctor, who is either eaten by Malatesta, or transforms into him via posession. This is it, kids. You get to fight the ancient demon that the Doctor wanted to unleash upon the waking world. Enjoy!

Once you get to fighting this hell of a worm/snake, I have to get this out of the way. As a wise guy who plays hard video games says, "You are going to die. A lot." When you first fight Malatesta, you will die a fair amount of times unless you follow these tips to stay alive. First thing's first, though: be sure to collect the Nail Gun and Buzzsaw because they will help make this fight 100x easier. I failed to do this, so the game was made a little more difficult, as well as the fact that I didn't have anything to heal with, so if you save before this final confrontation with no medicine, then good luck because there won't be anything else that you can find to heal you.


You are going to die. A lot.

If you watch the video above, it gives you a fair idea of what his attack patterns are: he will either fly across the stage, come out of the ground to try and bodyslam you, fly out of the ground and try to land on the spot where you stand, or come out of the ground and fire meteors at you. When it comes to him either flying across the stage, or trying to fly into you, the plan is simple: stay away from the circles on the ground. These are where the boss emerges from, and if you stay off of these things than he won't have a chance of hitting you when executing these two attacks. When he comes out to fire meteors at you, get as close as you can until you are under his mouth. Fire all that you have into the blue weak point, and his meteors can't touch you. As for the bodyslam thing, he just stands there for a while before actually trying to smash you, so fire at his mouth, and then run away. He has a blue weakspot which is pretty obvious, so I won't elaborate on that. If you survive, then congratulations! You win the game!

(By the way, the music is awesomely menacing!)

Weapons

Guess what? In addition to more monsters and bosses, we have MORE WEAPONS! HELL YEAH! In addition to the returning weapons like the trusty revolver and buzzsaw (Jesus), we also have some new goodies!

The Shank:


It's a prison shank. The first weapon in the game, it's not all that great, as it doesn't take much damage off. And you have to kill the Gnaw with it. FUCK.

The Revolver:

No, not this one.

Remember how this was one of the last weapons in Dementium: The Ward? It's one of the first, this time! EEHAW!

Sledgehammer:


Well this is pimpin'! A sledgehammer?! It's time to crack some skulls! You can use this to break down some pesky wooden boards blocking your way! Hell yeah!

The Shotgun:

Again, what would be an FPS without the trusty BOOMSTICK? It's a shotgun, they are in every FPS known to man, there is no need for introductions!

The Assault Rifle:


I didn't actually use this so much because there were the other weapons to use, and because, per shot, it was weakish. However, it's pretty awesome if you just hold down the trigger button, and watch the bullets fly!

The Flamethrower:


A fucking flamethrower. Amazing! You can use this to fry regular enemies, kill the Reanimators, who can ONLY be killed with the flamethrower, and use it to burn down the doors that specifically need to be opened with it. HEAR THEM ALL SIZZLE!

The Nailgun:


Jesus, this little fucker hurts! It's one of the best weapons in the game, so all you need to do is find it, and then you too can know what it feels like to be Jason Voorhees on a killing spree.

The Ancient Relic:
NEIN. NO PICTURE FOR YOU.

This is found throughout the story, and is put together to form a strange boomerang that serves the primary function of being the main weapon used to whoop Malatesta's ass. It's so cool to use!

The Electric Buzzsaw


Enough said.

Graphics

While the graphics in the previous game were plagued with repetitive settings, Dementium II has fixed those problems with making a huge, expansive world that doesn't fail to please your eyes. The 'normal' world and the Hellish worlds are both beautifully detailed, and are pleasing to look at. Dementium II has also been blessed with higher resolution and more pixels than its predecessor, so Renegade Kid has been able to push the envelope and develop a much more expansive game.



Even though the capabilities of the DS can only go so far as to resemble the best that the N64 had to offer, Dementium II's graphics engine is very impressive, and is one of the best looking games on the system! In contrast with the previous game, Dementium II also boasts some pretty epic moments, including the spectacular boss fights and the much larger landscape that has greater depth than anything else I've seen on the DS! It has a higher particle and polygon count than its predecessor, so that's definitely something to say about Dementium II!

Gameplay

Renegade Kid took extreme care to fix or improve many aspects that made Dementium: The Ward a good game. The same fluid touch screen-oriented controls are left intact, but they added a very easy-to-use jump and duck mechanic that has proven to make the game more expansive in its design and settings. They also added a wider variety of monsters and weapons, added an inventory that not only lets you easily access your weapons but also allows you to store pills for when you're in a pinch (as opposed to consuming health on the spot like in the last game), and SAVE POINTS. PRAISE THE FUCKING LORD, THEY ADDED SAVE POINTS. Remember in the last game when you couldn't save, so when you died you had to go all the way back to the beginning of the chapter and start all over again? Remember when you had only one more hitpoint on the final boss, but then he kills you and you had to return to the beginning of the chapter? Finally, that bullshit is gone. Now, in addition to autosaves at the beginning of each chapter, Renegade Kid has also placed Save Points throughout the levels, especially before you encounter each boss.



They also swiped an idea from Silent Hill and added the Plane of Anguish, an alternate and more frightening world that traps you with constantly respawning enemies and little means of escape. While I admit that it's not entirely original, this is a welcome change of pace to the Dementium franchise because it changes up gameplay. The transition to the Hellish World happens at random intervals, so you'll never know when one of those hectic, frightening moments will pop out of nowhere and scare the shit out of you. In this respect, I'm glad that they didn't just lock you up in a repetitive, slightly disturbing building because that would have sucked. Instead, in short, they gave you more locations to explore.

Sound

Again, this area is great and lacking in certain respects. They reuse some of the themes from the previous game for background music, but it works to good effect so I can't complain that much. The atmosphere can be crushing in many instances where you're in a dark hallway, and suddenly you see a Shadow Whisperer coming towards you as you try to make a quick escape. What helps make this frightening is the use of sound to freak you out!... however, they fuck this up as well when they actually added music for every time you encounter an enemy. Don't get me wrong, when you have a good sound system in place you're still creeped out, but the Monster Encounter theme kills a lot of the tension. It sounds like a slasher theme, and it begs the question - WHY? Why did they feel that a survival horror theme needed MORE music when one of the freakiest things about a horror title is, at times, the absence of sound? That makes Silent Hill freaky as hell at times, that's for damn sure!


A Jason Voorhees theme a good horror soundtrack does not make.

The Verdict:

Gameplay: Again, easily some of the best gameplay I have actually experienced on the Nintendo DS that is not only fluid, but actually utilizes the Stylus screen in its major gameplay mechanics. The enhanced features of having some weapons that can be used at the same time as the flashlight, like the revolver and shank, is also a huge plus, and the maps are easier to understand. 10

Graphics: On a handheld system, the graphics are amazing! They are actually better than the first Dementium game, and I'm surprised what they could pull off in this one, like fluid movement and animations, and some pretty epic boss battles! 10

Sound: Creepy as hell, but hampered by some of the more aggravating sounds that come from the screechy enemy encounter music that actually ruins some of the tension and atmosphere. 7

Story: The story was more mystifying this time around, but you also encountered other characters so it kills some of the whole feeling of being alone in a hostile world. Still, it's a great story that doesn't disappoint. 8

Replay Value: It's better this time around. After you beat the main campaign, there is a Survival mode that lets you take on the game's enemies, kind of like a fighting game. Still, you prolly wouldn't do that unless you were bored. 6

Overall: Despite the fact the overall score is hurt by the replay value (AGAIN), the Dementium series seriously impresses me again with this superior sequel to an already great game! Dementium II blew me away, and I hope you can give it an honest try! 9

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OH LOOK AT THE CUTE LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE SCREENSHOTS!!

I'M WORKIN ON IT FISHY, PATIENCE!

The Nintendo DS has a small screen you moron. You cant take a small image and make it larger.

Moved into the pre-review phase.

This game looks disturbing on so many levels.

Trust me, it's up there in terms of madness and creepiness. I played both in the span of two weeks just to review them x_x.

I'll drop my thoughts of this review this weekend.

Progress so far. http://www.cheshirecatstudios.com/reviews/dementium-the-ward-review/

A couple of things actually:

Is there anything to elaborate on the Dementium 1 bosses? The D2 bosses have some really good text to accompany them, can you do the same for D1?

I'll skip over writing up a replay section, since if there is little replay there is nothing worth saying.

I need a catchy and descriptive title (a review summary).

Anything worth using for a banner image? If not, I'll find something.

Nice use of funny images and screenshots. Near perfect balance of both.

I will get this up asap. Tonight at the latest.

For future note, you might want to do a little polishing of your verbiage:

Dragged used twice. Perhaps a pun?

I'll find something for the missing images/descriptions, and I'll type up more for what is missing!