Gamers must overcome their fears and make their way through dark and dilapidated environments in the self-described "Haunted House Simulator"
Ju-On: The Grudge. Based on a series of Japanese
horror films (which in turn inspired the Hollywood film
The Grudge),
Ju-On forgoes the character development and combat-heavy elements of many typical
survival horror games. Instead of fending off hordes of stumbling zombies, gruesome mutants, and cackling demons, players deal mostly with their own psyche, and the main goal is to stay calm in the face of a game designed specifically to frighten them.
The
Wii Remote serves as the gamers' only tool, acting as a flashlight to illuminate the nooks and corridors of a warehouse, a mannequin factory, an abandoned apartment complex, and a hospital. Ghosts inhabit each location, and if players dawdle too long in one particular place, vengeance-seeking apparitions appear. Gamers are rewarded for keeping their
Wii Remote steady as they explore, a prospect made more difficult by gameplay designed to terrify, and by the fact that the flashlight periodically dies. And while
Ju-On: The Grudge does not feature any traditional multiplayer offerings, another player can join in on the action by using a second
Wii Remote to trigger horrifying events.
~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide
;)
