When was the last time you got so freaked out that you almost hit someone beside you? Must have been a while, huh? To celebrate Halloween this year, XSeed brings us a haunted house simulator game for the Nintendo Wii that will make you cower in fear as you play Ju-on: The Grudge. Inspired from the movie Ju-on (The Grudge), prepare yourself to enter places full of curses and nightmare.
With Silent Hill Shattered Memories and Resident Evil: Dark Side Chronicles releasing this Halloween, what makes Ju-on: The Grudge so special? Let’s take on the HOTs and NOTs:
HOT
Presentation
Ju-on: The Grudge will bring you to five different places that will give gamers the chills that make survival horror games so great. With only a flashlight and limited batteries scattered throughout the game, you must find a way out before the curse of Ju-on comes upon you. Throughout the five stages of the game, you will be venturing into dark places. The only way to escape the curse is to solve the mystery that surrounds it. Hints and keys needed to advance in the game will be scattered across the rooms through a glowing remark. They’re easy to find, trust me.
Truly Scary…
I’ve played a lot of horror games and no game had ever made me jump that much before, except Ju-on: The Grudge. Throughout the game, familiar characters from the movies will make an appearance such as Toshio and the cursed girl with long hair. As you try to solve the mystery of the curse, there will be times that you will just freak out due to the
unexpected scare that is coming at you. The excellent soundtrack makes the atmosphere feel even more real and thanks to the slow pacing of the game, you will truly feel frightened in every place you go through.
Five Stages = 2 – 3 Hours
Ju-on will offer you five different episodes where you can play and experience the fear that you’re anxious to get to. Each episode length varies on the exploration you do or if you get stuck in one place. The stages are pretty straight forward and should let you finish each episode in no longer than 30 minutes. The hints scattered through the rooms are needed to unlock the final stage.
Wii Remote Utilization
The only way to survive in Ju-on: The Grudge is through your Wii Remote. Acting as your own personal flashlight, you point to your destination and press the B button to walk. The slow pacing of the game will let you feel that you are in a haunted house because you will see every inch that the house has to offer.
NOT
So dark…
In my first play through of the game, I always got stuck at some point in the game just because it was so dark. With just the flashlight as the only source of light, it’s sometimes hard to find your way through the house. Sometimes, I would just point the Wii Remote down to find my way through by looking at the floor. This helps build the atmosphere but can sometimes just be frustrating.
Dull gameplay
This game is a haunted house simulator so you don’t really need that much effort to play and finish this game. Just get batteries and the key to proceed and you’re done. However if you want to reach the final episode, you must get the hidden items scattered throughout the stages. These hidden items are hints to solving the curse and finding out the mystery that surrounds it.
Just rent it
While the game may succeed in giving you the scares and surprises that you crave for Halloween, this title is defiantly not something to own. It is fun while it lasts, but clocking in AT MOST around three hours, it will be a complete waste of $30. Unless you are a avid collector and want to have this game sitting on your shelf, just save yourself the money and rent it for a day.
VERDICT
Comparing this game to Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and Resident Evil: Dark Side Chronicles, Ju-on: The Grudge will give you the scare and fear that you need but what it lacks is the depth of its gameplay. Going in a linear path might bore you at times but I guarantee that you will jump the hell out of your chair when you play this game. For the price of $29.99, it may not be worth owning, but by playing the game you are going to get a nice Halloween treat that everyone can enjoy. Buy it for your collection or rent it for a quick scare, remember to turn out the lights, turn the volume up, and prepare to experience the curse.
