(This is a review for the PS1 version)
This really is, or would be a GREAT resident evil clone if not for one thing: respawning enemies. Yup. Enemies will often respawn in this game.
Having a very limited set of resources such as ammunition or health pickups is a classic element of survival horror. Managing your resources in these type of games adds a layer of complexity to each playthrough. You have to consider: can you attack the enemy in this situation? Do you have the ammo? Or would dodging/running from the enemy in question be more wise? Can you come back later and clear the room out when you might have more ammo? This is where the "survival" part of the term or survival horror comes into play.
But because the enemies respawn in this game, that whole balance is completely ruined imho. In a good survival horror game from this era, the player will eventually become so skilled at conserving resources that they'll end the game with a surplus of ammo/health pickups. Here though, every time you start to amass a nice cushion of heath/ammo pickups, you'll wind up wasting it on enemies you didn't realize were going to respawn.
...and no, running past these enemies isn't as easy as it can be in other survival horrors because often you'll be in a very narrow corridor with no way to go forward down the hall without bumping directly into enemies. The game also does NOT have some sort of melee weapon (like RE's combat knife) to be there as an option when you're out of ammo. When you're out, you're screwed.
It kind of boggles my mind that these game developers CLEARLY understood what made games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil appeal to people. This game is ALMOST a classic. I love the pre-rendered backgrounds, the voice acting isn't laughable, and the story has a very nice Lovecraft vibe. I really want to love this game. You might even like this game, if nothing I've described above puts you off. But it's not for me. I need more balance in my survival horror.
This really is, or would be a GREAT resident evil clone if not for one thing: respawning enemies. Yup. Enemies will often respawn in this game.
Having a very limited set of resources such as ammunition or health pickups is a classic element of survival horror. Managing your resources in these type of games adds a layer of complexity to each playthrough. You have to consider: can you attack the enemy in this situation? Do you have the ammo? Or would dodging/running from the enemy in question be more wise? Can you come back later and clear the room out when you might have more ammo? This is where the "survival" part of the term or survival horror comes into play.
But because the enemies respawn in this game, that whole balance is completely ruined imho. In a good survival horror game from this era, the player will eventually become so skilled at conserving resources that they'll end the game with a surplus of ammo/health pickups. Here though, every time you start to amass a nice cushion of heath/ammo pickups, you'll wind up wasting it on enemies you didn't realize were going to respawn.
...and no, running past these enemies isn't as easy as it can be in other survival horrors because often you'll be in a very narrow corridor with no way to go forward down the hall without bumping directly into enemies. The game also does NOT have some sort of melee weapon (like RE's combat knife) to be there as an option when you're out of ammo. When you're out, you're screwed.
It kind of boggles my mind that these game developers CLEARLY understood what made games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil appeal to people. This game is ALMOST a classic. I love the pre-rendered backgrounds, the voice acting isn't laughable, and the story has a very nice Lovecraft vibe. I really want to love this game. You might even like this game, if nothing I've described above puts you off. But it's not for me. I need more balance in my survival horror.