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Binding: CD-ROM Brand: Electronic Arts EAN: 0014633142396 ESRB Age Rating: Mature Format: CD-ROM Label: Electronic Arts Manufacturer: Electronic Arts Model: 14239 Platform: Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 95 Publisher: Electronic Arts Release Date: February 21, 2001 Studio: Electronic Arts Accessories: Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: After making a name for himself with horror classics such as The Damnation Game novel, The Books of Blood short-story collection, and the feature films Hellraiser and Candyman, Clive Barker has slowly moved away from the horror genre toward more fantasy-centric work. Barker hasn't completely forgotten about his first love, however, and Clive Barker's Undying, a first-person action game from Electronic Arts and DreamWorks Interactive, beautifully captures the type of horrors that populated Barker's earliest works. And not only is this game genuinely frightening, it's also a lot of fun to play. Cast against the backdrop of Ireland in the year 1923, Undying follows Patrick Galloway, an investigator of the paranormal. Galloway has been summoned to Ireland by his old war buddy Jeremiah Covenant to put an end to the strange occurrences at the Covenant family estate. What Galloway finds is a house of horrors that is populated with Jeremiah's dead siblings (and other ghastly creatures), all of whom want to snuff out Jeremiah so they can complete a spell cast when they were children. Graphically, Undying is first rate. The Unreal Tournament graphics engine has been used to great effect and the result is amazing character models and environments. The haunted mansion is suitably dark, with wispy draperies and macabre paintings. The estate's grounds are a mix of lush Irish countryside and crumbling ruins, all set against vivid skies. Pretty pictures aside, the most impressive thing about Undying is its atmosphere--this game is flat-out scary. Every element of the game, be it the gothic architecture, eerie story, great weather effects including rain and lightning, or amazing sound effects, perfectly complement each other. The result is a gameplay experience that rivals the Resident Evil series in terms of generating sheer terror in the player. The great atmosphere isn't Undying's only innovation--it also features a very cool two-handed attack system. Most action games saddle the player with an attack system where one hand controls all the weapons and the other hand does nothing. In Undying, the left hand (and left mouse button) controls the standard weapons, such as the pistol and shotgun, while the right hand (and right mouse button) casts spells. This is a great gameplay device and ensures the action stays at a frantic pace. Of all the spells in the game, the coolest is the Scrye spell. When cast, it lets the player see and hear past events--some of which are quite horrific--and occasionally it shows you how to progress beyond a certain level. This help can come in the form of highlighting certain objects or unveiling a portal, but whatever the method it is a very well-designed gameplay element. The only real complaints with Undying involve the long loading times between levels and the system requirements, but even those aren't enough to derail this excellent--and terrifying--action game. --Kilmic Robbins Pros:
Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Unprecidented, and Unexpected DelightI know that this review is a many years late. Most people now will not have the pleasure of ever knowing this game if they missed it. Others will be turned of by the dated graphics, and lower system requirements than most games these days demand (Crysis, Bioshock etc.). I still feel compelled to write this review however, because Undying deserves nothing less than a standing ovation, but unfortunately never received one. Originally I purchased undying with the expectation of another ... Read More Rating:  - This game was creepy wierd and fun.I loved Undying it is a blast to play. The interface is hard to get used to but when you do it is a breeze. Undying is based on the Quake 3 graphical engine so it performs smoothly and isn't choppy even when fighting multiple enemys. It worked great years ago on my parents pentium 3 with a nvidia mx200 graphics card and works like a dream on my 2 gig athalon with a geforce6200. Rating: - One of the most frightening game experiences ever...Yes, I know what you're all going to say: "THIS GAME'S TOO OLD FOR ME! I ONLY PLAY BRAND NEW GARBAGE WITH FANCY-SHMANCY GRAPHICS AND LOTS OF ACTION! YAHHHHHHHHHH!" But please don't let the age of this product get in the way of your dull sensibilities (come on, kids, it's not even 10 years old!) First of all, the graphics are very good (not amazing, mind you, but still very good). The only graphical thing I wish was different is the way they did the sky and backgrounds. The first-person ... Read More Rating: - Creepy funStrictly my opinion but for those that like playing games such as: Thief, Alone in the dark, Doom.....Undying will deliver. The storyline is great with twists along the way and the rich environments make for good creepy exploration. The game is challenging without being impossible to advance if you pay attention and use clues. All and all I found Undying a title worthy to sit beside the others in it's genre. Rating: - A great game to lose yourself in for daysPatrick Galloway, adventurer, set out to become a debunker of superstition and the supernatural. Instead, he becomes a believer- and a highly sought after expert at combating hostile forces from beyond this plane. It is for this reason that he returns to his native Ireland in 1923. His former commanding officer during the Great War, Jeremiah Covenant, has summoned his old friend to free his family of the ancient curse that threatens to destroy its every member. Barker truly created a superb ... Read More |
