Ghosthunter is an enticing action game with some light survival horror touches.
User Rating: 7.7 | Ghosthunter PS2
Ghosthunter is a rather interesting game that managed to add a few cartoony elements to the graveness of the survival horror genre. The story starts with the usual eerie elements that permeate horror games: a school where a mass murder has taken place two years ago, blood chilling voices calling your name and shadowy figures lurking around every corner. All of a sudden, the whole atmosphere changes: you find yourself crammed with anti-ghost equipment given by a high-tech computer that will act as a guide until the very end of the game. I was a bit disappointed by that unexpected change in the game's mood but Ghosthunter soon revealed that all its cartoony design was done on purpose. The simple yet addictive game play kept me interested enough to regret the "game over" screen. The desire to be light becomes evident by the frequent change between genuinely scary moments and dialogues with characters that seemed to be directly taken from cartoon network. There's just too much light in all game areas, the colors are bright and vivid and the characters you encounter are caricatures. That's not to say the game is ugly. Ghosthunter, in its own light horror design, is well taken care of in terms of graphics. Animations are smooth and the environment is rich and diversified. The music follows the mood in its changes from scary to cartoony and serves the game well enough. The game play is simple and straightforward, with a few hard puzzles (Resident-Evil-style), generally solved by a careful examination of nearby surroundings. On a rather unique twist, Ghosthunter allows you to switch characters at special portals. Your second character, Astral, a naked and cute she-ghost, is able to fly around the environment, use telekinesis to push levers, open doors and can even take control of your enemies through possession, a rather interesting feature. Her powers are developed as the game progresses but their use is simplified, as objects which can be manipulated are highlighted in first person view. Progressing through the game unlocks further equipment, more powers to Astral and reveals a bit more of a silly yet nice story. I can say the game surprised me. First, it was yet-another-survival-horror-experience that turned into a cartoony action shooter. Then, logic dictated that I should become disappointed but the game's simplicity kept me interested until the end. I'd say that Ghosthunter's attempt to bring some lighter elements into a grave and solemn genre will be appreciated by all those who don’t mind a joke insertion in a horror story.
