Nocturne is a rough, rough game. Bugs required me to reload saves (ones that broke the game otherwise), segments feel out of place, save scumming feels required (and reloading takes awhile) - yet, this game is supremely charming.

Taking place in the early 20th century, a BRPD-like organization known as Spookhouse takes on terrors and mysterious conspiracies. Like a four-part miniseries, you play four episodes throughout the time of Spookhouse's administration, taking on vampires, mutant zombies, undead gangsters, and a trap-ridden murder house.

The main character, Stranger, is somewhat like the more heavily armed Resident Evil types, with automatic targeting and plenty of gunfire. The game has a survival horror look, but expect to be shooting everything you see. As for gameplay, the game tends to try to dip its feet into other pieces of the genre (hiding from enemies, complex puzzles) but missteps more than it steps.

Still, its charm bleeds through and it looks surprisingly good for the era, with cloth physics (waggle jackets!) and impressive lighting. Most of the dialogue is pretty cheesy, but the story is remarkably well-written, making what would have been a pretty frustrating game into a flawed gem worth checking out. For Terminal Reality's first game, this one is probably one of the developer's best.