Demento comes to US, Europe

After hinting at the game's announcement with a mysterious Web site, and then showing it on video at the Tokyo Game Show, Capcom has announced that its survival horror game Demento is headed for the US and European markets under the title Haunting Ground.

Capcom describes Haunting Ground as a survival horror title with a twist--since the main character, Fiona Belli, is physically weak and unable to go head-to-head with the monsters that inhabit the old castle she finds herself trapped in, she must use her wits to find creative solutions to ensure her survival. Her salvation comes in the form of a white shepherd dog named Hewie, who can and will attack the enemies that come after Fiona.

To heighten the sense of fear, Haunting Ground will feature various little touches that are intended to scare you out of your wits. The announcement today says that the "control pad mimics Fiona's pounding heartbeat," that she will become "more difficult to control the more time is spent near an enemy," and that "if Fiona is not able to escape a threatening scenario, the screen becomes grainy, changing to black and white and eventually sending her into panic mode."

Capcom also revealed that actor/director Naoto Takenaka, who starred in this year's Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, will direct the in-game cinematic scenes. Haunting Ground is currently slated for a summer 2005 release. While you wait, check out the TGS 2004 trailer and first impressions in the title's gamespace.