The Dark Sacrament: book review

As an avid reader and collector of occult and paranormal books I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read this powerful book that is based very close to home. Demonic possession is something that shot to light when the movie The Exorcist stunned and shocked audiences all over the world, what followed was a spate of reported cases involving people supposedly possessed or influenced by invisible forces and demons. Regardless of what your view may be when it comes to the existence of these powerful forces and entities The Dark Sacrament will both educate and terrify. Essentially many of the cases in the book lead back to the oppression and possessions coming into being because of the intervention of stronger spiritual forces, the Ouija board in particular is no stranger to the spotlight.

While many of the accounts painstakingly presented in the book can be quite similar the real similarity they feature is the ability to shake your very foundations as to the existence of evil. Each account is expertly researched and transfers to paper perfectly in a way that will keep you coming back for more. While I read vast collections of similar styled books this is the first and only book that has ever actually made me question my own beliefs, the authors really did their homework and it shows at every turn of the page. Truly this is a book aimed at adults only because it deals with some very deep and important issues, while other books have attempted to do the same none have come this close.

The stories themselves are all recounts of the actual individuals who went through their trials and tribulations in the island of Ireland, it’s indeed a unique look into an otherwise unseen world. Though Ireland in the past was known to be in the firm grip of the Catholic Church The Dark Sacrament points to the cases where ordinary everyday people regardless of their belief systems were instead gripped by demonic power. Perhaps one of the most frightening factors detailed was that children too can be just as susceptible to the forces of darkness, and that they don’t always welcome the idea of ridding their demonic oppressors. One of the most memorable stories involved a young boy finding an Ouija board on his way home from school, treated to a magic trick like no other the boys life is soon turned upside down. The demon whom he contacts influences the boys life to the point where he becomes possessed under complete control of the entity, at a loose end his parents contact the local parish priest who in turn recommends an exorcist.

This is where the book really shines, not only are the stories recounted by the individuals themselves but also by the priests and exorcists who had to deal with the darkness they faced. I was very impressed by unravelling process of information held between the pages, though I’m very educated in the ritual of exorcism and the history behind it the authors offer up notes in the final pages that really shine light on everything you ever wanted to know about the subject. While the individuals themselves have had their details changed in order to hide their identities I was amazed to see that one particular person did not, Canon Wm. Lendrum. It was a testament to the man himself that he did not mind being publically identified as one of the main figures people turn to when they are faced with a demonic force. It’s the people like Wm. Lendrum that really make the book special, while you would expect the book to be preachy it does not put any emphasis on what you the reader should believe instead it gives you the facts and lets you make your own mind up. What I really liked was how the authors don’t just tell the stories they actually explain the possibly reasons behind the occurrences and in doing that help others prevent such happenings tainting their own lives.

After studying the occult and paranormal for many years I have come to the conclusion that many people don’t see the dangers in such things as Ouija boards and other means of spirit communication, while it can be done safely it can take a lot of time do it right. What many of the cases in The Dark Sacrament had in common was the obvious lack of education when it comes to such devices, though alcohol abuse and other forms of self abuse can open doors for demonic forces and negative energy the book itself may indeed serve as a way to prevent further escalation of cases.

Exorcism has always been a touchy subject in many countries but none such so as in modern Ireland, thankfully The Dark Sacrament tackles the subject perfectly without ever offending or pushing your own beliefs aside and every page turn is an edge of your seat experience. I recommend the book as a must read, whether you do or don’t believe in the existence of evil you will absolutely love the book – the only problem I found was it was nigh on impossible to put down! – The Dark Sacrament is available from all good bookstores such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. Author David M. Keily was interviewed by Jim Harold on the Paranormal Podcast some time back, for fans of the book it to is not to be missed and offers a rather insightful and personal look into the both the creation and research that went into The Dark Sacrament.

Review Score: 10-10

Naughty Bear: game review (ps3/360)

If you go down to the woods today, prepare to be disappointed. What could have been a great game has unfortunately turned out to be rather poor and lacking real fun. Meet naughty bear, he really isn’t happy with his fellow bears and so decides to go on a kill crazy rampage. He has his reasons though, unlike all the other bears he does not receive an invite to daddle’s birthday party. Poor naughty bear even goes to the trouble of crafting a special gift for daddle’s, however on the way over two other bears mock naughty bear and his gift.. naughty bear then skulks off back home to plot revenge on the inhabitants of the island. And that’s really how it goes, what follows is a lot of carnage ..stuffing will fly but sadly that’s about all.

The first thing that I noticed about the game was the overly dated look, though I was playing it on the playstation 3 it looked like a playstation 2 game. Games in general don’t have to look good for me to enjoy them but a more polished look does inspire me to play longer, Naughty Bear made me do the opposite. The main character of the bear does have a certain charm, he doesn’t talk instead an unseen narrator spins the yarn in the style of a slightly morbid children’s television show. Another issue I found to really hamper the pace of the game was the camera, normally a slightly turbulent camera is not a deal breaker in a game but the camera here will hang behind walls and doors causing you to have to keep centring it again and if you are lucky an enemy bear won’t attack.

The cartoon violence was for the most part quite funny at times but once I got about an hour into the game it really started to feel really repetitive to the point of me putting the controller down and turning the game off. The naughty points system is quite good and it lets you upgrade your bear to use different looks and weapons but again it’s something that only adds a little more lifespan to the game that in the end makes very little difference. Each level in the game world plays the same, find the bears and dispatch them ..maybe scare them first but inevitably the bears must die. Like I said the weapons do add a little spice and naughty bear has many weapons at his disposal including knives and guns.

Unfortunately the cartoon look just hasn’t been met to the standard you would expect from a nextgen console, I expected the developers would easily put together some great lush environments that were both clever and humorous instead they are drab and flat. The controls like the camera are at times very clunky and really drag the flow of the game down to a snail’s pace. For such a game with a lack of gloss to it the frame rate has issues especially when switching between areas of the map. Some are so bad it can result in an actual game freeze and since there is no real checkpoint system in place you will get very frustrated from having to start over again and that in itself might well be enough to make you either turn the game off or toss your controller at the television.

It may seem like all I’m pointing at are the negative aspects of the game but there really are very few redeeming features I can mention. At times there can be what feels like a burst of creativity but it’s so short lived that it will quickly be forgotten. When I have to point out the main menu screen as a positive part of the games design then it’s clear that said game has serious issues. The initial story of Naughty Bear is quite clever and promises a whole lot of laughs and adventure coated in a twisted little murder romp, but none of those promises are met ..apart for the murder of course. Originally I was very excited about the game but upon playing I have to do something I have never done before, and that’s to seriously recommend people not to buy Naughty Bear. As a rental the game might work, its short lived and it’s different but that’s really all.

Like any game there is always someone out there who will enjoy it no matter how bad others think it is and normally I always see something positive in an otherwise mediocre game so maybe it will appeal to someone. In a nutshell Naughty Bear is built in the style of games like Manhunt and Hitman but with bears and cartoon violence, if you like the idea of running around scaring and knocking the stuffing out of your fellow bears then this “might” be the game for you. Otherwise Naughty Bear really doesn’t deliver as a retail released console game, the graphics and sloppy game mechanics are the main choking point but there are too many other problems that stop it from ever becoming a game I would recommend. And so for my final score, I tried to enjoy Naughty Bear and I gave it a few chances to impress but any time I felt like I was having fun something else cropped up to ultimately frustrate and annoy until I eventually quit – Naughty Bear is getting a 4 out of 10. I did enjoy the narration and it was funny at times but even with the added DLC it’s just not enough to keep you going back for more.