Dementium: The Ward

Dementium: The Ward
Developer(s)	Renegade Kid
Publisher(s)	Nintendo DS NA Gamecock Media Group JP Interchannel-Holon EU SouthPeak Interactive [1] Nintendo 3DS Renegade Kid[2]
Designer(s)	Jools Watsham (director)
Composer(s)	Jools Watsham
Engine	Renegade Engine
Platform(s)	Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS (eShop)
Release date(s)	Nintendo DS NA October 31, 2007 JP June 26, 2008 [3] EU April 17, 2009 [4] Nintendo 3DS Q2 2015[5]
Genre(s)	Survival horror, First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player
Distribution	Nintendo DS Game Card, eShop download

Dementium: The Ward is a survival horror first-person shooter game developed by Renegade Kid for the Nintendo DS. The game was originally released in North America on October 31, 2007, courtesy of Gamecock Media Group.

Dementium: The Ward was originally actually planned as a Silent Hill game for the Nintendo DS. But Konami turned down Renegade Kid for the idea and have concluded to create an original game instead. ^[6]

In September 2014, Jools Watsham of Renegade Kid announces on his official Twitter account that the developer finally gained back the rights to the title,^[2] and have later announced plans to release an enhanced version of the game on the Nintendo 3DS eShop in Q2 2015.^[5]

Gameplay

Dementium features full 3D environments and a real-time flashlight. Creative director Jools Watsham also said the game's touch-screen controls are based on those used in Metroid Prime Hunters.

The game was originally set to include a multiplayer mode, but this was dropped so that the development team could focus on the single player aspect of the game.

Among several other features utilizing the touch screen, the game includes a notepad.

Plot

Dementium tells the tale of a man, William Redmoor, who has an operation on his brain. The Doctor realized that the mind of William is in danger, so he made nightmare dreams where William must fight back to the end and get out of his dreams. As the Doctor calls it, this is the first phase. Throughout the game, the constant mention of a man who murdered his wife and daughter is brought up. It was believed by the staff that William was the murderer. A news report towards the end of the game says that a man was found standing over the dead body of his wife with a gun in his hand. After a brief struggle police shot and wounded the man. His daughter was found alive.

Reception

Dementium received mixed reviews. Craig Harris of IGN said that the visuals were "outstanding: the lighting effects and texture work in Dementium: The Ward are pretty special when you consider the Nintendo DS' capabilities." He also noted "the flashlight effect might not match what other developers have done on more powerful systems" but "it's a believable technique that's pulled off better than anything seen on same-level hardware."^[12]

Dementium was criticized most prominently for its short length and lack of replayability; but also for its save system, and that most of the in-game enemies respawn on revisit, leaving a player short on items and ammunition and discouraging exploration.

On September 22, 2008, the Japanese Association of Psychiatric Hospitals published a protest against the game,^[16] asking the game to be taken off the shelves because "the game uses the tradition of psychiatry in name but uses imagery of attacking patients".^[17]

Dementium sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide.^[18]

Sequel

Prior to E3 2009, Renegade Kid released a teaser trailer announcing the development of Dementium II for the Nintendo DS. The game was released on May 4, 2010.

After finally gaining publishing rights to the series in September 2014,^[2] Renegade Kid announces a third instalment in development and to be released after re-releasing the first two games on the Nintendo 3DS.^[5]

External links

• Renegade Kid website

References