In a world of horror games, only few exist that really gives the player that "huddle under the blanket, hide from the boogey man" kinda scare. But when you receive a game like Dementium 2 for the Nintendo DS, from the folks of SouthPeak game, and it comes with a diaper… well you know something is about to go down.
In Dementium 2 you wake up, after some very risky brain surgery, in a very run down Sanitarium tied to a gurney. A nurse tells you "your name is William Redmoor" and the brain surgery was to cure you, but you soon find out the real world and your insanity have been meshed together. As you make transition between reality and insanity you'll find a variety of monsters, guards, and stuff I wouldn't even know how to classify, to face off against so be ready. If you were to judge a game by its cover then Dementium 2 is already setting a tone for some creepiness.
The Gameplay:
There are two modes: survival mode, which tests your skills in different trials, and story mode, which is regular gameplay. You start out with a basic tutorial of how to move around. The directional pad will move you in any direction you like and the L button is your attack. The touch screen handles a variety of movements if you slide your finger left or right you can change the view; The Up/Down arrow will make you jump or crawl, which you will need quite often. There's a Green command bar on the top which allows you to do multiple actions like collect items, read, and use certain objects. Then there's an inventory box, a map, health bar, flash light, ammo, and weapon selection all available via a quick tap. There are a variety of obstacles from puzzles and monsters to get through to advance to the next room/level. You will find red mirrors that will save your progress and restore your health. You can pretty much move around anywhere to explore the area you're in and I recommend looking hard since there are a lot of hidden items and weapons.
The Bang:
If you're looking for horror this is a decent start, it's creepy enough to occasionally spook you but if you're a hardened soul it's not traumatizing. The Weapons are fun to shoot and there is a variety of them - my favorite is the Nail gun just because it's a nail gun. The puzzles are hard and will make you think, plus there are some unique obstacles waiting for you.
The Slack:
I had the trouble with the controls - killing, moving and changing view all at the same time. It was just too much going on for me to be good at it. Also the knife you start with is with you for a long part of the game. Finally I felt the game was really short; I beat Dementium 2 in about 20hrs give or take a few. It was fun just short.
The Ugly:
If you play the game long enough it will leave an imprint of the cackles and laughs in your head. I kept hearing it randomly for a little bit after I finish playing. If I played before I went to bed the sounds would be floating in my dreams.
