GENRE
	Adventure
	DEVELOPER
	High Voltage Software
	PUBLISHER
	TDK Mediactive
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	CONNECTIVITY
	no
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Haunted Mansion is one of those games that I love to admire while playing it. These games come along every once and a while and usually aren’t popular at all or haven’t received enough buzz for anyone to get excited about. Also, they aren’t all that great comparatively, to be honest. Titles such as Darkened Skye and Spirits and Spells are two games I like to plug in every now and then just to admire their fantastic art direction. Not the revolutionary game engines found in titles like Viewtiful Joe or the mind blowing visuals of games like Resident Evil 0; they really don’t have the budget to do something like that. When a game like Haunted Mansion is released, I just can’t help but get all jittery inside. What is it about games like this? I honestly couldn’t tell you. Let’s just say that while it doesn’t provide an experience like Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, it’s still worth checking out just for the sheer pleasure of checking it out. Now, obviously Haunted Mansion isn’t without its shortcomings. There’s not a whole lot of depth and the length leaves something to be desired. On the other hand, the overall gameplay is addictive and everything that Luigi’s Mansion did, Haunted Mansion not only does better, but with style as well.

visuals

The developers really put all of their creative assets into creating a beautifully eerie and entertaining environment within Haunted Mansion. The look to each area of the game is distinct and the amount of detail put into these rooms is astounding. Not only does it look like a haunted mansion, it looks like the Haunted Mansion. For those of you who are confused, let me put it this way. Not only did High Voltage manage to create a beautifully original environment, but was also able to play off of several key points in the Haunted Mansion attraction from Disneyland. First off, in rooms like the Dining Room and Madame Leota’s ‘office’, you really want to look around to see where the tramcars are going to appear. Also, each character, other than the main character, Zeke, looks completely animatronic. It’s as if they motion captured the attraction itself. While it doesn’t look extremely well done, it suits the game nicely and keeps the spirit of the classic ride. The character models could have used a bit more polish, especially Zeke’s. However, they are all well designed and a little blockyness never hurt anyone.

The greatest part of the game is the art direction, obviously. With heavy influences from Burton, everything looks twisted and dark, but still entertaining and fun. Some of the enemies, like the banshee, look as if they were pulled straight out of Sleepy Hollow. Even Zeke looks like a cross between Depp’s portrayal of Ichabod Crane and the cartoon version. It’s fascinating to look at and the look definitely transfers well into the game. Everything here is darker than anything found in Luigi’s Mansion, so it provides a bit more of a “mature” vibe to it. Everything here works and makes you want to explore the entire mansion, trying to picture what the next room may be like.

audio

Some of the greatest moments in the game come from the ghosts with their quips and farces. For example, early in the game you’ll encounter a ghostly band. Two of them will say, “Cow bell! Definitely needs more cow bell!” Anyone who knows where this is from will instantly get a kick out of it. For those of you who are SNL-challenged, there’s another ghost later in the game who will say, “Your princess is in another castle! Or at least, that’s what I’ve been told. I don’t know which castle, though.” The sense of humor this game has is irresistible and I was hoping for a few more bits like that, but they are few and far between. The sound effects are okay, but not produced to their fullest potential. The same could be said with the music, but it holds your attention and is only present when it is absolutely necessary. The graveyard quartet is a blast, though, since they’re voiced over by the Dapper Dans, the original Disneyland quartet.

gameplay

There’s not a whole lot to say about the gameplay in Haunted Mansion because to be honest, it’s very simple. You enter the mansion as Zeke, the last caretaker’s only surviving relative. Zeke must rid the mansion of trapped souls before Atticus Thorn takes over the mansion and soon, the realm of the dead. In order to restore peace to the mansion, you’ll have to move from room to room turning on the lights in order to scare out a handful of the 999 spirits that are trapped in the mansion. While doing this, you’ll collect pieces of a death certificate that you can show to one of the friendly ghosts who are permanent residents of the mansion. Once they see the death certificate, they’ll give you one of six soul gems that will help you during combat. Some of the rooms are designed marvelously. The Maid’s Room is like a labyrinth, but you’ll always be enclosed by walls that move as you walk towards them. The effect is creepy, especially for anyone who is claustrophobic. The Children’s Room is one of my favorites. You’ll see a dark red glow coming from the back of the room and once you open the door from which it emits, all you’ll see is a small closet. This is possibly one of the most effective designs in the whole game because not only does it lead to one of the most intense moments in the game, but it’s also pretty damn scary at the same time. The controls can be a bit dodgy, but there’s nothing that will impede your progress or make you frustrated. Even the camera does a good job at keeping you on your toes, especially when something is sneaking up behind you.

multiplayer

N/A

overall

There you have it. If you look at a title like Haunted Mansion and scoff when you see the screenshots, it just isn’t the same as playing the game. If you liked Luigi’s Mansion, you’ll love playing through Haunted Mansion. If you didn’t like Luigi’s Mansion, or even if you didn’t play it because you didn’t think it would be that great, you should definitely check out Haunted Mansion. You’ll win either way. Personally, I was completely surprised by how this game turned out. Some people may just not like it, including other critics, but for me this is how to use a license properly. For the first T rated Disney game, High Voltage (Hunter: The Reckoning) and TDK have done a magnificent job and this is easily their best effort to date. Hopefully we’ll see more from this studio in the near future.

8.5/10