If there’s one company intent on bringing the old classics bang up-to-date, it’s Atari. Today they are doing that by reviving one of the very first survival horror games – Haunted House on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, Atari and PC.
You may have heard of Haunted House, if not from the original Atari 2600 launch in the early 1980s, then through the Xbox 360 reworking some decade or so back. Now comes what many will see as the finest interpretation yet. Yep, Orbit Studio and Atari come together with a fully reimagined stealth horror.
The doors of the Haunted House open
Available right now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, Haunted House will set you back some £14.99 Expect to pay roughly that same price if you wish to play on PlayStation, Switch, Atari or PC.
However you play, Haunted House is a game that places you in the shoes of one Lyn Graves. She’s the niece of Zachary Graves; a treasure hunter gone missing. It’s up to you, Lyn and her friends to investigate things. They do this by rocking up to the Haunted House in hope of uncovering the secrets within.
This is a house full of the unexpected. There’s ghoulish charm aplenty, the need for stealth matters and the utilisation of various jump scares. Playing out as a 2D isometric experience, it’s the roguelite nature that should sell this one. See, when Lyn sucuumbs to death, she’ll find herself back at the front door, left to navigate a whole new house with amended floors, enemies and more.
The key features
- All-Ages Thrill Ride: The whimsical, cartoonish art style only thinly veils the chills and thrills in Haunted House! Expertly riding the line between goofy and spooky, the game keeps things rated E with its primarily stealth-based gameplay and light combat sequences.
- Unlockable Characters: As Lyn explores the mansion, she’ll free her trapped friends, who become playable characters you can use to dive deeper into the mansion. Each friend possesses different stats, so depending on who you explore the mansion with, it’ll be a totally new experience!
- Atari Easter Eggs: The game is full of collectibles and lore based on the original Haunted House and other classic favorites from Atari’s golden age.
- Did We Mention Stealth?: With combat de-emphasized, players must focus on stealth movement and solving challenges unseen in the shadows, along with utilizing the arsenal of traps and items at their disposal.
Buy a key to the door now!
You’ll be best off heading to the Xbox Store to grab a download of Haunted House. You’ll then be able to play on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Those on PlayStation, Atari, Nintendo and PC will discover their own stores sorting things out.
Stay tuned for our full review of Haunted House on Xbox soon. Let us know if you decide to enter. The comments are below.
Haunted House on Xbox Game Description
Chills and stealthy thrills abound In Haunted House, a reimagining of the classic Atari adventure! Players take control of Lyn Graves, the precocious niece of legendary treasure hunter Zachary Graves. Lyn visits her uncle’s mansion with her closest compatriots, only to find the house overrun with ghouls and monsters who quickly grab and spirit away her friends. In order to free her uncle and her friends, and capture all the supernatural foes, Lyn must find the shattered pieces of a magical urn and put them back together.
Through procedurally generated room layouts, shifting walls, unpredictable enemy placements, and unique ghostly encounters, Lyn must creep, sneak, and dash her way through hordes of ghouls and eerie ectoplasms in order to locate her friends and uncle. Each urn shard is fiercely guarded by a bone-chilling boss — with 3D isometric stealth gameplay, Lyn must think on her feet to conquer each challenge. When she gets knocked out by a shadowy specter, she winds up back at the Haunted House’s entrance and must face an entirely new floor layout and enemy placement, ensuring each run is unique.
