Why YOU should buy Clive Barker's: Undying

Yesterday GoG.com re-released Clive Barker's: Undying after nearly ten years of dormancy! For fans of the game, this is wonderful news and for those who haven't played the game before; this is your chance to jump into the horrific world of Oneiros and beyond!

Clive Barker's: Undying takes place in 1923 Ireland where you play as occult investigator: Patrick Galloway. Shortly after receiving a letter from his war buddy, Jeremiah Covenant, Patrick is compelled to visit him on the grounds of his haunted estate as his dying wish and personal obligation. His request? To uncover the secrets of his missing siblings and to exorcise the spirits terrorizing the Covenant estate.

Undying is unique as it's one of the few FPS/ RPG/ survival horror games to ever be made. Enemies range from demons, undead, ghosts, marauders, witches, gypsies, mutants, cultists, and freaks. Undying is all about variety in design from its enemies to its levels. Most monsters can be killed by gunfire or magic and discovering combinations of duel wielding attack and strategy is open for every type of baddie you come across. Some monsters require shooting to kill, others require special inventory items to subdue momentarily, stealth can be utilized to take on human types, and sometimes you need to rely on magical shields, speed buffs, or other spells discovered throughout the game.

Nothing about Undying is a simple shooter or holds your hand. Some enemy encounters can be very difficult and jarring with little warning. Surprise attacks from behind are pretty common but never quite unfair. Exploration is somewhat non-linear once you leave the mansion. Your discoveries are your own warranting several playthoughs in order to find every magic upgrade, health boost, and hidden easter egg. Even the game's boss battles are puzzle-like in design; requiring you to utilize Patrick's unique scrying ability, a new found weapon, or your own brain before engaging.

Undying's story is progressed through real-time with the exception of some brief and sometimes morbidly amusing cutscenes. In order to keep the game at a brisk pace, many plot points and mysteries are uncovered through journal entries which you'll pick up or update as you go along. These entries also serve as a device for figuring out the many boss encounters and cleverly hidden secrets throughout the game's diverse environments and settings.

Being a Dreamworks production, Undying was first intended as a Steven Spielberg project, but never fell through under his guiding hand. Clive Barker then stepped into the game contributing much of the writing, characterization, and design later stating that his inspiration for the story was derived from H.P Lovecraft and The Fall of the House of Usher. For many Clive Barker fans this tale is slightly different from his usual works.

As someone who's played through Clive Barker's Undying multiple times and is about to do so again, I can't suggest this game more for players who want a survival horror with unique concept and expansive design. Of course the game does have its faults mainly due to personal preferences in a survival horror game, but I promise the dive is worth the risk. Clive Barker's: Undying is a one of a kind title and damn worth its six dollar price. Get your hands on this one gamers!