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[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

For spooky season I decided to revisit Capcom's take on Clock Tower and their very much spiritual successor to Clock Tower, Haunting Ground.

Both were games I had played before but it's been a while, longer in the case of Clock Tower 3.

I beat Clock Tower 3 and am working my way through Haunting Ground.

Both are great games, Clock Tower 3 is pretty cheesy, but in that lovable way, I also like how the story gets darker than usual, what with

Spoiler

a little girl getting murdered and the fact that your beloved grandfather is trying to kill you.

Haunting Ground meanwhile is one of the most underrated games of all time, it's absurd gamers slept on this one like they did, it's SO good, not just one of my favorite horror games but one of my favorite games period, it's great revisiting this one again.


Clock Tower 3 is solid but does feel like development was a bit rushed and it peaks early, there's some head scratching things I was wondering for anyone else who's played it what their take might be,

Spoiler

What is behind the boarded up door in Alyssa's house? Why was it boarded up and why the heck is there a dead body in the house's bathtub? Presumably it's one of the "lodgers" but who killed them and why? Since it was a skeleton, it would have been there a long time.

All very weird, but weird things like that are interesting.

Maybe they were sorta meant to be sequel hooks, it'd be pretty cool if Clock Tower 3 got a direct sequel as given the game's story, the fact that it's been 20+ years since the game would work perfectly with Alyssa having a 15 year old daughter of her own now.

But I would rather see a sequel or reboot to Haunting Ground, that'd be pretty amazing to see done with the modern RE engine, Capcom really needs to do something with it, I think RE8 took some obvious influence from it and the game has since amassed a pretty sizable cult following I've noticed, it'd be great to see it back.

 

[Krathoon]

Where both of those on the PS2? I have them. I may give them a spin in the emulator.

 

[Krathoon]

You also have Rule of Rose and Siren 1 and 2.

And you got Koudelka on the PS1 and IILBLEED on the Dreamcast.

 

[ProgenitorCastle]

I love both Clock Tower 3 and Haunting Ground! Clock Tower 3 has a sublime first level and stalker, but then the game gets more and more difficult as it goes on in such a way that I tend to replay it less than Haunting Ground. Haunting Ground is more similar to RE minus direct combat so the game formula for that one tends to work for me better than Clock Tower 3's structure. Both games are similar yet different enough in many key ways...both are worth playthroughs for survival horror fans

 

[Happosai]

Enough time has passed to where you may not have to use spoiler tags

I vaguely remember playing Haunting Ground but recall that one having...the glitch (look it up before you go too far). Clocktower 3 was great but the English VAs were pretty bad. It is a nice spooky game and can probably be completed in under 25 hours.

 

[Dice]

MY DAHHHLING

 

[Happosai]

MY DAHHHLING

 

[Krathoon]

I just played some Clock Tower 3 on PCSX2. I am having some weird artifacts in the video cutscenes.

Anyone know of a fix?

Edit: Turning off de-interlacing seemed to fix it.

 

[Dr_Salt]

I bought a copy of Clocktower 3 a while back before it explodes in price like Haunting Grounds did.

 

[Krathoon]

The Persona games are also good games to play this time of year.

I would recommend Persona 3 FES.

 

[Happosai]

I bought a copy of Clocktower 3 a while back before it explodes in price like Haunting Grounds did.

Likewise and mint condition. Haunting Ground I remember a group of friends bought at Gamestop in '04 for $15/a piece along with Suikoden 4. Like fools, we sold them after beating not know how expensive HG would become.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

I have both original titles on PS2, Haunting Ground I bought it for 20 dollars used years ago.

I am a fan and I love Clock Tower 3, Alyssa is the best Waifu of the franchise, I liked it, which is based a lot on the horror movies of the 90's 2000's.

A curious fact is that the Director of Clock tower 3, it was Kinji Fukasaku who made the movie Battle Royale and even Clock tower 3 was his last work, the Director pressured the motion capture actors to make the game, they made a total more than 200 auditions for the character of Alysa, in addition to the fact that the cast of the video game had to read the script and act as if it were a movie, since the director had no experience in video games, causing the scenes to be repeated even if they did not do facial gestures.

The game was based on many real serial killers, such as John George Haigh, who is the gas mask killer in the game, and Mark Read.

It had his catch moves and some funny cringe scenes.



I like the horror movie sound effect

Haunting ground, I arrived at the meeting with Daniella, I must return to both video games on vacation.

One of the best visual effects in a survival horror.



I wish they would come to Nintendo switch.

It has a very good mix of medieval themes with the modern era... Its soundtrack mixes the gloomy with modern sounds.

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

I love both Clock Tower 3 and Haunting Ground! Clock Tower 3 has a sublime first level and stalker, but then the game gets more and more difficult as it goes on in such a way that I tend to replay it less than Haunting Ground. Haunting Ground is more similar to RE minus direct combat so the game formula for that one tends to work for me better than Clock Tower 3's structure. Both games are similar yet different enough in many key ways...both are worth playthroughs for survival horror fans

Clock Tower 3's first level is by far the best part of the game and it's too bad the rest of it is not as good, the first level has you visiting "posh" places which is an interesting contrast with the horror going on, the rest of the game has dirtier, dingier locales more typical of horror games.

Another odd thing that points to a bit of a rushed development is you never get chased by the "dark gentlemen" despite him being a great, creepy design, which is also too bad.

All in all still a very good game though.

From my memory Haunting Ground is kind of similar in that the best content of the game is front loaded, though it's drop off is not as bad.

Both games feel like they probably didn't have very long development times, but are still very good for what they are.

Enough time has passed to where you may not have to use spoiler tags

I vaguely remember playing Haunting Ground but recall that one having...the glitch (look it up before you go too far). Clocktower 3 was great but the English VAs were pretty bad. It is a nice spooky game and can probably be completed in under 25 hours.

Since they are obscure games probably most people haven't played, I feel spoiler tags are probably still appropriate.

MY DAHHHLING

is he saying that or is he saying "my dolly!" since he looks at his beat up doll and then looks at Fiona, the implication being he thinks Fiona is some kind of doll for him to play with and kills her not knowing his own strength in that Lenny in of Mice and Men way.

I bought a copy of Clocktower 3 a while back before it explodes in price like Haunting Grounds did.

I rented both games when they first released in 2003 and 2005, but had the foresight to go back and buy them in 2010 and 2011, before they shot up in price thankfully.

I have both original titles on PS2, Haunting Ground I bought it for 20 dollars used years ago.

I am a fan and I love Clock Tower 3, Alyssa is the best Waifu of the franchise, I liked it, which is based a lot on the horror movies of the 90's 2000's.

A curious fact is that the Director of Clock tower 3, it was Kinji Fukasaku who made the movie Battle Royale and even Clock tower 3 was his last work, the Director pressured the motion capture actors to make the game, they made a total more than 200 auditions for the character of Alysa, in addition to the fact that the cast of the video game had to read the script and act as if it were a movie, since the director had no experience in video games, causing the scenes to be repeated even if they did not do facial gestures.

The game was based on many real serial killers, such as John George Haigh, who is the gas mask killer in the game, and Mark Read.

It had his catch moves and some funny cringe scenes.



I like the horror movie sound effect

Haunting ground, I arrived at the meeting with Daniella, I must return to both video games on vacation.

One of the best visual effects in a survival horror.



I wish they would come to Nintendo switch.

It has a very good mix of medieval themes with the modern era... Its soundtrack mixes the gloomy with modern sounds.

Yup, I was aware it was from the director of Battle Royale all the way back in 2003.

The over the top mocap acting of the cutscenes gives the game a very unique feel.

 

[Dice]

I have both original titles on PS2, Haunting Ground I bought it for 20 dollars used years ago.

I am a fan and I love Clock Tower 3, Alyssa is the best Waifu of the franchise, I liked it, which is based a lot on the horror movies of the 90's 2000's.

A curious fact is that the Director of Clock tower 3, it was Kinji Fukasaku who made the movie Battle Royale and even Clock tower 3 was his last work, the Director pressured the motion capture actors to make the game, they made a total more than 200 auditions for the character of Alysa, in addition to the fact that the cast of the video game had to read the script and act as if it were a movie, since the director had no experience in video games, causing the scenes to be repeated even if they did not do facial gestures.

The game was based on many real serial killers, such as John George Haigh, who is the gas mask killer in the game, and Mark Read.

It had his catch moves and some funny cringe scenes.



I like the horror movie sound effect

Haunting ground, I arrived at the meeting with Daniella, I must return to both video games on vacation.

One of the best visual effects in a survival horror.



I wish they would come to Nintendo switch.

It has a very good mix of medieval themes with the modern era... Its soundtrack mixes the gloomy with modern sounds.

Oh man I love CT3. I feel its horror/zany/badass blend translated into DMC quite a bit. I'd give a CT4 to that team.

 

[Krathoon]

It will not let me pick up the ring case at the start of Clocktower 3.

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

You also have Rule of Rose and Siren 1 and 2.

And you got Koudelka on the PS1 and IILBLEED on the Dreamcast.

Rule of Rose is another one I love, together with CT3 and Haunting Ground, they all form a sorta trilogy of non-Silent Hill, non-Resident Evil, non-Fatal Frame survival horror games on the PS2 with running and hiding and/or havign a dog companion.

Illbleed I played once and it is awesome, I couldn't get into Siren though and 2 was never even released in the US.

Oh man I love CT3. I feel its horror/zany/badass blend translated into DMC quite a bit. I'd give a CT4 to that team.

Agreed, CT3 does feel weirdly like DMC but as a more straightforward horror game.

 

[Krathoon]

You can actually play Siren 2 in the PCSX2 emulator.

I bought a European copy and copied an image of it.

 

[TGO]

Got both in my PS2 library, got them both on launch day.
Haunting Ground is the better of the two

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

You can actually play Siren 2 in the PCSX2 emulator.

I bought a European copy and copied an image of it.

Yeah, but I prefer playing an actual copy if I can.

I own most of the really significant ones on PS2, only Kuon is the biggest that got away.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

 

[TheGreatMusashi]

I was playing through Haunting Ground on OPL with a HDD. Game freezes at the end of the long bridge that leads to the start of chapter 6, at the end of the game. Been looking online but most of the information about OPL and the Mode settings for Haunting Ground wasn’t discussed very much. All I’ve been able to find is compatibility sheets, listing playable with Mode 6 but it still doesn’t work.

 

[peronmls]

Clock Tower 3 was a little goofy. Felt like I was watching a play or something. Haunting Ground is miles better.

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

Just finished my playthrough of Haunting Ground.

What an absolutely stellar game, one of my favorites without a doubt, it's such a tragedy it got so overshadowed by RE4 and DMC3.

There's lots of great survival horror games, but Haunting Ground still stands out as a very unique one with a very unique atmosphere, imagine a cross between Resident Evil and Silent Hill and you're halfway there.

I do wonder if a sequel was ever possible, or if it was always intended as a standalone game as it doesn't really leave room open for a sequel.

It'd be great to see a reboot or something done with the ip.

This guy gets it.

Much kudos for recognizing Miyamae Kanako.

 

[Happosai]

Just finished my playthrough of Haunting Ground.

You may add spoiler tag but which ending did you choose?

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

It'd be great to see a reboot or something done with the ip.

Shadow of Rome too.
Damn you, Capcom.

This guy gets it.

Much kudos for recognizing Miyamae Kanako.

She needs love

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

It's interesting comparing the two games, Haunting Ground is definitely the overall better game, but Clock Tower 3's graphics are surprisingly a bit better in some respects, though Haunting Ground's levels are on a bigger scale with no load times when going from room to room.
Clock Tower 3 is a fascinating little oddity but it's no surprise why it wasn't a blockbuster, too weird, Haunting Ground on the other hand is just freakin' great and deserved to be a much, much bigger hit.

You may add spoiler tag but which ending did you choose?

Spoiler

Ending A where Debilitas survives.

Debilitas going on like nothing's different is an appropriately weird note to end on, but I actually find the ending where everyone is dead and Fiona looks back on an empty castle before leaving is eerier.

Shadow of Rome too.
Damn you, Capcom.


She needs love

Shadow of Rome is another real underrated Capcom game, what's weird is you'd think considering the big following ancient Rome has among the "how often do you think about the Roman empire?" crowd these days the game would get rediscovered, but it remains almost totally unknown.

And yeah, she does need more love, I wish Maria Holic was in general better remembered, it was popular at the time but seems forgotten today, it's a real shame.

 

[Happosai]

It's interesting comparing the two games, Haunting Ground is definitely the overall better game, but Clock Tower 3's graphics are surprisingly a bit better in some respects, though Haunting Ground's levels are on a bigger scale with no load times when going from room to room.
Clock Tower 3 is a fascinating little oddity but it's no surprise why it wasn't a blockbuster, too weird, Haunting Ground on the other hand is just freakin' great and deserved to be a much, much bigger hit.

Spoiler

Ending A where Debilitas survives.

Debilitas going on like nothing's different is an appropriately weird note to end on, but I actually find the ending where everyone is dead and Fiona looks back on an empty castle before leaving is eerier.

I think the timing was poor for Haunting Ground. Many articles I've read over the years tend to favor Haunting Ground and push Clocktower 3 into the dirt. Clocktower 3 certainly felt more of a mystery-like horror game very much aligned with Resident Evil. Haunting Ground was great but there were times I felt it getting tedious as well. That didn't happen last time I played CT3 though. Load times were better as Capcom was pushing harder to 'fix' some of the issues with CT3 when they made Haunting Ground. I'd like to see both get remasters (not remakes) in a double release, but highly unlikely they'd do that. Haunting Ground is rare and stupid expensive on the used market (with Clocktower 3 slowly getting there but not nearly as rare). Their poor sales figures during 6th gen is enough reason to say no one will do much of a physical remaster sadly.

I won't reveal the spoiler tag. I'll just add, nice choice.

 

[fart town usa]

I remember watching my buddy play CT3 and it was quite creepy during a specific spot, I remember some hulking dude chasing after my friend and it was creepy as hell. Always wanted to play it myself.

Never finished Haunting Ground but someday, I love the fixed camera angles, makes me think of what a traditional RE game would have been like if one was made ground up for the PS2. PS2 was terrible for RE, bizarre to think back on it. 2 ports and two games that are borderline unplayable (Outbreak). Never tried Dead Aim but always wanted to. I still adore C:VX and RE4 but yea, weak output all the same.

 

[Andrew Evenstar]

Clock Tower 1 and 3 are awesome. I love the sentencing for bosses when you fight them. Music in CT 3 is good too!

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

I think the timing was poor for Haunting Ground. Many articles I've read over the years tend to favor Haunting Ground and push Clocktower 3 into the dirt. Clocktower 3 certainly felt more of a mystery-like horror game very much aligned with Resident Evil. Haunting Ground was great but there were times I felt it getting tedious as well. That didn't happen last time I played CT3 though. Load times were better as Capcom was pushing harder to 'fix' some of the issues with CT3 when they made Haunting Ground. I'd like to see both get remasters (not remakes) in a double release, but highly unlikely they'd do that. Haunting Ground is rare and stupid expensive on the used market (with Clocktower 3 slowly getting there but not nearly as rare). Their poor sales figures during 6th gen is enough reason to say no one will do much of a physical remaster sadly.

I won't reveal the spoiler tag. I'll just add, nice choice.

CT3 definitely feels like the development was a bit rushed, like for example the first two levels has Alyssa traveling back in time, before that's dropped for the rest of the game, it feels like she should have gone back at least a third time to the Victorian era to be chased by the "dark gentleman" ala Jack the Ripper (it's very weird he never actually chases you despite being a great design)

Despite feeling a little half baked in some respects, it's still a very, very interesting game, one of the more unique ones out there.

Haunting Ground feels more cohesive, but it does get a little tedious at times, for a survival horror game of the era it's actually a pretty long one, but with the cost of a few things feeling a bit like padding or busywork.

Also a few strange things I noticed about HG, in the first castle area there's two bedrooms and a bathroom, I like how it's designed like an actual living space despite the surrealist aspects, however in the second mansion area there's a bathroom, but no bedrooms and the castle and mansion aren't easily assessable normally, so if you were a resident and in the mansion, what did you do when you wanted to sleep? lol

Also

Spoiler

who the heck was the mummified corpse in the mansion area and why does she turn her head to look in the direction you enter the room in? I was also wondering who the woman in the tank was, using google translate on concept art it says something about a homunculus, but she looks like Fiona, that's the only thing that feels like a sequel hook, like whoever that is waking up after the events of the game and maybe acting as a sort of evil twin to Fiona.

I remember watching my buddy play CT3 and it was quite creepy during a specific spot, I remember some hulking dude chasing after my friend and it was creepy as hell. Always wanted to play it myself.

Never finished Haunting Ground but someday, I love the fixed camera angles, makes me think of what a traditional RE game would have been like if one was made ground up for the PS2. PS2 was terrible for RE, bizarre to think back on it. 2 ports and two games that are borderline unplayable (Outbreak). Never tried Dead Aim but always wanted to. I still adore C:VX and RE4 but yea, weak output all the same.

I actually really like the RE Outbreak games a lot, but they really should have just been single player spinoffs, the online aspect was too ahead of it's time.

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

I wish Capcom would do something with the Haunting Ground ip, either a remake/reboot/remaster or a sequel.

It's amazing how well the game's graphics still hold up, seeing that world done with the RE engine on the level of RE4 Remake would be jaw dropping.

 

[Happosai]

I wish Capcom would do something with the Haunting Ground ip, either a remake/reboot/remaster or a sequel.

It's amazing how well the game's graphics still hold up, seeing that world done with the RE engine on the level of RE4 Remake would be jaw dropping.

Multi-platformed remaster. I cannot stand remakes whatsoever and I can see them adding a bunch of cinematics or other bloat to it. Also liked it when Capcom wasn't trying to find Western celebs to render character models from. Just use original models like before.

Can't say sequel as Haunting Ground was unofficially the sequel to Clocktower 3. Haven't done my research...just some speculation. My speculation is that they wanted to end the Clocktower franchise after 3 failed and restart it under the new name 'Haunting Ground'. Giving it a title to other similar competitors at the time like 'Silent Hill.'

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Is that your waifu?

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

Multi-platformed remaster. I cannot stand remakes whatsoever and I can see them adding a bunch of cinematics or other bloat to it. Also liked it when Capcom wasn't trying to find Western celebs to render character models from. Just use original models like before.

Can't say sequel as Haunting Ground was unofficially the sequel to Clocktower 3. Haven't done my research...just some speculation. My speculation is that they wanted to end the Clocktower franchise after 3 failed and restart it under the new name 'Haunting Ground'. Giving it a title to other similar competitors at the time like 'Silent Hill.'

Nevertheless I think it'd work as a modern update, though game design has changed a lot, one big thing about Haunting Ground is how the levels are set up, these maps you go back and forth in slowly piecing together what to do, this both makes it feel more like a real place and is also more interesting as it gives you time to really soak up the atmosphere.

By contrast in Salazar castle in RE4 remake you're largely going from point A to point B, progressing through it at a steady clip with not as much back and forth, this would change the feel of Haunting Ground a lot.

These days if it's not obvious at all times where you need to go and what you need to do, players probably check out, which could be one reason HG wasn't a success even back then, the game is definitely slow paced at times, even by my standards.

As for Clock Tower 3, I don't know whether they wanted it to spawn direct sequels continuing the "Rooder" plotline or treat Clock Tower as an "anthology" series of sorts where every new game was an all new story, just with a clock tower popping up somewhere as a connecting tissue, like how it doesn't continue the plotline of the first two Clock Tower games, it's possible that a Haunting Ground II would have also followed the anthology idea and been all new characters and story, just maybe continuing the theme of alchemy.

Either way I do think Capcom wanting to continue making more "pure" horror games while RE moved in a more action heavy direction, but for a while there horror wasn't what audiences wanted, making HG the last real horror game from Capcom for years before RE7 brought new life to it.

Is that your waifu?

She's certainly my waifu.

 

[Happosai]

Either way I do think Capcom wanting to continue making more "pure" horror games while RE moved in a more action heavy direction, but for a while there horror wasn't what audiences wanted, making HG the last real horror game from Capcom for years before RE7 brought new life to it.

Well, there's your answer. Any moving forward to continue this franchise was determined during the 6th-gen. Marketing results for these games were highly unsatisfactory and they've had several gens to do something with these IPs. Let's face it, they're not going to do it though. RE4 remake not by quality (as I really don't like the remakes) but by implementation was the result of the games selling so well generation after generation. Haunting Ground failed during it's first round of sales and Capcom would certainly not touch anything sequel or remake related. That'd be the most expensive option and given there are gamers who don't even remember the titles (due to it already fading by 7th-gen); the most you could expect is a remaster of HG. Clocktower 3 bit the dust the moment they made HG. That was a means to end for Capcom.

You'll also notice that rare titles which were popular with competing publishers were not quick to be remastered or remade either (such as 'Silent Hill' again). Lesser popular titles will be left with the generation they were introduced in unfortunately. If Capcom really wanted to test the marketing base...they could always try crowdfunding it as a legit project to be accomplished. However, to them...the only people with any care for those IPs are nostalgia gamers or rare collectors in general and that's a very small number in marketing for the great expensive of having to dig back into the IP.

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

Well, there's your answer. Any moving forward to continue this franchise was determined during the 6th-gen. Marketing results for these games were highly unsatisfactory and they've had several gens to do something with these IPs. Let's face it, they're not going to do it though. RE4 remake not by quality (as I really don't like the remakes) but by implementation was the result of the games selling so well generation after generation. Haunting Ground failed during it's first round of sales and Capcom would certainly not touch anything sequel or remake related. That'd be the most expensive option and given there are gamers who don't even remember the titles (due to it already fading by 7th-gen); the most you could expect is a remaster of HG. Clocktower 3 bit the dust the moment they made HG. That was a means to end for Capcom.

You'll also notice that rare titles which were popular with competing publishers were not quick to be remastered or remade either (such as 'Silent Hill' again). Lesser popular titles will be left with the generation they were introduced in unfortunately. If Capcom really wanted to test the marketing base...they could always try crowdfunding it as a legit project to be accomplished. However, to them...the only people with any care for those IPs are nostalgia gamers or rare collectors in general and that's a very small number in marketing for the great expensive of having to dig back into the IP.

Nevertheless in my mind's eye I can imagine an Xbox 360 era sequel pretty well, maybe the big gimmick to "sell" it at the time would be online co-op where one player controls Fiona and the other Hewie lol.

The game has a pretty sizable cult following today, I see it referenced pretty frequently on Twitter, also in my mind's eye I can imagine some kind of reboot with the RE engine pretty well.

But Capcom seems far less willing to give things second chances, unlike say Nintendo and things like the Another Code remakes.

 

[Happosai]

Nevertheless in my mind's eye I can imagine an Xbox 360 era sequel pretty well, maybe the big gimmick to "sell" it at the time would be online co-op where one player controls Fiona and the other Hewie lol.

The game has a pretty sizable cult following today, I see it referenced pretty frequently on Twitter, also in my mind's eye I can imagine some kind of reboot with the RE engine pretty well.

But Capcom seems far less willing to give things second chances, unlike say Nintendo and things like the Another Code remakes.

Well, that's the angle I was getting at too. You mentioned 360 era and that would have been a better time. You really need to understand how Capcom prints physical copies when it comes to marketing such media. There's a cult following, yes (for HG). Question is: are there millions globally in that cult following? Capcom isn't going to print (e.g. -- 100K copies) a small number for niche collectors, nostalgia people and the like. They'd need a market of millions to even give it a thought which is why I mentioned that their marketing would pull stats (such as a mock kickstarter) to get an idea 'how many' would possibly there be without risking loss on a fandom item.

It's not about Capcom not giving second chances. They're extremely careful with marketing and aren't going to risk something that can barely break even in sales. They need to print high numbers, run a ton of PR and pay dev teams a small fortune to make these things really work. It's not fast or easy. Look at Konami with Suikoden 1 & 2. Going on like 3-years since they stated they'd have remasters out and it's not even to a point of basic promos. Similar to Capcom, if they feel the project expense production is costing more than what accounting has to run for print numbers; it'll simply become a limited collector's release or digital only download.

It's nice for thought but as tough as it sounds. They had their chance all the way back with CT3 and sorta blew their opportunity to headline that as a new horror-game franchise with the poor sales of HG.

 

[Mr Hyde]

Recently played through Haunting Ground and it holds up surprisingly well. The story and setting is very well done. Excellent I would say, as the castle and subsequent environment feels organic and connected, and above all, spooky as shit. The story touches upon some very disturbing themes, some of which are sexual in its nature, but Capcom pulls it off quite well, approaching it with nuance and subtlety. The protagonist Fiona and her dog Hewie are good characters. Fiona is likeable and very human in how she reacts to her surroundings. It's confusing and scary, and these emotions carries over to me, because I sure as shit felt very uncomfortable during some play sessions. The villains are also very interesting, especially the second one, Daniella, who is creepy as shit, but also kinda sad given her backstory.

The gameplay however, can be lacking and quite frustrating at times. The puzzles can be confusing, and it doesn't help when you suddenly gets chased by a psychopath who wants to stab you to death with a large shard of sharp glass. The music that kicks in when you gets chased is super creepy and the whole ordeal with being pursued can be quite stressful, but that's the intent so well done Capcom, you really nailed that aspect of the game. But after a couple of hours of being hunted, it starts to get tedious and sometimes it takes ages before the baddies gives up and leaves you alone. Hewie is helpful but he can be a pain the ass when it comes to taking orders.

Overall, I'd say Haunting Ground is a superb survival horror game, even with how frustrating the gameplay is sometimes. Capcom manages to invoke a wide plethora of scary emotions and anxiety throughout the adventure, and getting through Haunting Ground all the way to the end can be exhausting and leave you feeling empty and reluctant to continue playing. Not many horror games manages to do this, in fact the only game I can think of that is on the psychological horror level that HG is, is Silent Hill 2, another masterpiece from the PS2-era. And that's about the highest praise I can give for a horror game.