Haunted Lands Review

Haunted Lands is said to be the sequel to a game called Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion, created by John Romero, who we know as the creator of DOOM. That game was a platform-style run-and-gun title that only had 10 levels and was made to be very difficult. A fan of that title, Alexey Goryachev (Alevgor), decided to create an unofficial sequel to that game, but it ended up becoming its own project. Haunted Lands keeps up the level of challenge of the game that inspired it and is truly a retro-hard title.

You begin the game by selecting which of the three characters you want to play as in this challenging journey. There is Veteran, the gunner who uses a grenade launcher and heavy assault gun to attack enemies from a distance; Sorceress, a mage who specialises in chain lightning and thunderstorm magic; or Werewolf, a beast who attacks foes with a triple slash, tearing enemies apart with its deadly claws. Since each hero has a different range of attack, it will take a bit of trial and error to figure out which suits your gameplay best. As you progress, an additional three characters will become available to play.

Haunted Lands is set in a dark fantasy realm where forgotten ruins, villages, and ancient burial grounds have been taken over by cultists, demons, and other supernatural forces, creating dangerous environments full of traps and aggressive monsters. As the hero of the story, you are trying to restore balance to the land and defeat these enemies. There isn’t a huge focus on the narrative here, but you know what you need to do in all the cursed areas that you visit.

Haunted Lands is a side-scrolling platformer with a lot of combat. It requires precise movements, which can be tricky with the large number of enemies around you and controls that don’t feel as precise as you’d need. Your hero cannot crouch to avoid hazards, like fireballs thrown at you, but you do have a dodge roll that you can use if timed right. You also cannot fire straight up; it is at an angle, so it’s tricky to get into the exact position needed to take down an enemy. Quick reflexes and strategic positioning will be needed to help you successfully get through each area. Muscle memory will be very useful to help you learn the layout of the stage and where all the hazards are placed, as you will play sections over and over again since there are no checkpoints until you defeat the boss of that area. It feels a bit unfair to have to go back that far every time. It is quite punishing!

There are a lot of different types of foes and creatures coming after you in Haunted Lands: Demons that come from a different world are called Hellspawn; the smaller ones are like beasts, but the big ones are smart and can command other creatures around them like parasites. Undead aren’t just ghosts but reanimated corpses that can take on numerous forms, such as deadly shadows and possessed objects from the past. These fearless creatures are driven by death magic. Parasites are mutated monsters that are aggressive, fast, and deformed versions of creatures born in this world. Then we have the Cultists. These mortals are part of a dark cult that has allied with demons. Obsessed with forbidden power, they are devoted to the will of their Infernal Leader and have been driven mad by the rituals they perform.

The pixel-inspired look of the game is one of my favourite things about Haunted Lands. It feels like a challenging classic platformer, with modern touches like great lighting effects, immense amounts of pixelated blood and gore, and dark, atmospheric environments. The visuals make it feel like you are in a creepy 80s horror movie.

The music and sound effects add a lot to the overall horror-like atmosphere of Haunted Lands. It boasts an awesome chiptune soundtrack that is super high-energy and sounds like heavy metal music with guitars shredding. The soundtrack gets more intense and ominous as you battle against cult members and other monsters. Weapon strike sound effects and the screams of enemies help set the tone for this dark and dangerous world.

I have a love/hate relationship with Haunted Lands. I love the look and sound of the game, and the variety of characters you can play is awesome. But the one thing that I don’t love is how many times you end up playing through the same stages over and over again. The lack of checkpoints is frustrating, especially when you realise that you don’t get to continue from a new spot until you defeat the boss in that area. It feels very unfair, so this is not a title that you can play for a couple of minutes and walk away from unless you want to start over from the beginning again.

So, if you are up for the challenge of a game with minimal checkpoints and multiple playthroughs of the same areas, then this is a fun and campy horror title that you are going to want to check out. But if you are someone who wants less of a challenge and just wants to enjoy beating up cult members and creepy creatures in a horror-like setting, this may not be a game you want to play. It is difficult and may prove to be a maddening experience for some.