Dementium II

Posted 2 years ago By - Jeff Wimbush

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Since its release in 2007, Dementium: The Ward has stood apart from other DS games. While other first-person titles like Moon and Metroid Prime Hunters offered solid sci-fi shooting, Dementium’s creepy atmosphere is unparalleled on the platform. Dementium II steps up that creepiness through the graphics and gameplay to deliver a thoroughly satisfying sequel. However, the game falls short of greatness due to some serious problems inherited from its predecessor.

Gameplay

Dementium II picks up right where the original left off. (spoiler alert! If you still plan on playing the first game, skip this paragraph) The first game followed William Redmoor as he wandered through a mysterious monster-infested hospital. There were hints throughout the game that William murdered his wife, and was admitted to the hospital for experimental brain surgery, but it’s never clear if that’s the truth. At the end of the first game, the main character wakes up on an operating table with an evil doctor saying “phase one complete, prepare for phase two.” It made players wonder how much of the story was real and how much was just a hallucination brought on by the experimental treatment. Players who beat the first game were desperate to find out.

The sequel opens with William being taken to a prison-like area to recover from the surgery. Things seem to have gotten worse around the hospital, as the walls now periodically fade away to reveal a nightmarish world. Players explore the hospital in both reality and the nightmare realm by following letters from William’s supposedly dead wife. It’s a great mixture of exploration and action with some puzzle solving thrown in for good measure. Just like the first time around, by the end of the game I wasn’t sure I fully understood the story, and it didn’t really matter, as it was still a fun and wild ride.

One major upgrade to the gameplay is the addition of strong attacks. In the first game, all attacks were the same and combat boiled down to button mashing. In Dementium II, strong attacks deal more damage, but take longer to execute, so players have to plan when to use them.

Another improvement over the original is the inventory management. Players can now pick up items, such as health pills, and decide when to use them. In the past, picking up an item forced players to use it immediately, which often resulted in wasting the item. The new inventory system ensures that players never again have to stand in front of an item and decide whether to waste it on a couple health points or leave it behind.

Some other small features that make big differences include William using two hands (flashlight in one, weapon in the other), and the ability to jump and crouch. While they sound like small upgrades, all these things come together to make Dementium II feel like a more complete game than the original.

Graphics and Sound

At first glance, the textures and environments in Dementium II look quite similar to its predecessor’s. However, on closer inspection it’s clear the sequel stepped things up a bit. For example, one of the main enemies in both games is the open-chest ghoul, which has a gaping mouth where its chest should be. While in the original they were a little bland, they are much more detailed this time around. The ghouls now have medical braces, hooks for hands, and random wounds and stitches suggesting unnecessary surgery. The level of detail really makes the enemies just that much scarier and fun to look at.

Improvements can also be seen in the way enemies move. Previously, the character animations were nothing special. With this entry, the animations remind me of a big budget horror movie. For example, the open-chest ghouls alternately stumble a couple steps and then freeze suddenly in a weird position. It’s very creepy to watch a group advance toward you in such an random and unnatural way.

The sound is great, and among the best I’ve seen in a DS game. There are no long text boxes to scroll through as all the dialogue is spoken. Even though there is not a ton of dialogue, it’s still a nice touch. In a horror game, sound is paramount for keeping the player tense. But as the first game showed, effects that scare you the first time can get annoying when repeated over and over. So they toned down some of the irritating effects but replaced them with new ones. For instance, there is a short four-legged monster in Dementium II that laughs when you attack it. While it was unsettling the first time to hear it laugh hysterically as it died, the effect soon grew old as the enemy is quite common, and always laughs in the same way.

Value

There are 5 chapters in Dementium II that will take most players about 4 hours to complete. This is a bit shorter than its predecessor which contained 13 chapters and offered about 5 hours of gameplay. While some could complain at the shortened length, I honestly felt the first game was drawn out a bit. The length of this sequel fit the amount of content a lot better.

There are three difficulty levels to complete, but I don’t imagine most players will want to play through again. The main reason is enemies that scare you at the beginning of the game get irritating by the time you complete it. At $35 Dementium II is a bit pricey for only 4 hours of gameplay. But that 4 hours will truly deliver something unique on the DS.

Conclusion

Dementium II does a beautiful job improving on it’s predecessor. It maintains the creepy atmosphere, the level of maturity, and the originality of the first game. However, the title is still plagued by a vague plot and annoying enemies. The lack of replay value is a big problem as well, especially when you consider the price. However, for fans of the survival horror genre, Dementium II is the only real option on the DS.

+ Creepiest DS game ever
+ Improves on original
+ Shanking ghouls is fun

- Annoying enemies
- Cryptic plot
- Not much replay value

7.8 / 10

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More details about this game

Release Date : 2010/04/30
System : Nintendo DS
Publisher : South Peak Interactive
Developer : Renegade Kid
Category : Adventure
ESRB : T