The Ring: Terror's Realm

I have to start off by apologizing to all the games I previously called Resident Evil rip-offs: T.R.A.G., Carrier, Countdown Vampires--I'm sorry. It's only since playing The Ring, a totally shameless and utterly pathetic attempt to mimic Capcom's adventure series, that I realize how stunningly original you all really are. This game has identical controls, boxes to store excess items, radios to save with instead of typewriters, even the same damn "door opening" sequences. But the attempts to mimic RE are not what's sad about The Ring; how horribly it still fails in almost every category is what's sad about The Ring. The combination of idiotic enemies and bad controls (sluggish response and no instant i8o turn) makes combat alternately way too easy or incredibly frustrating. Camera angles are confusing, the animation is average at best, and the lack of any real puzzles or bosses is just sad. A potentially interesting plot--with psychic girls, killer viruses and alternate dimensions--is hindered only by two small problems: one, you usually have no idea what you're supposed to do next and two, none of it ever makes any sense whatsoever. I will admit the environments look pretty nice, and the flashlight you often carry in the dark is spooky fun. But other than that, I have the same reaction to this game that one of its developers did when I asked him about it on a recent trip to japan: He just shook his head and sighed.

Despite the seriously lame translation, the Ring boasts a higher level of quality than one might expect from a smaller developer like Asmik Ace. The fully 3D graphics especially are pretty impressive. Animations are a bit jerky though and the music is just horrible--the same damn four-bar ditty repeats almost everywhere in the game. The game lacks a bit of polish, but the eerie techno-vrus/Matrix-meets-The Exorcist story line compels further investigation. It's no Resident Evil, don't get me wrong, but if you need another survival-horror fix and have already beat that Capcom classic, The Ring is worth inspecting.

I've always wanted lurk around a quarantined office building questioning frumpy secretaries and grumpy office jockies. Now if only it were repetitious, confusing and at times bizarre, I'd really be pumped--hello? Sarcasm aside, Ring is mildly intriguing at times and I'll admit the "alternative universe" portion is creepy in a Resident Evil-kind of way, but that's the extent of my endorsement. It's often unclear what you should pursue next. At one point, Meg (the main character) wonders to herself. "Hmm, maybe 1 need to find a laptop to help me out of here?" That wouldn't be my first thought after killing a couple mutant freaks in a pitch-black chamber of death.