Haunting Ground scores 8/10 in the verdict of The Games Market editorial team.
Once Upon a Time
Haunting Ground, a spine-chilling hunting ground on PS2!
by Simon Larocca·May 30, 2025
From I Am Legend by Matheson, the literary masterpiece from which the interesting film starring Will Smith and his protective German shepherd was adapted, to the sweet Angelo, inseparable from his Rinoa, co-protagonist and Squall’s love interest in Final Fantasy VIII, every story of this kind has taught us that we cannot do without four-legged friends. All the more so if they can defend us from shady figures in gloomy castles and torture chambers: with Haunting Ground, released by Capcom in 2005, the “run and hide” gameplay concept is taken to the nth degree.
The reference console is the PlayStation 2, a machine that welcomed a host of survival horror titles from the Land of the Rising Sun (and beyond) into its disc drive, especially in the early 2000s: we’ll step into the shoes of a young student named Fiona, who, because of an accident, will lose what she holds dearest in the world, but her nightmare will begin հենց when she opens her eyes again, imprisoned in the dungeons of a castle and entirely at the mercy of a series of psychopaths who can’t wait to kill her in the most bizarre and painful ways possible.
The setting, unsettling in itself, is therefore confined to a huge macro-level to explore, in turn divided into many areas in which we will have to seek answers, crouch and hide behind anything that can protect us from the relentless gazes of the numerous enemies that roam the narrow corridors of the manor and its terrifying dungeons.
Per fortuna, Hewie is by our side. Yes, this is the name of the dog that will accompany us for the entire adventure; he will appear as soon as we manage to escape, and the fact that we won’t be given this name in-game, but will find it out in another way, has always made me think: don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything in any way, far from it, but there are details scattered everywhere throughout the game that I strongly recommend you don’t miss while you make a run for it.
Ah yes, now let’s tackle the main topic: unlike the various Resident Evils where turning that lanky Nemesis into a sieve is the rule, or Silent Hill where kicking the hell out of the foreheads of the horrid nurses becomes a guilty pleasure (it’s not a town near Milan!), in Haunting Ground the goal will always be, except for a few moments in the game, to run away and hide, make no noise, and hold Fiona’s breath. And we with her.
While we talk about this masterpiece, we present to you the copy that we have just graded for Ambogiochi. Beautiful, sexy, and kept in very good condition, sealed... Coming soon for sale here on The Games Market.
We will encounter non-player characters who will help us, others who will mislead us, and still others that you will not be able to fully pin down until certain plot developments, however the only truth you must immediately make your own is that you are prey. The “hunting ground” suggested by the game’s very title leaves no room for doubt.
Alongside Clock Tower 3 and the (highly sought after by collectors) Rule of Rose, which placed you at the center of a terrifying story of murderous children, Haunting Ground is one of the high points of this spiritual saga. They all share the presence of a protagonist who would not be able to hold a sword or a pistol even if they were made of plastic, as well as the constant presence of a canine familiar: he will often be the key to getting out of trouble, when the game’s increasing difficulty and (above all) the cumbersome and somewhat frustrating controls put us with our backs against the wall.
Interesting and always worth keeping an eye on is Fiona’s Panic level: similarly to Bethesda’s Dark Corners of The Earth, set in the unsettling universe of Lovecraft, in this case too we will have to pay very close attention to psychological trauma and the fear triggered by would-be executioners toward Fiona, because we will no longer be able to control her with the controller... and often this means Game Over in the most gruesome way you can imagine.
Haunting Ground turns out to be a very interesting game from every point of view, just one piece of advice: treat Hewie well during the game, you’ll have nothing but to gain from it. Isn’t he a gamer’s best friend?
8
Pro
A peculiar survival horror with multiple unlockable endings, depending on some of the choices you make.
Hewie: his presence and role in the gameplay are indispensable and well integrated
Some of the gimmicks are gruesome: horror fans, don’t miss it
Contro
Like its predecessors in the Clock Tower series, frustrating controls at times. Arm yourself with patience.
For fans of the genre. Those who are easily impressionable may have reservations
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
Simon Larocca
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
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