Haunting Ground

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Capcom
  • Release Date: May 10, 2005
Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 33
  3. Negative: 3 out of 33
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  1. Pelit (Finland)
    89
    A good-looking puzzle-oriented horror game. It has an innovative panic system and a dramatic storyline. The adventure and the puzzles are well balanced, which makes Haunting Ground a very enjoyable experience. [May 05]
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  2. Play Magazine
    85
    Experiencing Haunting Ground, I felt something new and bold as much as traditional and expected from the horror genre. [May 2005, p.46]
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  3. PALGN
    85
    Scare me. Shock me. Shake me. Take me to a place where horror is able to splurge into any gamer's mind and rattle it around playfully, frightfully, terribly. That's what horror gaming should be like. Haunting Ground really is a fun game to play and is another one of Capcom’s gems.
  5. Gaming Target
    84
    Where the Clock Tower series always employed its notion for being the victim in a stalker's nightmarish world in a very mundane and ordinary fashion, Haunting Ground does so with a zing.
  6. GameBiz
    80
    An ambitious and subsequently innovative title that brings a number of refreshing changes to the survival horror genre.
  7. Yahoo!
    80
    A welcome change of pace for horror games. It's tightly focused, suspenseful, and fosters a strong sense of personality.
  8. TotalGames.net
    77
    But the points at which Haunting Ground really begins to open up and offer something you can't get from other horror titles are the moments when you get to use Hewie to help you.
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  9. eToychest
    76
    It does what it sets out to do very well, without truly breaking any new or significant ground.
  10. GameSpot
    72
    The game delivers creepy moments aplenty, and your German Shepherd makes a unique and neat teammate to play with, but some gameplay oddness and dog artificial intelligence quirks mar the adventure.
  11. Pelaaja (Finland)
    70
    Even if Haunting Ground is visually great and is in many ways a refreshingly different representative of its genre, but does have its own set of problems. [May 2005, p.68]
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  12. Edge Magazine
    70
    Some elements of story and gameplay are left disappointingly underdeveloped, and the grand environmental puzzles of the opening section become all but absent in the later locations - but when Belli's running for her life, you won't stop to notice.
  13. Cheat Code Central
    70
    Good but not great, Haunting Ground is technically impressive albeit fundamentally flawed. Dog lovers may want to prepare themselves for the horrors ahead.
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  14. games(TM)
    70
    Stands as an interesting attempt to broaden the appeal of horror games, even if its innovative successes are counterbalanced by an adherence to old-fashioned adventure sleuthing. [May 2005, p.118]
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  15. Eurogamer
    70
    It's the best game to emerge in the genre since "Project Zero II." Just bear in mind you'll almost certainly reflect on your time with the game with a few mixed feelings. It's so nearly brilliant it hurts.
  16. GameSpy
    70
    What the game lacks in shock value, it more than makes up for in sheer psychological terror.
  17. PSX Nation
    70
    Why Capcom didn’t name this survival horror game "Clock Tower 4" is beyond me. Other than the reduced gore, single location and reliance on canine companion Hewie to save Fiona’s backside at every turn this is basically the same game.
  18. GameZone
    70
    I try to play it alone in the dark, by myself, late at night, and I'll be darned if I haven't gotten scared more then once. For me, that speaks volumes.
  19. NTSC-uk
    70
    The game ultimately feels anchored in a very traditional Capcom style, with its fixed viewpoints and the stalwart, somewhat clunky control system, though admittedly it is one of their better efforts.
  20. Gaming Age
    67
    The story is interesting and the mood – from music to visuals and cut scenes – is consistent and well executed. If you're an RE veteran who's ready to move on, it'll feel like you're playing an old game with a new skin.
  21. Just Adventure
    67
    Like a breath of fresh air in the survival horror world. Although its gameplay is a direct copy of CT3, it is still something that hasn’t been seen much.
  22. PSM Magazine
    65
    Becomes more a decent action game with a cool twist rather than the psychological thriller it's so obviously meant to be. [June 2005, p.79]
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  23. 1UP
    65
    It comes on the heels of Capcom's own "Resident Evil 4." After you've played a game as breathtakingly beautiful and exhilarating as that, it's hard to take a step back and play something that just feels dated by comparison.
  24. The New York Times
    65
    A mix of clever ideas and petty annoyances, Haunting perches on the point between fascinating and irritating. It is original, atmospheric and infuriating, with an intriguing story that fizzles out.
  25. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    62
    Pares down the survival-horror experience to its most basic, frightening form - running for your life. [June 2005, p.100]
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  26. GamePro
    60
    Despite a few fresh ideas, Haunting Ground is no classic. The thin story relies too often on clich? and titillation, the villains aren't terribly frightening, and the gameplay becomes too predictable too quickly.
  27. The Sydney Morning Herald
    60
    Obstacles prove satisfying to overcome, but enduring a lengthy Benny Hill-style pursuit is frustrating. Patience is required.
  28. Computer and Video Games
    60
    To be fair, Capcom is pitching Haunting Ground as 'psychological' horror rather than a straight-ahead survival horror, but that's hardly compensation when the supposedly terrifying lead baddie looks more like 'Sloth' from The Goonies after a bad makeover. [PSW]
  29. G4 TV
    60
    It may not be a revolutionary new type of horror or even the beginning of a great new series, but for what it is Haunting Ground is generally worth trying.
  30. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    50
    Most of the mechanics in the game hearken back to an era when the survival-horror genre was still in its infancy. [June 2005, p.92]
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  31. Detroit Free Press
    50
    In the end, after hours of playing, Haunting Ground left me wanting to rent an old "Friday the 13th" movie: fewer headaches and just as scary.
  32. Game Informer
    48
    An experience that is unquestionably less fun than doing one's taxes. [May 2005, p.116]
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  33. Gamezilla!
    45
    Graphically, Haunting Ground is of average quality, but seems to have been designed by an adolescent game designer, given that the main character is *ahem* extremely well endowed, and clothed only in a sheet for the first few minutes of the game.
  34. Game Revolution
    42
    The plot is weird enough that some collectors and video game novelty-seekers might find it worth their money, but ultimately, nothing can save Haunting Ground from its own tedious gameplay. Run and hide, indeed.

Awards & Rankings

46
#46 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2005
34
#34 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2005

User Reviews

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User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 128 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 111 out of 128
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 128
  3. Negative: 5 out of 128
  1. LuciusMcGibbon
    Jan 4, 2020
    8
    This game should really be more well-known in survival horror circles. It looks great, sounds great, it's hella atmospheric and has some legitThis game should really be more well-known in survival horror circles. It looks great, sounds great, it's hella atmospheric and has some legit heart-pounding moments. And unlike many other games, it has its own personality... the only reason people are calling it a clone of anything is the fixed camera presentation, the "girl being stalked" protagonist and the map grinding. But this game stays in its own pocket at all times, and that makes you want to keep at it even the action slows down some.

    Really very well done.    … Full Review »
  2. GamesFirst
    Mar 18, 2023
    10
    Haunting Ground is a true masterpiece and with unique elements that any Survival Horror fan will love. Its plot, gameplay, atmosphere,Haunting Ground is a true masterpiece and with unique elements that any Survival Horror fan will love. Its plot, gameplay, atmosphere, soundtracks, settings, characters, puzzles, chasers, graphics, replay value and extra modes are delightful. Hewie is the best dog in video game history and the whole experience is top notch. An intriguing and mysterious game, full of secrets and ahead of its time, which unfortunately was underestimated due to lack of efficient marketing and which should have another chance, perhaps with a remaster or even a remake. It's a must play!… Full Review »
  3. thadeara
    Dec 7, 2022
    4
    As JW says, for a game (or any other piece of media/fiction/art) to keep the player interested, there should've been some (sense of)As JW says, for a game (or any other piece of media/fiction/art) to keep the player interested, there should've been some (sense of) reward(ing) after long, stressful (like it happens in horror a lot) or/and difficult sequences, and this game doesn't have much of it at all. I'm going to be honest, and say that I didn't completely finish it (I got in a looping sequence right at the end and gave up), but there definitely was no real sense of reward for me in surviving or escaping the enemies. The story is not that good, nor is it explained in any sort of meaningful way. The main character is flat as a sheet of paper, and all the other characters (but the dog) are just very "insane" and abusive. It is a disturbing sort of game that supposedly wants to question the players' perspective while watching the main character being constantly hUnted as a sexual object...a minor sexual object. Anyway, as a woman, I don't need a game like this to tell me what my experiences and fears are. It just feels like those movies where women are gangraped...so the women can take revenge on the men after. Something that does not make a difference to the earlier violation itself. Hewie is alright...until he decides he doesn't want to help anymore.… Full Review »
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