Why's It Always So Dark In Here?

In ancient times, long before the species of man came into being, a species unbound by nature ruled the Earth. As time progressed, this species was pushed back into the dark recesses of the world, awaiting their return. At the dawn of the new millennium, humans rule the land with a blind superiority -unaware that the Ancients are about to return. In time, some humans learned of these creatures and in their hunger for power formed secret societies in order to summon their power.

The fate of the human race now rests on the shoulders of 13 individuals scattered throughout the plains of time. These unwary souls must now face a battle the likes mankind has not seen. A monk, a centurion, a mourning granddaughter - each of these individuals must steel their nerves and watch as the very fabric of their lives is ripped to shreds as they face the Ancients. Although they are the chosen, they are still human and possess a mind that is weak to the powers of the dark ones.

This is where the true terror of Eternal Darkness resides - in your mind. Imagine walking into a room only to face a countless number of zombies. You fight the onslaught, but they are too much for you to handle, and you are soon overcome by swarms of zombies as they painfully tear your body apart. Suddenly there is a bright white flash and you find yourself in a room by yourself, still alive. In the world of Eternal Darkness, even your own mind cannot be trusted.

Not only will the game mess with your perceptions, but your emotions as well. After an intense battle, your character is in desperate need of healing. You look in your inventory only to see it's empty. Every weapon, every key, everything is gone. Fear and frustration begin to swell in you. How the hell are you supposed to continue when your character is barely able to walk and the computer has decided to erase your entire inventory! A white flash soon envelops the entire screen, and just as quickly as it disappeared - your inventory is back. As you can see -nothing is as it seems.

As you play the game, a sanity meter measures your character's sanity. As long as it remains high, things are fine. At times, the meter will drop until it gets so low that it pushes you to the very brink of sanity, where you will doubt everything and trust nothing. Unlike Resident Evil, combat is fast paced and frantic. The A button controls your attacks. The faster you press the button, the faster - and less powerful - your attacks will be. By pressing the R button and moving the control stick, you can target specific areas of your enemy - such as his head, arms, or torso. Pressing the button all the way (to produce the 'digital click') allows you to switch between enemies. Like most schemes, it sounds confusing at first and must been seen in action to fully understand.

Eternal Darkness ships later this summer.