Dementium: The Ward is not at all what you’d expect from a DS title. It’s a horror-themed, blood-spattered first person shooter. In fact, it really did get out there and earn its “M” rating. So, how does Renegade Kid’s first DS title stand up? Does it succeed where other handheld horror titles have failed?

While some have compared Dementium to Doom 3, I don’t know if I agree with that; I’d stick it firmly in the same genre as Resident Evil or Silent Hill. In fact, if there’s anything that Dementium nails right on the head, it’s the survival horror feel. I was pretty skeptical of a handheld horror game, especially on a system with N64-level visuals, but Renegade Kid surprised me. Dementium is legitimately creepy at times. Certain visual effects, like the flickering of your flashlight or the rain pounding against a window, really help set the scene. This is one game that you will want to play with headphones or with the sound turned up. The music is suitably creepy, and all of the dialogue is fully voiced. Dementium does resort to using a few horror cliches, like creepy kids, but Renegade Kid still managed to make the best handheld horror game to date.

Dementium: The Ward is an absolute joy to watch, especially compared to other 3D DS titles. I’d go so far as to say that Dementium is the only DS game to actually pull off 3D graphics. Even more importantly, the game stays at a smooth framerate throughout. Renegade Kid needs to start licensing this engine out, I’d love to see how it does in other genres. There are a few clear tricks that the developers have put into place to make the game look this good, so the graphics might not look nearly as good in a well-lit environment. Still, as far as I’m concerned, they are more than welcome to keep making survival horror titles.

Make no mistake, this is more of a survival horror game than an FPS. You have a few different guns to choose from, but ammo is fairly limited. Once you run out, you’re pretty much screwed. I spent a fair amount of time running away so that I wouldn’t die. Dying is bad. If you die, you have to start over from the beginning of a chapter. You will die, this isn’t an easy game. While I don’t mind the challenge, I did mind having to repeat certain chapters several times. It won’t kill the game, but it is a downright frustrating design decision that serves no purpose other than to pad the game’s short length.

On the plus side, the controls work perfectly. If you’ve played Metroid Prime Hunters, you’ll be right at home here. You move with the D-pad while aiming with the stylus. The L button fires your gun or swings your billy club, and the R button lets you quickly switch between your current weapon and the flashlight. The bottom screen contains the usual litany of menu options. Dementium does continue one of my favorite trends in DS adventure games — they give your character a notebook to keep track of important clues with. It’s a natural use of the touch screen, and the implementation here is even more accurate than in Phantom Hourglass or Hotel Dusk.

Dementium: The Ward is a fine freshman effort from Renegade Kid. It has a few issues, including the frustrating level restarting, but it is absolutely the best choice for anyone looking for a survival horror title to take on the go. Play this one in the dark and turn up the sound, you might actually get creeped out.

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