[beatchef]

I've just bought this little known gem of a game called Haunting Ground. Has anyone else here played it? Anyway, it's a game by Capcom, and it's on the PS2 so you'd automatically class it as an action game under normal circumstances. The gameplay however is that you walk around this mansion you've been mysteriously dumped in and you walk around picking up items, reading things, getting clues, solving puzzles. There's lots of long story cutscenes too. Occasionally you'll run into one of 4 of the mansion's crazy deinizens and you have to do everything you can to run away and escape, even training a dog you've rescued to attack them. I know it doesn't matter but would you consider it to be a 3D adventure game rather than a console action game as all other Capcom games like Resident Evil are labeled? It's more of an adventure game than Dreamfall at least :p

It's kind of like Dreamfall meets Silent Hill meets Maniac Mansion Eternal Darkness minus the fighting and adding puzzles.

If you've got a PS2 and you see this game cheap, I really recommend it. It's very clever, gorgeous lookking, challenging, creepy and sometimes delightfully derranged in a Takeshi Miike way. If you've read my other threads how come creepy traditional adventure games creep me out but something mroe scary like this doesn't? Hmm. Anyway, yes, recommended.

http://uk.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure...to/review.html

[Jackal]

Actually, games like RE are labeled Survival Horror, which is exactly what I'd consider Haunting Ground.

Just out of curiosity, why do you say it's more of an adventure than Dreamfall?

[insane_cobra]

What I believe he meant is that Haunting Ground isn't much like RE, though you're right about games resembling RE being labeled survival horror and not console action.

[Jackal]

Yeah, could be. Aside from the dog, though, it doesn't sound all that different in principle. I actually just got this game a few days ago but haven't had a chance to check it out for myself.

Still, in terms of the overall question, I do think it's an important distinction from a huge catch-all like console action. Not all Survival Horror games are like RE, either, and I definitely agree that some or all have plenty of adventure elements. But since they have their own basic genre label, we tend not to call them that.

[beatchef]

No, it's nothing like Resident Evil, in the Resident Evil games the main point of the game is killing zombies with a vast arsenal of weapons. In Haunting Ground the main point is exploration, reading and puzzles to move the story along.

When I say it's more of an adventure game than Dreamfall, I mean that at least it has proper puzzles and isn't absolutely linear. Don't get me wrong, I love Dreamfall, pretty much only for the story though. and that's not an arguement for this thread.

Give Haunting Ground a go and tell me what you think. Oh and remember to run back the way you came the first time you get in trouble. I didn't twice and got hammered.

[BerserkerTails]

I've been pimping Haunting Ground every chance I get at this board, so here goes again, haha... Basically if you consider the Clock Tower games as Adventures, then you should consider Haunting Ground as well, as basically the only thing different is the direct control scheme.

Haunting Ground's amazing. I haven't played it since it first came out (I bought it the week it was released), so I'm going to have to play that again soon.

[beatchef]

I've heard it's a long game but I seem to be rocketing through it. I'm only 2 solid hours through and i've

Spoiler:

shown Debilitas who's boss and got the metal boots.

It's starting to remind me more and more of Gregory Horror Show now though, which is not an adventure game.

I think there needs to be more ways to die, enough to rival Shadowgate or someting hehe, so far i've only managed to get

Spoiler:

crushed by Debilitas, get shot through the body with all those metal rods, and fall a great height in the dark.

Many times!

[Orange Brat]

In Haunting Ground the main point is exploration, reading and puzzles to move the story along.

That's also the main point of Resident Evil. It's not a zombie shooter. They're just there to give you something to do when not exploring, reading, and puzzle solving. They also add the survival and horror.

[beatchef]

I'd agree with you on Resident Evil 1, but 2, 3 and the amazing 4 are all pretty much action games, that are 'survival' because they don't give you enough ammo. I wouldn't really say they were horror because it's all pretty tame really. The only thing that makes me jump in Resident Evil games is sudden movement, like the hands through the walls, things smashing through windows etc Haunting Ground has 'oh my, did that really happen? that's sick!' moments instead of 'oh look, another zombie!' moments hehehe

[beatchef]

I think Daniella looks exactly like Famke Jansen... here's a pic




That's not a good example, but Cacpm can do such good graphics and ranges of emotion on the PS2 in real-time, there's no excuse for anyone else not to be able to do it on the PC and Xbox 360, yet nothing comes close to Capcom, Konami and Square.

[insane_cobra]

In my opinion HL2 is the current pinnacle of real-time character presentation, but those Japs sure know their work.

Mind you, we only see such quality of facial animation in (real-time) cut scenes on the PS2, during the gameplay portions it's mostly nowhere near as nice.

[beatchef]

With Capcom and Konami games they're almost as nice during gameplay, Haunting Ground included. I think it's really impressive from 7 year old hardware, I don't think a 7 year old PC could run Half Life 2 I think that Half Life 2 only got the emotions really spot on with Episode One, in the original game, Alyx looked like a giant lizard gurning under a human mask.

[insane_cobra]

Originally Posted by beatchef

With Capcom and Konami games they're almost as nice during gameplay, Haunting Ground included.

I don't know, I've only played the first three Silent Hills and Onimusha 3, but I don't remember expressions on characters' faces ever significantly changing during the gameplay portions, except when they would break for a short cutscene.

I think that Half Life 2 only got the emotions really spot on with Episode One, in the original game, Alyx looked like a giant lizard gurning under a human mask.

Not at all, people praised HL2 for its incredible character presentation long before Episode 1.

[beatchef]

Fair enough but I thought that it never looked quite right. They made the animations better in Episode One, as explained in the commentary track.

[insane_cobra]

Haven't played it yet.

But I'll get it soon.

[beatchef]

Don't pay a lot for it, as it's only about 5 hours long, but it's a lot of fun.