A ‘watered-down’ cinematic 3rd person action/adventure game.
Graphics: 7
Sounds: 6
Value: 5
Tilt: 7
The Good
* Cinematic approach
* The Ram
The Bad
* Shallow gaming depth
* Clumsy controls (ported console)
* Too short and very little replay value
The reality of computer adventure games is that it’s not going to appeal to the larger audience. Lots of chin wagging and less action is most likely a turn-off for most players hence the success of FPS (and its many clones). Maybe also it's because that we (as in humans) would like to see the 'fruits of our labour' now instead of working hard for them. Dreamcatch Games' concept is to mold both genres together in one sweet package. Curse: Eye of Isis has the game play of an adventure game (that is searching for clues) yet have the necessary action of a third person game to keep players on his/her toes. However, in saying that, it just missed the mark in both spectrums as it feels like a ‘watered-down’ version of an action/adventure game.
The game begins as the player controlling Darien Dane, the son of the late Dr. Stanley Dane, as he enters the British museum where The Eye is about to go on display in 1890. Of course there are other parties who would like to get their mitts on this priceless statue as well; thieves, mobsters and Darien’s childhood friend Victoria. On top of that, the statue is known to be cursed and behold already started to unleash its terror throughout the museum and beyond.
The game play cleverly makes the player control two different characters, Darien and Victoria at different times throughout the game. I thought this was a great appeal for both sexes to enjoy this game as there are no real 'grungy' male testosterone yet no real 'wishy washy' feminine ideals as both sexes plays a 'neutral' field. However, 'looking at the other side' this is also a downfall as there are no real differences (other than the obvious) between these two characters.
You also have limited control of a 'third party' Abdul Waheed (loyal friend of Darien's father and the Egyptian government's representative for the museum). Abdul acts as a guidance, 'inventory carrier' and the big one, the check point saver of the game. Yes, the ported console thing has reared its ugly head yet again. Thankfully he makes an appearance quite often. However his 'guidance' is lack thereof as he constantly reminds you of the 'curse' and the urgency to stop it. Many-a-times I feel like saying 'If you cannot gives me any useful hints then be quiet and make like a mule'.
Being a ported console game there is a concern among 'keyboard/mouse' fanatics (like me). The gaming concept of a 'cinematic' approach is quite appealing as it really feels like 'playing' a movie. To those who read my previous reviews (especially 'Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler's Green'), gaming to me is like watching a movie (as I rarely watch movies). If I look at the cover 'Curse: Eye of Isis', it's like looking at a movie cover of the same name. Another words, would I view this 'movie' and enjoy it? In saying that, pleasant camera angles makes it refreshing to see however the problem with this is when combat starts, it's really hard to judge distances. Granted there is a 'targeted cursor' yet tactics plays very little as every monster slowly moans towards you and it's just a matter of firing away and the occasional (and quite painfully) side-stepping/running maneuver. A bigger problem is that considering this 'cinematic' approach, take note the direction of the character is facing. That is, front on view is the reverse of behind view as it’s based on the perspective of the character and not the player. For me however, I got used to this idea quite fast as my 'extensive' training needs to be credited to the 2005 PC game 'Cold Fear'.
Another real issue with Curse: Eye of Isis is the clumsy inventory system. Transferring items from player-to-player becomes a chore and viewing the somewhat worthless map is even a bigger issue as the map option (among everything else) is under the 'inventory' category as there is no separate hotkeys for this. Again blame it on the console.
Considering it’s a survival horror game, ammo is pretty limited hence the reliance of the police baton is your only real defense and the somewhat innovative ‘curse’ rating. Some creatures of the dark will bestow you a curse that if not taken care off quickly, your health will decrease and of course you eventually die. This reminds me of that ‘Cthulhu’ insanity check however you won’t become insane but dead instead.
On the brighter side of things, graphically the game is pleasing to the eye. Considering the game's setting is in the year 1890, all the graphical details are quite impressive. Ranging from the realistic movements of weapons (no super fast reloads) to the items placed in the rooms to the clothing worn by the people is pretty accurate. However I wish there was more interaction with the environs than 'just looks pretty' as most are just there for 'show-and-tell'. Also the main character’s animations are moderately well done as the different styles of movements (reloading, walking, running, swinging etc) are pretty fluent.
Sound wise is a bummer. There are some pleasant sound affects like the squeaking of doors, the rocking sounds of the boat and even the sounds of gun fire however there are some that will raise your eyebrow. The quality of the 'British' voice acting is mediocre as if they are actual Brits doing the acting then I will question their origin. Musically, well, is crap; very repetitive and no real musical scores. That combat musical score sounds like a B-Grade 70s horror flick with a very cheap synthesiser.
The game is quite short as it will take for a casual gamer less than ten hours to complete. There are two difficulty levels (normal and difficult) however the main difference between these two is the difficulty of the combat. This will cause unnecessary frustrations than re-play value due to the cinematic game play so it's highly advisable to play is under normal unless you are a sadist.
Overall, the entire package is quite playable. There are some hiccups along the way and the cinematic style of game play should be best left alone for the purist adventure gamer. To make this also an action type 3rd person shooter, tactics can be quite hard to judge as it’s then becoming a slugfest. I will give credit to the developers Dreamcatcher for their efforts however I cannot see how one can make a cinematic 3rd person shooter effectively. That said, this game isn’t really an adventure game nor a shooter or nor a horror. It’s really a jack-of-all-trade game that brings on the elements of three different gaming genres all watered down to meet the expectations of the causal gamer.