Games, Books and Films

Capcom, 2005, Survival-Horror

With games like Resident Evil, horror survival games, in my opinion have taken a turn for the worse. Action depicts gameplay meaning the ‘horror’ aspect really has been taken out of the game; I mean what has happened to the original ‘scary’ adventures such as Silent Hill and Project Zero?

I thought all was lost when quite by accident I stumbled upon ‘Haunting Ground’ a Capcom release for 2005. Originally dubbed ‘Demento’, the name was changed for a US and Europe release and in fact was originally going to be the fourth instalment of the Clock Tower series, but again this was demolished. Curious but very critical I took it home expecting nothing more than your average action game that many ‘Horror’ games have now become, the question is was I right?

The game itself starts off introducing main character Fiona Belli, wearing nothing but a silk quilt locked inside a rusty cage in a mouldy, blood fuelled butchers room. After escaping the room, it becomes apparent that the habitants of the castle, though very few are odd and behave very strangely.

The storyline in the game is at times very confusing but with a very peculiar tone that all explains itself the further you play. Flashbacks haunt Fiona as you move further through the castle where she suddenly realises she was involved in a car accident that had killed both her parents before she was abducted to the castle.

It later becomes apparent that Fiona is the keeper of the ‘Azoth’ and Riccardo, butler to the castle, is the one in chase of her trying to hold her captive, rape her so she becomes pregnant and in turn gives birth to his heir so he can live on forever. So Fiona tries to escape the castle with the help of her only friend, Hewie a German- Shepherd dog who also was trapped and nearly slaughtered.

Though typical in terms of the way this genre usually pans out, the storyline is fantastic. It really is weird only giving you the slightest hints every now and again what really is happening and what events are yet to occur. It is very much like reading a book; you just can’t stop playing to find out what is going to happen.

I must say however, for anyone who hasn’t completed all of the game the storyline can be confusing and be considered very rough around the edges. Often seeming like it isn’t very well explained at times or laid out to be honest. However, upon completion you finally see the story for what it is and you can’t help feel fulfilled. It isn’t your average horror story because it is so mysterious, just like how the original Silent Hill plays and although some may be a little obvious or predictable the rest really is enigmatic.

The cast of characters within Haunting Ground are especially top notch, obviously designed and created to appeal to Horror genre fans and to fit in with the secretive plot and mature and sinister castle setting. Fiona’s design works well for the main protagonist as she appears innocent, shy and easy scared. Her blonde hair mixes well with her porcelain skin and matches her timid personality. Although 18 years old and inexperienced, she is quite witty in some dialogue and you honestly care for her well being, which only draws you deeper into the game.

Hewie, Fiona’s body-dog, more than makes up for Fiona’s withdrawn persona, with a curious nose and rageful temper, he works well to create a more threatening plot. This is because it means Fiona really has nobody to talk to and she is purely on her own throughout the game.

Debilitas is a great character, used as the castle’s handyman he has the strength of a bear but the brain of a three year old and loves to play with dolls. He cannot speak apart from baby noises, but in the chase can be extremely terrifying. Daniella is also a brilliant habitant of the castle especially as a ‘bad guy’. She suffers from a condition that stops her from feeling any emotion, she cannot touch or feel and this works well within the game. Her blunt expression really sets off an awkward atmosphere especially when in conversation with the innocent Fiona. Lastly, Riccardo remains mysterious and in shadow most of the game usually covered in a hood, but his intentions are very interesting indeed.

Overall, Haunting Ground is excelled further by these great characters as they create the tension and frightening mood that this game throws at you the moment you start playing.

Visually, Haunting Ground never falters or lets the mood down with impressive FMV scenes and extraordinary grainy details that create a malicious and nasty setting. Shadows are brilliantly used to craft unusual shapes in certain rooms meaning no room ever looks the same despite the medieval surroundings. It is obvious that lots of time have been spent on the graphics to provide the atmosphere in the game using heavy detail on each individual item whether it is the wallpaper, the carpet, the flower vase or the alchemy equipment.

Character design is perfect, allowing every feature to be seen such as Delibitas’ fat torso or Daniella’s menacing eyes. Skin pigmentation is used to create an even more horrific character design and blemishes and scars are noticeable without hard looking. Capcom have really outdone themselves, and perhaps is the best looking horror game I have every played.

When in ‘Panic Mode’ (See further down), the graphics become even more intense, for instance if Fiona becomes increasingly scared the screen turn black and white and pulses with fear. If she becomes even more scared or frightened the screen starts to mix together making it hard to figure out where you are going or if there is any obstacles in the way. Its not just superb graphically, its excellent in terms of Gameplay also as it drags you into the game making you feel tense as you try to escape the enemy. The lighting effects that mix together are outstanding and should be applauded.

Animation has been well crafted also allowing handling items and performing actions to be easy but without glitch. When opening doors her hand actually grabs a hold of the handle without going through it and other objects are similarly used. It’s great to see so much detail spent on the aspect of the game.

It isn’t fully without glitch though, as on many occasions Fiona will simply walk through Hewie, which is very annoying but on the whole this obvious glitch doesn’t ruin the experience or ruin the disturbing tone.

One of the most important features of a horror game is most definitely the sound – not only does it provide the eerie atmosphere needed to ‘scare’ its players but also to provide the tension and possibly frustration that every game provides. Haunting Ground does not let down … thankfully.

Clanks, bangs, creaks and squeaks are piled in and erupted at exactly the right moment, it really does scare you and with the right settings i.e. TV volume, the noises itch right through you. It is really satisfying in fact to not want to go around the corner in case you run into something.

Musical instruments are used exceptionally well also to add to the slow paced atmosphere created within the game. High pitched out of tune violins create cringe worthy immediate responses and frantic piano notes cause the player to shudder instantly. It may not appeal to some but it really is done in a great way, avoiding all cheesy imitations that many horror films of today provide and no inclusion of tackiness either, Haunting Ground excels where some games do not.

I must say however I was in fact really dissatisfied with the voice acting, often dull and overused at times. Some characters voices are really annoying and it really puts a dampener on such a great game.

Cornelia Hayes O’Herlihy voices Fiona quite lamely actually and the personality Fiona emits really doesn’t match the voice. O’Herlihy tries I’ll give her that but the innocence Fiona gives off isn’t fulfilled by the voice and actually at times she speaks to softly resulting in a quietened moment. Sometimes it is a strain to hear what she says and with a storyline so confusing many players will simply give up.

Greg Ellis, a computer games voice actor King, again lets himself and the game down as butler, Riccardo. This voice in fact is too cheesy, the obvious gimmicky evil voice with overused ‘malevolent’ laughs acts as a put off really. You would think with his experience from games such as Tomb Raider Legend, God of War and SOCOM II his acting would at least be reasonable, sadly it does not. Moira Quirk fairs no better with Daniella too with a dull expression

Another huge let down is the barking voice of Hewie. Being one of the most involved characters you would have thought developers would have spent as much time on the voices as well as the grainy graphics, but miserably they do not intensifying my disapproval towards Haunting Grounds voice acting. It simply sounds like one of those Mechanical back flipping dogs you can buy for a fiver off the market, with a monotonous motorized bark. I simply laughed the first time I heard it, it really is that bad.

Despite the awful voice theatricals the Gameplay within Haunting Ground is really a pick ‘n mix that might not appeal to everyone. Unlike the action fuelled Uzi’s from Resident Evil or the hand pistols from Silent Hill, Haunting Ground has very limited weapons. No guns, no blades not even a camera that Project Zero fans will know so well. You cannot kill enemies simply by wielding a weapon, you just have to run and hide.

When meeting an enemy, Fiona can only save herself by escaping the chase each character gives, either by outrunning them or hiding from them. Beds, closets, curtains, rugs plus hundreds of other items are sneakily placed in each room to provide the cover needed. Mixed with the sound and the well placed heartbeats, hiding simply is a tense situation. The screen goes into first person perspective and sways from side to side giving a cornered view of the room you’re hiding in. Watching the enemy try and find ripping the room apart is so nail biting its pure fun. And don’t think hiding will mean success, enemy AI is so good eventually they will find you again meaning the chase will never end. Enemies become intelligent enough to see any patterns of hiding you have, so every single chase will need a different execution, its incredible!

Of course the lack of any action filled Gameplay will simply result in many players switching off and heading for their receipt, but to be honest its such a breath of fresh air to play a game with a little more style than substance and using your brain more than your guns simply is a great honour.

To combat this situation, Capcom has included an alchemy element to create a least another level of depth to the somewhat ‘aloof’ Gameplay. However I love the hide and seek element and the alchemy aspect really isn’t developed enough. By simply collecting medallions and mixing them with other materials, magical weapons can created to simply stun your enemies like exploding pouches and acid bomb, but simply no pattern is needed to create these items it simply is a matter of chance. You feel somewhat annoyed after collecting your hard earned medallions then for the production of making a weapon to fail. I suppose some people may find this element quite enjoyable, but it takes an element of the eeriness away.

Obviously, Hewie is available to help Fiona quite early on in the game, but he too can be hurt and killed. By training him and earning his trust ensures his help in any encounter with an enemy. By using the Right Analogue stick, commands such as sit, stay, praise and scold can create dramatic effect. This tamagotchi factor works quite well actually, though loborous at times. When in the midst of a chase shouting for Hewie to help when you haven’t spent the time to gain Hewie’s trust, he will simply ignore you and run off in the opposite direction leaving you to be cornered at a dead end by Delibitas.

The enemy AI really kicks in well again here though as after a while they’ll wise up to Hewie and chase him into another room and then shut the door so he can’t come to rescue you, it really is invigorating as every chase really IS different.

This is where we move on to Panic Mode, that really moves the game forward from your general run away from a baddie type of game. Haunting Ground really focuses on this and it executes in a fluid style meaning it is highly developed with no flaws. When an enemy continues to chase you, Fiona will start to get tired, even more scared and her tension increases, especially when you are in a part of the castle with no or limited hiding places. The screen will then start to flash, changing from colour to black and white and eventually flashing faster and faster until the screen mixes together making visibility hard and Fiona hard to manoeuvre. The controls become more awkward, Fiona will start to fall over all the time, take longer to turn around corners and her screams reverberate from the screen.

It really heightens your focus as the player meaning all the tension from the piano and Violins and the eerie mysteries of the plot come to a climax resulting in you yourself starting to panic and running around in despair. It is fun though, but disappointing when you get caught and die, but entertaining nonetheless.

Haunting Ground on the whole is a fantastic horror survival game that really uses the basic functions of a game to its advantage without taking away the necessities of what the horror genre is all about. The lack of any substantial weapons really works well and provides the scares and the pressure that recent horror games lack. The fixed camera abolishes any camera problems that other games suffer from also and the lack of a health bar really means you tend to make sure Fiona is all well.

The many cutscenes that appear throughout the game only work in the games favour as it surpasses the storyline further than your average teen horror and you really become involved with the characters and appreciate the decisions you make whether it be hiding behind the curtain from Daniella who is hysterically searching under the bed instead or whether it be taking a right instead of a left and running into a dead end with Hewie locked upstairs in the Kitchen leaving you alone.

The graininess and gritty effects only enhance the stunning visuals that the game offers more and with multiple endings, multiple bonus features such as easter eggs and costumes, Haunting Ground has tons of replay value. Despite the appalling voice acting and the lack of promotional advertising, it’s a real shame this game failed to sell well enough to get noticed as it really is such a quality game. One of the best Horror Games of recent years, Haunting Ground should be given a chance, whereas though the impatient may see a lifeless game here, the tolerant will see a deep, interesting, and stylish game at work.

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