DEMENTIUM:THE WARD
Published by:
Gamecock Media Group
Developed by:
Renegade Kid
Available on:
Nintendo DS
INTRODUCTION:
Dementium: The Ward is a first person shooter that exists solely for the Nintendo DS. I saw it in a store the other day and amazingly, I’d never heard of it- I picked it up for a song. Essentially, it is about a dude who wakes up in an abandoned hospital who is forced to face waves of surgically experimented-upon victims. Survival horror on the DS that might not suck? Bring it, baby!
GAMEPLAY:
Dementium: The Ward sort of plays like an action/adventure FPS that isn’t a full on blast-fest, which is good. In fact, at the outset of the game you don’t have much to deal with at all besides a flashlight and a nightstick, which leads to some scary shite. Right from the beginning, you can see that this one oozes with style, despite seeming a bit clichéd. The story is well-written (for a handheld game), and you learn just enough to keep you interested as you go along through each level.
What did I dig about this game? Well, the variety in the levels is nice. Some levels you can beat in a few minutes, while others will take you close to an hour. The enemies are pretty cool too, and have quite a bit of variety. Don’t forget about the fact that you’ve got to frantically keep switching between your flashlight and your weapon, which will leave you feeling claustrophobic and generally antsy.
You can’t swing that flashlight either, so be prepared to get used to seeing a lot of darkness.
The controls are great and very accurate. You use touch controls to do your aiming, and have small inventory icons at the bottom of the screen to switch weapons and such. You will also be able to keep track of the game’s story through a notebook feature, which is also helpful. You’ll also notice some tricky puzzles along the way which can impede your progress, but it takes some focus off the constant blasting you’ll be doing otherwise.
As for the bad, the map is really disposable and not very helpful.
The hugest complaint is that whenever you die, you have no choice but to restart from the beginning of the level, which is a HUGE pain in the ass. Huge. When you’re going through a 30 minute level, and you face a boss (an unspeakably hard boss), you will die. Are you going to feel like restarting that level 4 times just to get to that same point and die- again?
So, Dementium: The Ward expects you to be good- so you best be prepared.
Gameplay: 7.5/10
GRAPHICS:
Man, Dementium: The Ward is a great looking game. I’m talking pushing the DS to the brink, really going the extra mile here. Textures are sharp and scary and you’ll notice lots of details in the environment. The bad guys are well done, quite original and fit right in. If there was a downside it’s that much of the game looks the same, which can get tiring after awhile, but in short bursts, the thing is damn near perfect.
Graphics: 8.5/10
AUDIO:
Sound is also a very strong part of this game and an important one. Grab some awesome headphones and shut off the lights, you’ll definitely be scared out of your wits more than once because the audio design is some genius stuff. You can always hear the distinct shrieks of each enemy, when you’re not listening to the creepy melodies playing in the background. Dig this, baby.
Audio: 8.5/10
FINAL VERDICT:
Although it’s not perfect, Dementium: The Ward is a fantastic game that drops you into a nasty atmosphere and backs it up with some good gameplay. It has a decent story, and there just aren’t enough horror-type games on the DS. You really ought to pick up this little gem if you come across it; the price is right, the game is gory and has a decent tale to tell.
Final Score: 8/10