SAW

It is common knowledge that the majority of film tie-in video games have almost always resulted in major disappointments, with the exception of a select few that have made a difference. And this might just be the case of `Saw`. By merging the gritty and depraved elements of the eponymous horror film with the typical components of third-person action video games, the developing team at Konami have come up with this awesome little title that will have you spellbound all the way through the credits footage.

In terms of the story, if you happen to be a fan of the series, this game might just be your chance to plunge yourself into Jigsaw`s deranged world. The fact that you have to accompany detective John Tapp ( the protagonist of the 2002 film played by Danny Glover) through his bloody odyssey and follow Jigsaw`s clue to the letter to survive will give you the impression of being part of yet another chapter of the series that can stand in its own right . In addition, the presence… more »

It is common knowledge that the majority of film tie-in video games have almost always resulted in major disappointments, with the exception of a select few that have made a difference. And this might just be the case of `Saw`. By merging the gritty and depraved elements of the eponymous horror film with the typical components of third-person action video games, the developing team at Konami have come up with this awesome little title that will have you spellbound all the way through the credits footage.

In terms of the story, if you happen to be a fan of the series, this game might just be your chance to plunge yourself into Jigsaw`s deranged world. The fact that you have to accompany detective John Tapp ( the protagonist of the 2002 film played by Danny Glover) through his bloody odyssey and follow Jigsaw`s clue to the letter to survive will give you the impression of being part of yet another chapter of the series that can stand in its own right . In addition, the presence of two alternative endings makes it all the more appealing.

In terms of gameplay, riddles and puzzles are spot on. As many a reviewer before me very correctly pointed out, one of the negative sides of the game is the ludicrous combat mode. Aside from a flurry of punches, most of your combat experience is reduced to disposing of a number of identical john does by either clobbering them to death or setting booby traps here and there, none of them presenting any real challenge anyway. However, while the game lacks a proper combat mode, it more than makes up in terms of riddles and puzzles. Although repetitive, most of these such puzzles are timed challenges, in true Jigsaw style, and will compel you to hurry up in order to survive and progress through the game. What is more, if we look at the game under this standpoint, we might just understand why the developing team at Konami did not bother with graphics all that much . . . and trust me when I say that graphics wise this game will make you feel as if you were playing a PS2 game rather than a current generation one. As for my own experience, it was the presence of these beat-the-clock challenges that made me get the hang of the game, making impossible for me to put it down till I was through with it.

All in all, the game is definitely worth a try and it will not disappoint you. However, it took me exactly four days on and off to complete the game and clear all its trophies, and, seeing that there is no such thing as multiplayer you might want to consider renting it rather than buying it - unless, of course, you happen to be a fan of all things SAW.

The game is set in an eerie asylum, a great setting for a saw game really because it retains the creepy feeling of the Saw movies but is also able to be a proper, full sized game.

Graphically, this isn't the most impressive game I've seen, but its certainly not the worst. Some textures are better than others, and some aren't very good, thankfully the dark, creepy lighting hides those though. 3.5/5.

Gameplay is good and paced slowly (but the slow pacing lets you get more immersed in your setting and adds to the atmosphere) until you come to the combat.. the combat is dreadful, if your enemy gets the first hit, you may aswell restart from the last checkpoint, as you will most likely not be able to land a hit. Having said that, outside of combat you are always on edge looking for Jigsaws next deadly trap. With good puzzles that require some thought, and not too much combat, Saw manages to make up for the dreadful combat, 4/5.

The audio is perfect in this game, with… more »

The game is set in an eerie asylum, a great setting for a saw game really because it retains the creepy feeling of the Saw movies but is also able to be a proper, full sized game.

Graphically, this isn't the most impressive game I've seen, but its certainly not the worst. Some textures are better than others, and some aren't very good, thankfully the dark, creepy lighting hides those though. 3.5/5.

Gameplay is good and paced slowly (but the slow pacing lets you get more immersed in your setting and adds to the atmosphere) until you come to the combat.. the combat is dreadful, if your enemy gets the first hit, you may aswell restart from the last checkpoint, as you will most likely not be able to land a hit. Having said that, outside of combat you are always on edge looking for Jigsaws next deadly trap. With good puzzles that require some thought, and not too much combat, Saw manages to make up for the dreadful combat, 4/5.

The audio is perfect in this game, with creepy sound effects happening all around you, hearing people run on the floor above you and various other sounds always manage to keep you on edge, adding great atmosphere to the game, 5/5.

On the whole, Saw is a decent game but some people will not like it because of the combat and how the game is paced. Apart from the combat, the game may get slightly repetetive in long amounts of continuous gameplay, however once you put it back on the next day, you find yourself immersed in the Saw world once again.