Once again here is a great concept for a horror game.  Dr. Jekyll must fight through a hellish environment, which resembles German expressionism.  The nineteen twenties silent classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari comes to mind when fighting off mad asylum patients within the art deco type settings.  The music to this game reminds me of American McGee’s Alice.  Which is to say well done.  The audio track offers screams, shrieks, squeaking doors, and music that creeps especially in the dark.  A recipe that seems hellish fun for this time of season.  So we have creepy music, scary environments, and an evil character name Hyde.  So why in Samhain’s name is this game a nightmare?

To put it simply, the control is absolutely horrendous.  Whether you choose to play with the keyboard or game pad the result is the same.  There is a roaming camera, which is supposed to hover over your characters shoulder.  Turning corners is frustrating when the camera lags, and there is a baddie conveniently waiting for you out of sight.  This happens to often.  So does dying.  Running up and down narrow pathways is not fun when you cannot see where it is you are supposed to be going.  Did I mention the jumping puzzles?

Let me go on record right now.  Jumping puzzles are not fun.  They rank right up there with endless maze levels, and boring drawn out dialogue.  It is hard to make an accurate jump when the camera is in a nasty spot, and can’t be moved.  Now I hate giving Dreamcatcher a bad review, because I appreciate the low price tag.  Unfortunately this title just isn’t worth it.  If you are looking for creepy games to go with the season why not try some oldies but goodies.  Grim Fandango, System Shock 2, or even Dreamcatcher’s Dracula was a good one.

Some puzzles in this game required Mr. Hyde, while others needed to be solved with Jekyll.  Jekyll is weak, and fights like a girl.  Hyde is mean, strong, and can jump farther then his light side.  This could have made for a very interesting, very suspenseful, and engrossing title if more time was taken with storytelling and gameplay.  Too bad.  The combat system is rather awkward, and the AI is lacking.  Character models could’ve been done better, and the level design just doesn’t make any sense.  Don’t even get me started on the save game options.  I’m not even sure why they were included.  You can save at the beginning of a level or at the midway point.  This happens regardless of where or when you choose to save.  For a moment I thought I had consolitis.  It really is a shame that a good soundtrack, and hauntingly memorable environments weren’t put to better use.    

Install: Easy
So quick it’s scary.

Gameplay: 5
So frustrating it’s like being locked in a terrible nightmare.

Graphics: 7.5 
I like the setting very much.  They were dark, moody, and very warped.  The character models are weak.

Sound: 8
Creepy sounds, and moody music.

Difficulty: 5
Like sticking needles into pinhead’s skull.

Concept: 9
The original silent of Jekyll and Hyde was very freaky.  The idea to switch characters could have been a nice touch.  Another great idea bites the dust.

Overall: 6.5
This game is fun until you try to move.  Rent the movie folks.  It’s scarier, and shorter.