Fiona is one of those characters who is unable to do much more that throw things or kick people in the shin. Fortunately she befriends Hewie, a dog who, after some training and petting, is more than willing to go for the throat of anyone who attacks poor Fiona.
This friendship is what gets Fiona through the game as it is only with Hewie's help can she do everything she needs to escape.
The story is a little difficult to follow at times unless you are paying complete attention to all the comments that Fiona makes as well as the things she finds.
I liked the fact that Fiona can get tired when she's running but I was not keen on the panic - it's very tricky to get away to safety when you're running into walls etc, let alone when the visuals become blurry.
I like the idea that you hear the people who are chasing you, their footsteps becoming louder as they rush to find you. Fighting is not a good idea unless Hewie is nearby as Fiona is quite limited to her actions. If you run away the enemys hear you and follow until you manage to lose them but hiding doesn't mean you won't be found either.
In fact it's difficult not make any noise unless you've made feather boots in the alchemy room but as all the things you make seem to rely on luck more than skill this can be a difficult thing to achieve.
Overall, this is an enjoyable game but one that the player needs some patience with as it can be a little tiresome at times. I loved Hewie and the fact that he is vital to to the game but would have liked to have seen him used a lot more for puzzle solving then attacking enemys and finding things.

Haunting ground involves an 18 year old girl called Fiona Belli, she wakes up from a car accident involving her parents and finds herself locked in a gothic castle not knowing if her parents are still alive. The first enemy is Debilitas, he chases you most places and you have to outsmart him. He has a mind like a 5 year old so its quite easy. If Fiona gets too scared the screen changes to "panic mode" and makes things alot more tense. She stumbles and falls over and the music in the backgrounds quite scary. It really gets my heart racing but i try not to let it get to me. The easiest way to get away from enemies is to hide until theyve gone. There'll be tons of optional hiding places throughout the game for you. Most of the time i stop playing cause im too scared but i end up going back to it after a few minutes, its like addictive. The story line is just amazing and its really realistic im proper pleased i got it. I hope this gives you some idea of Haunting ground, if you get it good luck. x

As I've personally read the reviews so far on Amazon.co.uk about 'Haunting Ground' - they seem to be written by people who don't know what they are talking about!. This however is my personal review on buying this great Capcom title.

The lead character and heroine is Fiona Belli, a quiet 18 year old student on visit to see their relatives with her parents Ugo & Ayla in a remote country somewhere in Europe. However things turn for the worse when her parents get involved in a car accident leaving her unconcious and alone. You wake in the cellar of the Castle that was once owned by her late great Grandfather. Now it's in the hands of a mysterious keeper called Riccardo. The game will unravel itself through as you play.

The game can last a while even if you do keep playing

Points On Buying

- 16+ Age Rating, Definately For Die-Hard Capcom Fans
- Challenging Survival-Horror & Different Style Of Play
- Good Graphics
- Good Storyline
- Interesting Characters
- Expanded Enviroments
- Fear Changes Vision
- Forge Items To Help

Point On Not Buying

- Challenging Can Become Murder!
- Puzzling, Sometimes Can Get You Stuck For A While
- Backtracking At Various Parts
- Saving Is Needed Often
- Forging Items Is Hard To Get Used To
- Can Become Repetative & Boring

All In All, the game needs to be experienced to be believed & judjed. I loved this title personally but it's not for the faint-hearted. I thought the game was different from when I seen the cover (which attracted me first) however it did slightly dissapointed me. Good luck on getting adjusted into the theme/style, it took me a few hours & i've mastered it.

BUY IT IF YOU LIKE CAPCOM & SURVIVAL-HORROR. I SUGGEST IF YOU CAN - RENT IT FIRST.

I was expecting this game to be as good as Clocktower 2, which I really enjoyed. I found it very annoying however. There was a real lack of logic to the game - if Fiona is so important to the sinister inhabitants of the castle, why do they let the gardner go after her all the time? Also, you waste a huge amount of time persuading the dog to follow you, which gets very boring once the novelty wears off. I found the repetitive chasing and hiding pretty dull, and the puzzles very simple.

On the other hand, I don't play a lot of games and am very fussy about the ones I do play - Silent Hill 1 to 4 are my favourites without a doubt. If you have a higher level of patience with games than I do, you might find this one enjoyable.

I love Capcom, always have.
The premise of the game is a bit sketchy thats to be admitted but the boogeymen of the piece are sheer terrors.
The first stalker, a big dum pudding that just wants to molest you then eat you, avoid at all costs. The second is a lady puppet type thing that goes off the rails and cackles wildly while wielding a piece of glass at you, after those two you have the various incarnations of monks each trying to steal your Azoth, as much as I could make out that was some life essence that kept them immortal.
While it was somewhat hard to make out plot at times I enjoyed the mangled castle and its rooms of torture equipment etc.
Some atmospheric soundtracks make this one a winner.
I know story can be all important - but you get a dog to set on people! Come on! That's gotta be worth it!