Rise of Nightmares Review for Xbox 360

System: Xbox 360,
Dev: SEGA
Pub: SEGA
Release: September 6, 2011
Players: 1-2
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p	Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes

And while we're talking about the environment, let's talk visuals. If you were wondering if this game would finally be the Kinect title that would include the awesome visuals we've grown accustomed to from current-generation game, you can think again. The castle itself is horribly bland, and the screen is often devoid of anything besides a monster or two and some repetitive textures. Even the monsters look bad, as most are poorly designed and have very repetitive animations. Scary games are all about atmosphere, and unfortunately, Rise of Nightmares has none.

Rise of Nightmares Screenshot

Sound doesn't really help matters either, as Rise of Nightmares has one of the worst audio design schemes I can recall. The background music can best be described as grating, as it is generally just made up of loud noises and agitating sound effects. When you pair that with a frustrating control experience, the combination is enough to make you want to throw an invisible controller. Though the voice acting isn't terrible (depending on your tolerance for bad foreign accents) the music sent me over the edge in a hurry, cementing the experience as something horrifying (and not in the way originally intended).

In fact, that idea just basically sums up the Rise of Nightmares experience as a whole. The game is scary, but only because it plays so poorly. Though I still like the idea of Rise of Nightmares, the finished product isn't something that I can see any gamer getting excited about. The poor control mechanics and broken movement system already make the game practically unplayable, and when you add it to poor production values and a story that it is incredibly hard to care about (it's not even funny in a bad way), then you've got a Kinect game you should stay away from. Sure, you don't have to heed my warning, but doesn't one of the standard horror tropes state that the first victim always gets ample notice? Don't be that first victim. Leave this game on the shelf.

By Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Senior Contributing Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

2.3

Graphics
Visuals are bland and basic. Animation is repetitive.

2.5

Control
While there are moments where the control works, movement is a continual issue and wrecks the entire experience.

2.3

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Voiceovers aren't terrible, but the music is grating.

2.5

Play Value
If you get through it once, you won't want to re-live the experience.

2.3

Overall Rating - Poor
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

Horrifying and compelling. An unashamedly mature title in a sea of family-friendly offerings on Kinect for the first time, Rise of Nightmares takes you into a cinematic world of horrific blood and violence.

Unique motion controls. Use your whole body to fight the undead horde with physical brutality. Rise of Nightmares is an intensely immersive experience that brings horror to life like never before.

Explore and investigate. Navigate through Viktor's castle with free movement control, uncover the secrets held within and delve deeper into his the mind of a madman.

The ability to enhance and develop your character using RPG-like elements including four unique character/classes, an XP-based leveling system and unlockable skill trees put the power in your hands to create and play a unique protagonist.

Deep and varied gameplay. Master the different fighting styles and various weapons, stealthy sneaking and puzzle-solving. Will you fall into the mansion's traps or lure the undead into one of your own?