PixlBit

The PixlBit staff loves HD and wants to see some of their favorite franchises get the treatment.

Eternal Darkness

Eternal Darkness has the distinction of being the only entry on our HD edition wish list that isn’t part of a larger collection.  Eternal Darkness can stand proud, knowing that this singular title is well deserving of an HD makeover that would really bring out the insanity in this C’thulhu mythos inspired gem.

We recently discussed the history and game mechanics of Eternal Darkness in our latest MIA segment, so I’ll get straight to the heart of the matter.  Not only does Eternal Darkness need an HD makeover, but the survival horror genre needs Eternal Darkness.  These days, games just aren’t as scary as they were back then.  Suspense and tension have given way to jump scares and spectacle – turning long standing horror standards like Resident Evil into action-fests that are still good, but fall short in filling a player with dread.

Eternal Darkness is unique in the game world.  Not only did it set a dark and dreary tone, but it actively sought to get under your skin with the addition of “sanity effects.” The game would trick you into thinking something was wrong by suddenly muting the game, displaying a blue screen or blowing your character’s head off.  With an HD edition, developers would have the opportunity to fine-tune these effects with the addition of authentic surround sound and a visual clarity that could enhance the insanity on screen.  As freaky as it would seem, I would love for the game to start screaming at me from all directions.

The case for an Eternal Darkness HD edition grows stronger when you consider that the property is owned by Nintendo and thus any HD edition would have to be released on the upcoming Wii U. This is not only an opportunity for Nintendo to get off on the right foot with ‘hardcore’ gamers, but it also offers the possibility to take advantage of the unique Wii U controller in ways that really showcase its potential.

Let’s return to the insanity effects for a moment.  With the Wii U controller we have another screen and speaker in which to interact with the game.  This offers up a plethora of opportunities in which to mess with the player’s head.  Imagine that you’re walking down a dark hallway and your controller started whispering to you.  As you progress, the whispering grows louder, eventually turning into a cacophonous symphony of violent, incomprehensible language that makes you want to throw down the controller and turn the game off.

And then it stops.

Freaky, eh?  The screen could be used as a quick inventory/map and could also be used to flip through pages of the Tome of Eternal Darkness itself.  There’s a wealth of possibilities that wouldn’t take much to add – the game already holds up well so making these slight editions and cleaning up the graphics wouldn’t be resource intensive.

Besides, the team at Silicon Knights has recently indicated that in light of their recent failures that they are looking to return to their roots and bring the fans something they’ve been wanting for years.  This may be an indication of a full blown Eternal Darkness sequel. It would be a real treat if they decided to bring the classic original game back from the dead to scare the pants off those who haven’t delved into the depths of insanity.