Hands On: Dementium 2 [DS]

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A few weeks ago I met with Aubrey, who is a Product Manager at SouthPeak Games, and she gave me a run down on everything Dementium II.

If anyone remembers the first game Demetium: the ward, which was released during Halloween of 2007, it was the first attempt at bringing horror style gaming to the hand held market. Built around a first person engine, Demetium focused on grit, gore, mystery and brief, full-motion video clips, of various grotesque monstrosities roaming the blood stained hallways of some institution. You’ll be surprised to know that the location hasn’t really changed but a majority of game mechanics have.

Renegade Kid and the devs working on Dementium II have done something that most developers don’t, they listened to the fans of the first game. They have fixed a majority of problems that was prominently complained about in the first one.

For example, they have included an on screen map that notes where you have been and where you still need to go. You can hold both a weapon and your flashlight, but if you have a weapon that requires two hands you won’t be able to hold your flash light anymore. They have also increased the amount of save spots and reduced the respawning creatures after leaving and returning to a room.

Just like the first one you control the game through a combination of stylus and D-pad controls, you move around with the D-Pad and can run in any direction by double tapping the d-pad. Players can jump by either double tapping on the screen or by tapping on the “up” arrow on the touch screen ”“ crouching through low overhangs can also be performed by hitting the “down” arrow with the stylus. Switching weapons is handled through a nice drag and drop interface when you’re changing weapons. It does take a bit getting used to but by the time you are done you quickly get the hang of it.

The story of Dementium II spells out your situation a lot better than the mysterious and vague viewpoint from Dementium: The Ward. At the start of the game you wake up on a table in a bit of a daze. A doctor then shines a light into your eyes and tells you that you have undergone brain surgery and have been out for days. Shortly after that you are whelled back to you cell, that’s your a prisoner in some institution, and you see all this through uncontrollable cutscenes.

When you get back to your cell the adventure really begins. As you sit in your cell walking around waiting you’re suddenly transported to an alternate dimension. A hell on par with any silent hill game i’ve ever seen, similar to the world you were just in, and this is where you make your escape.

Crawling out of your cell, which has been mixed with a guillotine device that looks like it is waiting to kill you, you slowly make it through some rusty blood soaked hallways trying to figure out what the heck is going on. You encounter a bunch of monsters that are out for blood, as you make your way through this hellish prison, and are constantly warped between the two worlds.

Dementium II, I would say is a very unique game on the DS. Horror isn’t a genre that easily translates well to the hand held market, and I think they have a great thing going for them. The game will be released sometime in early 2010, be sure to check it out.

Features:

”¢Â Â Â  Frighteningly Pretty: The third game using Renegade Kid’s 3D engine, Dementium II is the best looking DS game yet!

”¢Â Â Â  Horrifically Improved: A better save system, an on-screen map, and the ability to use a flashlight and a weapon at the same time are but a few of the vast improvements made in this sequel.

”¢Â Â Â  Dreadfully Bigger: Vast complexes and expansive outdoor areas combine to make Dementium II over twice as big as its predecessor with dozens of areas to explore.

”¢Â Â Â  Terrifying Diversity: Travel between the real world and a hellish alternate dimension to find the key to your madness.

”¢    New Scare Tactics: Be prepared to face new monsters, find new

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An artist from New York. Will has been writing, designing, and loving video games since he was young. He has traveled across the United States, and parts of Canada in order to learn more about the world of gaming. After visiting E3 for the first time in 2009, he has vowed to return there and show off a game of his own. In his spare time he tinkers with electronics, programming, and of course collecting video games.