Are you scared easily? Does your mind play tricks on you? Do you hear weird noises or voices? Do you find yourself wondering what is going on? Do you have an extra pair of shorts with you? If you said ‘yes’ to any one of these questions, you may want to consider skipping Dementium 2, and probably go see a doctor.

Dementium 2 is the next installment in the DS horror franchise from Renegade Kid. You take the role of William Redmoor, which after some weird brain surgery, awakens at the Bright Dawn Treatment Center. Not sure what is going on, you find yourself flashing between making your escape, to a reality created by your mind, surrounded by demons, weird noises and horrifying scenarios. Unlike Dementium 1, Dementium 2 takes you quickly out of the Ward, in about 30 min of playing time, and lands you in an environment outside, which in fact is more twisted than where you came from.

Dementium 2 isn’t a first person shooter but an adventure game through hell. After stabbing, shooting, and bludgeoning your foes to death, you are confronted by puzzles and mazes that can be challenging and rewarding at the same time. For the more advanced players, the game also offers a survival mode that puts you in-front of wave after wave of foes trying to take you down.

Controls

For those of you who played Metroid on the DS, you will find the controls for Dementium 2 pretty similar. You use the touch screen and styles to move the players’ perspective around while using the D-pad, or ABXY buttons depending on your hand of choice, to move the character forward and side to side. Once again, depending on your hand of choice, you either use the ‘L’ or ‘R’ button to use your primary weapon whether it be a knife or a shotgun.

Pros

  • Suspenseful: I have to say this was the first time that a game kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next since….well, Resident Evil 4.
  • Sound: The things that they did with the sound are spectacular. Everything from the suspenseful music to the random sounds as things go to hell (literally) around you.
  • Great mix of shooter and adventure.
  • Great graphics for the DS.
  • Suspenseful story.

Cons

  • Game is a little short. I estimate it took me around 6 hours to complete.
  • Not a big fan of backtracking. There’s not much but enough to notice.
  • Controls can become tiresome after awhile. That could be said for almost any first person game on the DS.

Conclusion

I don’t say this much in my reviews, but Dementium 2 is a near perfect game. If you’re looking for a suspenseful great adventure game to take with you on the go, then Dementium 2 is the game for you. If you’re under the legal age to buy mature games, Dementium 2 is not the game for you.

I give Dementium 2 a 4.5 out of 5.