Part allegory, part symbolism, Sanitarium is one of those games that, like the movie
The Sixth Sense, you cannot say too much about for fear of revealing
the plot twists. A story that begins as a B-movie cliché–Who
am I? How did I get here?–slowly evolves into a horrifying story
of self-discovery. You will embark on a surreal journey through grotesque
yet strangely familiar environments populated by freakish denizens.
The strange becomes familiar and the familiar strange as you slowly
reconstruct your past.
Sanitarium
is a story that propels you forward to piece together the unsettling
answer to who you are and how you came to be an occupant of the sanitarium.
A nice, tidy finish removes some of the game’s edge, but overall Sanitarium
is a well-constructed game that entices you to empathize with its
main character.
JA’s
best-looking reviewer, Randy Sluganski, had nothing but praise
for Sanitarium, “Certain locations, such
as the carnival, remain in your mind long after you have put the game
away for the evening. The chapters in the sanitarium itself are reminiscent
of the scenery from a 1930s Universal horror film. Within each chapter
there are, at key points in the game, photorealistic full-screen cinematic
cut scenes that are simply amazing. They convey a foreboding sense
of atmosphere that slowly ties together the background of the game.
Sanitarium
has already found a hallowed spot on my top shelf… the eerie
atmosphere, the uncertainty of knowing what will occur next and the
mature plot development. Let’s hope Dreamforge has more games like
Sanitarium on the drawing board. So turn out the lights and get ready
to play the scariest, creepiest computer game you have ever loaded
on your hard drive.”
Publisher:
ASC Games Developer: Dreamforge Release Date: Spring 1998 Platform: PC/Windows
5.
