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Just in time for Halloween, and the upcoming Haunted Mansion film, comes the game with the same name, yet seems loosely based more off the ride at Disney than the Eddie Murphy film…and that my friends is a good thing. The last thing we need is another bad movie game. What we do get is a platformer with some really great twists. The story starts off as you are hired on as a caretaker for a mansion, but you soon find out that you are there to help free the tortured souls that live about the mansion. The spirit of an evil being, Athicas Thorn, has taken all the souls and it is up to you to find them and set them free. Doing this will not only bring order to the mansion, but open up other parts of the dwelling as well.
The visuals are well done and capture the old styling artwork of the old Disney cartoons, like The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Each area you survey ranges from small to very large, each with puzzles to solve, not only to find the souls, but to reach heights and areas not accessible otherwise. An example of a nice effect can be seen when you need to reach the upper staircase, but the stairwell is tricked and won’t let you to the top. As you examine a certain painting, it sucks you inside, which allows you to walk inside the painting, upstairs to another painting. It’s a cool effect that needs to be seen to fully get the experience. Another example is when you can’t reach the level of a room, and you examine multiple musical instruments. The instruments begin playing a tune, which awakens the spirits of the room, and they guide you up to the top by way of books that line your way. The game play is pretty basic and simple platform style, and you must collect the spirits ala Luigi’s mansion, but sucking them into possession. Controls are a tad loose, but nothing that a few attempts won’t hurt your progression to each new area. Audio is also very pleasant, with an animated spooky feel, and great use of surround sound. There are a lot of souls to collect, and plenty of exploration to deal with, as the mansion is quite large. I’m sure more surprises await, but we’ll have to wait for the final game to uncover them. So far the game is looking quite promising and we’ll have a full review once the game hits shelves later this month. This is a perfect spooky game that kids and adults can enjoy, without the fear of gore. Heck if the Boogeyman digs it, you know it’s got to be good.
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