Clive Barker's Jericho

Be it through artwork, books, or films, Clive Barker has terrified and enticed audiences across the world, gaining a very devout following. Several years ago, the renaissance man of horror released his first foray into the world of video games, Clive Barker’s Undying, which was a PC first-person shooter as imagined by the author. The game was a hit with critics, but unfortunately lacked legs with the public, and fell quite short of being a commercial success.

Now, Barker is gearing up for his next opus, Clive Barker’s Jericho. A more modernized (if not futuristic) take than Undying, Jericho puts players in control of an entire squad of soldiers who have been pulled into an alternate dimension while exploring the ruins of a forgotten city. While a lot more action oriented than Undying, Jericho will offer up a dosage of thrills and chills with unique team mechanics and hideous monsters as can only be dreamt up by Clive Barker.

In the game, you are placed in the shoes of Jericho squad, a team of, shall we say, paranormally sensitive soldiers. Each member of the team has their own weaponry and unique paranormal abilities. For example, the leader of the team, Capt. Ross, fights with an assault rifle and psychic powers, Father Rawlings is a dual- wielding exorcist, Sgt. Church has a katana sword SMG-combo and is a blood mage to boot, and Cpl. Cole can summon ammo and health out of thin air. There are a few other members of the team (a pyromancer heavy-weapons specialist, a sniper capable of telekinetically guiding her own bullets and a scout capable of astral projection), and each has their own contributions to the group.

One unique element is that each character has the ability to heal their comrades on the battlefield should they fall in battle. The unit AI is pretty good about healing their fellow soldiers should they fall, keeping the action moving at a fast and furious pace. However, should each of your squadmates fall, then it’s game over.

The game also has some real-time button press sequences, like in God of War or Spider-Man 3. These sometimes come up on you very quickly, and can be a bit unforgiving, as one press at the wrong time can send you to an early death. These range from traversing a gap to falling down a hole, and tend to feel a little juxtaposed.

Of course, the main element that steals the show is the creepy enemies that you face. Done as only Clive Barker could create, these enemies range from giant meat creatures with flesh-covered shields, to children ghosts, to gigantic Roman gladiators. The boss battles are especially intense, with huge enemies that take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’.

Graphically, the game is a nice looking game, albeit an extremely dark one. Luckily, each of your characters carries around a flashlight, which is a real godsend. The character models, particularly the gruesome enemies, look great and carry the tradition of Clive Barker’s designs nicely.

No question, Clive Barker’s Jericho will deliver some terrifying moments, and should be one for horror fans and action gamers to check out this fall.