I didn't fear Hospitals before, I do now...

First-Person Shooters can be made for the DS: and they can be made well. Call of Duty 4 and Metroid Prime Hunters are testament to this. But the Nintendo DS still finds itself starved of FPS love. Enter Renegade Kids and Gamecock with Dementium: The Ward; delivering a Survival Horror FPS to the DS with style.

Ward happened?

Dementium: The ward is set in the confines of a Hospital for the mentally ill. But as soon as the first FMV is over, you know this is not a normal hospital. Desks and beds are upturned, the walls are coated in blood and bodies are strewn in the hallways. Something terrible has happened or is still going on when you are admitted. Your motivation during your time in Dementium: The Ward is to unravel the events that have taken place and survive.

Dementium looks very impressive. Renegade Kid have squeezed a lot out of the DS to get Dementium looking as good as it does. Dementium does feature FMV sequences that use the in game engine; not pre-renders. So the cut scenes do blend seamlessly with the rest of the game. Flashlight effects are a particular standout, with a single beam illuminating the path directly ahead of you, and dimly lighting the surrounding areas too.

Sound plays a crucial part in Dementium. Where you are will depend on what you hear. Walking around a roof, I heard footsteps clatter, the wind howl, and all the while an eerie piano piece played in the background. But, when I entered one of the rooftop rooms the music stopped and the machinery within the room became the dominant sound. Dementium: The Ward is certainly a game where owning a decent set of headphones adds to the atmosphere.

Not only does Dementium look and sound great, but from our time with it so far, it plays like a dream. Controls are simply laid out, with the L shoulder button activating your weapon of choice and the flashlight, depending on which you’ve got equipped. The D-pad moves your character and the touch screen dictates interaction, like looking around and entering your inventory. The touch screen is very responsive and in a game where anything can, and will, jump out at anytime it was comforting to know that the touch screen worked well enough to pick up quick-turning at the slightest noise.

Hardcore scares

Dementium: The ward is very different to your average DS game. Especially in a time where lifestyle and self-improvement games seem to be on the up, its nice to see a game for the hardcore DS gamer. Compared to home system survival horrors it may not carry as many outright shocks, but Demenium proves the DS’s small screens can still offer a scare when it counts. This is a ward you’ll want to check in to.

Preview by: Tom 'Disturbed' Daly
Preview Published: 10.10.08