Saw Hands On

The serial killer Jigsaw is back for more blood in this digital installment in the universe.

Konami has a certain pedigree when it comes to mature, dark content, including Silent Hill, Castlevania, and, soon, Lords of Shadow. It has another title in the works to add to the collection: Saw, the game based on the horror film franchise of the same name. Like the movies, the game will pit characters against Jigsaw with a range of life-or-death puzzles to solve if they hope to survive.

The game is set between the events in Saw and Saw 2, and in the films' style, it throws a lot of puzzles at you from the outset. The level we played starts off with you strapped to a chair and a cutscene featuring Jigsaw spewing his unreasonable demands at you via a TV set. A mask capable of decapitating is attached to your face, and you have a short period of time to remove it via a series of quick-time events that include spinning the analog sticks and mashing buttons. After you remove the mask, you have to work out how to exit the padlocked room you're in.

There are plenty of puzzles to keep you working hard for your freedom. The padlock code is sprayed (in reverse) across the bathroom stalls, and by closing the doors and looking in a mirror you can get the three-digit code. The next room requires some teamwork with a fellow inmate in the adjacent room. Blocks of dynamite hanging from the ceiling are timed to explode unless you can find a fuse to insert into a fusebox , thereby unlocking the door. The fuse, however, is at the bottom of a gritty toilet filled with used syringes. You need to pull out a syringe, via a quick-time event, before you pass out from the pain. After jiggling around for a while we managed to fish it out and save ourself, and our partner, from a grizzly death.

Saw certainly looks like an interesting approach to the survival horror genre, combining traditional action adventure gameplay with puzzle solving and quick-time elements. The game is headed to the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC this year.

105 Comments

  • pudgexd

    Posted Oct 25, 2009 5:51 am PT

    Probably a short game. Without much replay value. Will see review first before thinking about buying it.

  • amazing-genius

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 8:07 am PT

    I bet it's just gonna be a whole bunch of "Press X to not die" followed by walking to the next "Press X to not die".

    Gotta love ingenious quick-time events.

  • desperation52

    Posted Oct 6, 2009 1:18 am PT

    It makes it seems like there's gonna be an incredible guy that's going to escape from all of Jigsaw's puzzles.

    Just had this thought of a saw like game. Lemmings. How many lemmings will you sacrifice to save the rest of the lemmings.

  • jasonbt3

    Posted Oct 5, 2009 2:11 am PT

    the movies are great, lets see the game

  • Flaris

    Posted Sep 18, 2009 10:24 am PT

    Well I suppose there is an interesting side to this. Yet hard to feel excited about a game where the point is your character dying in different and horrible ways.

  • xbox4life76

    Posted Sep 16, 2009 9:21 am PT

    I'm not gonna lie, but I'm very intrigued by the possibility of this game, not sure why...I've enjoyed all the Saw movies but never thought about a movie but it could be interesting...looking forward to reading and seeing more of this game.

  • UberGamer44

    Posted Sep 15, 2009 3:48 pm PT

    hope the game rocks

  • fahadsul3man

    Posted Sep 5, 2009 2:09 am PT

    well duh this game is gonna be a just another screw up of movie to game . Nope i aint gonna buy this crap

  • barryjones009

    Posted Sep 4, 2009 10:28 am PT

    This game could be an instant classic.
    Followed by relentless crap sequels
    just like the movie.I think it sounds good,
    and i like my games to be challenging.

  • iRMB09

    Posted Aug 30, 2009 2:57 pm PT

    i want this game to be full of traps but i dont want it to be a game that is so hard that its impossible. I hope that the puzels are clever not stupid and realy. I want the game now

  • PS3_03

    Posted Aug 27, 2009 4:00 pm PT

    "Hello Gamespot, I want to play a game, it's very simple. What you heard about this game is self sacrificing between life and death. Every game must complete. It is a game that the clues are complex to reach out that If you suffer from it. It is part of a game. Why? Because it's the rules. If i assist you to make a victim kill his own partner, it must be made because it a game and it's the rules. So when you get your game copy, the rules must apply. Live or Die... make your choice."

  • badboy_32820

    Posted Aug 27, 2009 4:31 am PT

    i don`t think it`s gonna be fun

  • 101_Ben_101

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 10:45 am PT

    I don't know how you can enjoy this game really?

  • TinyTomV

    Posted Aug 21, 2009 3:49 pm PT

    This is the type of game thats either going to be great or horrible. So far it sounds like a puzzle game with some scary elements. I think if they spend a lot of time working of the puzzle and story, then this could be a good game.

  • tmt393

    Posted Aug 16, 2009 12:58 am PT

    To think that people go into a movie theater, and pay money to watch people get tortured for hours is sick. Then to produce a videogame involving the same dynamics is even worse. It's dissapointing to realize that this is what our society is coming to.

  • imjussMAD

    Posted Jul 28, 2009 8:33 am PT

    cannot wait , i wanna play a game

  • Icepick_Trotter

    Posted Jul 27, 2009 5:07 pm PT

    I am one to believe anything can be done well if put together with enough care. Hell... you could even make a good ET game if you design it correctly, so I guess it ultimately depends on the Zombie team's skill and creativity.
    Actually, in a game done right, the decision to kill a character could even be more shocking than in a movie.

  • Plinkmo

    Posted Jul 26, 2009 8:00 pm PT

    what would be the pay off for keeping the player alive? personally i would watch how the character died from the contraption first thenn go back and save them.

  • S3XYT1M3

    Posted Jul 25, 2009 5:48 pm PT

    im gonna rent it

  • that1guy67

    Posted Jul 17, 2009 10:04 pm PT

    i think it might be ok as long as they get the shock and awe moments right like in the movies. im not getting my hopes up for this one though. if they can make the puzzles hard to figure out and keep you interested in saving your character than it might have chance.

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