Escape
from Horrorland is based on and is a computer sequel to R.L. Stine’s paperback
bestseller of the same name. Published by Dreamworks in 1996, Horrorland features
cameo appearances by the unlikely duo of Jeff Goldblum and Isabella Rossellini.
Mr. Goldblum appears briefly as the Count (Dracula, not Chocula) and most likely
participated as a favor to his friend and Dreamworks co-owner Steven Spielberg.
It probably did not hurt sales that children and young teens the world over recognize
Goldblum as “that guy from Jurassic Park.”

Horrorland
is an excellent adventure game for that 8- to 13-year-old crowd that thrives
on the likes of the R.L. Stine tomes and Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the
Dark (which was also made into an excellent adventure game). It is an unpretentious
romp through a fictional amusement park that contains some genuinely spooky, but
not scary, scenes. You play as Lucy, and your siblings, Luke and Clay, have been
clutched by the evil tentacles of the Horrorland Theme Park. It now falls upon
your shoulders to save your family from their unknown, but sure to be terrible,
fate. Of course all of this transpires at night … during a full moon … as
wolves howl in the background. I would expect nothing less.

The
theme park is comprised of seven different locations such as Werewolf Village,
Valley of Lost Kings, Vampire Village, and Dracula’s Castle. Most of these areas
and the characters who occupy them are brought to life via a combination of 3D
miniature sets, live action video, and animated puppets. This eclectic mix of
components provides a nice spooky fairy tale look to the game. Maps are provided
to expedite your search, and as in any point-and-click adventure game worth its
fangs, you must utilize your inventory as a means to solve problems and further
the game. These are not your usual inventory items, either, but objects that an
adult would find yucky–like a cockroach or a mummy’s decayed hand–and a kid
would relish. Flashing pumpkins, alligator heads, guillotines–all add an appropriate
touch of eeriness.

Horrorland
does harbor one glaring problem. In a feeble attempt to appeal to the popularity
of the Doom generation, who may be experiencing headaches from the thinking
involved in this game (the Doom series was hot stuff when Horrorland
was originally released), the developers have inserted secret underground
passages throughout the park. These tunnels are supposed to hide some of the golden
tokens you need to complete your quest. Not only is it unnecessary to collect
all 777 tokens, but you can complete the entire game without ever entering these
poorly implemented and constructed labyrinths. The tunnels are constructed in
Doom-like 3D fashion and require constant avoidance of traps and subterranean
beasts as you collect hidden stashes of tokens. This is indeed a most unwelcome
and needless diversion to the gameplay.

Not a great game by any means, Horrorland
is still a lot of fun to play. The puzzles are just right for the age group
it is geared toward, and the game will provide more than a few evenings of enjoyment.
It would have been nice had Dreamworks provided a few sequels and offered further
encouragement to burgeoning young adventure gamers. Instead, they attempted to
capitalize on the popularity of the “shooter” craze and pumped out an
insipid action follow-up–Goosebumps: Attack of the Mutant–which had no
adventure elements at all and effectively killed off the Goosebumps computer
game series.

Final Grade: C.