Saw has you playing as one of Jigsaws most recent victims Detective David Tapp. You already have some history with Jigsaw, being the chief investigator to capture him, your partner was killed by one of his traps and everyone blamed you for his death and to top it off your wife left you, so finding yourself wake up in a dank room with a head clamp that is about to rip you into pieces is not a good start to the day.

 

 

This is one of Jigsaws more complex puzzles, having numerous people also trapped with you, each one linked to you by some means, be it your former partners wife, a bent police officer or ex-cons, Jigsaws usual anal reasons for capture apply to each person, they have not lived their life to its fullest and he intends to show them the error of their ways. Whilst you have to search though an abandoned asylum for answers and a way out the others search for you for a key that Jigsaw helpfully surgically inserted in you.

 

Saw plays very similar to Silent Hill, you move room to room, most of the time shrouded by darkness trying to make sense of the madness and get out in one piece. As you wander around Jigsaw will have set up puzzles and tasks for you to complete. The tasks focus on you, ranging from sticking your hand in a toilet full of needles to grab a key, walking across shattered glass barefoot or keeping a safe distance from other captured people wearing similar head popping proximity mines. The puzzles are aimed at saving people you know and get harder as you play along, even though simple in design, having someone screaming in your ear to hurry before they get sliced in half adds to the tension.

 

There are also traps scattered around, either on doors or tripwires, set one off and it's a fatal ending, most of the time involving a shotgun blast to the head. These do get a little tedious, especially when you are running from an enemy in the dark and you hear that click and it does cause some frustrating gaming. Add onto that the erratic save points and it's not always as enjoyable as it could be.

 

For protection David is able to carry a few bits including health, parts to make trip wires and bombs and a large amount of melee weapons. Most rooms will have a pipe, baseball bat with a nail, table leg or lamp to use to take down enemies. This is where the game falters, the fighting is very cumbersome, with a very slow delay from pressing attack to actual impact. The enemy has identical speed so most of the time you can hang back, let them swing and then go in for the kill. With all these weapons available it turns out using your trusty fists causes the most damage, allowing a few jabs and an uppercut before stomping on their head.

 

The third person view will sadly cause a few headaches during gameplay. When you are in the dark (most of the game) and using the torch the view is obscured by your own body. Also some fights cause you to back into a corner, causing you to be jammed between a wall and unable to find a way out, you will be slowly beaten to death.

 

 

Being a game based on an 18 cert film you can expect a lot of blood and violence. Missing however is the fear of death, the NPC's will die numerous times before you get the puzzles right and whilst the game is full of suspense, it never really peaks in a big shock, just more and more suspense.

 

Saw is still a very popular franchise and thankfully the videogame will please fans of the film as it captures the look and feel of the movies whilst allowing you to take part in Jigsaws twisted games.