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Boring, Annoying and Leave the Dog Alone!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 13 / 22
Date: September 25, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game is lacking in scare but high on annoyance. The chase seems scary during the first couple chases but then it's so repetitive that it's just annoying. You get into a hiding spot and get a "Coast Clear" message and the villian is on the other side of the door, hears you and starts chasing all over again. The puzzles were simplistic and this title just falls flat. If you would like some real frightening games, try the Fatal Frame series and pass this one over.

If you are a dog lover be wary of this title. You rescue a precious white dog and he becomes your protector. You can feed him, call him, praise him and you grow attached to him. He's the star of this game. Now you get to watch as villain after villain kicks him into walls, throws him around, and hurts him. You get to listen to his lifelike yelps and puppy whines. It's horrible. I couldn't take it. He's the most lifelike dog I've come across in video games and this was too much animal cruelty.

This is why you rent games first

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 61
Date: December 12, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Man, am I ever missing something here! I came to review this game, and save you some money, and I was shocked this had anything over 1 star. Haunting Ground SUCKS, plain and simple. The woman you control (if she has a name, I never caught it) is horribly slow, even for a frightened girl. And for some reason, she has a British accent. (Dear Capcom, when releasing a game in the U.S., make sure the characters have American accents. Leave the British accent for the PAL version, please) You have one action, a weak kick that does next to nothing, except open doors a little faster. There is a dog on the cover that I guess is supposed to help you, but I never found him in the game. Maybe I would've played it longer if every door in the castle wasn't locked, with no keys, or anything else for that matter, to be found. Basically all you do is wander around aimlessly. Nothing unique, no reason to play, its that simple.

Good game with a decent storyline!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: December 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is a good game for those who like the Resident Evil type of gameplay with puzzles to solve. I still enjoy playing this game and I would certainly recommend it to people looking for a good game. Gameplay is good and the graphs look good. A few things I don't like though are that the Hewie sometimes doesn't obey your commands and you have to get close to him to get it to do what you what and Fiona's boobs don't look real. They are too pointy and look stiff and giggle unnaturally when she stops running. Other than this I like the game and I will keep it in my private collection for years to come.

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.

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 ,,,

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.

Lots of Exploring, Suspenseful, but...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: April 23, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I've never heard of this game until I saw a guide of it at this one game store, and it just looked so interesting that I had to order it from this site.

So... the gist of the game: you play as this young woman by the name of Fiona Belli who has no idea how she got to this creepy castle. What she DOES remember is that there was a cloaked man in front of her before she passed out in a car... but who is he? Now the girl wants to know how and why she's in this place; and by a mysterious background dog by the name of Hewie, the two go in search for clues to this whole she-bang... and to find a way out of it!

I get pretty spooked by just about everything (well, not everything I guess) and this game... isn't as spooky as you think. Sure, there are moments that make you go "Oh my god! How did HE/SHE get there?!" But otherwise, don't expect there to be zombies and anything nasty to pop out in front of ya. It dosen't really happen. Instead, throughtout certain chapters, you get wize-cracked freaks that chase after you; ones running up from huge hunchbacks to a Grudge-crawling old man. The only way to get back at these guys, is to either fight them (but that's not a good idea... especially for a gun-wiedling one!), try to use a trap on them, or use your dog, which is the BEST thing to do! None of these characters die during a chapter, but only at a boss battle where you end their chase for good -- that is, until a new crazie shows up...

To me, the best thing to do on that game is to get chased around by these weirdos, but it's also great fun to hide and sometimes fight/ kick them around! The exploring is great fun too, but it sucks that after the first chapter you can't go back to the castle part of the game...

As far by puzzles go... unless you're totally dense on how to solve one (which would be me) you don't really need a guide for it, BUT... if you get spooked easily and are dense on puzzles, then I reccomend it. Otherwise, if you're neither, don't spoil the fun for yourself.

Overall, if you're a total Resident Evil fan or even a Silent Hill one, then you probably wouldn't find this all that EXCITING and HORRORIFIC! But, if you're a fan of horror games, and are too afraid to play either Resident Evil or Silent Hill titles, then this would be a game for you to start out with before you try more horrorifying games.

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

A Man And A Woman's Best Friend

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: October 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

So, you are looking at the game box. A girl and her dog? What a combo. Make no mistake that Haunting Ground lives up to its name in several ways.

Haunting Ground starts out in the basement mansion with intriguing flashbacks, rooms, and of course, the dog! There is little unresolved, and that is where the gameplay takes over. The tutorial is very helpful, and new notes and memos are added to help the game more understandable through your menu screen. The items and controls were unique to the Playstation 2 horror lineup. Taking the high road of being on the defensive (mostly) in the whole game is refreshing. The graphics are decent, and the FMVs roll enough to keep the game going. Musically, I wouldn't consider it an "E3" winner but it keeps you on your toes. The game length is appropiate. It doesn't drag on, and I was surprised at the number of times that I thought the game would end and it does not. This isn't necessarily a bad thing!

I think what keeps me from giving Haunting Ground higher than a "4" is the vagueness. I am one of those people who keep up a game guide online in case I need help. I repeatedly had to look at it, which isn't necessarily fun. Mixing the medallions and deciding what to create on the typewriter was rather awkward. Fortunately, I never relied on mixing medallions (optional to do if you are low on items) once in the game! Also, Haunting Ground felt more like a PC game ported to the PS2. This game reminds me of "D", but without the dog. The wide variety of rooms and intricate puzzles in HG made me think of my Mac. I am not too picky on the storyline, but it has a few holes. The character development was great, but a lot of people have problems with the suggestive content in this game... You'll understand when you play it :). If you want to try it, I think Haunting Ground is scary enough to fit into your game collection!

Great, Often Overlooked Survival Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Haunting Ground always struck me as as interesting premise for a game, and when the price was right I bit on it. The result was that it became one of my personal favorites released on the system, and although I can't give it five stars like maybe Resident Evil 4, it has plenty to offer.

For the most part, there are no weapons in the game. The main character Fiona can kick and order her canine companion Hewie to attack, but mostly you will be running a lot in this game. In the beginning, Fiona wakes up in a strange basement in a cage sans clothing. Very creepy beginning to the game. You basically have to explore your way through this very expansive mansion in order to get out, and along the way you will meet several characters who seem to want you dead. Funny how that happens in these type of games. The mansion is full of challenging puzzles that you will have to solve to reach other areas in the mansion. At some point in your exploration you will make friends with a siberian husky named Hewie. He will attack and help you solve puzzles on command, but you must take care of him and maintain a good relationship to survive. You reward him with treats and praise when he is obedient and punish him when he is not. How you go about this will affect the gameplay and ultimately how your game ends. There will be plenty of times when he becomes unresponsive to you or wanders away from you and this is very frustrating, but eventually you will get him to do what you want him to do.

The more you run the more stamina you will lose. Luckily there are certain places in each room that you can hide in in order to avoid enemies. But you cant abuse this priviledge because the enemies will catch on! As you are pursued Fiona will become more and more terrified, and this will cause her to panic and make things harder. So there is definitely a lot of strategy involved here. There are some very tough puzzles in this game and even I had to consult a strategy guide for some of them. This game looks terrific though. Expressions are beautifully rendered and the atmosphere in this game is fantastic. Would you expect any less from Capcom? There are four different endings you contain reach depending on your actions. Some are good and others are not. But there is good reason to replay the game to obtain each ending. You are rewarded with some nice goodies after beating the game. You can go into the first room you entered in the mansion and there you will find a video projector where you can watch all of the cutscenes you have unlocked, a chest that will allow you to change into other costumes (revealing costumes to say the least), and a phonograph that will allow you to listen to all of the music tracks contained in the game (more games should do this!). Overall I highly recommend that you try this game out, provided you can still find it. I think a lot of these people panning the game just find it too difficult and to be fair, it is. Still it is a beautiful and creepy title even though it is often overlooked. If you are into survival games that challenge you to think, then you will enjoy this game.

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