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Intro
Welcome to my Haunting Ground review, first of all, and secondly, what the hell did I just play?
Not too long ago, I finished my first ever playthrough of Capcom’s 2005 pricey and sought-after game, Haunting Ground. It took me just a couple minutes (literally) over nine hours to complete. This was with a lot of backtracking and some accidental (oops) time wasting trying to figure out where to go. The point is, the game is decent length, in my opinion, for a horror game. So, what are my thoughts? Let’s get into it.
My Experience
The game revolves around Finoa Belli waking up in a strange castle, lost and confused after there being an “accident” that left her parents dead. Soon she meets a few interesting characters, and her faithful friend, Hewie. With the help of him, you’ll be guiding Fiona around this maze of rooms, solving puzzles, and fighting off your captors. The game offers no loading screens between rooms, making it a nice and seamless experience from start to finish. Save for the cutscenes, but those are a welcome break.
The puzzles, in my opinion, are difficult enough to be a challenge sometimes. Though some are probably very simple, which is okay, I found a good amount of them to require a guide. Nothing wrong with that, but it took away from the game a little when I had to pause and search for the section I was having my troubles in. Regardless of that statement, I also recognized how brilliant they could be. An example of this are the Luminessants (tiny balls of light that chase Fiona) that you typically try to avoid. Suddenly become a solution to the problem. There’s a lamp that needs lit, and you must lure the nearby Luminessant to it. The game is full of little surprises like this.
Outside of puzzles, the music to me was rather nice. A gentle melody when roaming the halls, and then a more sinister sound when being chased by enemies. A big telltale sign that you were being chased, even if your chaser hadn’t been sighted yet.
Slow Start
The biggest drawback to me was the beginning, because it starts out rather slow and all over the place in ways. Not so much the gameplay, but knowing where to go. You sometimes have to wander around until you trigger an event, which then allows you to trigger another event somewhere else, but it was up to you to find it. Not that I’m complaining all too much, since after you get Hewie, and unlock a couple areas, it starts to make more sense.
As I played, I often caught myself wondering, “Would I enjoy this game if it was $20 or is the price tag forcing me into it?” The conclusion I finally drew from those thoughts was this:
Conclusion:
While I am sure the fact I spent a substantial amount for a physical copy (I love physicals, and I’ll opt for them 90% of the time), I can confidently say that Haunting Ground is worth the time and cost. With the day and age we live in, it is something that could probably be emulated, and it stands to be one of the best PS2 horror titles for me. With 4 different endings, new items and outfits to choose from after beating the game, and a Hard Mode as well, this will be a game I’ll come back to enjoy again.
(I made a new blog discussing this game’s chance of survival in 2023, might be worth a look…and thank you for reading my Haunting Ground review!)
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