Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (Nintendo GameCube)

Okay, I know most of the time when someone mentions older games most people want to groan and run, and when the Nintendo GameCube is in that phrase an even larger worry can fill you, as it wasn't the most prospering of the three former-generation systems and often took last place. Still, this is the sole reason I bought a GameCube, and with the fact that I STILL play and enjoy it, you may find yourself doing the same, especially if you have one and want a great game to enjoy that you may be able to find for very cheap, though this game could be harder to find than many of those in its age-range.

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is a wonderful game that introduces some very innovative and fun game play into a third-person shooter style genre that happens to: use magick, have the ability to go insane, and even takes place throughout a menagarie of time-lines that all coincide with you fighting one of three "Old Ones" (which are a common "Lovecraftian" way of saying, "very powerful old gods") while you try to survive, and keep your sanity to boot!

I won't spoil ALL the fun you can have when you start to go loony in this game, but let me say this, I have heard SO MANY of my friends start screaming at several of the more fun moments (that are not scripted, they happen when your sanity meter is low, and seem to be completely random for the most part, though location seems to obviously trigger some things, like a library having floating books, etc...). The only one I'll say that really scared me is a moment when it looks like, REALLY looks like, a spider is crawling on your television. Within moments your television is CRAWLING with spiders and you either realize it is because of the game, or like me you have a phobia of them and run for the bug spray! Don't worry though, the game has a great assortment of "insanity moments" and when you get more magickally inclined you can even try to instigate them. Still, I'm ahead of myself so I'll talk about basic gameplay first.

ED:SR plays pretty well, with controls that could have been a little better, but they're good enough for the game. There are many different spells you can "learn" by finding runes and figuring out what combinations can be used together until you actually cast the spell. The game even takes a neat leap in that, you may not find all of these runes and have a more difficult, though not impossible time, finishing the game while missing various spells, or even spell power sources.

When you first play the game, you essentially choose what Old God and the aspect, Strength, Space, or Insanity are how I view them, though you may find them a bit more representative of other things. When that has been chosen you find that each Old One and their magicks are superior to one as well as weaker than another of the Old Ones' magicks, so choosing what you use is important, though if you search hard enough, or look up where to find it online, which some do, I got lucky my first time through and stumbled across the fourth, and most powerful of the Old Ones, who used to keep all of the other three in line but is weakened and has somewhat been what has called you, your ancestors and even those you'll read about in the book you get throughout the game as you play as the varying characters, though the main character is a young woman intent on finding out what happened with the sudden and mysterious death of her beloved father figure.

This game is long, and has lots of fun moments and good side-"quests" that you can do with some of the characters, such as one that is a physician of sorts and begins to write a journal of the many odd and evil looking creatures you fight should you choose to have him study the remains of them after you've defeated them. It also has great replay value, since once you reach the end (SMALL SPOILER ALERT BUT SHOULDN'T RUIN ANY GAME SURPRISES) you summon the god you feel can stop the one that has been set free with the power of his minion. The result is basically three playings of a game that gives you a great finale each and every time, as you watch gods battle it out. Play through the game with all three and you are rewarded with, if you find it, a magickal sword that always has the upper hand on any magicks it battles. It's useful, but the game has guns, swords, and all sorts of things to help you fight, even offensive and defensive spells to help you, or drive you more insane as you use them.

It really is hard to simply describe this game, but if you have a means of playing it, DO! I think you'll find it is very well worth your money, and time, and considering that you may find it in some bargain bin, that is a very good deal you'll get from such a great game that is standing the test of time, and even next-gen competition!

Overall view:
Rent? If you don't own a GameCube and can find a place to rent the system, give it a try, but odds are if you like what I've said so far, buy it.
Own? YES! This game was the SOLE reason I bought my GameCube. I have bought other games since then, up until they stopped making them, but didn't get many. This game alone made me happy to own the GameCube. If you can't rent the system, find a friend to borrow one and get this game, rent, own, or well...don't sell your soul, this game shows that isn't the best way to go hehe.
Personal Rating (out of 10): 9.2

Prototype (Playstation 3)

This is another good game that stands on the concept of giving you control of a character with super powers. Many people try to or think that this game and Infamous are at odds with each other and wish to compare them or see which is the better game, but the truth is they are both very different games and have two VERY different styles of play, as well as what makes them fun.

For Prototype, I found it very engaging to watch the cut-scenes alone. They are beautiful and for a sandbox game they weren't bad to watch at all. Most games that let you do just about anything you please lose a little in the story, as it's hard to know what the player would want to know, do, or even get to in ways of having the story actually "fit" the players' styles. Prototype does this better than most by having you on a continuous sidequest (though you can skip much of this as well) to find your own memories, as you simply awaken on a morgue table, thought to be dead.

This game has a tremendous amount of powers and things you can use. It isn't always about going in using the same attacks over and over, as almost every enemy has weaknesses and you can find fun in just about any of the attacks given by each of the powers. You also can implement two different defensive powers, and each has its own drawbacks and uses. There are even vision powers to be used, though sadly I found that, aside from in a couple of missions and one or two of the ranked "trials" that the game has, that the vision powers don't have much use, but still, they are pretty cool to use here and there if you get tired of running, jumping, gliding, flying, driving and walking through a very beautiful and constantly changing New York City (good luck with that, the getting bored part I mean).

My biggest complaint in this game is that it sadly has some pop-up and fading issues. Don't misinterpret what I'm saying, the game does look incredible, but when looking for various items hidden throughout New York you'll sometimes see one, watch it fade out of veiw then see it again as you get closer. It's not a terrible problem, and if you're just playing the game it isn't really a problem at all, just something that bothers me as I do like to collect everything possible in games.

I very much enjoyed this game, and am still playing it to look for new things and try out it's very wide assortment of moves, combat moves, and overall things you can do. As for if this game is a "must own", well, that may be up to you. For those of you that like the Spider-Man and Hulk: Ultimate Destruction games, then this may very well be a game you can't do without owning. If you didn't like those two (more closely related to the Hulk: UD game). I will say this game is a MUST PLAY for anyone that likes the sandbox style of gaming or for those with a need for some Mature-rated super-heroics. Overall, if you're playing this game you are probably happy, but for those that are on the ropes, you won't waste money renting it first to find out for certain.

Overall view:
Rent? Yes, it's pretty doubtful you wont like this one even if just to wreak havoc with the powers/abilities.
Own? If you liked Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and it's play style, and enjoy even more added cutscenes, things to do, and diversity, with a mature rating, you may want to own this one, though a long enough rental of it could fill you as well.
Personal Rating (out of 10): 8.3

Infamous (PS3)

This game has got to be one to own, in my opinion. I'll summise the game in that it is a "sandbox" style of gaming with three total "islands" within the city that you begin in only one, and open others up and eventually can go wherever you want and do just about anything you want as well.

Infamous sets its core on the premise of one thing: What would you do if you woke up and had superpowers? Would you go about life doing as you please, making sure no one would push you around or would you try to use those powers to help others and make things better? In the game there's good reason and good fun in doing BOTH! (though I highly recommend you chose one path at a time, you actually can go back and forth on good and bad with the karma system they've developed, but if it's your first time, I suggest picking one and going with it all the way through.)

You play as Cole, a bike messenger who awakens after an explosion tears through Empire City and is standing on the only area that seems untouched, somehow alive and, while wounded, wanting to get the heck to safety! As the game goes on (I won't spoil anything if I can help it), you can get more and more powers, upgrade them to be more dangerous or precise, and find new uses for them. Cole was already an urban explorer so he is very good at climbing and getting around, over and just going anywhere he needs in the city, and the controls are very good.

This game, again, is a MUST OWN in my book, but more than that, it has a very great method of pulling you in and letting you get away from things by simply letting you chose what you do as Cole. The sub-missions and sub-plots inside the game also make for some good fun that you can lose yourself into and I am happy to have this game be my first suggestion for those that would like to get away from it all by saying..."Go and get yourself quarantined in Empire City!"

Overall view:
Rent? If you don't own it, yes!
Own? If you can afford a game and even mildly like hero style games, this is one you'll want to own.
Personal Rating (out of 10): 9.6


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