Undying captures the spirit of Clive Barker's works in other media, while at the same time providing a setting with a real sense of place and dread. There are a great variety of environments that manage to evoke real atmosphere, even with the graphical limitations of the engine. The use of lighting and color in the game is admirable, and the violence during combat is appropriately gruesome--little flourishes like tracking blood around for a while after stepping over an enemy's corpse add to the macabre ambiance. The gameplay is superb, with a commendable mixture of exploration and combat. The combat is visceral and empowering, but though you can dual-wield spells and weapons (the coolest of these is the Scythe of the Celt, which can decapitate and sever foes in half), there is still a sense of urgency and real terror in some sequences. Boss fights aren't especially exciting, but some of them certainly have something going for them. The story, crafted by Barker himself, is original enough to stand out, but is by no means incredible. Still, the game is polished to a spit-shine and is packed with little details that set it apart from most other horror shooters. I will definitely be re-purchasing it now that it has graced GOG with its presence.
