Change Your Image
RealHanzo
Reviews
Sanitarium (1998)
An excellent game!
I have been playing video games for more than 25 years, and I have seen a lot of them. One thing that I have learned is that you may like games for different things, and not always the same. Some have great stories, some awesome graphics, some cool effects, some terrific soundtracks, etc. Another thing that I have learned is that a game should be evaluated by its own characteristics and not against other games characteristics. Sanitarium is an awesome game, an excellent game. By the time it was released, the game looked kind of old fashion, however the environment was perfectly set, with wonderful details and amazing backgrounds. At the beginning, it seems like a cliché. A guy losing his memory and trying to get it back... Please! It's been used for ages! However, the story develops in a way that this cliché turns into a deeper and disturbing story just perfect to keep the player going on trying to find out what happens. Some of the scenes seem to have been taken out of a bad dream, which is a perfect setting for this game. The player actually adapts to this weird dreams or hallucinations accordingly, which is also a neat detail. The story itself is very interesting, with ideas maybe borrowed from different sources, but nicely adapted to give them a different meaning. The game is a mix of suspense and terror, with some unique aspects making it a nice to play game. It hooks you and pulls you to keep on playing until the end. This is one of the games once you play you can not forget. I have not after more than 10 years...
Sanitarium (2001)
More complex than it seems
I am almost 100% sure this movie was created from a videogame with the same name. If you are into video games and like the classic point-and-click adventure style, you're gonna love this one. Definitly you need to see both (the video game and the movie) before you can tell anything about the movie. Of course, the story is a little different, but it is the same thing. Actually the name of the main guy is the same: MAX. The plot seems to be a cliche, but as the real story reveals, you find out it is not such a thing! Forget about the low budget. This movie is awesome. The music is great and certain scenes make you believe you are really in a sanitarium. After all what could you expect from a movie with such title? Just what it has: Confusion, darkness, suspense and chills. This movie has it all, so, from my perpective, the movie reaches its goals. I am sure it was created not to be a big time but to create discussion, and leave you with a taste in your mouth. What taste? That depends on you...