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Mini-Review: Realms of the Haunting (hardcore gamers need apply)

Marcus

Sponsor

I'm posting this here because this is an excellent oldschool game that probably passed by many people because it was overshadowed by more popular games. If you're a hardcore collector like me, check this game out!

Realms of the Haunting is an obscure British first person adventure/horror game for the PC by Gremlin (better known for their other adventure game Normality... or maybe not; they were'nt exactly hot shit) and released in 1997. *While it starts out pretty corny featuring popular mid-90s grainy live action video and bad hairstyles, the writing of the game is solid, the story is excellent, and the atmosphere is engrossing even 9 years later. *It's a shame the game never caught on (damn you Final Fantasy 7!!!) because I know if I played this 10 years ago I would have enjoyed every moment of it.

http://www.realmsofthehaunting.com/scre ... th0001.jpg[/img]

The story is a throwback to classic Lovecraft with a more religious twist. *In the RotH universe, religion is a state of mind; Satan represents our evil personas while God represents the good. *This is personified by a mysterious object known as the Soulstone; it's a mysterious artifact which projects our "mental demons and angels" into the real world yet the biggest question of all is that the Soulstone was a creation in itself thus hinting at a greater intergalactic spirit yet to be discovered. *It's essentially a universal fail-safe designed to balance the mental spirits of the world; yet evil cannot exist without good and vice versa and this imbalance is exploited by the game's main villain.

http://www.realmsofthehaunting.com/scre ... th0004.jpg[/img]

You play as Adam Randall; a typical wide-eyed young adult similar to Gordon Freeman in that he has no military experience yet is highly athletic, level-headed, and skilled in all sorts of weaponry human and alien crafted. *His father died and he was mailed a broken artifact by an unknown sender. * You arrive at an abandoned mansion to discover what your father was researching and uncover the truth behind these events. *As you play, you encounter several characters including an angelic knight, a psychic madwoman who helps you in your quest, and even Belial; the ultimate evil played by David Learner (the voice for the Hitchiker's Guide's Marvin and a character on popular British show Knightmare).

http://www.realmsofthehaunting.com/scre ... th0007.jpg[/img]

While it's not outright SCARY, the game is very atmospheric. *The lighting, while primitive, is effective and hi-lights key points of the map design. *Sound plays an important role as many clues are cued from the ambient sound (there's even a disturbing voice-over a baby crying and a demon laughing that plays via a phonograph). *The game's puzzles, while not terribly difficult, require meticulous attention to detail and even the smallest oversight could lead to a major clue being missed. *Overall, everything pieces together and the storyline which is mostly revealed in discarded letters (as well as decent live-action video) brings out the game's unique design and atmosphere. * While it's not an outright action game, there are various weapons ranging from swords and shields, guns, and alien spirit weapons capable of mass destruction. *The monster designs are based on occult creatures with a more alien twist making them appear otherwordly as well as threatening.

http://www.realmsofthehaunting.com/scre ... th0008.jpg[/img]

Despite some wonky ass controls and Windows XP support, RotH is a worthwhile addition in any hardcore collection and serves as a testament to great game design which failed due to poor advertisement.

http://www.realmsofthehaunting.com/scre ... th0013.jpg[/img]

Pros:
-Rich atmosphere and storyline
-Unique environment based puzzles
-Very detailed and cinematic
-Incredible list of firearms both modern and spiritual

Cons:
-Controls take time to get used to
-Bad WinXP support even with DOSbox (hint: use VDMSound)


Final Score: 4/5 Lovecrafts

Where to Find:
Because it's an old game, the best place to find it is Amazon. *I got it there for 5.56 USD + 3 USD shipping. *Getting the complete boxed package is about $10 extra which isn't bad.

Website
The Officially Unofficial Website (where i stole my screenshots from)

Spiritual Successor of Sorts
If you liked this game or are interested but don't want to order it, go play Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth which is probably the single most frightening and adrenaline pumping game I've ever played. *It exhibits almost every A+ idea in game design and proves to be a masterpiece in terms of storytelling and atmosphere.
 
Marcus said:
Spiritual Successor of Sorts
If you liked this game or are interested but don't want to order it, go play Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth which is probably the single most frightening and adrenaline pumping game I've ever played. *It exhibits almost every A+ idea in game design and proves to be a masterpiece in terms of storytelling and atmosphere.


I honestly couldn't stand that game, horrible representation of Lovecraft's stories and style.
 

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