Haunting Ground Playstation Two

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Published By: Capcom. Developed By: Capcom Production Studio 1. Released: May 10, 2005. Genre: Survival Horror.

With the recent release of Silent Hill 5 Homecoming on the powerfull PlayStation 3, I thought it was time to take another look at what is probably the best survival horror of all time. Haunting ground was a breakthrough in making the player needing an inexaustable supply of fresh underwear for the truly heart stopping moments this game delivers. Although Haunting Ground was not the first for this, it did have some unique qualities that could top Kojima and his troops at Konami with their terrifiying Silent Hill series.

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Haunting Ground introduces you to Fiona Belli, a young woman involved in a car crash who blacks out and wakes up in a dungeon. After her escape you meet up with your only ally in this hellish nightmare, a white alsation named Hewie. What really works well at this point is the bond you can build with Hewie. The player can give Hewie a variety of commands and he will come running to the aid of Fiona, as well as search and attack commands he can also open doors that Fiona can’t.

The game-play is simple yet extremely effective. The idea is the player roams the corridors and grounds of a creepy castle solving puzzles, sound familiar? It should. Yes this is Capcom after all who delivered us the Resident Evil series. So what is it that makes Haunting Ground one of the best Horror games of all time? The answer is a very clever concept Capcom came up with to deliver fear to the player in a way we hadn’t experienced before. The idea is that the player has to sneak around quietly and without being seen, if the player does get spotted, Fiona will have to run but if you get attacked or the pursuer gets close to your position then Fiona’s senses are disorientated and she will be uncontrollable making it harder for the player to survive. The way to survive this is by commanding Hewie to attack the enemy whilst you make your getaway and then finding a place to hide. The game allows the player to hide in cupboards, under furniture and even showers but be careful not to reuse a hiding spot too frequently or you will meet your demise.

Haunting Ground let’s the player lure the enemy with sound or objects giving you a chance for the times when hiding just isn’t an option. The reason this game is so terrifying is because you aren’t able to kill anything, you are almost completely defenceless in this game. The feeling of being chased at any any moment combined with the bizarreness, generates panic for the player, leaving us making split second decisions in a panic state.

Make no mistake, this title is a physiological horror, like the Silent Hills. Ignore the age rating this game is scary, so don’t expect a Resident Evil. If you like sleepless nights or needing to ring your mum then this is worth a look. If you are a delicate little orchid then it may be wise for you to ignore this one.