Ju-on: The Grudge Arrives Just In Time For Halloween
Spook yourself with this movie-inspired survival horror game.
Japanese movies are a popular source for American horror. Whether it be in the form of movies, such as One Missed Call, or as noted in another upcoming Wii game, Calling, Japanese horror is finding a niche for itself in American culture. The latest iteration of this American interest is Ju-on: The Grudge.
Ju-on is a series of films, which were adapted into the American "The Grudge" movies. Taking its cues from these movies, Ju-on: The Grudge (the game) is a haunted house simulator where grudges manifest themselves into curses. In the game, a woman is the victim of a grisly murder, and places a curse onto her house. When Erika Yamada stumbles into the house, she accidently becomes the target of this curse, and now the entire Yamada family must face the horrid creatures that the curse spawns.
Gameplay takes a rather minimalist approach, where the player uses the Wii remote to control the flashlight onscreen. The camera is directed by the flashlight, and players steer by aiming their flashlight in a particular direction. Movement is controlled by using the D-Pad as well as the B button in tandem.
Making use of the movement buttons are recommended on a regular basis too, because the longer you remain still, the closer and closer the onryō (the spirits who seek vengeance) come to finding you. Your flashlight also operates on battery, which needs to be replenished as you search each of the five environments.
The game features a very neat sense of multiplayer gameplay. While a second person never actually plays, if a second controller is synced and on, the second player can hit any button to trigger different scenarios to pop up for the first player to deal with.
Prepare to be spooked by this haunted house simulator, when it lands on store shelves October 13th.
