There are a number of different ways that Dementium II is better than its preceding title, Dementium: The Ward (2007). Aside from the additional weaponry that players will encounter in the title, the mapping of Dementium II removes some of the more annoying problems encountered with the original effort. Players again take up the role of William Redmoor, whom is still attacked by nightmares. However, the story changes, placing Redmoor in the care of the Bright Dawn Treatment Center.
What strikes me as being particularly strong with Dementium II is exactly how much the title has been tweaked – where successful initial titles usually lead to fairly lacking sequels, Dementium II feels like it has something always to prove. That’s why the respawning of enemies has been brought to a more realistic degree, as well as the graphics being ratcheted up to really represent a team that wants to push the Nintendo DS as far as it can conceivably go. Finally, the addition of save points here make the title much less stressful, allowing players to really gain an appreciation for the aforementioned graphics and ambient sounds and music present.
The different difficulty settings present in Dementium II provide players with a considerable replay value, while the ability to dual-wield weapons and items adds further strategy into the title. Furthermore, the encounters that players have with bosses are varied in terms of defeat tactics, rather than one merely being able to steamroll anything that they come across. Renegade Kid (developers) and SouthPeak Interactive (publishers) have a good thing going with the title, and I feel that the style of this title is amenable enough to allow for further expansions to be made.
Rating: 8.3/10
Dementium II (Nintendo DS) / 2010 SouthPeak Interactive / http://www.southpeakgames.com