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Curse: The Eye of Isis was a game I had hoped would stand out, but it turned out to be fairly mediocre.
This review is for the PS2 edition, which was available only in PAL regions. In Curse, you play either as Darien Dane or Victoria Sutton, two childhood chums whose parents were colleagues and fellow excavators of Seth's tomb in Egypt. Darien has tried to distance himself from his parents' legacy, especially following the strange misfortunes which befell them after the expedition. Victoria, on the other hand, has followed in her parents' footsteps and became one of the Museum of Great Britain's top contributors. Darien's interest in Egyptology is basically limited to his interest in Victoria. Even though that's obviously the case, don't expect any cheesy romance from the heroes. The game takes place in Victorian England, and men were expected to be proper gentlemen. The costumes and weapons in the game are consistent in reflecting this, with some license of course (there's a "hellish mortar gun").
Graphically, Curse begins on a strong point with a beautifully designed museum level (reminiscent of Haunting Ground), but it collapses afterward with levels that are boring and strictly linear. You'll depend on your map for certain screens because entrances into rooms or passages are simply not visible. You might also find the map (which doesn't have a YOU ARE HERE icon) difficult to navigate and access. The character faces could have been more detailed and the lips made to sync with the voiceovers, but overall that's a minor complaint.
The music in Curse was practically nonexistent. When it was queued, it played only briefly, sometimes cutting off in the middle of a suspenseful sequence. This was undoubtedly a glitch (perhaps only on the Playstation edition), but there's no way it should have escaped the ears of a QA tester. As for the sound effects, they were run-of-the-mill. One high point for the game was the voice acting, which was very good. Unfortunately, the voice track's volume was so low that it was very difficult to hear the actors. The subtitle option was helpful.
The story of Curse is intriguing, but its delivery is weak. The villains in particular have no real motive and are disposed of almost as quickly as they are introduced. There is an interesting, well-hidden twist at the end involving one of the heroes, but the ending is otherwise short and lacking.
The game's controls were relatively easy to manage. The NORMAL setting was very easy. The big complaint I'll make about the controls is the camera. The camera angles are given from fixed points of view, somewhat in the style of Silent Hill. The only problem is that the perspectives are uninteresting and not cinematic at all. In fact, in some of the confined areas, they will get you killed a few times unless you keep your life gauge full. The SHIP level in the game involved some interesting visuals. The level is constantly swaying, like a real ship at sea. If you get motion sick easily, I'd avoid playing it since it's the longest level in the game.
The game's puzzles are a joke. There is no need for a walkthrough whatsoever. The puzzles amount to busy tasks.
Overall, Curse did a fantastic job creating a setting with costumes and the beginning and end levels of the game. I was hoping for a spookier atmosphere, but this game is definitely closer to adventure than horror. There are a few pretty good "Boo!" moments throughout, but sadly nothing that will haunt your dreams. It's a relatively short game (about 8 hours worth of play) with several opportunities to save and replenish life/ammo.
Curse isn't the worst horror game I've played (that would be Clock Tower 3), but it certainly isn't one of the best. For fans of the genre, because of its short game time, I'd recommend it. For gamers in general, however, this is an easily forgettable and non-collectible title, which probably explains why it was never imported Stateside.
EDIT: The worst horror game I have played is now Virus: It is Aware. Clock Tower 3, formerly the worst, is at least 100 times better.
7/10
