Much has been made of Eternal Darkness' 'sanity effects' - which do their damnedest to take your unflagging stoicism in the face of all things nasty and pick off its limbs until there's nothing left but a quivering mass of blood and tears - but what really grabbed me the first time I chewed through the game was its brilliant narrative. It all starts when Alexandra Roivas is summoned to her grandfather's stately mansion by police in the dead of night (the old man was murdered in a particularly vicious attack, leaving body sans head). Determined to unearth the truth behind her grandfather's murder, Alex explores the mansion and discovers the book which fuelled the old man's obsession. And it's between the grimy covers of The Tome Of Eternal Darkness that the truth behind the murder, and indeed, the universe lies. Alexandra's investigation frames a web of terror spanning centuries; from ancient Persia to World War I, The Tome Of Eternal Darkness relates several gruesome tales of man's helplessness in the face of evils too great to even comprehend, much less kill. Each of the twelve characters contributes a new piece of the narrative puzzle, as well as several new elements and abilities which are in turn used by Alexandra in the present day as she uncovers more of the mansion's - as well as her family's - dark history. Eternal Darkness is a bleak, oppressive experience, made all the more horrifying by the screen-covering 'sanity effects' which only increase in intensity the longer you go on. But all the gimmicks in the world aren't going to help if the narrative itself doesn't have legs to carry the game forward, and Eternal Darkness is a tapestry of terror. There's a thread of unrelenting nihilism running through every chapter, and the few moments in which you're granted a temporary respite upon returning to the present day do little to dispel the notion that forces beyond our imagination are waiting beyond the veil of reality. What are your favourite horror games from the 2000s? No list is truly definitive, so be sure to share your own in the comments below!
