Developer: Moonloop Games
Platforms: PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox Series X|S
Genre: Action, Adventure, Shooter
Publisher: Firestoke
Hauntii is an action top-down twin-stick game. This game was developed by Moonloop Games and published by Firestoke. There are a few games that play similarly to Hauntii, except this game goes over and beyond with its visuals and slow pace, making it quite different. This review was done for the PC, but the game is also available on Switch, Xbox Series and PlayStation Series, as well as on macOS and Linux operating systems.
Hauntii is a single-player game; it sets the scene with a drawing, a magical opening of a light beam shooting at a planet where a crystal in the shape of a teardrop appears. Inside rests a little ghost. You play as a ghost, Hauntii, who has just awoken and found yourself in the land of Eternity. Upon your arrival, you meet an angelic ghost girl who helps you through a tower where you both begin to ascend, except she fully ascends while you are abruptly brought back down. The game revolves around Hauntii remembering past memories and trying to find out who the girl is whilst exploring the vast and beautiful land of Eternity.
The controls for Hauntii are extremely easy to use. First, when loading into the game, it is recommended to play with a controller to get the most enjoyable experience. I found that using the controller was a lot more comfortable and easier to play with rather than the keyboard/mouse, but both ways worked really well alongside the game. There were no noticeable delays, and everything seemed to work smoothly. As you play the game, there is a tutorial that allows the player to understand the controls and mechanics, but on display, controls can also be seen.
The visuals, by far, are my favourite thing about this game, as they strike out with such beauty. The visuals seem effortlessly simple with minimalistic use of colour, but overall create, this world with so much personality and charm. The game is a beautifully crafted work of art where it sets a monochromatic tone with a quite sketched, point-like art style. Even though its simple look brings so much to life with the pleasing animations, everything about the visuals of this game is breathtaking; it creates impressive scenery which is aesthetically pleasing, and I love how each area in the world slightly differs from the next. One of the most captivating views in this game is the ride you take when entering the carnival, and it allows the player to take in the breathtaking sights of this game. The character designs are so charming as each one has a characteristic that can be visualised from their bodily expressions. The dialogues between certain characters are intriguing, and I love the voice-less take on this game, which adds more admirability. There is so much I could say about the visuals of this game, but it still would not be enough because it is one of the most beautifully pleasing games I have ever played. The visuals go hand in hand with the soundtrack, which features an array of instrumental melodies that set the emotion from area to area. Little sound effects also add to the visuals to bring the game to life. I love the array of music that the game consists of, as it can range from mellow piano beats to a much more noir jazz-filled rhythm, which is orchestrated through saxophone melodies.
What truly sets this game apart from other games is the exploration and puzzle mechanics, which drive the player to really focus on using Hauntii’s ability to haunt objects to interact with the environment in a clever way. This gameplay style I found to be so much fun because you could also haunt everything in the world and use it to your advantage. The progression of the game followed you exploring one area, which led to the next, and unlocking gates by completing constellations, each area having a select number of stars for Hauntii to collect in order to complete constellations. What I liked about the stars at each stage was that not all of them were outright given to you but rather placed in diligent ways that required you to truly work around the environment. The puzzles for these stars were quite impressive, as well, as they differed from stage to stage and allowed you to use the ability to its full potential. One of the puzzles that got me quite confused at first was the hopping between trees after haunting a ladybird, but I found that using the shadow of the ladybird movement became much easier. The stars are not difficult to find but play a great role in completing constellations, which unlocks black-and-white animated segments and gives you the ability to upgrade one of Hauntii’s skills. The game is extremely creative in wanting the player to interact with the objects around them to find hidden items and stars that will help them on their journey. I also really loved the concept of following the light path, which meant that if Hauntii was not standing where the light was present, it would take a major hit.
Another thing I quite enjoyed was the combat in this game; it felt somewhat like a bullet hell at times, where there was constant shooting, but I felt the difficulty of the enemies increased more and more as time went on. Personally, I found the combat to be pretty balanced and being able to haunt enemies that can momentarily upgrade your damage allowed players to play smart. It did seem like there were mini ‘boss’ segments, for example, the big bell where you had to haunt four bells in order to ring the big bell whilst avoiding enemy projectiles. These segments added more variance to the game, which I quite enjoyed. There is so much to this game, and the endless exploring is so worth it, as you can take in the beauty this game has to offer whilst uncovering your way to fully ascend alongside the ghost girl. The game goes beyond just telling a simple story but really delves into this realm that has been created. You pretty much get immersed into being Hauntii.
If you’re looking for a game that offers a simplistic shooting pleasure with distinctive visuals and a thrilling atmosphere, then this game is just for you. Hauntii does a wonderful job at keeping the player captivated from start to finish by allowing players to interact with the stunning environment, meet quirky characters and experience the most stunning and beautiful end-game sequence. This game is very fun and extremely unique, so be sure to check out Hauntii, as you will not be disappointed!
Overall: 9/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
