In 2001, Clive Barker had his good name put to a computer game, Clive Barker’s Undying, which was released by EA Games. Six years later, die-hard Barker fans are still playing it and some are trying to find it.
For those of you who do not know who Clive Barker is, he is one of the reigning champions of dark fantasy/horror. His name has been put to multiple movies like the Hellraiser series, the Candyman trilogy, Lord of Illusions and so on. Stephen King dubbed him the future of horror in the 1980s. Also quite a few books, some plays and some art in terms of painting. So his credentials are in order for the style of game that his name was put to.
In Undying you play Patrick Galloway, a WWI veteran gone paranormal investigator. You are answering a summons from a dying friend, Jeremiah Covenant, who is haunted by the already dead family members whose bodies and souls have been corrupted. Your job is to investigate the paranormal happenings of the estate, including all the grounds and any alternate dimensions/alien worlds that are linked to the estate in one way or another, stop a demonic force from entering the world and potentially save your friend.
Game play for Undying is your standard Survival Horror/First Person Shooter with some distinct changes. Rather than health and armor being displayed you have health and magic. You still do have the weapons but magic is where the fantasy comes in. So it is a standard survival horror FPS game without relying solely on the standard conventions of the two. Game play is simplistic even though the difficulty can be absolutely unforgiving even set on easy.
Graphically, it is incredibly antiquated. It is based off of the graphics and effects engine of Unreal Tournament. Even with it’s aged look it is still absolutely beautiful. The level design is complex but the artistry of the levels is simple relying on dark colors and sepia-tones. The creature designs are just the standard for Barker (skinless, hooks, chains, various weird alien mixtures of creatures that make a perverse sense in themselves and the worst monsters are or were human).
The storyline is a mixture of your standard survival horror game and your standard RPG games. Ghosts, curses, demons, science, religion, family, friends, life and death all collide in a fashion that only Clive Barker can make seem coherent.
It is not open-ended like the newer more notably crowd pleasing games. Level designs are simple and linear. Even still this mostly antiquated system of playing works like a charm. Also with the atmosphere of the game, even though it is linear and scripted, repeating areas after death is still ultimately frightening even after the fifteenth time. Even seeing your character die is richly satisfying due to the macabre visuals.
It definitely is worth the money and time to play through it. It is a beautiful game with a great story, great designs and the input of one of the most twisted imaginations that contemporary horror has to offer.