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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!

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*.

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!

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!

Run, Hide, or let Hewie snack on a Villain

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: January 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

You wake up in a dark dungeon looking place trapped in a cage. You notice the lock on the cage is unlocked. Your clothes are missing and you have nothing but a sheet. Until you find your clothes you can't do much of anthing, but you're in luck! The villains don't try to start killing you till after you've gone snooping around a bit.

Ok basically everyone in this game is freaking nuts. Except Hewie, Fiona, and the care taker. You may wonder why I say the care taker isn't nuts. Well he tries to kill you but if you notice when you first meet him hes caring a doll that does nothing but seems to set him off. Well after you run and hide from the care taker the first time go back to where he tossed the doll and pick it up and look at it. Kind looks like someone doesn't it? Anyway the maid wants to kill you 'cause she wants Fiona's Azoth. I personally think the maids a robot but thats just me. She keeps saying she's not complete and seems to become obsessed with Fiona or maybe she's just obsessed with what's inside Fiona that she doesn't have. Ricardo and the old dude both want Fiona's Azoth as well.

Yes, I know it sounds really sad. Fiona all alone with all those crazy people trying to kill her, but not to worry. You actually befriend a adorable dog named Hewie! Hes very cute and after a while he will become inseparable from you. You need to get Hewie to distract the bad guys for the most part while you run and hide. Don't use the same hiding spot to much though. Soon the villains will catch on to what you're doing. If you're one of those brave people who are like I'm not hiding psff. Well you can stand there and kick the villan while Hewie chews on them a bit. If you and Hewie do enough damage to a villain they will fall down. When they fall down search their body to get a nice item then take off really quick 'cause they will be getting back up. Don't try that tatic with Ricardo though. He has a gun and he can kill Fiona with a point blank shot,(and yes he does get those in some times, I had it happen to me).

People say this game reminds them of Silent Hill and Clock Tower. I personally have never played Clock Tower I do have one Silent Hill game but I just never got that interested in it. To be honest some of the backgrounds in this game remind me of Resident Evil. Mainly the first and second Resident Evil games. I think that if you liked those then you will truely love this game as well. If you're one of those people who has to be wielding a big rocket launcher then this game will probably let you down, 'cause you dont get a gun. Ok well thats not excatly true. If you beat the game with certain endings you can unlock different outfits to change into. And one of those outfits just happens to come fitted with a nice gun for Fiona.

So, over all I have to give this game a 5. I truely enjoyed this game. The dog was cute, Fiona was designed well and the villains were just dumb to think I wouldn't let Hewie snack on them.

THIS GAME KICKSASS!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: June 14, 2006
Author: Amazon User

When i first bought this I thought it would be another game where you run around and shoot things. But its way diffrent and is actually scary! You cant just run away from something you dont like they follow you around so you have to choices hide or have your dog Hewie attack and hope it falls. This is one of the greatest games I have ever played and it has a great storyline!

Rather Underrated....it deserves better.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: March 07, 2007
Author: Amazon User

By underrated I mean that not many people know of this game, which is a pity.

But the story begins with as 18 year old Fiona Belli, a college student, who wakes up in a cage at the basement of a creepy castle. She can't remember how she got there nor does she know why. Within this castle are stalkers that want to pursue her for various reasons, whether it be jealousy of what she has that they don't or that they want her for their own sick intentions. Whatever the case, she must run and try to find a way out. Along the way, she befriends an American White Shepherd named Hewie who becomes her protection. Hewie is by far the best animated animal I've ever seen in a game. Life-like, exactly like a true living breathing dog. You must build a bond with him and together, escape.

Ok, on to what I have to say. ^_~ Definatly a game worth checking out. It may be hard to figure out the purpose of the plot at first but by the third chapter, it unfolds. The stalkers can become rather tedious sometimes, as you can not fight. Sorry, but nope. You can kick. A weak kick. Hewie can attack however, which will be very useful. But as Fiona, you must either out run them (good luck!) or find a place to hide. In some chapters, you are given roughly 2-3 hiding places. If you hide somewhere too often, they catch on and even sometimes they do the first time! It sort of becomes a game of cat and mouse. They are listening for every sound you make, so don't be too loud. ^_~ (This includes Hewie too...) The idea of Hide and Seek is definatly a new idea that could become widely introduced. While it can be annoying, it is more challenging than pulling out a rifle and firing a few rounds until their head is blown off. One other new idea is Panic Mode. The closer Fiona gets to a stalker, the more scared she gets. The screen gets black and white, growing blurry. Eventually, she may scream and you will lose full control except for calling to Hewie for help. It is a neat idea but somewhat annoying at times. After you die, you must start from the last save point.

At first the chasing is scary, I will admit. It usually like that with each pursuer for a bit then it becomes more like "Aww great. Ok, gotta run." But at first it was intense freaking out when they come after you. However, I am not complaining about it.

The other neat thing about this is your outcome. Based on how you preform in the game and how you are with Hewie decides your ending. Usually, though, the first play through you'll most likely get ending A but it is possible to get any of the 4 endings. Other costumes can also be unlocked for both Hewie and Fiona. (Fiona: Froggy, Cowgirl, Illegal In Some States. Hewie: Black and Tan GSD, Plush Toy) Each outfit has their own pro/con to them.

I surely recommend this title. If you cannot find it to rent, I do suggest you simply buy it. I doubt you'll regret it. It it well worth every penny and it is a game that is one of its kind!

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.

Awesome Game!!! Not for younger players!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 02, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I bought haunting gronud because I wanted a little spin off of Silent Hill. This game is much like Silent Hill with the same creepy feel.
Because of the very mature themes expressed in the game I would not recommend this game for younger players. Suggestive themes, and violence. Also the characters that chase Fiona are pretty scary too.
For the more mature gamer this is a very fun game to play and allows you almost complete control over the plot of the game. Depending on the relationship you make with the dog companion, Hewie and the choices weather to show mercy to some of the characters makes this a fun game to play over again and explore the diffrent options you have.
Also after completing the game the first time through you are rewarded with the "Secret Room". I wish all video games were as rewarding when it came to completion! "Secret Room" gives you little extras about the game, mini games and a chance to look over the cut scenes you had seen while playing the game.
This is a very fun game to play and is fun to play with a partner (which I myself had done) with you.

definitely different

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

After playing the Silent Hill games, I needed another outlet... I thought Haunting Ground would do it - and it did! I was surprised that I would get such a kick out of so few enemies, but trying to evade and not cross paths with them was tricky - and scary!

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