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It is the not too distant future and the true island of Patmos has been discovered. Archaeologist, Shannon Currie, has found historical land in a search for an ancient gallery portraying the End Times, made by Saint Jean himself. However, the party has disappeared and now Shannon's husband and partner, Jesse Logan, must set out to find her and see the gallery they have searched so hard for.

So begins The Unholy, an action/adventure title from OtherWorlds Interactive. In this tale of "Indian Jones" meets the Apocalypse, the player will be led through a world slipping into the End Times. Demons and followers of the dark are your enemies and the fate of the world may rest upon your shoulders.

Any successful horror game requires a strong and involved plot line and The Unholy does not fail to deliver. OtherWorlds Interactive have combined the more dark aspects of the Bible with a fictional twist to keep players riveted to their seats. The story begins to unfold around the island of Patmos, where exiled apostle, Jean, received and recorded his visions of the end times. CEO, Ken Deel, refers to the true Patmos as a modern day Pandora's Box and when it is discovered, evil is unleashed. Your job is to combat these evil forces while trying to discover the fate of your wife, Shannon, and, if possible, save her. To keep things exciting, OtherWorlds have included multiple endings, one good, one bad. Which ending you get relies entirely upon your actions so that even a completed level may not be a true victory!

The players will usually find themselves controlling Jesse Logan, an archaeologist pushed forward by his obsession with the past, his love of Shannon and his stubborn, inquisitive nature. The Unholy uses both a first and third person POV to allow for more flexible play and accommodate the games refreshing departure from the repetitious levels seen in most games. The Unholy plays out in an large array of environments where the player may find themselves in locations as diverse as an airplane or ancient Egyptian ruins. Weapons are more along the lines of those found in real life but will also feature artifacts with magical powers.

If The Unholy has a stumbling block at this point it is certainly graphics. The game has successfully set a very dark and moody atmosphere but the textures are lacking and objects are far too simple with nighty degree angles everywhere. Thankfully, OtherWorlds is well aware of the problem and assures us that the current shots only represent the feel of the game and not the actually graphics. Still, looking at the current pictures available, one can gather a good impression of what a sinister environment they will be thrown into.

With the current lack of known horror games coming to the Xbox, The Unholy could be just what the system needs. Currently showing such promise with its story and diversity The Unholy may stand to be the sleeper hit of 2002 if OtherWorlds Interactive can just prove their graphical ability. With a release date that falls squarely within the early Xbox launch window, we should be seeing a lot more of this game in the coming months.

Related Links:
Interview with OtherWorlds Interactive
Other Worlds Interactive Website
The Unholy Website