Clive Barker's Undying

+ unrepeatable atmosphere + meticulously crafted story + unique gameplay + lots of fear... Undying is a true classic in the same league as Half-Life, System Shock 2, No One Lives Forever and Deus Ex.

Finally, after finishing this game in 21hr 37m I'm ready to write about it. Brilliant game, story-wise it looks like a much-expanded adaptation of Edgar Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher", Barker is a talented writer and he did his job well - the game is very interesting, atmospheric and makes you play on to find out what happens next. Gameplay is similar to any shooter of the early 2000s - 90% of it is going backwards and shooting at the same time. The bosses (esp. the final one) are very difficult. Fav in-game places: Monastery - past (it's a very beautiful and eerie lvl) and ZIGGURAT!!!! any game that has a Ziggurat in it deserves 5 stars right away. Play it if you love horror

If Undying were the story, atmosphere, some puzzles, and maybe a select handful of interesting (boss) fights along the way, this game would be a 'greatest of all time' game. However, after playing about 4 hours, I'm bored to tears with how slow the pacing is. The weapons are generally pretty awkward, as is the first combat spell you get. Buffing the spells doesn't seem to do much as far as I can tell, either. So, really, not much going on level design-wise (again, the atmosphere is great - just empty), nothing particularly good shooting-wise, and nothing satisfying going on progression-wise. A really large missed opportunity for people that aren't living with nostalgia goggles on.

The one game that I get a similar feel from is actually Realms of the Haunting. Undying is a lot faster but let's see: a spooky mansion you keep coming back to, visits to other dimensions, many kinds of puzzle solving and both occultism and traditional weapons. Actually there's dual-wielding of weapons/powers here quite a few years before the Bioshocks popularized it. And very creepy atmosphere – not much music but with the unique setting of Irland you'll hear the wind and the ocean all around. Inside you may hear thunder and rain but mostly silence except your footsteps and strange noises. They really nailed the texturing and lighting, helping this game still look really moody. The Renewal mod+DirectX 11 shader+pixel-depth textures let's you get that little extra out of it. Only slight negatives I have is that bosses can be annoying and that there are a few, 3 or so, occasions where it's easy to miss how to progress but I have to say, considering how much this game switches up how you move forward, using spells or equipment, it's almost always telegraphed really well. While I had fond memories from back in the day, and kept the CD although I never got around to replay it, I didn't expect to be this impressed. Undying needs to be mentioned a lot more often among all the timeless FPS's of the early 2000.

If you're tired of every new FPS game being a quasi-realistic military shooter with the soul of the single player stripped out for the sake of forgettable multiplayer, this is the game for you. No regenerating health, no on-rails segments, no faceless soldiers opening invincible doors for you. This game plays in a truly unique way, despite the aged graphics and sound effects. You play as a WW1 veteran, called out to an island to help a friend. With your knowledge of the occult and your skill with firearms, you use both magic and technology to battle supernatural and human foes. This game has what many today lack: variety. You'll travel through dimensions, through time, outside across grassy plains, and deep into the depths of booby-trapped caves. Enemies range from the undead, werewolves, aliens, witches, and more that I will not spoil. It's an unforgettable experience to me. It's scary, fun, and due to minor RPG elements fairly replayable. If you can look past the dated graphics (which I'll assume you can: you're on Good Old Games after all!) you'll find a gem in this game.