We at Outcyders aren't exactly known for being the bravest of people. Someone coming up behind us when it's getting slightly dark is enough to make us jump. We don't tend to watch horror films - even the owl on the Snow White ride at Disneyland made us jump out of our skin (although, admittedly, that is a pretty scary ride. Have you seen those trees?)
We don't think you should go in there. No, really.
So, it was with great trepidation that we set about the task of previewing Dementium 2 - a game that's so terrifying, it should come with a health warning.
In Dementium 2, you play as schizophrenic William Redmoor, who wakes up to find himself locked in a cell at the mysterious Dawn Treatment Centre. It's a grotty, unpleasant kind of place, and, as is usually the way, you have no idea how you got there, having suffered some sort of amnesia during brain surgery. Hospitals have always given us the creeps. But this one scares us more than most.
Maybe he just wants a hug? He certainly looks pleased to see you.
What follows is a nerve wracking, nail biting adventure, as you attempt to explore, and break free of the hospital - which, it seems, doesn't want you to leave. Within seconds of the game's opening, it becomes clear that something isn't right, as your cell transforms into a hellish nightmare, complete with strange, disfigured enemies, and screams echoing throughout the hallways. Once you've defeated a few enemies, you find yourself back in the asylum - although now, on the other side of the cell door, and confronted by guards. A prisoner on the run, with a hospital that seems to be as schizophrenic as the main character, you let yourself in for a game that's certainly not one for the children.
Of course, seeing as you're a patient in a mad house, you're not exactly overflowing with weapons you can turn on the demons that surround you. Instead, you're forced to improvise, as you move up from your initial combat knife, using all sorts of objects in ways their makers never intended them to be used - at one stage, even creating your own makeshift flamethrower.
As you creep around the hospital's corridors, you tend to quickly realise that you are simply a weak hospital patient. As you don't have that many long range weapons, you're forced to rely on getting close to your enemies - which doesn't bode well for a mere mortal like you. Instead, you'll often find yourself simply lurking in the shadows, you're left desperately hoping that if there's an enemy around the corner, maybe it just won't see you, or that you can somehow avoid it, as combat is not something that usually turns out all that well.
The enemies don't exactly look too healthy to begin with.
But luckily, Dementium 2 isn't just another brainless gore fest. As you work your way around the hospital, you'll be forced to overcome certain puzzles in order to proceed - something the developers have made sure to make a priority, after the original game was criticised for being too monotonous. Â Thankfully, the sequel also includes a revamped save system, which should ensure that you never have to backtrack too much when you (inevitably) die.
A spooky, disturbing, and jump-out-of-your-skin terrifying game, Dementium 2 will be petrifying DS users - especially us - this June.
