'Saw' video game review

Cinema’s most sadistic serial killer is coming to your home

By Paul Semel

Posted October 9, 2009

Special to Metromix

Rating:
Developer: Zombie Studios
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment America
Available on: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Reviewed on: Xbox 360

Usually if you want to enjoy a movie-inspired game, you also have to enjoy the movie that inspired the game. That’s not the case with “Saw,” a third-person survival horror game based on the franchise that’s currently at six installments and counting.

Of course, if you despise the bleak and bloody tone of the movies, you won’t find the game any more delightful. And fans of the films will get the most out of certain details—like the answers to some questions raised by the movies, the presence of familiar characters, and the creative involvement of original director/screenwriter James Wan and co-writer Leigh Whannell. But there’s a good chance those who simply enjoy scary games will find “Saw” frightening and engaging, even if they could never say the same about the films that inspired it.

Set between “Saw” and “Saw II,” the game casts you as Detective David Tapp, who was played on screen by Danny Glover (sadly, Glover doesn’t repeat the role here). Tapp gets captured by Jigsaw and has to explore an insane asylum rigged with numerous traps.

And he’s not alone. Other people are trapped in the asylum, some of whom you have to rescue, and some of whom you’ll have to kill in self-defense (or at least that’s what you’ll tell the cops). There are plenty of everyday objects lying around that make useful weapons (table legs, broom handles), though they do seem break rather quickly.

Much of the game is spent wandering around, trying to make your way to the next major trap, while seeking out bandages, new weapons, and a pair of shoes (there’s a lot of broken glass on the floor). It’s not as easy as it sounds in an asylum filled with booby traps.

Once you’ve sprung any of Jigsaw’s traps, the game becomes a puzzler. You’ll have to solve each challenge before it goes off, killing you or someone else. Most of these puzzles are clever but not especially difficult if you’ve played “BioShock,” “Batman: Arkham Asylum,” or any game where you have to press buttons at the right time, button mash them quickly, or move the thumbsticks in a certain way.

The overall vibe of the “Saw” game is more freaky than frightening, and the combat isn't especially engaging—there are no combos and it never feels like your weapon is really hitting your enemy. Also, the abundance of medical supplies and liberal checkpoint system means you won’t lose much progress if you actually die, making death rather meaningless. Didn’t anyone realize that undermines Jigsaw’s entire “stop wasting your life” motivation for putting people in death traps?

Flaws aside, “Saw” is clearly aimed at people who love the movies. In fact, those who own the complete series on Blu-ray will be overwhelmed with the fan servitude. But as long as you have a basic knowledge of who Jigsaw is, and you’re a fan of scary games like “Silent Hill” or “Dead Space,” “Saw” will satisfy with its short, sharp shocks.

Bottom line: Why yes, Mr. Jigsaw, I would like to play a game…