Dementium: The Ward Review (DS)

Dementium: The Ward for DS goes to show just how important it is to have a great HMO. The poor sucker...we mean main character, wakes up in a derelict hospital gone evil. Instead of hot nurses and tasty pudding cups, there's blood all over the place, creepy little girls with glowing eyes, zombies and flying heads, not exactly the most ideal place to ditch the flu. Sure, there just so happens to be pistols and shotguns lying around, but with disgusting blobs and slugs monitoring the gore stained halls, staying in bed never sounded more attractive.

Much like Nintendo's Metroid Prime: Hunters video game, Dementium is a 3-D first person adventure in which you maneuver the character with the d-pad and aim/look around by dragging the stylus across the touch screen. Controls work remarkably well, and you'll have no trouble navigating through the attractive environments. Well, as attractive as a creepy hospital can be. The developers did masterful work, creating an environment that showcases the system's power. Few corridors look the same, thanks to overturned vending machines, payphones, an infant ward, a child daycare center and a host of other varied locales, all bathed in blood and grime. The game even features superb lighting effects, with your flashlight illuminating the darkness.

Combat works simply enough, with you aiming a weapon with the stylus and tapping the left trigger to fire a gun or swing a night stick. In addition, you'll solve simple puzzles, and the game includes a note pad that lets you jot down numbers and other useful bits of information.

Although the visuals look outstanding, the audio really shines. Walk up to a window and you'll hear rain and thunder. Enter a room and monsters' breathing will give you chills. It's great stuff, and the soundtrack sets the game's terrifying mood.

To that end, Dementium doesn't do anything we haven't seen before, such as playing a piano to reveal a secret, acquiring special colored keycards to open doors and shot gunning monsters. Yet at the same time, the experience feels new, since there's almost nothing like it on the platform, save for the aged Resident Evil Deadly Silence. So shut off the lights, put on a pair of headphones and get lost in this demented adventure. It's without question one of the DS' most under hyped games, and also one of its best.