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Computer Times
Editors' Choice Game Darkness Within 2: The Dark Lineage Reviewed by Angie Kibiloski
Darkness Within 2: the Dark Lineage (Retail $24.90), from Iceberg Interactive, picks up where the first game in the series, Darkness Within: In Pursuit of Loath Nolder, left off. You, as Detective Howard Loreid, have to deal with the strange and frightening world of dark creatures and mysterious forces that plagued you in the first adventure. With little clear memory of those happenings, you wake up in a deserted cabin, with a note from none other than the elusive Loath Nolder, a famous detective who investigated the same dark mysteries before you. He sends you to an odd and shadowy town, called Arkhamend, to acquire an important book before the wrong people get their hands on it, and use it in aid of the forces that threatened your mind and soul in the past. Delve deep into these mysteries once again, and uncover some disturbing connections to your own life and heritage.
I have reviewed some creepy games in the past, but this one gave me goose bumps in the opening scene that didn’t go away until I turned off the game. The dark, spooky environments, and the eerie sound effects, keep you on edge and expecting to see something horrific around every corner. Instead of a point and click scene navigation, you can move anywhere in the rooms that you want, using the arrow keys, so you really get a sense of being there. Also, some objects will move if you walk into them, enhancing this feeling even more. Many of the places you will visit are dark, even during the day. You will collect and be able to use various light sources, like a flashlight and lantern, and will be very thankful for these items. You’ll find that the warm glow of even the weakest flashlight is incredibly comforting, and if you’re anything like me, will cling to the false security the light gives you whenever you can.
While exploring the environments, you’ll come across some typical adventure style puzzles, like torn up pieces of paper to put back together, codes to solve, and locks to open. In addition, you will come across puzzles that are unique to this game. When you find a book, journal, or letter, you will enter the underlining application, where you will have to search for, and underline, all the clues within the text. Other times, you will have to try to understand terrifying dreams that you have, putting together clues gathered in these scenes with those in your waking experiences. If you get stuck, sometimes you’ll be able to get a hint, the frequency of which will be determined by which difficulty level you are playing at. You have to manually access these hints, so you only see them if you choose to. Of course, you’ll speak to other characters, like in most adventure games, but not all characters are there to help you. In fact, the same people who want the book you have been sent to find will have no problem eliminating you as an obstacle.
When every second of a game is bone-chilling, and every door you open sets your nerves on edge, and when the eerie in-game sounds make you look warily around you own room, then you know you have a first rate title. This second installment in the series makes a seamless transition from the first, but you needn’t have played the first to appreciate the story and become involved in the mystery. What awaits you in the darkened corners? What lies dormant in the shadows of your soul? Can you defeat and escape the ties that bind you to this darkness? Join Detective Howard Loreid, in the conclusion to his harrowing adventure, and find out. You can find this game at www.amazon.com or get it directly from the Iceberg Interactive shopping page at www.iceberg-shop.com. You’ll see the price in Euros on this second page. System Requirements:
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