5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
The Khing
Date of Review: Dec 22, 2002
The Bottom Line: No better horror/action game on the market today. Scary and rivetting without going overboard into disturbing to a fault where you wont want to play (silent hill 2).
Overview:
The sequel to the 1982 classic movie starring Kurt Russell. The movie takes place in antarctica at a US research facility. it comes under attack via a "thing" in disguise as a dog. Suspicion and fear wreak havok on the outpost until it is no more... in the video game, you are a member of the elite US task force sent in to investigate what exactly happened to the people at the research base.
Graphics:
Solid frame rates and a dark, cold atmosphere (which is very appropriate. Everything looks desolate and depressing, which is completely perfect for the atmosphere and creates a sense of tension in the way that you feel like you are stuck and alone, beyond help should it be needed. Nothing excessively impressive or colorful, but it all does its job appropriately and looks perfect for what it is meant to be.
Sounds:
The music never stands out at any point. It feels unimpressive and absent except when there's a cinematic sequence and it is really emphasised. Throughout the course of the ingame portion, the music is anything but memorable, but solely because the game itself makes you so paranoid that all you are focused on is what could be hunting you, or hiding near by.
The sound effects are great, from things breaking through doors, to the voice acting, it is surprisingly well done. Nothing short of awesome. You are really drawn in by the various sounds.
Gameplay:
The only gripe I had with the gameplay was the occasional camera issues, which are very minor at best. The controls are responsive and do their job without a slip up. The pace of the game is good also.
The main staple of the gameplay is the team interaction. This is what makes this game truly unique. The AI of the soldiers is simply amazing. You can create trust or suspicion based on your various actions. If you create enough trust with some team members, you can actually kill other team memebers and have your allied ones trust your judgement and aid you in killing the other guy. If your squad mates see too many disgusting things, or hear too many freaky noises, they will start to lose their grip on everything and go nuts. They may open fire on you, a wall, or nothing. It really doesn't matter to them once they go loco. You can help them out by performing a blood test on yourself, or giving the crazed teammate a better weapon (flame thrower being the best).
There are 3 types of teammates, each has its own benefits. The engineer can quickly repair damaged electronics or doors, some of which may be otherwise beyond repair for everyone else. The medics can heal you and your teammates from any damage you may have recieved from various battles. The soldiers are generally the least helpful in that they have no real specific use, yet when it comes to combating the bad guys, nobody's better than them.
Overall:
A very polished final product with very few flaws, none of which are glaring errors in any case. Fans of the movie, or horror in general should at least rent this great game.
