Fantastic fun, action packed game. When RUNE first landed many years ago I lost interest, the first section going through HEL can be a bit long winded and tedious, however plug away at it and you will find that it opens up with far better varied shorter locations. The game looks a little rough around the edges with it using an early modified Unreal Engine but it adds to the whole feeling of the game. Sound has the usual sword & axe clangs and various grunts from the enemies which is functional for the setting. Cutscenes themselves when you speak to Odin are voiced and have an epic boom to them. For its age this game still wipes the floor of the more recent Viking Battle for Asguard. Ragnar is a well kitted out Viking Warrior, resurrected to take vengeance and rid the world of Loki. Typical Asguard Viking type story but once again it is functional. The game itself drew a lot of attention when it was released as you have dismembering and decapitations which was frowned upon. It also has 2 very different endings so worthwhile giving it a second playthrough. All in all this is a decent game for its age, if you like games like Blade of Darkness this is for you. As an added bonus the work done on this rerelease allows you to up the resolution really high to make it extremely sharp and has loads of different enemies to the original.
Penned by the legendary Clive Barker, Undying sees you called to a friends family estate. Jeremiah thinks he is losing his mind and it is up to you to put a stop to his siblings. The game is based around a central hub as such, now this central hub though is actually a pretty dangerous in comparrison to other games. The hub itself is the house, which is haunted and has various creatures doing rather nasty things to the servants. As you progress you will unlock new areas to explore going to ruins on the outskirts of the gardens, catacombs under the house etc You have to solve the mystery of the family and stop the siblings. The game uses a modified Unreal Tournament Engine and does look a little dated but it actually suits the whole haunted house gritty atmosphere, I feel it adds to it. The sound is superb, voice acting, ambience, music and effects all add to the superb atmosphere created. At times you will hear something off in the distance which will put your nerves on edge, literally what you don't see can be just as jarring. You have a large selection of weapons which range from era specific handguns and rifles etc to more extravagant powerful melee weapons. You also have use of various magics to help see what has happened before, shift time (later in the game) and watch ghosts and victims alike. Whether you are a fan of horror titles or shooters Undying is a must have. Great writing / story, visuals and sound all wrapped up into an awesome game.
