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Undying does fright right!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 22 / 22
Date: June 23, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I'm the kind of person who loves ghost stories and creepy movies. What could be better than a yarn of Gothic mansions and cursed ruins, all properly haunted, laden with rumours of nefarious rites, of course, and situated in some remote rural region with heavy skies where the weather is suitably gloomy? I for one have often wished to be myself deposited in just such a setting to experience the sublime horror of a spooky plot--all without the possibility of getting my clock cleared through wicked and uncanny doings, naturally. Clive Barker's Undying aims to do precisely that, and it succeeds masterfully.

I won't go much into the storyline here, as a quick look at the editorial reviews discloses enough of it, and you will want to uncover it yourself if you give Undying a try. Suffice it to say that the plot is solid and satisfying, if not mind-blowingly original. Instead, let's talk about atmosphere. In this regard, Barker's craft is most apparent in the game, which strikes an excellent balance between action (this is a first-person shooter, after all) and exploration, resulting in that splendid alchemy known as suspense. Let me be quite blunt: this game had me jump out of my seat more than once. Sound and lighting are used to great effect, and you will start looking over your (virtual) shoulder many times, startled by frightening noises. Not everytime will something actually be there to threaten you, but often enough you will hear trouble from afar that will indeed find you. In some locations you will see the uncouth silhouettes of possible attackers outlined against a bloodred evening sky as they shamble across distant rooftops and walls. At other times you will have a hard time seeing anything at all, as the game is mercilessly realistic in its use of dark locations, giving rise to a sensation that I never experienced in any other game: reluctance to explore that dark passageway, tunnel, etc. Never while playing Unreal or Deus Ex have I thought "Sheesh, must I?" Well, you must, to move ahead--and being frightened is what it's all about, right? You will often fumble about in the dark or near-dark, and if there are torches or candles, they will sometimes go out at the most inconvenient times. The various spectral fiends hunting you, on the other hand, see perfectly fine in the dark. D'oh!

Your opponents will appear in varying numbers--enough to keep you occupied. They will rarely inundate you, but when they do, it never feels like it's just to make a part of the game more difficult, rather it fits with the plot. For example, as you penetrate deeply into the catacombs under a ruined monastery, the ghoulish Howlers come leaping in hordes out of dark passages choked with bones: you have stumbled into one of their lairs. Can you take them all down?
No. Unlike in more straightforward third-person shooters, you will have to realize when it's time to turn and run in Undying, unless you want to be treated to rather explicit 'footage' of your character's decapitation, disembowelment, or similarly creative demise.

When you do choose to fight, you have a choice between generally fairly realistic and historically fitting weapons (the story is set in the 1920's), such as a revolver, shotgun, and Molotov cocktails, as well as a few magical items. Load times for firearms are particularly authentic, so keep your distance when it's time to reload (remember those scenes in the horror movies where a shot is heard, followed by a blood-curdling scream? That'd be you.) A miscellany of other usable items is available as well, ranging from the mundane (Dynamite) to the esoteric (ghost-trapping devices), including such that are needed to solve the games imaginative but never frustrating puzzles. You operate your weapons with the left hand (= mousekey), while Undying's ingenious control system let's you unleash magic spells with your right (mousekey, that is--don't worry, it all works fine for one-key mice as well). The spells are interesting and diverse, particularly nice is the ability to revive creatures you killed so they fight for you; unfortunately, they sometimes suddenly turn against you and you have to kill them all over again. This is not a glitch, but intended, always making it a gamble whether you ultimately can control the dead, but of course it's extremely useful when it works. The interesting aspect of your arsenal is that you have to find out which weapons, ammunitions, and spells affect what creatures. You often find out the hard way. Silver bullets or regular slugs? Hmmmm ... let me think ... Famous last thoughts.

What surprised me most pleasantly about Undying is the game's performance (NOTE: I have run the game exclusively under Mac OS X 10.1.5, and not a crash so far). The system requirements stated on the box are relatively steep, which made me hesitate to buy Undying at first. But lo and behold, the game runs very nicely on my 300 MHz G3 B&W with 512 MB RAM and an ATI Radeon Mac Edition with 32 MB VRAM. At 600x800 resolution with character and environment textures set to high, Undying looks stunning and gameplay is very fluid, the frame rate dropping a bit only when an unusual number of monsters are onscreen (but not so much that combat is hindered). I think it's safe to say that this game would absolutely smoke on one of the newer G4's.

Do yourself a favor and play it only at night ... by a dim light in your den ... when it's all quiet and still ... ahh, the atmosphere ... just don't faint when your spouse / girlfriend / boyfriend / housemate / sibling sneaks up on you to freak you out. They WILL do it (wouldn't you?). Trust me.

underappreciated

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: February 07, 2003
Author: Amazon User

this game had so-so sales (usually a better idea than reviews of how much one will like it), and i didnt do it right after it arrived. yet this is one of the best games i have done. its good and long, in addition to being scary, though familiarity will dull the surprise of the monsters. the disgusting sky lizards, floor squids, and the vile land fish will give your back chills. howling dogmen will make you jump out of your seat, and these are only some of the nonhuman(oid) opponents. the weapon list is diverse and a little far fetched, but certain monsters are very susceptible to specific weapons and spells.

even on easy, there were places that needed to be played over and over to discover the boss's weak spot. most could not be approached with pure firepower. puzzles are few, but there are side trips that end in finding valuable amplifiers (of spells) and mana wells which increase your ability to use these spells. these side paths are often difficult to find or are well guarded. of note, there are many places where you cant just kill all the monsters and then go on; if you just sit there, the game will keep throwing monsters at you, and only if you progress through the horde will they stop coming. there were several times i spent an hour fruitlessly trying to fight monsters or bad guys only to realize the solution was to run.

there are several magical levels, such as a floating sky city and an attractive but perilous mountain glen, but the best is the ancient monastery. in addition to being able to produce effective mood, these environments allow special spells such as increased jumping ability. one will find plenty of medikits; i had > 200 before encountering the last bosses, and spell enhancement is plentiful as well. this game ran very well in OSX without crashes, freezes, or slowdowns. many people have complained about loading as the game progresses from room to room. Although frequent, loads lasted 6-8 seconds; anyway, i was reloading much more frequently from deaths.

all in all, this was an exciting, engrossing game that commanded my attention the whole way through and one of the best games i have done, especially at its cheap price. this game should be bought 1) for days of top notch entertainment and 2) to encourage the availability of more games for mac.

atmosphere

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I've played a few of these FPS type games, and after just starting Undying, this has become one of my favorites. Why? The atmosphere this game creates is superb - there is no background music on the first level, just creaky floors, the wind moaning in the background, the occasional scream as the help is attecked and killed. Very cool, and for 10 bucks, a terrific bargain. As noted by others, it plays well on G3 Macs with less than 32 MB of vram, a refreshing change from the latest wave of games.

Undying for Mac

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: January 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I am not the typical game guru, and Mac players usually aren't. I do play video games, however, and on a daily basis currently. Rather than play Quake and Myst and Diablo, (though I played Diablo II and think it leaves much to be desired) I look instead for unusual games.
This was an unusual game. And surprisingly delightful.
I have heard the complaints about frequent loading and the constant entries in the journal, and health packs seeming incongrous, and that the game is too linear for some, and I really can't understand these complaints at all--every video game you will ever play will, by necessity, have redundancies. And every game I've ever seen IS linear, if even in repeating plot. In thinking it through, the game makers of Undying gave you only as much as you would absolutely need in terms of hints, spells, and health and ammo, everything else is up to how you play it.
The only thing I can complain about is that yes, on our Mac it will crash after 3 hours or so, which has simply gotten me into the habit of stopping for a break before resuming obsessive playing.
If you like the FPS experience and got your start as a gamer with something like DOOM, and you love dreary atmosphere, nasty monsters, surprises, peril, action, fantasy, the 1920's, as well as anything magical and supernatural with great scenery and loads of special effects, then this game is for you. There are touches they created for this game that will keep you involved even when you want to go to bed for the night, exausted. You will play it again to try and re-experience the areas you really liked, and try new things you didn't last time.
Also as the more-rare lady gamer, I found this game to be highly romantic in terms of storyline and adventures. If you like a story, this is definitely a must-see game for you. As well, the hero/protagonist Patrick Galloway cuts an attractive and dashing figure. You become drawn into the story through him, and find yourself fighting alongside him, trying to help him do his best just because you like him. His journal entries allow you to get to know a little more about him, even if he is actually providing you with game hints. For a CGI personality, I find myself wishing he were real, and I had his personal acquiantence.
This is, in conclusion, everything an FPS should be at the very least, if not a great departure from the usual.

Worth Every Penny!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 06, 2003
Author: Amazon User

A great game with excellent graphics. It's an awesome thrill ride that keeps your heart pumping and your wallet full.

Interesting and exciting gameplay..

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: March 14, 2003
Author: Amazon User

First, let me start by saying I am a game playing novice. That being said, this game is a GREAT value[]. The six levels provide great "gameplay variety": there is fighting, climbing, swimming involved. The second level, the monastery, is an especially creative level.

Potential negatives are linear gameplay---although this ensures a lower skilled player (like myself) doesn't get too frustrated because of their ineptudes.

Unlike some reviewers, I enjoyed the variety of weapons in the game. The scyre is a particularly effective weapon.

The game is scary.

Great game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game rocks. Although I didnt get the sweats like another reviewer did (I guess the difference between fantasy and reality never waivered in my mind), i found the game to be exciting. The graphics are great and the sound effects definitly set the mood. I recommend this whole heartedly. Don't let my lack of fear and sweat sway you from this game. Being from Toledo has probly hardened my senses more so than the Van Wert's reviewer, but we certainly agree that simply put this game can"t be beat for the low low price.

It's Ghost Recon meets Return to Castle Wolfenstein

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is so extreme, I am actually sweating while I'm playing it. I am a big fan of the Ghost Recon/Rogue Spear FPS games and deviated over to this because of the price, let me tell you, this was the best game purchase I have ever made. Graphics are intense, even on my G3, 600mhz iBook.
Listen to the other review, play it at night with headphones on in the dark, you'll be scared too.

great game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 18, 2003
Author: Amazon User

you will not go wrong for the money here.

Yawn

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 13
Date: February 27, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Very boring. Very tedious. Very predictable. Now, add your own adjective: Very ______________ (anything negative you put here will describe this game).

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