Nintendo hasn’t been a huge advocate of the horror video game genre in recent times. The company’s family-friendly aesthetic, coupled with a lack of well-received horror titles on their consoles, has ensured that other platforms have become the go-to for scary franchises.
This wasn’t always the case. Nintendo was as likely to greenlight a survival-horror, psychological thriller, or other spooky game as much as anyone else back in the 1990s and early 2000s. One such title – Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem – even holds the distinction of being one of the most critically-acclaimed games on the Nintendo GameCube. Few have been able to force themselves into this elite class of game since, particularly in the horror genre. Can it be argued, then, that Eternal Darkness was the last great first-party Nintendo horror game?
Upon its initial release in the US in June 2002, Eternal Darkness drew widespread praise from critics for its unique gameplay mechanics, spooky allure, and intriguing plot. Boasting a 92 out of 100 aggregate score on Metacritic, it stands out as the only horror title to deserve such a rating. Players take on the role of Alexandra Roivas, a university student who returns to her childhood home after her last living relative is found brutally murdered. After she uncovers the Tome of Eternal Darkness, the narrative jumps between present day – where Alexandra is controlled – and multiple playable characters within “chapters” of the book. Taking place across four different locations, players must use these characters to prevent a powerful enemy from enslaving humanity forever.
Eternal Darkness took plenty of its inspiration from the Resident Evil series, but the implementation of a ‘sanity meter’ mechanic added a bold layer that often confused and scared gamers in equal measure. Its timeline jumping mechanic and multiple story path endings won it acclaim as well. No other horror title has come close to matching Eternal Darkness’ score since, albeit with little in the way of true competition. Only 10 exclusive Nintendo horror games have been released since Eternal Darkness 16 years ago. Of that number, just three have broken the 70 out of 100 barrier on Metacritic – Dementium: The Ward, Project Zero 2: Wii Edition, and ZombiU – but all failed to overthrow Eternal Darkness at the top.
Score aggregation websites aren’t the solitary marker by which video games are judged, however. Titles can still sell well in spite of what the media thinks. ZombiU, a 2012 launch title on the Wii U, is proof of this. Its score pales in comparison to Eternal Darkness’ – 71 to 92 – but it shipped almost twice as many copies as the Silicon Knights developed game. Some would argue that this barometer is a truer reflection of what should be considered a classic, and yet ZombiU isn’t viewed this way. Thanks to the short shelf life of the Wii U, and a lack of spectacular launch titles upon the console’s release, ZombiU was the pick of the bunch in November 2012. This, if anything, was a perfect summation of the Wii U in general, and gamers quickly moved on from ZombiU and the console entirely.
In something of a U-turn, Nintendo has begun to soften its stance on horror games in the past 12 months. Titles such as Outlast, Doom, Resident Evil Revelations, and more have been ported to the company’s Switch console since its launch in March 2017. The reception to these excellent games would be good enough to potentially rival Eternal Darkness but for one obvious problem – Nintendo’s lack of involvement in their development or publication. Eternal Darkness was published by Nintendo, which protects its rightful claim to the exclusive crown.
Eternal Darkness didn’t get everything right to be considered a truly iconic Nintendo franchise. Despite being lauded by critics, its failure to ship more than 500,000 copies worldwide ended any chance of a potential sequel being developed. Silicon Knights’ financial problems, too, resulted in the developer being closed down in May 2013.
Nintendo still holds the game’s trademark, should they wish to revive it down the line. The company’s lack of in-house published horror games, alongside its desire to refresh and develop its core franchises such as Metroid, Pokemon, and more, means that won’t be happening any time soon though.
Eternal Darkness may not have been well-received by the public, but its uniqueness in certain gameplay aspects and interesting, scary plot allowed Silicon Knights to deliver on its promises. It isn’t iconic in the way that Mario, Zelda, or another Nintendo property is. However, its consistently high review ratings mean that it has gone toe-to-toe with established franchises in the upper echelons of review scores. Eternal Darkness’ rarity as a Nintendo published horror game sets it apart from others on the company’s long list of platforms too, and cements its place in an often overlooked genre for the Japanese gaming giant.
It might not be the unmitigated success that had been hoped, but Eternal Darkness can hold its head high as the last truly great first-party Nintendo horror game.
