That's not to say this is a perfect game, though. Far from it. The save points are often spaced too far apart, which can lead to some incredibly frustrating moments later in the game. This type of thing is bad enough on a full-sized console title, but it's even worse on the DS, given that the whole point of a handheld is that you can play it for a few minutes at a time without losing your progress. For those who'd prefer to cruise through the game, though, the developers provide an adjustable difficulty setting.

Also, while the sound effects are decent, the music is horrendously cheesy. It's clear the composer was going for some truly haunting minor-key sounds, but in reality, it sounds like it comes from a parody of a slasher B-movie. Some players might also dislike the fact that the music warns you when enemies are nearby, thus ruining some of the scares, but given the scarcity of both health and save points, we didn't mind too much.

Further, for a $30 game, Dementium II is a little on the short side: there are five chapters that take, on average, a little more than an hour each to complete. You can replay the game at a higher difficulty if you'd like, and as you progress, you unlock various versions of the action-packed "survival mode" (which is fun at first because ammo is easier to come by, but gets old quickly), but that's about it for replayability. Most gamers should rent this one instead of buying it, or at least wait for the price to come down.

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In the end, the question of whether to give Dementium II a shot is a simple one. Do you want to play a survival horror game on the DS? If the answer is yes, this is the best place to go. If not, this is a good game, but not a must-buy. Stick to the simple and fun games on the DS, and play out your disturbing murder fantasies in full HD on the TV-connected consoles.

By Robert VerBruggen
CCC Freelance Writer