 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Haunted House
- Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Windows
- Price: $19.99
- Genre: Adventure
Common Sense Media says
Spooky but not too scary mystery is set in the dark.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Haunted House is an action/strategy game set mostly in the dark. When your character doesn't have a light on, all you see of him is his eyes. Ghosts and monsters constantly appear out of the shadows to startle you -- and then chase you. These supernatural creatures are not designed to look truly menacing, but they do get scarier-looking as the game progresses. In the world of horror video games, though, this is about as tame as you get. Still, kids who are afraid of the dark should probably stay away, lest nightmares result. Playing co-op requires two people to work very closely together and can be a good experience for kids.
What's it about?
The plot to HAUNTED HOUSE follows a brother and sister who go looking for their grandfather after he mysteriously disappears. A letter leads them to a spooky old house, but as soon as the duo enters, they find themselves locked inside. Ghosts and monsters appear everywhere from the darkness, and the heroes must constantly find and use temporary light sources (matches, candles, cell phones, torches, etc.) to both find their way and to zap the ghouls. All the while, they need to search every shelf and drawer they can find in order to locate keys that will let them progress further into the mansion, and hopefully to an exit.
Is it any good?
This Haunted House is an update of a way-old Atari 2600 cartridge game from the '80s. The graphics are improved a thousand-fold, but the central gameplay concept is basically the same: You run through dark rooms, avoiding ghosts and looking for light sources. This is definitely a fun game, but it does lack a bit in the variety department. Thankfully, there are some very neat boss battles that come along to break up the monotony. There's a genuine storyline here, too, which you can slowly reveal as you find and read diary pages hidden throughout the house. It's a spooky tale, but like the rest of the game, not too terrifying. In a market flooded with ultra-gory M-rated horror games, it's very nice to have one that younger players can turn to for a fun scare.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the difference between entertainment that is spooky fun and that which is truly frightening. It can be fun to be scared, but when does a game cross the line from fun into disturbing?
Co-op play in this game takes a lot of teamwork. How do you handle it when your partner is better or worse than you at the game? What lessons can you learn from this?
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Kid, 11 years old
October 31, 2010
AGE
well i wish i could play the games
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| Platforms: | Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Windows |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Atari |
| Release date: | September 28, 2010 |
| Price: | $19.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E10+ for Language, Mild Blood, Mild Cartoon Violence |
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