Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Clive Barker’s Undying puts you firmly in the boots of Patrick Galloway, a First World War veteran turned paranormal hunter, as you explore the eerie Covenant mansion and its surrounding domains. The core gameplay loop blends classic first-person shooter mechanics—precision revolver shots, shotgun blasts, and improvised Molotov cocktails—with supernatural spells that let you see hidden enemies, heal the wounded, and hurl ectoplasmic projectiles at spectral foes. This dual-wielding system, which assigns weapons to your left hand and spells to your right, encourages creative combinations that keep combat dynamic and unpredictable.

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Beyond gunplay, Undying incorporates light puzzle-solving and environmental interaction. Many doors remain locked until you search for keys, decipher cryptic notes, or align ancient standing stones according to ritual inscriptions. Scattered journals, letters, and family records not only flesh out the Covenant curse but occasionally reveal hidden switches or secret passages. While not a full-blown adventure game, these investigative elements break up the action and reward careful exploration.

The game’s pacing strikes a deliberate balance between tense firefights and atmospheric downtime. Wandering through dark corridors, you might stumble suddenly upon a charging ghoul, then retreat to a sunlit greenhouse to catch your breath while flipping through your inventory. Limited ammunition and spell energy mean you’ll often choose stealth and avoidance over direct confrontation, making every encounter feel like a calculated risk rather than a run-and-gun romp.

Graphics

Undying’s visuals, while showing their age, still deliver a palpable sense of dread. The mansion’s stone walls, flickering lanterns, and creeping shadows create an oppressive Gothic atmosphere that serves the horror narrative perfectly. Textures can appear stretched or pixelated by modern standards, but clever use of lighting and fog masks flaws and enhances the feeling that something unspeakable lurks just out of sight.

One of the game’s strengths lies in its distinct realms: the decaying mansion, the mist-shrouded island, the dreamscape of Oneiros, and the otherworldly realm of Eternal Autumn. Each environment boasts its own color palette and architecture—twisted trees, floating ruins, and spectral foliage—that underscores the supernatural tone. These surreal areas not only diversify the scenery but also hint at the broader cosmology that Clive Barker envisioned.

Character and creature models show limited polygon counts by today’s benchmarks, yet many enemies are cleverly animated to lunge, shrink, or dissolve in a pool of ectoplasm, which still feels unsettling. Coupled with a moody score and sparse sound effects—the crack of a shotgun, distant whispers, sudden shrieks—the graphics work in tandem with audio to sustain an immersive, spine-tingling experience.

Story

The narrative backbone of Undying centers on the Covenant family, cursed for generations by a dark ritual enacted at the turn of the 20th century. After uncovering enigmatic standing stones on a nearby island, the patriarch locked himself away in his library, desperate to unlock their power. His five children, lured by forbidden knowledge, stole a grimoire and performed a ritual that unleashed madness and death upon their bloodline.

Fast-forward to 1923, and Jeremiah Covenant, the last surviving family member, lies dying of cancer in the mansion he rebaptized as his tomb. Tormented by the phantoms of his siblings and haunted by malevolent creatures wandering the halls, Jeremiah summons his old comrade Patrick Galloway for one final mission: break the curse and lay the Covenant spirits to rest. Much of the backstory unfolds through scattered letters, recorded journals, and intermittent conversations with the island’s remaining inhabitants, giving players agency in how deeply they wish to delve.

Clive Barker’s creative fingerprints are everywhere—from the grotesque enemy designs to the hallucinatory realms beyond death. As the writer of the Hellraiser films, Barker injects a visceral, dream-like quality into the narrative. His influence ensures that the horror isn’t just about jump scares but about a creeping, existential fear that lingers long after you set down the controller.

Overall Experience

Playing Clive Barker’s Undying today feels like discovering a hidden relic: an ambitious, lore-rich horror FPS ahead of its time. The atmosphere is its crowning achievement, with every creak of floorboards and distant whisper ratcheting up tension. While the combat can be unforgiving—resources are scarce, and enemies often strike from unexpected angles—the sense of accomplishment after surviving a gauntlet of undead soldiers or spectral knights is deeply satisfying.

Despite occasional backtracking and the occasional level design quirk, the game maintains a steady momentum. The blend of action, exploration, and puzzle-solving ensures you’re rarely stuck in one mode for too long. The sprawling mansion interconnects cleverly, encouraging you to retrace your steps with new items or spells to unlock previously inaccessible areas.

For fans of horror who appreciate a strong narrative, moody presentation, and inventive gameplay mechanics, Undying remains a must-play. Its age shows in some technical aspects, but the core experience—combating eldritch nightmares, unraveling a multi-generational curse, and stepping into Clive Barker’s twisted imagination—remains as compelling now as it was upon release. If you’re seeking a unique blend of first-person action and supernatural intrigue, Patriots Cove awaits your arrival.

Retro Replay Score

8.1/10