Dementium

Formats: DS
RRP: £29.99
Buy from £24.99
Released: 17 April

Dementium is, in one respect, a very unusual game. A survival horror game on the DS is totally unheard of. Bringing both the complex controls and the creepy atmosphere needed to a console you can put in your pocket is no mean feat and Dementium does both well. In another respect though, Dementium is anything but unusual. Don’t expect any clever plot twists or unexpected environments you haven’t seen before.

You’re an amnesiac, and wake up on the abandoned mental ward of a hospital surrounded by bodies and monsters. You’ll have the ubiquitous torch and big stick at the start and work your way up through pistols and shotguns. Using the directional buttons you’ll make your way around the hospital, looking through the eyes of your protagonist in first person, trying to find out what happened and warding off the monsters using the touchscreen to aim your weapons. As well as combat there are a bunch of number puzzles to unlock doors and item boxes.

Both the combat and puzzles are fairly easy. What might make you a little tense is that with limited ammo and items you can die near the end of a level and be forced to play the entire area over again. However, Dementium has a lot of charm. The graphics and sound are excellent and despite the story’s lack of originality its creepy atmosphere is a great achievement for the little handheld. Put your earphones in and play the game on the back seat of the bus on the way home from work for chills and spills.

7/10

Review by Kirsten Kearney