Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle
- May 10, 2006
- Shadow Tor Studios
"Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle" is a single-player Horror Point and Click game with a sensational story and delightful atmosphere. Players are stranded near an ancient burial mound and must uncover the secrets of the Druid's Circle while following in the footsteps of a famous archaeologist. The game takes place in a darkening landscape where time has no meaning and some things should be left buried.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a nostalgic charm with an interesting storyline, good atmosphere, and decent music, making it enjoyable for fans of classic point-and-click adventures.
- Puzzles are generally logical and engaging, requiring players to take notes and pay attention to details, which adds to the immersive experience.
- The creepy ambiance and well-crafted environments create a genuinely unsettling atmosphere that enhances the horror elements of the game.
- The game shows its age with clunky controls and outdated graphics, which can detract from the overall experience, especially for modern players.
- Many players found the puzzles to be overly difficult and obtuse, often requiring a walkthrough to progress, which can lead to frustration.
- The lack of quality-of-life features, such as an instant travel map or inventory labels, makes navigation cumbersome and can lead to confusion.
- atmosphere27 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its creepy, immersive quality, enhanced by a haunting soundtrack and well-crafted environments reminiscent of classic point-and-click horror adventures. Players appreciate the slow, brooding tension and the unique sense of exploration, although some feel that the reveal of the antagonist diminishes the carefully built atmosphere. Overall, it is recommended for fans of atmospheric puzzlers, offering a memorable and engaging experience.
“Very creepy atmosphere and difficult but good puzzles.”
“A really nice experience - dark, spooky atmosphere, solid and interesting puzzles and a deeply realized setting and narrative.”
“A masterfully spooky atmosphere, a cast of charming characters, and an overall very unique experience that I honestly believe other horror adventures can learn a thing or two from.”
“This is an extremely quiet, peaceful mystery game with a slow, creeping, brooding atmosphere until this carefully crafted atmosphere is largely ruined when you find out that the 'monster' hunting you is essentially a giant, magical slab of rock.”
“The atmosphere really is well crafted though, and there are many locations in this game that seem genuinely creepy in the classic Jonathan Boakes Dark Fall style.”
“I also think it's more mysterious than scary, but it definitely builds up a creepy atmosphere.”
- story26 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as interesting and engaging, with a suspenseful atmosphere that enhances the experience, despite some critiques about its brevity and reliance on exposition through diaries. Players appreciate the immersive folk fantasy elements and the freedom to explore without strict objectives, although some find the climax lacking. Overall, it offers a unique blend of mystery and lore that appeals to fans of story-driven adventure games.
“It's somewhat short but the story is interesting and has a slight creepy feeling to it.”
“Engaging story line.”
“Outstanding story and atmosphere.”
“This game sounds like some sort of Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys children’s mystery story, and I doubt that you will be taken seriously ever again if you spend more than 8 hours playing this (as I have).”
“In the end, it ends up being a folk fantasy tale with loads of exposition coming mostly from diaries, and that kind of storytelling gets a bit tiresome, I must say.”
“It really reminded me of 'Scratches' in its storytelling and no hand-holding aspect, but the only thing lacking compared to 'Scratches' is the poor climax when you reach the end of the game and are faced with the evil the game is based on...”
- graphics13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of Barrow Hill, released in 2006, are considered outdated and have aged poorly, featuring mostly still images with minimal animation. While the visuals may appear charmingly retro to some, they lack modern resolution adjustments, resulting in a stretched appearance on contemporary screens. Despite these limitations, the game offers a spooky ambiance and well-crafted environments that contribute to its overall value, especially when on sale.
“While the aesthetics of the old cell phones, 'video chats' and other graphic elements may look old, they are not 'yuck' now, but rather charming.”
“+ great looking pre-rendered graphics and environments.”
“But there's a lot of gameplay for the bargain price, and the environment (sound and visuals) are quite believable and very well thought out.”
“To make matters worse, Barrow Hill’s graphics were fairly out of date when it came out in 2006 and have aged badly since that time.”
“The graphics are subdued and brooding, mostly still images; this game has very little animation of any kind.”
“The color palette is a bit limited, the graphics aren't HD (but it doesn't make a noticeable difference), and sometimes it suffers from the 'invisible fence' effect where you sometimes can't seem to go from one location to another even though it looks like you should just be able to walk around or over an obstacle.”
- music10 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized by a minimalistic approach, featuring mostly ambient sounds that enhance the eerie atmosphere, with some players noting the inclusion of a downloadable soundtrack that adds to the experience. While the game lacks extensive musical content, the existing tracks are described as spooky and fitting, contributing effectively to the overall mood. Overall, the sound design, including music and effects, is well-received and complements the game's themes.
“The game also has a very cool soundtrack, which is downloadable for free as a DLC.”
“+ Gloomy soundtrack fits perfectly to the game's atmosphere.”
“Barrow Hill has almost no music (other than music heard over the in-game radios found in certain locations), though there are some very creepy ambient sounds which set the mood nicely.”
“I wouldn’t have bought this game just for the soundtrack, but at least I got something out of it.”
“The music is hella spooky, though, and really puts you on the edge of fear.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay in these point-and-click games is primarily focused on exploration and puzzle-solving, with a "figure-it-out-yourself" approach that encourages players to hone their detective skills. While some titles offer a more fluid experience with easily discoverable hotspots and a balanced distribution of clues, others may lack character depth, leading to a mixed reception. Overall, the integration of local folklore and Celtic themes enhances the motivation to continue playing, despite some psychological stressors.
“The gameplay is a 'figure-it-out-yourself' type of experience, with all the clues scattered around the area for you to find, which really hones your detective skills.”
“However, it is a step up gameplay-wise; hotspots are relatively easy to find, you rarely get stuck, and there is an appropriate amount of clues laying around, so if you get stuck on something, you can just keep exploring until you find another clue.”
“I love the Celtic references and gameplay.”
“Point and click game, therefore literally no gameplay mechanics.”
“The 'figure-it-out-yourself' type of objective/gameplay, given that all the clues have been scattered around the area for you already, does not enhance the experience.”
“Barrow Hill is very similar to The Lost Crown; better at times (gameplay is way more fluid), worse at others (the main character is, well, not a character at all).”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, including game freezes when interacting with certain icons, particularly the view icon, which leads to a defunct website. These glitches are described as aggravating and detract from the overall gameplay experience.
“If you click it, it takes you to a now defunct website and freezes up the game.”
“And very aggravating, clicking on the view icon in the middle of the pentangle freezes the game.”
“3 glitches: 1.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for its low replayability, attributed to mediocre voice acting, a lack of subtitles, confusing puzzles, and disappointing endings. Players feel that these elements significantly diminish the incentive to replay the game.
“Mediocre voice acting, no subtitles, several obtuse puzzles, a lack of replay value, a laughable monster, and disappointing endings (both of this game’s two endings are disappointing) do not help matters.”
“Barrow Hill has little to no replay value.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often derived from its quirky navigation and perspective challenges, which can lead to amusing situations and funny angles. However, the need to hover the mouse frequently to discover clickable elements may cause players to miss some of the comedic moments.
“The humor in this game is absolutely delightful, with clever writing that keeps you chuckling throughout.”
“I love how the game uses absurd situations to create hilarious moments that catch you off guard.”
“The witty dialogue and playful interactions between characters add a layer of humor that makes the experience even more enjoyable.”
