Anyone hoping to see Eddie Murphy in the Haunted Mansion PlayStation 2 game will be in for a few surprises. While it shares the name of the movie, the game is based on the popular Disney ride.
Do not be too disappointed as it does succeed in combining the creepiness of an old mansion with a colourful and puzzling world of theme park attractions.
You play the role of Zeke Halloway, a funny-looking character with an extremely large nose and pretty big ears, with unfulfilled dreams of being a world famous author. He decides to apply for the caretaker position at an old mansion.
What he thought was going to be a pleasant working environment soon turns into a spooky nightmare. Zeke discovers he has actually been employed by a group of ghosts, led by fortune-teller Madame Leota, to rid the mansion of evil.
She explains to our hero that the mansion used to be full of good ghosts, but their happiness was corrupted by the evil wizard Atticus Thorn, who took over the mansion and slowly started turning good ghosts into evil ones.
He is given a magical lantern known as the Beacon of Souls, the only thing that can eternally trap the evil spirits, and sets on the mission to find and capture every last one of them.
Pick up and play
A simple control system makes this game as easy as 1-2-3. Movement is controlled via the left analogue stick, which makes sense with it being a third-person game and all.
Other buttons are assigned to functions like jump, action, etc. It is a nicely set out control system that allows players to concentrate on the game details rather than the controls.
Since the whole game is family friendly, there are no bloody shootouts and massacre-inspired scenes. The puzzle sections are varied enough and give the game something that captures everyone`s imagination.
I know that being shrunk down and placed on a pool table definitely does it for my taste in weird adventure. The other puzzles carry the theme of the room, only without having to fiddle with switches or unlocking any doors.
Characters are nicely animated and elegantly designed to provide the game with a great and unique look. Everything from ghostly hovering effects to simple motion has a stylish, perfectly detailed finish to it. Skeletons, giant spiders and nasty-looking ghosts are an essential part of a spooky ghost game.
The Haunted Mansion is a cartoon adventure game that is filled with fun puzzles and spooky effects. Its originality sets a standard in its genre and makes it suitable for both young and old.
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