Preview Haunting Ground Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Release Date: May 10, 2005 Platform: Preview by Randy Sluganski April 28, 2005

How about this, another pure adventure for the PS2! With a plot that is somewhat similar to the original Clock Tower, in Haunting Ground, players take on the role of Fiona Belli, an 18-year-old girl who is the sole survivor of a tragic car accident that has claimed both her parents. When she regains consciousness following the accident, she finds herself locked up in an unfamiliar old castle, with no clear way out. As she makes her way through unsettling surroundings, she encounters an array of strange inhabitants and learns that she has become the heiress of the mysterious castle upon her parents' death. Fiona also comes across Debilitas, a deformed and disturbed man who chases her relentlessly. Luckily, she meets a white shepherd dog named Hewie who has also been trapped in the castle. By freeing Hewie from his imprisonment, an instant bond is formed between the two.

Though Fiona is a physically weak character, she must use her wit and cunning to unravel the castle's puzzles and figure out what is happening and why. Hewie will be a vital resource in surviving this ordeal as he has strengths where Fiona does not. As players develop trust and foster their relationship with Hewie, he will be much more willing to help Fiona progress through the game. He can use his heightened sense of smell to locate items, utilize his smaller size to access hard to reach areas and attack or distract enemies so Fiona can escape their clutches. The success of this partnership will be crucial if they both hope to stay alive.

Hewie is a realistic canine model that was created using motion capture and studying a real dog to convey true behavior and movements in the game. He understands the classic commands - including attack, come, go, sit, stay and more – and displays a variety of reactions to each command. The stronger the bond between Fiona and Hewie, the more likely he will be to obey her commands. In order to succeed, you must foster the complex connection between Fiona and Hewie that evolves as the game progresses. Hewie can also hear noises and alert Fiona to impending danger

The environment is fully interactive, you must hide behind objects to escape from enemies and use items found throughout the castle to solve puzzles. Your PS2 control pad will mimic Fiona’s pounding heartbeat when enemies are near and if you are not able to escape a threatening scenario, the screen will become grainy and then change into black and white as she enters panic mode. Much like a horror movie, the music also adapts to the gameplay.

Capcom is not known for releasing their titles to the pc, so expect Haunting Ground to remain PS2 exclusive. There is also a cool trailer and some wallpapers at the official Haunting Ground website.