Fright Simulators

Fright Simulators, "Sensation of Fear" in Japan and "Haunted House Simulators" in America, are a different take on survival horror gaming. Commentators on such a fright simulator, JU-ON: The Grudge - the first on the Wii - say that such games rely on true horror rather than simple power struggles and fights with creatures.

Most of you are probably familiar with the Ju-On storyline, which has been somewhat butchered and overdone during the last decade. What started out as a couple of short sequences, Takashi Shimizu turned into low-budget straight-to-video (V-cinema) movies, known in English as Ju-On: The Curse and Ju-On: The Curse 2 in the year 2000.
Later came the theatrically released Ju-On (this time interpreted to mean "Grudge"), the title most widely known, and its sequel.

Following this were some remakes that shall not be named. In the latter half of 2009, there finally came a Ju-On videogame. It's been likened more to an interactive movie than an actual gaming experience. I received the title as a gift from my parents, and apparently it was the only one being sold in their city!


In general the game lacks player freedom and the controls seem quite stiff and wooden. But, it's good for quick thrills and leaving a lasting impression. Your character is in possession of a torch, and you must keep it stocked-up with batteries. If the torch goes out, you die.
Fellow Nyctophobes will know that this is true to life the most terrifying concept ever. When first playing this game, I was living somewhere wherein the fuse for the upstairs lights screwed up somewhat, and for a while I had to get around using a torch, sit in the pitch-black locked bathroom holding a torch, and generally be tormented by its flickering. My partner keeps telling me that nothing about a room changes in the dark. He is silly.

The first level is awkward but easy enough, you pretty much just shuffle around, GRABBING THOSE BATTERIES, and looking at things until the game plays a sequence it wants to show you. Ju-On has the ability to tap-into creepy past experiences of your own without even trying. To cut a long story short, I had some nightmare experiences involving bollards as a kid. In the factory level are bloomin' glowy bollards.

Ju-On isn't especially sophisticated but it is a worthy horror experience. It's great to play with a group of friends and watch the expressions on their faces as each surprise unfolds.
The Abandoned Hospital level (perhaps better translated as "Lonely Hospital") had me stuck for ages. There wasn't a battery in sight. I walked different routes, into different rooms, and triggered different sequences to see if I would be rewarded with a clue (or a battery). I died after a few minutes, every time.
It turned out they were on the bloody wall.


Thankfully the game isn't a poorly-realised rehashing of the film plot(s). It does indeed feature Toshio and Kayako Saeki (this computer-graphic counterpart not matching the gorgeousness of Takako Fuji), but features a brand new variety of playable characters, the first of whom encounters the curse and spreads it to her family.

The Ju-On franchise has been the bane of my lifelong friends' existences. People who, like myself, love everything remotely related to it, will enjoy this automatically. However, the downsides can start to overshadow the rest of the game when you've been playing for a while. My central heating pipes and myself are already sworn enemies due to their ability to make me feel as though I'm in imminent danger. The Wiimote and I are likewise not on speaking terms.

"You're pointing me there, but that's not where I'm going to cast the torchlight. I know you need the light to be there, that's why I'm not going to do it. In fact I'm going to behave as if you're pointing me either sharply upwards or downwards, and cast the light like that. I'm also going to make your character face 180° of where you want them to. Sucks to be you" ~ your Wii Remote.

There is a very noticeable delay between your pressing of the buttons to achieve an action, and said action actually being carried out. It can be very fiddly to pick up items and navigate rooms, and holding down the B button will commence the slowest fleeing of an able-bodied person I've ever seen. I find myself gritting my teeth with the sheer frustration of not being able to adequately run away from that scary blood-soaked corpse dragging itself along behind me. An interesting feature is Kayako's croaking broadcasting through the Wiimote. A not so interesting feature, is the game penalising you by sensing when you flinch.

Like me, you'll quickly lose your temper with the amount of gameplay you have to repeat when the controller gets you killed. This game is unfair in many a way. Lack of saving: unfair. Lack of decent controls: unfair. Level in a mannequin factory: UNFAIR. (I'm afraid of mannequins too).



Infuriating as this game indeed is, I don't want to trash it completely. It IS good in some circumstances, when you're playing it with a group of friends, will pass the remote around a lot and aren't taking it too seriously. If you see it as anything more than a casual gaming session, your blood pressure is guaranteed to rise. Developers feelplus made somewhat of a cock-up here. But not completely.
Besides, we can take the important message of better dog care from this instalment.


The credits reveal that Takashi Shimizu supervised this whole affair, which might give you a bit of a shock. The background is interesting as the text scrolls, the ending will give your spine a bit of a tingle, but the soundtrack is nothing special. I award some points for a replication of Kayako crawling down the stairs, albeit with a lot more hair.
Other reasons this game is best reserved for a night with friends is its length, and the amusing Engrish. "What in the hell going on?!".

You tell me, feelplus. You tell me.

[In 2010 there were two more Ju-On releases to mark the ten year anniversary, which are related in name only. Old Lady in White, and Girl in Black. The former looks more promising].