Platform: Gamecube, PS2, Xbox

Genre: Survival Horror

Publisher: Midway

Developer: Surreal Software

ESRB: Fall 2003

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Review: Clive Barker's Undying (PC)

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The Suffering

It looks like Surreal Software/Midway is taking a stab at the survival horror genre with The Suffering, headed to the PS2, Gamecube, and Xbox. In the game players will take control of Torque, a prison inmate jailed for a murder he didn’t commit who is now slated for execution. Lucky for him a number of vicious abominations have taken over the prison, setting him free. Now players must help him get through the 9 levels of the game battling all manner of freak in order for Torque to gain his freedom.

In an interesting twist, Torque can transform into a deadly beast when his rage meter is full allowing him to unload a lot of damage on enemies. Usually in these sorts of games the heroes are a lot more helpless, forced to track down better weapons if they want to have any hope of fending off the onslaught of beasts chasing them. Now we just have to wait and see how this affects the balance of the game.

Helping to ensure that the game has a dark, frightening, macabre look, Stan Winston is lending his artistic skills to the character design, doing the art for a number of the enemies in the game.

Gamers can give this game a whirl in the Fall of 2003.

Features:

Terrifying Levels - Nine levels - traverse indoor and outdoor terrain with horror lurking in every dark corner.
Frightening Character Morphs - Fill the rage meter and transform Torque into a hideous and powerful creature.
Deadly Weapons - More than 10 deadly weapons from the shiv to the tommy gun to aid in the survival of this freakish nightmare.
Horrific Monsters - A dozen monsters, each representing the methods of execution that befell them.
Gory Detail - Blood and gore, dripping, pooling and splattering at every level of the fright-filled journey.
Disturbing Choices - Interact with different hardened criminals and determine their fate.
Unique Endings - Three distinct endings depending on how the game is played.
Taboo Environments - Explore the deepest recesses of the most wicked prison environment.

Mr. Nash

April 20, 2003