Hauntings of Mystery Manor Review

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Hauntings of Mystery Manor

Review by JenJune 2005

Cindy Pondillo, who travels the ‘net as Ghostlady, is the proprietress of Mystery Manor, an adventure gaming website with a twist. The Mystery Manor site is set up as a series of 15 or 20 rooms of a house, each room devoted to a different aspect of adventure gaming. For instance, the Conservatory hosts a handful of reviews, you can download a saved game from the Attic, or you might look for game patches in the Sewing Room. Each room of the Manor is fronted by a pretty graphic of that room’s interior, each haunted by a ghost or two, accompanied by a short loop of well-chosen music, and hiding a key within.

Ghostlady says, “Over the years I have had so many requests for The Mystery Manor game that I figured it was time to do something about it,” and so she did. Using the Adventure Game Studio, a free development tool for independent game designers, Ghostlady has set a game within the walls of the Manor.

The result of her efforts is a polished, although quite short, point-and-click adventure game. To the outside observer (me), it appears that Ghostlady put this whole thing together in less than three months, which is, quite frankly, nothing short of amazing … until she let slip that she is a programmer in real life and so came into her first game-making project with the neurons of her brain prealigned in that strange manner most conducive to such efforts.

Hauntings of Mystery Manor the game takes the rooms of Mystery Manor the website, adds a few new ones, and rolls them all up into an actual haunted house full of ghosts. You are the returning prodigal; first thing on entering your ancestral home, you are beseeched to free the spirits.

Exploring the house further (“what do you mean, ‘exploring’?  isn’t this our own house? we must have amnesia”) leads to meeting the ghosts and learning what ails them. Ghostlady calls this a gothic game and then goes on to give the dictionary definition of gothic, to-wit: “of or relating to a style of fiction characterized by the use of desolate or remote settings and macabre, mysterious, or violent incidents.” Well, that about sums up the game, so I guess I’ll stop here.

… No, just kidding! What kind of review would this be if I didn’t make more words?

Each ghost will tell you, via onscreen text (there are music and sound effects but no voice work), how he died or who killed her or what her defining life’s moment was, and you must search for the item(s) that will allow the spirit to shuffle off the pesky residue of this mortal coil and make for the afterlife.

The Manor consists of a foyer leading to 12 rooms, six upstairs and six downstairs. From some of these 12 rooms, you may go deeper into the house, or even outside. You locate items and figure out how they fit into the puzzles set by the specters, and then bring these things to the appropriate spirit. Some ghosts need more than one item; for others, you must create an item before you can hand it over. Once a soul has been freed, it disappears and the room falls quiet, a nice, clear signal that there is nothing else there for you to do.

All of the shortcomings of the game result from the Adventure Game Studio software. If you’ve ever played an AGS game before (better-known examples include 5 Days a Stranger, the Ben Jordan games, The Adventures of Fatman—go to the AGS site for a complete list), you’ll know what I mean. The interface is clunky; to use something you have to mouse over the top of the screen to bring up some standard menu items, which are represented by ugly, giant-pixelled built-in icons, and then click on the inventory icon (a briefcase), select an item, click “OK” to close the inventory, and then apply the item.

Also, the choices of screen resolution are 320×240 or 640×480.  320×240? That’s like something out of the Stone Age, at least in computer gaming terms. Even at 640×480, it’s possible to see individual pixels with the naked eye on today’s computer screens.

I feel like a shit for complaining about it, because AGS is a free tool that has enabled some talented people to make games where they otherwise might’ve lacked the technical skills to bring their ideas to fruition. And AGS games usually run beautifully right out of the box, so to speak. But still, in the case of Hauntings of Mystery Manor, the standard icons supplied within the AGS are severely at odds with the finely rendered images used in the game proper.

The largely static game screens are drawn by Ghostlady’s friend Diz, a graphic designer who specializes in Victorian-flavored digital art. They are among the nicest images I have ever seen in an indie game.  Each room of the Manor also has its own snippet of music; all of the pieces are chosen well and lend to the atmosphere and completely failed to irritate this increasingly cranky adventure gamer.

Of course, it was not necessary for me to spend a whole lot of time in any one room—I, I who have played at least six thousand adventure games, I who can occasionally fall prone to fits of hyberbole, finished the game in well under three hours, closer to two. Ghostlady said it had taken most of those who’d played around five hours to complete.

It’s hard for me to say, since I got to play it for free, whether Hauntings of Mystery Manor is worth its $15 price tag; while it is unpretentious, well put together, and quite fun to play, it is easily finished in just one sitting. I suppose if I had forked over the $15 out of my own meager funds, I’d not have been at all disappointed in the game itself, only in its length.

I hope Hauntings of Mystery Manor was enough fun for Ghostlady to make that she will step up alongside Kathy Salisbury as a female independent game developer and go on to create other games. Although it was made by a girl gamer, Hauntings of Mystery Manor is not at all a girl game; it does, however, bring with it a refreshing feminine sensibility. The End

The Verdict

The Lowdown

Developer: Cindy Pondillo Publisher: Cindy Pondillo Release Date: June 15, 2005

Available for: Windows

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Screenshots

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System Requirements

Pentium 500 MHz 32 MB RAM Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP DirectX 5 or above Supports all DirectX-compatible sound and video cards

Where to Find It

Mystery Manor $14.95 (download; add $3 for CD version)

Links provided for informational purposes only. FFC makes no warranty with regard to any transaction entered into by any party(ies).

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14 Responses to Fear Factor

  • Fear Factor | Tap-Repeatedly.com | Reality Topics Blog

    […] nobody@flickr.com (graftedno1) wrote a very interesting post today.   Here’s a quick excerpt:My greatest fear is to be trapped alone in a confined space with a blind human, in total darkness. They have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, and. […]

  • Matt "Steerpike" Sakey

    Lewis, you made me think of the scariest moments I’ve experienced in gaming, and we’re very similar people.

    Bioshock had two moments – the dentist and the flooded room filled with mannequins.

    Thief had Return to the Cathedral, which was terrifying to me. Thief 3 had Shalebridge Cradle, which is so scary it ought to be fined.

    System Shock 2 kept me on the edge of my seat, but it was more lonely panic than true fear.

    Korsakovia was so scary that I uninstalled it.

    And STALKER. Oh, god, the haunted labs in STALKER. The latter two games don’t have scares like that. Few games do.

    It’s especially rare for a game to have more than mere “moments” – for a game to be scary from beginning to end, that’s a triumph.

    Wonderful article. As if Gregg’s review wasn’t enough to convince me that Penumbra is not something I have the courage to play!

  • DPenn

    I’m with you Lewis … I’m a bit of a puss. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of dread as entertainment.

    Still, I’m drawn to dark stories when they have something interesting to say, whether it’s a game like Thief or a film like, say, Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible. So I’ll push through, sometimes peering through my fingers.

    The trouble with games, though, is that if you look through your fingers, you’re probably just going to have to play through the scenario again. :~)

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    I wanted to play this game. I downloaded the demo but the controls were just too wonky for me to get my head around. I liked the atmospheric vibe a lot. I think I’m a bit desensitized from an overdose of horror movies in my youth so I don’t so much get the dread thing from these games as a nice creepy vibration. If only the controls were better…

  • Lewis B

    @ Mike, what’s wrong with the controls bud? As someone who despises poor control schemes, Penumbra’s is just like any other FPS, except to examine things you right click on them.  To use things you left click.  I’m not sure that can be considered difficult 🙂

  • Gregg B

    @Steerpike: Yeah my greatest shit-scared moments were with those games too. A few spoilers below people, so beware.

    Bioshock – Haha, I remember the dentist. I didn’t really find the game that scary overall but the bit where you go into the wine cellar and notice a mannequin facing the wall and after upgrading your weapon it’s stood directly behind you motionless and quiet just for a moment before attacking you. I shat a brick. I also missed that bit originally until Lew told me about it.

    System Shock 2 – same as you really, more unremitting tension all the way through rather than specific terrifying moments. Oh actually, theres a bit where you call a lift and it breaks then you realise a service droid is coming to fix it… I do remember having sleep issues after my first encounter with the cyborg ninjas though.

    Thief: The Dark Project – The Sword and Return to the Cathedral and Down in the Bonehoard and well, loads of them. The Sword made me break out into goosebumps though because there was a bit where you could hear this creepy giggling which seemed like it was following me about then it suddenly changed to this horrible throaty noise. What made matters worse was that the EAX (bless you Creative) made my foot steps sound like somebody else was there with me. That level was incredible, a bit too incredible as it seems I missed great chunks of it because I was so eager to leave.

    Thief II: The Metal Age – Trail of Blood where you end up in that opening with those damn tree beasts. God the first time I saw one of those hurtling towards me I actually died shortly afterward. Do you remember that Mechanist child walking around on one of the levels? That was a little creepy.

    Then there’s Penumbra: Overture – quite a few bits but I’m not mentioning them here.

    Oh and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. – The brain scorcher lab just because it was so damn quiet. My imagination seriously got the better of me there. Those stuffed animals and heads I’d seen in various buildings led me to believe that those creatures were lurking somewhere in the Zone, specifically that lab.

    @Mike: My control setup was perfect after some tweaking (as well as the simple weapon swing fix). If you ever fancy giving it another go, give me a shout and I’ll let you know my setup.

  • Lewis B

    I’m not sure why guys, but one of my starting paragraphs had gone missing, even though I copied it straight from the original source, and It was fine earlier. 

    Incase you missed it due to some technical issue you might want to re-read just after “Well no she wouldn’t in truth, but in Penumbra: Overture you don’t want to move anyway.” at the very start for those who’ve already read the article. Apologies 🙂

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    Lewis, it was the weapon swing. It had this terrible, unresponsive feel to it, like trying to hit through molasses. I couldn’t stand using it. I tried the .ini fix as mentioned in the review but it didn’t seem to help. Of course this was the demo…but that shouldn’t have made any difference. I might try the second game instead as I guess they did away with the weapons thing.

    I’m see your first paragraph just fine. It’s the dialogue, right?

  • jdeuel

    I like the argument that weapons can remove fear, but even loaded to the teeth with ammo in AVP’99 the Marine missions were frightful because the enemy was anywhere at any time.

    As for Penumbra Overture, if the controls are anything like the original Penumbra they need to hack in some Wii-Remote 3d controls. I did not like using my mouse for 3d movements.

  • Gregg B

    @Mike: I’ve read that many people avoided conflict altogether in Overture which incidentally is something forced upon you in Black Plague. As somebody who has been renovating a house over the last 6 months with no DIY experience I can safely say that swinging a hammer is significantly easier in real life than it is in Overture without the fix. The fix balanced that for me.

    I’d highly recommend completing the first Penumbra because it’s one big build up to Black Plague which spoils the ending to Overture in the intro. And it’s a great ending too. Just so you know!

  • Lewis B

    @ Steerpike, those moments you mention are all my worst too!!  Do you remember the Robot labs in SS2? Absolutely terrifying, waiting for robots to burst out on you! 🙁 oh and have you ever player Condemned?

    @ Mike, The use of weapons in Penumbra is different to say HL2, where the player is physically holding the weapon, as in Penumbra it floats slightly infront of you.  However, if you change the control method to normal weapon swing, it’s no different!  Speak to Greggi and he’ll tell you what to do 🙂

    @ jdeuel, AVP the original and its sequal were scary however what type of fear do you think it is? I don’t think it’s anything more than sheer tension.  Having a Smart Gun makes you feel incredibly powerful.  I can honestly say in Penumbra the fear is sheer unrivalled terror, where you actually have to force yourself to play on.  It genuinly is that scary! 🙂

  • Jason Dobry

    It’s so true, an arsenal of weapons and ammo rapidly deflates any sense of horror or uneasiness in any game for reasons you already mentioned. Sakey, I thought Bioshock was more “lonely panic,” while I was pretty much always terrified in System Shock 2. I really, really, REALLY did not want to enter The Many’s nursery, and my weapons were so unreliable and ammo so scarce that I never felt safe.

    Silent Hill was terrifying for the same reasons. Ammo was rare and I frequently had to rely on my pipe for self-defense.  Even when I had ammo, the game mechanics prevented my character from being anything other than marginal with any firearm.

    Fear had one moment for me: I was climbing up a ladder, and as I reached the upper platform, my guy briefly looked down as he climbed off. As my perspective looked up again, that Ring-esque little girl was RIGHT THERE, reaching for me. I screamed and she was gone.

    What else…the original Aliens vs. Predator sent me into a locker room and I could only hear the facehuggers scurrying about somewhere within. I had to go in there. I advanced about three steps before the damn thing screamed and filled up my screen with its repulsive underside as it implanted me with its spawn. My roommate made fun of me for weeks for screaming like a girl child.

    Korsakovia–meh.  I was too annoyed and frustrated by the box rearrangement/jumping puzzles to be scared. I uninstalled it after an hour of play, I think. Maybe the scary parts were later, but I doubt it.

    As for Penumbra, I did play through about half of it before other games distracted me. I remember unease and creepiness, but no sweaty fear. I think I’m to blame here, or, more precisely, my daughter, who was still an infant at the time and generally allowed me only to play during the day for 45 minutes at a time. I was denied total immersion and the fear effect suffered. Maybe I should give it another go after I finish Call of Pripyat since she sleeps through the night now. With any luck, Penumbra will keep me from doing the same.

  • Gregg B

    I played the demo of F.E.A.R. but that ladder scare is the only bit I remember. Christ, that made me jump. I’m not too good with cat scares.

    Also I felt exactly the same about Korsakovia. It was creepy at first but then it began to irritate me far too much and it just soured the experience. I stopped playing as a result. Not to mention, when I realised I could bash those smoke-things with my crowbar they didn’t bother me nearly as much.

  • Online Up

    Great article. I look forward to reading more in the future.

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