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Painstaking but atmospheric

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 62 / 64
Date: May 11, 2005
Author: Amazon User

"Haunting Ground" seems to be championing the sub-genre of survival horror established by the "Clock Tower" series...in fact this game has "Clock Tower 3" written all over it. That was a good game, but repetition's not always a good thing. Still there are lots of impressive features to this game that make it fun to play.
The main character of the game is a young girl called Fiona who finds herself waking up in a huge castle after a car accident. Why is she here and why are strange characters pursueing her around the massive building? These are the questions you must ultimately uncover answers for, but there is a whole lot of running and puzzle solving to be done before then.

I say running, because for the most part, that's what you are going to be doing. In this game, the main character does not attack her foes. Like "Clock Tower" before it, if an enemy appears you are faced with a few options which consist of running for your life, hiding, or finding hot spots in the castle where one-off retaliation actions can be sprung. This is on the most part well implemented, plus the chase situations seem more perilous than those in "Clock Tower", as the baddies seem far more persistent and less easily fooled in this game. The mechanics of panic are very similar, with Fiona getting more frightened the closer the pursuer gets and the more near-misses she withstands. Expect to see the screen shudder and the colours to drain as Fiona starts to lose her cool, culminating in a total washout of colour and blurring of the picture if she loses it totally. In this condition, Fiona will run at random and fall over most of the time...if you let things get this bad, you're pretty much looking at Game Over, as the baddie will more often than not close in and finish off our heroine for good (particularly nasty death scenes in this game - relying mostly on sounds and your imagination). Cleverly, the use of hiding places is only randomly successful, as Fiona might successfully hide in a closet on one occasion, only to find that the enemy doesn't just walk past the next time she's in it, but comes right up and opens the door!

Luckily there are curative items that you can use during chases to alleviate panic and injury, as well as a few offensive items to throw. Plus of course one major feature that I haven't even mentioned yet - Fiona has a pet dog! Well, it's not really a pet. Fiona befriends the animal early in the game, and he becomes her constant companion. Now this aspect of the game I really like. Fiona has several commands that she can give the dog (Hewie), and it's up to you to decide when, and which things to say and do to get Hewie to provide help. It's during chase sequences that Hewie shows his real worth, as Fiona can set him on the enemy to bite and attack while she gets away. He also helps with some puzzles, requiring some lateral thinking from the player as he can go into small spaces where Fiona can't fit, and she can also go places (climbing ladders, for example) where he can't follow. So expect a bit of fun in working out how to get both your characters around the castle when needed. The dog accompaniment is a major part of the game, so it is well worth taking the trouble to build a good bond with Hewie, especially as it can affect the ending you get. It's very easy to do, though and much enjoyment comes from training him with constant commands, and watching him explore, sniff around or just lie on the floor if he gets bored - a great character and with perfect AI - responsive, but prone to whims of his own. I couldn't resist having Fiona stroke him and tweak his ears all the time - I'm sure I spoiled him! Just be sure to try and keeps tabs on where he is and interact with him a lot - he'll soon follow you everywhere.

On that note, the castle and all the other locations of the game are very large, and they are beautiful environments, although the castle is very oddly designed, and I don't mean intentionally. Sure the place is creepy and has traps and dead ends that make Fiona's life more of a misery than it already is, but it feels like the designers just built the required rooms and chambers and then linked them up with long passages to suit the gameplay, without a thought as to how this would make a realistic building as a whole. If you look at the in-game map, it resembles a maze for lab rats more than a real building! ( A bit like the mansion in the original Resident Evil, which had loads of rooms completely inside the building with bizarre shapes and no windows). However, as I said, the cosmetic look of the locations is wonderful, especially an elaborate palace in the final stages of the game that looks like something out of Final Fantasy X! The same goes for the characters. Fiona is absolutely beautiful, and her face moves realistically to portray happiness, sadness and fear when required. It's almost a given now that seeing the Capcom name on a game means the graphic quaility is going to be above average, and you can definitely see that company's almost "in house" style and standard present here. Hewie is also wonderfully rendered, and has a real life of his own.

This is not a game for action fans - you won't be using any weapons or firepower here. The constant chasing can be quite wearing, as it can take a good few minutes to escape, which often results in you running a long way away from where you want to be, and backtracking all the way back again to carry on looking at that puzzle. It's also a very lonely game, there castle is totally devoid of life apart from Fiona and Hewie, and there are a mere handful of NPC's, and that includes enemies (there is only one enemy after you at a time). Luckily the two main characters are appealing that you will enjoy the growing companionship of a girl and her dog, and hope they both make it though alive. My only niggle is that Fiona doesn't exhibit a bit more courage, but insists on whimpering and crying during every cut scene when it would have been nice to see here toughen up a bit after dispatching the first few villains. The enemies are all suitably bizarre, my favourite being the icily-beautiful but unhinged maid - watch out for some very twisted cut-scenes featuring her! It also has the same rather sick undertones as it's predecessor and most of the enemies designs on Fiona are pretty despicable!

In closing, it seems to me that this whole game is an expansion of the final castle level of "Clock Tower 3" (which was also set in a castle), and is something of an exercise in refinement for the game creators, who are hoping to make the ultimate version of their unique survival/run away-horror. An immense spiral staircase near the end of the game (still impressive, none the less) recalls the one in that level very clearly. But this game is far, far bigger than CT3, and possibly tougher. All things considered, I would say that it succeeds in being a fairly solid horror game, but it only really comes alive thanks to its addition of dog power. The satisfaction that comes from helping and receiving help from your canine pal echos the subtle joys of the superb "ICO", in which the player also had to interact with a companion to get through the game. In fact, the two games are not dis-similar in several ways which is much higher praise indeed than the comparison to "Clock Tower 3". Fans of both or either of those games should give this a try.

Engrossing and Beautiful game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: May 14, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I am a huge fan of horror games. I love all the Resident Evil and Silent Hill games and both Fatal Frame games are amazing as well. I was really looking forward to Haunting Ground and it has lived up to my expectations. Its a beautifully made game with great graphics and creepy atmospheric music. I have found myself totally drawn into its spooky world and have loved every second being lost in this sprawling, gothic mansion with Fiona. Highly recommended to fellow horror gamers!

Such a great Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 06, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is just another great Capcom survival horror game. It was total non stop action. It has a great soundtrack, and the controls are very easy to get used to, definitely pick this game up if you're looking for an awesome new game. The graphics are just incredible also.

It's good!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 29 / 31
Date: June 23, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Oh, my. What an emotionally exhausting but brilliant game. It has a heart, albeit twisted, that is sorely lacking from most survival horror titles coming out these days. In a gaming world filled with tired knockoffs, "Haunting Ground" works sort of as an amalgamation of the best elements from "Resident Evil", the "Clocktower" series, and "Silent Hill", all put against the backdrop of an eerie, gothic European castle with about a million rooms, but surprisingly few places to hide.

While I absolutely love the "Fatal Frame" series and greatly enjoyed the fight-or-flight nature of "Clocktower 3", I wasn't prepared for the serious test of my brainpower that "Haunting Ground" was going to administer. The former titles had a tendency to give you at least somewhat discernible clues about what to do next, whereas "Haunting Ground" plays out much more like real life would (i.e. "figure it out, stupid"). I'm ashamed to say that I had to consult a couple of internet walkthroughs to even be able to conceive of what to do next. The clues you're given in this game are going to be very cryptic and you will get lost on quite a few occasions in an attempt to find a new door, a new item, ANYTHING. If you're looking for a game to spoon-feed you answers, this is NOT THE ONE!

Some players might prefer this approach, however, so if you're a great puzzle-solver and even a little bit of a poet, you should have great fun with this title.

The enemies held my attention more and were certainly more imposing than those in "Clocktower 3", the release that "Haunting Ground" comes closest to mimicking. You go through four enemies in this game, and each one is faster and smarter than the last. First, you're going to be pursued by Debilitas, a strangely-lovable, Quasimodo-esque groundskeeper. Then you're stuck with the the emotionless, calculating maid, Daniella, followed by a hooded clone with a revolver (luckily, he's not a terribly good shot). Finally, you must face an alchemist attempting to come across the formula for eternal life. The final boss starts out as an empty husk of a man, withering with age in his antique wheelchair, and then somehow ends up being about 24 years old...and a real looker, at that. I had to pause and seriously think about it for a moment once he tried to tempt Fiona into giving birth to his child. If only he weren't such a malicious, psychotic, self-centered beast of a human being, he might have made for a fun evening.

If I recall correctly, in "Clocktower 3", your last four enemies were an anime-looking freak wielding two swords, two murderous mime twins who were more funny than scary, and a British nobleman.

...

So...basically, if you enjoyed the first two levels of "Clocktower 3", bathed in their somber palette of grays and browns, with enemies that actually seemed as if they were--gasp!--designed to SCARE you, check this title out. If you were more impressed by the goofy villains and colorful landscapes that took place after those first two levels, well, maybe you should steer clear of this one.

But what review of "Haunting Ground" would be complete without me mentioning that Hewie is the star of the show! His animation is detailed and true to life, and his artificial intelligence is perfect. I'm used to the incredibly stupid A.I. of the guards in games like "Tenchu", so when I met Hewie, I was pleasantly surprised that he acted like a real, breathing organism instead of a computer. He's certainly a smart little pup, but of course he's cursed with that infamous doggy A.D.D. that will have dog owners everywhere nodding their heads in familiarity. When you tell him to do something, you've got a 50/50 chance of him obeying and doing what you say instead of sniffing around or lying down on the ground and looking sweetly up at you while wagging his big, shaggy tail. It's both charming and annoying all at once. You know, sort of like owning an actual dog.

As has been mentioned by other reviewers, if you foster a good relationship with your canine companion, it will affect the outcome of the game. So if you haven't given him some attention in a while and there's no imminent danger present, it's not a bad idea to crouch and play a nice game of "shake" with him, or just rub behind his ears and tell him he's a good boy. He'll appreciate it, and believe me, you will also appreciate it when he returns the favors by attacking your pursuers while you're panicking and crashing into everything like a spaz. And though I don't like using it, it's also a good idea to scold him when he doesn't listen to you, otherwise he will get lax and start to ignore you. Oh, and if you possibly can, avoid kicking the poor guy if you're trying to help him beat up on an assailant. I slipped and accidentally got him in the ribs once or twice while aiming for the attacker, and hearing his yelp of confusion felt awful... I know, I know! He's not a real dog, but augh... you know.

So, in short (after an incredibly long review, anyway), "Haunting Ground" is a very proud addition to the survival horror genre. It's effectively creepy, and with an unsettling sexual obsessiveness that I feel female players in particular will find incredibly unnerving. Most games these days try desperately to shock only to fall flat on their proverbial faces--*cough*Manhunt*cough*--but I don't believe this to be the case here. This is a genuinely gross and weird game. Had it not been for Hewie's spirited and lighthearted presence, it would have been much harder to tolerate on an emotional level.

When I bought my copy, the guy at EBGames told me that this title has actually already been discontinued, so it's rare to find an unused one nowadays. In stores, anyway. Here at Amazon, I doubt the tide of willing sellers will ebb. But still, who knows, within another year or a few more months even, it might get difficult to find a used copy. So if you're thinking of checking this title out, you might want to do it relatively soon!

Better than Silent Hill and Clock Tower 3!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: July 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

A very well-designed game! I bought this game because I loved Clock Tower 3, which share a similar mechanism with this game. When I tried Haunting Ground, I found that it is even better than its precedessor.

Pros:
1. The idea of hiding place. Instead of carrying shotguns in the Silent Hill series, you are nearly ripped of any attacking power. Therefore, when you meet enemies, you either run away or hide. The seek-and-hide mechanism results in constant tensions in the game.

2. Very, very clever AI design. You cannot hide in a place too many times because enemies will eventually find you. Later, I found that enemies become smarter and more careful, and may find you out even though you hide some place the first time!

3. Very clever dog. You are not completely alone. You are accompanied by a white dog called Hewie in the game. Throughout the game, you have to constantly train the dog in attacking enemies and discovering secret objects. If you don't, sooner or later the dog will constantly disobey you, and leave you in danger when being attacked by enemies.

4. Short loading time. Short loading time is very important in this game since you have to escape from enemies from room to room. Long loading time will result in the lose of tension while being chased by enemies.

5. Creepy enemies. The enemies in this game are all psychotic! The first enemy is a giant killer with only a 5-year-old mentality. His constant shout "My Darling" when chasing me. Looking at the behaviours of the second enemy, you will find that he (or she) is even more abnormal.

6. Long gameplay. I have spent around 10 hours in this game (with some aid of walkthrough), and I have only found myself in the middle of the whole game.

Cons:
1. Moderate Learning Curve. It takes some time to familarize yourself with the hiding places in the game. It is slightly harder than Clock Tower 3.

2. The same enemies. I do not give the game a 5 in the fun factor because you encontered the same enemy every time in a phrase. Fortunately, their appearance is augmented by crappy cutscenes constantly in the game.

3. Puzzles. The puzzles are somewhat difficult, although some will like them more challenging. They are usually partially explained, and occasionally, not explained.

Rent or buy? Buy it! You won't regret!

A twisted game of hide and seek

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I really enjoy this game. I love having Hewie around he really helps alot. The game has good music and a great storyline, But the best thing is panic mode I like panic mode even if it does almost always get you killed. It gives the game a life-like sense Fiona will stumble and fall and it makes you really want to help get her up and moving. The enemies are creepy and psychotic (especially the maid) but not that scary, Im not that creeped out by them as in compairison to the zombies in Resident evil where the enimies and gameplay made it really scary and I would not reallly want to go on playing. I guess thats a good thing though because I can play all the way through this game. All in all if you like survival horror games then you HAVE to give this a try.

exciting-much more hiding than i was used to

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: August 04, 2005
Author: Amazon User

this game was a nice surprise. i have been a fan of the resident evil and silent hill series for a great while. haunting ground has it's frustrating moments that can make a player take a breather before trying to continue. i have been used to being able to take more action on the offense, as opposed to running and hiding all the time. it actually was a lot more fun than i expected, and i would definately recommend it to others. enjoy

hide and go seek

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: August 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Haunting ground is a game that can take you where you wanna go. First off, the clips are just fantastic. It is as good as Final fantasy and kingdom hearts in that department(check for yourself to see if you agree). Although...the fighting system...doesn't really consist of fighting. Unlike Silent Hill(whacking to death with zombies and killer dogs..) and Fatal frame(using an item to hurt ghosts), you have really no weapon but Hewie, a dog that you save and befriend. He pretty much does all the chomping when your being chased by a wannabe hunchback...so your wondering what you do then? your character hides behind or under objects for a time being. You'll know your safe or in danger when the sound gets funky and more alert compared to the calm silent. To be honest with you, I would be looking in an area for what to do and it seems like constantly the alert music plays and im being chased. There are so many hiding places but after a while, its not even safe to use those anymore! All in all, the games worth it for its clips but without those cool scenes or the dog..the game just wouldn't be fun.

Hide or Die

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 12
Date: August 12, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Fiona Bell wakes up in a strange castle, after being unconscious after a very tragic accident that killed her parents...

First of all, I have never played Clock Tower or Silent Hill. So I can't say that it is alike eiter of them. I have played my brother's games and this game isn't really like the horror games you'd think of. I personally have never have never been the kind of person who likes to fight and try to kill the other person or monster. I have always liked to run away from danger instead of looking for it.

First, You don't attack your enemies with guns or swords. You simply kick throw something or, my favorite, run and hide, but don't let the monster or other thing that might be chasing you see where you go. It'll follow. You can hide in a number of places including behind doors, under beds, in closets, behind window curtains,... Don't use the same hiding place a lot though. Your enemies start getting smarter and will soon find you in those hiding places.

Second, The most important part is the real main character, Hewie!!!!(*Sigh* no, sadly you don't actually get to play Hewie) Hewie looks like a cross between a German Sheperd and a husky. Quite adorable.. You find him being choked to death by a wire, so naturally you have to help him... After you rescue him he pays you back by following you everywhere and helping by attacking your enemies while you run and hide. He's your main weapon. You can praise him, scold him when he doesn't do what you want, make him sit and stay, and make him search a room you're in or attack the enemy. (Yes, it is best to scold him or you'll get into tricky situations when he won't attack the monster).

This may be just me, but I kind of miss having the safety of a gun to shoot something with. Although, the cleverness with the dog was smart, and that makes up for the lack of weapons. I give the dog a 5. Overall I have to give this a; 4 for fun, 5 for cleverness, 5 for originality, and 4 for graphics. Overall, if I could I would give it 4 and a half stars, but I guess I'll just have to round it off to five, *sighhhhhhhhhh*.

Good game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 20
Date: October 10, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is one good game. The fear factor is really high and the characters ghastly... Fiona rocks!!! (well endowed she is ...) , you get the bonus to watch her jugs bounce twice as she moves and jerks around.... really cool and kinky ,,,

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