Haunting Ground Review | Dog Bonding, Dark Themes, Dodging Pursuers

Imagine a game so successful that during the making of it, you actually end up coming up with three games. That’s what Capcom did when they were prototyping Resident Evil 4. They got that, they got Devil May Cry and they also got the game we’re talking about on this podcast. We’re going back to 2005 to take a look at a survival horror that didn’t get quite as many sequels as those other series just mentioned. We’re talking Haunting Ground.

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we chat a little bit about the much better Japanese name of DEMENTO, as well as a tagline that Josh likes and doesn’t like at all. We also look at a trailer with a lot of slobbering and panting, their reasons for including a dog, and mo-capping said dog.

Here are some of the things you’re gonna hear us chat about in our review: being reactive after you are definitely spotted by one of your pursuers; hiding under beds, inside wardrobes, and behind doors; Alien: Isolation; a distinct lack of fear; special hiding spots; Hewie the attack dog; fairy earrings; the sound of vase-breaking vs dog-barking; how much your bond with your pooch; German Shepherd-sized holes; some real headscratchers of puzzles; some of the flattest boss fights; shoddy glowing fireflies; Resi 4 comparisons; nice-looking maps that are a bit hard to read; a story with some heavy sexual themes, delivered through some ludicrous characters and dialogue; Manhunt; the strangely calm Fiona Belli; setting the scene via static camera angles; the looks of a late PS2 game; and a wonderful lack of loading screens. 

After all that, we take you through what some of the critics were saying about the game around the time it came out, and then we give you our final verdicts on whether Haunting Ground is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.

For those who would like to play along at home, we'll be discussing, reviewing and dissecting Batman Begins on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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