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Title:
Haunting Ground
Genre:
Adventure
Horror
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Release Date:
1969-12-31
Date Added:
2018-07-03 12:21:35
Game Summary:
Haunting Ground, known as Demento (デメント) in Japan, is a survival horror video game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation 2 console in 2005. The game shares many similarities with Clock Tower 3.
Gameplay
Fiona, the player-character, must be guided through Belli Castle, its grounds and outbuildings until she can find a way to escape. Along the way, players must solve puzzles, unlock doors and evade, hide or attempt to fight back against the castle’s inhabitants. Fiona is accompanied by Hewie, a white German Shepherd dog. The two must work as a team to solve certain puzzles and outwit their pursuers.
During the game, the castle’s inhabitants chase and attack Fiona, and if evaded long enough will cease for a set interval. While it is possible to retaliate with kicks, Hewie’s bites, or alchemically created weapons, the game’s focus is on the player evading enemies long enough to find a hiding spot. The castle’s staff chase Fiona individually until defeated in a boss battle, after which a different enemy will pursue Fiona. Two enemies exist in addition to the castle’s keepers, neither are dangerous to Fiona but can alert Fiona’s pursuers to her location and cause panic. The first are small floating orbs of blue light known as Luminescents, which follow Fiona and emit a loud noise if they come into contact with her. The other enemy type are small grotesque, fetus resembling homunculi, who attach themselves to Fiona’s legs while letting out a piercing yell.
Hewie joins Fiona early in the game, following different player-issued commands to perform actions like barking or growling when he detects a trap or threat. He can be commanded to stay, follow, attack, fetch and to shake hands. In order to maintain a good relationship with her new companion, Fiona must issue commands to Hewie, praising or scolding him depending on whether or not he obeys. Praising or healing him when he becomes injured also maintains his interest. Hewie will ignore Fiona’s commands and wander off if not given enough attention, and if he is repeatedly mistreated he may even attack her. On the normal difficulty setting, Hewie can be knocked unconscious from sustaining too many injuries but can be revived. On the hard difficulty setting, he is slain after receiving the same level of injuries, causing the game to end.
When faced with certain scripted events or prolonged enemy attacks and chases, Fiona becomes fearful. If allowed to remain fearful for too long she will enter panic mode and run. Panic mode causes blurriness of the screen, saturation of the surroundings and a freeze-frame effect, and the control pad vibrates in time with Fiona’s heartbeat. The player is unable to stop Fiona running and must try to prevent her from running into walls and objects. Running into scenery causes her to collapse and crawl away; at this point further damage will kill her. Hewie can only be called for help during panic mode, encouraging him to attack any pursuer and prevent Fiona from being killed. If enemies are avoided long enough panic mode ends.
Reception
The game received mixed to positive reviews, with a GameRankings aggregate of 73%, and Metacritic giving a score of 67 out of 100.
IGN wrote ”Haunting Ground’s combination of high-end presentation, disturbing sexuality, and psychological mindjobbing makes it one of the most interesting games of the last couple of months” and selected it as the ”Game of the Month” for May 2005.
The graphics, character models and environments were praised as detailed. 1UP.com called the mansion areas ”some of the most detailed, lavish 3D environments Capcom has ever produced” and GamePro described the visuals as ”stark but appealing”. Critics enjoyed the addition of Hewie. Just Adventure called him ”adorable” and ”an asset of the utmost value”, and 1Up named him ”one of the best-implemented efforts” of including a dog in a video game. GameSpot noted that Hewie, despite being well-trained, occasionally did not obey orders.
GamePro stated: ”Despite a few fresh ideas, Haunting Ground is no classic. The thin story relies too often on cliché and titillation, the villains aren’t terribly frightening, and the gameplay becomes too predictable too quickly. Ultimately, this is Resident Evil Lite with a dog.”
Gameplay
Fiona, the player-character, must be guided through Belli Castle, its grounds and outbuildings until she can find a way to escape. Along the way, players must solve puzzles, unlock doors and evade, hide or attempt to fight back against the castle’s inhabitants. Fiona is accompanied by Hewie, a white German Shepherd dog. The two must work as a team to solve certain puzzles and outwit their pursuers.
During the game, the castle’s inhabitants chase and attack Fiona, and if evaded long enough will cease for a set interval. While it is possible to retaliate with kicks, Hewie’s bites, or alchemically created weapons, the game’s focus is on the player evading enemies long enough to find a hiding spot. The castle’s staff chase Fiona individually until defeated in a boss battle, after which a different enemy will pursue Fiona. Two enemies exist in addition to the castle’s keepers, neither are dangerous to Fiona but can alert Fiona’s pursuers to her location and cause panic. The first are small floating orbs of blue light known as Luminescents, which follow Fiona and emit a loud noise if they come into contact with her. The other enemy type are small grotesque, fetus resembling homunculi, who attach themselves to Fiona’s legs while letting out a piercing yell.
Hewie joins Fiona early in the game, following different player-issued commands to perform actions like barking or growling when he detects a trap or threat. He can be commanded to stay, follow, attack, fetch and to shake hands. In order to maintain a good relationship with her new companion, Fiona must issue commands to Hewie, praising or scolding him depending on whether or not he obeys. Praising or healing him when he becomes injured also maintains his interest. Hewie will ignore Fiona’s commands and wander off if not given enough attention, and if he is repeatedly mistreated he may even attack her. On the normal difficulty setting, Hewie can be knocked unconscious from sustaining too many injuries but can be revived. On the hard difficulty setting, he is slain after receiving the same level of injuries, causing the game to end.
When faced with certain scripted events or prolonged enemy attacks and chases, Fiona becomes fearful. If allowed to remain fearful for too long she will enter panic mode and run. Panic mode causes blurriness of the screen, saturation of the surroundings and a freeze-frame effect, and the control pad vibrates in time with Fiona’s heartbeat. The player is unable to stop Fiona running and must try to prevent her from running into walls and objects. Running into scenery causes her to collapse and crawl away; at this point further damage will kill her. Hewie can only be called for help during panic mode, encouraging him to attack any pursuer and prevent Fiona from being killed. If enemies are avoided long enough panic mode ends.
Reception
The game received mixed to positive reviews, with a GameRankings aggregate of 73%, and Metacritic giving a score of 67 out of 100.
IGN wrote ”Haunting Ground’s combination of high-end presentation, disturbing sexuality, and psychological mindjobbing makes it one of the most interesting games of the last couple of months” and selected it as the ”Game of the Month” for May 2005.
The graphics, character models and environments were praised as detailed. 1UP.com called the mansion areas ”some of the most detailed, lavish 3D environments Capcom has ever produced” and GamePro described the visuals as ”stark but appealing”. Critics enjoyed the addition of Hewie. Just Adventure called him ”adorable” and ”an asset of the utmost value”, and 1Up named him ”one of the best-implemented efforts” of including a dog in a video game. GameSpot noted that Hewie, despite being well-trained, occasionally did not obey orders.
GamePro stated: ”Despite a few fresh ideas, Haunting Ground is no classic. The thin story relies too often on cliché and titillation, the villains aren’t terribly frightening, and the gameplay becomes too predictable too quickly. Ultimately, this is Resident Evil Lite with a dog.”
Platform:
Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2)
Barcode:
5055060923894
Developers:
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Country of Purchase:
France
Input Devices:
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Automatic Estimated Value:
~€26.67
Automatic Estimated Date:
2026-03-07
Date Added:
2018-07-03 12:21:35
