Be it through artwork, books, or films, Clive
Barker has terrified and enticed audiences across the world, gaining a very
devout following. Several years ago, the renaissance man of horror released his
first foray into the world of video games, Clive Barker’s Undying, which was a
PC first-person shooter as imagined by the author. The game was a hit with
critics, but unfortunately lacked legs with the public, and fell quite short of
being a commercial success.
Now, Barker is gearing up for his next opus,
Clive Barker’s Jericho. A more modernized (if not futuristic) take than Undying,
Jericho puts players in control of an entire squad of soldiers who have been
pulled into an alternate dimension while exploring the ruins of a forgotten
city. While a lot more action oriented than Undying, Jericho will offer up a
dosage of thrills and chills with unique team mechanics and hideous monsters as
can only be dreamt up by Clive Barker.
In the game, you are placed in the shoes of
Jericho squad, a team of, shall we say, paranormally sensitive soldiers. Each
member of the team has their own weaponry and unique paranormal abilities. For
example, the leader of the team, Capt. Ross, fights with an assault rifle and
psychic powers, Father Rawlings is a dual- wielding exorcist, Sgt. Church has a
katana sword SMG-combo and is a blood mage to boot, and Cpl. Cole can summon
ammo and health out of thin air. There are a few other members of the team (a
pyromancer heavy-weapons specialist, a sniper capable of telekinetically guiding
her own bullets and a scout capable of astral projection), and each has their
own contributions to the group.
One unique element is that each character has the
ability to heal their comrades on the battlefield should they fall in battle.
The unit AI is pretty good about healing their fellow soldiers should they fall,
keeping the action moving at a fast and furious pace. However, should each of
your squadmates fall, then it’s game over.
The game also has some real-time button press
sequences, like in God of War or Spider-Man 3. These sometimes come up on you
very quickly, and can be a bit unforgiving, as one press at the wrong time can
send you to an early death. These range from traversing a gap to falling down a
hole, and tend to feel a little juxtaposed.
Of course, the main element that steals the show
is the creepy enemies that you face. Done as only Clive Barker could create,
these enemies range from giant meat creatures with flesh-covered shields, to
children ghosts, to gigantic Roman gladiators. The boss battles are especially
intense, with huge enemies that take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’.
Graphically, the game is a nice looking game,
albeit an extremely dark one. Luckily, each of your characters carries around a
flashlight, which is a real godsend. The character models, particularly the
gruesome enemies, look great and carry the tradition of Clive Barker’s designs
nicely.
No question, Clive Barker’s Jericho will deliver
some terrifying moments, and should be one for horror fans and action gamers to
check out this fall.
