I've raved about Eternal Darkness before, so I won't waste more of your time by pining over it or cursing the masses for failing to recognize it. But getting back to harping on it: Seriously, GCN gamers? You loved Mario Party 7 but ignored this game? Ugh! The bright side, though, is that many of those who didn't purchase or even play Eternal Darkness are still aware of its unique "sanity meter." You've likely heard this before, but here's a short primer for those who are unfamiliar: in addition to the standard life meter, your character also has a "sanity meter." Encountering enemies depletes it, but performing a finishing move on them allows you to restore what was lost. But as is often the case, groups on enemies gang up on you and you aren't always given the opportunity to finish each one off individually. As the meter gets lower, your character (and vicariously, you) starts to lose their grip on reality.
The screen pans, whispers and screams are heard, and non-existent enemies come into view but disappear when you try to attack them. Those who are unfamiliar with the game might assume that such hallucinations are merely a gimmick and contribute little to the game. But truth be told, you'll start to question your own sanity. There are plenty of moments which will have you stating the un-acronymed form of "WTF?!," and other scares might just cause you to walk away from the game. This wouldn't be out of frustration or boredom, but just to clear your thoughts. It's rare that a game can mess with your head so deeply, but Eternal Darkness messes more than a newborn puppy.
