What would be the first thing you would do if you became a ghost? Probably the most pranksters would have fun teasing poor innocent people, while the eternally resentful would devote themselves to satisfying their desire for revenge. But what if, in addition, you lost your memory after your death? So maybe you would seek information about your past. This is what happens to the unfortunate Hauntii, a deceased person who finds himself propelled into an unknown world, without the slightest scrap of memories. The American studio Moonloop Games delivers here an entertaining title about life after death with a minimalist aspect, well only on paper…
Ghost
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Everything is dark in the universe, when a sort of small comet appears to travel to a distant destination. Inside the star is a creature who has just lost its life. This could be his last journey, and yet it is only the beginning of his new story. Eternity awaits…
Players eager to explore the beyond, be warned that you are putting your fingers (and your controller!) on a rather unique adventure. The first minutes can seem very long for those who are quickly lost in the face of the mysteries. Indeed, it is possible to find yourself disconcerted by this imposed solitude. What to do with this poor little ghost in the middle of nowhere? Especially since the lights are rare to illuminate his first steps in this immense place. Only a colorful path emerges through the darkness to guide the specter. It is better not to deviate from it because strange evil forces are visible in the shadows and watch over the surroundings…
- Or or ?
Don't worry, Hauntii isn't that scary. The PEGI 3 rating shows the desire of the designer, Leo Dasso, to make the game fun despite a dark central theme. The menus and dialogues between the characters are translated into French with accessible vocabulary. There is no religious proselytism hidden in the recesses of the title for those who wonder about this subject. Everything is designed so that the experience is morally neutral, but emotionally joyful.
- Who is talking to me ?
The music that accompanies the ghost's adventures adds an additional dimension to the story. They are soft, slow and captivating at the same time. The sudden changes that can occur during key moments are delicately measured and give Hauntii an immersive soundscape. And to think that we haven’t yet talked about the visual…
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Funeral rites
Stating that the game has a strong artistic identity is obvious. The design of the characters, starting with our little ghost, is based on simple lines and basic shapes. They are reminiscent of childish drawings, but remain very cute. The praise for the graphics relates more to the title's settings. In the middle of the introductory phase, the arrival of the hero on the outskirts of the large central tower of Eternity undoubtedly leaves a lasting impression. Isometric 3D offers a superb view of a background rich in detail. In short, it's beautiful and promises other pleasant moments for the retinas!
Hauntii offers a playing field divided into a multitude of small areas interconnected by portals. Varying in size and interest, they are identified thanks to the flat areas of color which define some sort of regional groupings. For example, pink tones relate to the spaces of Wick Land, a real carnival town with dizzying roller coasters and other fun distractions. There are several paths to connect the visitable spaces, the latter forming a real constellation around the central monument.
- Long live the rides!
The discovery of the game's large tower occurs at the end of the tutorial phase. At that moment, our little ghost is accompanied by a super-powerful entity. It is an Eternian, whose people are said to be even older than time itself. This celestial character turns out to be a sort of guardian angel for Hauntii, after saving her transparent skin from evil forces. Thus, the duo reaches the nerve center of the afterlife where a final journey awaits the lucky ones: an ascent to another plane of existence! However, this path is refused to our hero since he is unfortunately attached by invisible chains to the world of the deceased…
- A little dance…
What are the reasons for this failure? This is obviously what launches the main quest of the game and justifies the exploration of the more or less desolate lands of Eternity. The map, which can be consulted at any time, is quite practical and provides directions for finding new routes. Players eager for treasure hunts of all kinds can rub their hands: each location is full of resources to collect and secrets to unearth. And among these, memory fragments occupy an undeniable place of choice.
Poltergeist
Hauntii no longer has any memories of his previous life. His captivity in this unknown world implicitly raises the question of what happened before. To do this, the game offers a mechanic that is now classic in video game works: finding pieces in order to recreate psychic links and relive moments experienced. Concretely, each zone has a defined number of fragments. Some are obtained by successfully completing a fight, others by carefully searching every nook and cranny and the last by solving puzzles.
- It's hot around here!
We will detail these three elements a little later in the test. First, we need to reveal a major aspect of the gameplay. You've probably been waiting for several paragraphs to know if you'll be able to haunt souls in this game. End of suspense: the answer is positive! The little ghost has the ability to take possession of many different things: enemies, animals, objects, homes… To achieve this, you must throw orbs of spiritual essence onto the surface of a victim or a chosen thing, until filling the gauge concerned. The energy recharges automatically, but it takes time, which can sometimes be problematic in the event of a confrontation…
Goosebumps
Let's be clear, there is no point in trying to fight against the forces lurking in the darkness. The screen quickly becomes foggy and announces imminent death (!). The best solution is still to return to a colorful path. On the other hand, other enemies populate the zones of Eternity. If the smaller ones are easily knocked out with the balls thrown by Hauntii, the larger ones require additional means to be beaten.
- You ectoplasm buggers!
You will therefore have to take possession of certain villains to progress in the adventure. As a good twin-stick shooter (the genre which consists of shooting enemies in all directions with two triggers), the game first requires a small adaptation phase in order to master the controls. Then, we can have fun haunting big brutes capable of jumping to crush anything within their reach, or others who can throw very practical explosive balls. Overall, the gameplay does not change enormously but the variety of the bestiary allows you not to feel tired over time.
The main criticism that can be made of Hauntii concerns the combat phases against numerous enemies. The action quickly becomes unreadable and our hero receives blows that are difficult to avoid. Occasionally you will reappear at the last save crystal used with a feeling of injustice. Especially since the difficulty increases significantly after a few hours of play and therefore multiplies these mishaps. Furthermore, let's not forget to mention the presence of some bosses offering an appreciable additional challenge!
Fire walk with me
The little ghost will also have to haunt more original things to find a few additional fragments. Who has never dreamed of owning a merry-go-round pillar or a lantern? Well, it's a safe bet that this risks disillusioning Cartesian players, especially since interest remains limited. In most cases, interactions are limited to shaking a plant or moving an object. It is not possible to fight an enemy by playing a bell for example. Damage…
Once in possession of an element, each action generates a cost in spectral flames. These little things can be collected almost everywhere in the areas of the game. Eternity is quite generous in resources, although you have to remain vigilant for the biggest spenders. If the reserves ever run out, shooting at the small bumps on the ground allows you to see what the discovery of an oil deposit causes! Be careful, because the enemies are never far from these places…
- A bit busy, no?
Discovering new locations inspires players to test the ghost's powers on whatever is there. Don't hesitate to go off the beaten track, including to come across local treasures. The hat sellers are also waiting for the most fortunate to choose a headdress for our hero. Because after all, isn't a ghost with cat ears classy? Mustache gracias to the developers!
The sixth sense
The last way to recover the precious fragments will allow players to exercise their brains. Hauntii is peppered with puzzles, both mandatory and optional, exploiting all the gameplay elements that we have detailed. Once again, if the first mysteries do not give major migraines, the following ostensibly raise the level. Nothing superhuman, however, for the little ghost…
There are a few side activities to provide further challenges. The most notable is that of the revolver shooting range. Firearms also exist in Eternity, which is not very encouraging… Nothing revolutionary in these phases, but they give the constant impression of evolving in a (dead) living and dynamic world.
- A ghost ship, obviously!
When you get enough fragments, you can light up the stars of a constellation. Once complete, it reveals a memory of Hauntii's human life, in the form of a cutscene. The minimalism of the lines gives free rein to the imagination when it comes to interpreting the facts shown. As the revelations progress, we come to have a better understanding of the character. It remains subjective, but these passages are quite gripping and melancholy. It takes around ten hours to complete the adventure, well beyond that to obtain all the achievements…
Tested on Xbox Series S