Realms of the Haunting

About

Realms of the Haunting is a single player action game. It was developed by Gremlin Interactive and was released on April 24, 2014. It received positive reviews from players.

"Realms of the Haunting" is a horror-themed first-person adventure game that combines action, puzzle-solving, and supernatural elements. The player assumes the role of a protagonist who explores a haunted mansion and uncovers its dark secrets while battling occult forces and uncovering a mysterious artifact. The game features a deep and immersive storyline with live-action video sequences and full-motion video cutscenes.

Genres & Tags

Action

Play Modes

Single-Player

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83%

Audience ScoreBased on 282 reviews

story48 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

Realms of the Haunting is a unique blend of first-person shooter and point-and-click adventure, offering a rich and immersive experience.
The game's atmosphere is captivating, with well-designed environments and a compelling story that keeps players engaged.
The use of full-motion video adds a nostalgic charm, enhancing the storytelling with live-action cutscenes that, while cheesy, are enjoyable.

The controls are clunky and outdated, making navigation and combat frustrating for modern players.
Some puzzles can be obscure and require trial and error, leading to potential frustration and confusion.
The graphics, while charming in a retro sense, are significantly dated and may deter players accustomed to modern visuals.

story
148 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
64%
4%
The game's story follows Adam Randall as he investigates his father's mysterious death in an old English mansion, blending horror and fantasy elements with a rich lore that unfolds through environmental storytelling and full-motion video cutscenes. While the narrative is ambitious and often cryptic, it captivates players with its engaging twists and character interactions, despite some convoluted elements and dated graphics. Overall, the story is a standout feature, offering a unique and immersive experience reminiscent of classic horror narratives.
- “The game tells the story of Adam Randall, a man drawn to an old English mansion after his father’s mysterious death.”
- “The story is vast, eccentric, and often overwhelming in its scope.”
- “What seems like a straightforward 'investigate a strange house' plot quickly expands into something that covers the Knights Templar, the Book of Revelations, and a madman's plot to incarnate Satan in physical form.”
- “The game’s story is vast, eccentric, and often overwhelming in its scope.”
- “Some story elements are convoluted and muddled.”
- “The story is told through strange live-action FMVs with terrible green screening; they look really bad by today's standards, but the storyline is suitably cheesy that it just seems to work.”
graphics
85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
55%
16%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its 1996 origins, yet many players find this retro aesthetic charming and atmospheric. While some criticize the pixelation and low resolution, others appreciate the unique art style and detailed environments that contribute to the game's overall experience. Despite the limitations, the visuals are often described as functional and effective in creating a captivating atmosphere, making the game enjoyable even decades after its release.
- “Replaying Roth in 2023, the visuals are wonderfully retro, holding up very well considering their age, and the game positively oozes atmosphere.”
- “The environments created with the engine are beautiful to look at and are very unique to each location; you can really appreciate the fact that even though the graphics look dated compared to what we have today, it still looks amazing thanks to the art style the developers went with.”
- “For a game that's almost two decades old, it hasn't lost its charm, even if the graphics are dated.”
- “The graphics are very dated.”
- “The graphics may be difficult to get past if you don't have much experience with older games and the default controls are not ideal.”
- “Yes, the graphics are absolutely horrendous - and generally I'm not a fan of retro pixelation.”
atmosphere
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
44%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its haunting, eerie, and immersive qualities, blending surreal visuals with effective sound design to create a dreamlike experience. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke tension and mystery, often comparing it to classic horror and puzzle games, while noting that the atmosphere remains compelling despite the game's age and graphical limitations. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a defining feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and engagement.
- “Combined with the strange stillness of the environments and the surreal blend of live action and 3D models, the sound design gives the game a haunting, almost dreamlike atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is really eerie and mysterious.”
- “This classic is absolutely dripping with atmosphere!”
- “Monsters don't scare me at all here (mainly because of their design with these pre-rendered 3D model sprites), but the soundtrack and visuals create a strong atmosphere for the whole game.”
- “The whole story is open to various interpretations and the dark atmosphere (which is not the cheesy-spooky thing nor the jump scare/stressful kind) is absolutely godlike.”
- “The horror is also drawn mainly from atmosphere, rather than jump scares.”
gameplay
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
72%
6%
The gameplay of "Realms of the Haunting" is a unique blend of first-person shooter and point-and-click mechanics, praised for its innovative approach at the time of release. While some players find the controls and mechanics dated and occasionally frustrating, many appreciate the nostalgic experience and engaging puzzles that contribute to its overall enjoyment. Despite its age, the game still offers a captivating atmosphere and a solid gameplay experience, making it worthwhile for fans of retro gaming.
- “Few games of its time—or since—have attempted such an audacious fusion of storytelling and gameplay.”
- “An outstanding mixture of FPS and point & click mechanics and a terrific atmosphere!”
- “The gameplay itself is fairly standard — proceed throughout the corridors, shoot, solve puzzles, and generally explore the wonderful environments to further the story.”
- “The gameplay feels like it's been sitting in the attic for a few too many years, even back when Y2K was just around the corner.”
- “The control scheme, on the other hand, predates the mouselook convention and thus the gameplay is a shambling mess as you need to have both hands on the keyboard and a third hand controlling the mouse at the same time.”
- “The progression is very old school as well, with little direction and no instructions, making gameplay difficult for new players without a walkthrough.”
music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
68%
8%
The music in the game is characterized by a well-crafted midi soundtrack that effectively enhances the atmosphere, creating a sense of dread and mystery throughout various environments. While some players note its dated quality, the composition is praised for fitting the game's themes perfectly and contributing to the overall immersive experience. The soundtrack, alongside sound effects, plays a crucial role in maintaining tension and engagement, making it a standout feature despite its limitations.
- “The soundtrack underscores the mood with ominous drones, organ tones, and ambient whispers, creating a sense of dread that lingers long after you stop playing.”
- “The music is also extremely good and creeps around you, keeping a constant atmosphere of mystery and restlessness.”
- “One of the big standouts of this game is its music, which does a fantastic job setting up the mood of the area, even if it sometimes forgets to turn off the intense music after the intense stuff is long gone.”
- “The music being MIDI was okay but feels a bit underwhelming for such a movie-like game; a CD soundtrack would have really enhanced the experience like what games consoles of the time would have back then, but it's still nice and eerie.”
- “While it's true that the MIDI music is fairly dated, in this game it's so well done that you won't even notice the lower quality.”
- “This is a game that could improve a lot with a remake; just adding better graphics and better sound and music would make this game shine again.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its unexpected blend of spooky elements with a biblical plot and a diverse cast of amusing characters. Players find the performances of amateur actors surprisingly excellent, contributing to an overall enjoyable and funny experience.
- “Surprises continue when you realize that this game is not only about a spooky, scary haunted mansion: you explore other dimensions and play a massive role in a biblical plot, where you interact with a big roster of funny and interesting characters.”
- “The funniest part is that the actors were complete amateurs, but their performances are excellent!”
- “General game experience is okay and funny.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's FMV segments are praised for their high quality and strong performances, effectively punctuating key moments, though they may not always serve to advance the story. Overall, the optimization of these sequences enhances the gaming experience, despite some pacing issues.
- “The FMV segments are top tier for the time, as are the performances from its actors.”
- “It's worth noting that this game has many FMV sequences, and the performances are actually not bad.”
- “As much fun as the FMV sequences are, with some legitimately great performances from some of the actors, they’re not really paced to fill in the story as much as they are there to punctuate the more notable moments.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game's stability is generally acceptable, though some experience minor navigation issues, such as the game freezing when accessing the inventory to use items like potions. While glitches are not commonly noted, the overall user experience can feel awkward at times.
- “To drink a potion, open your inventory (which freezes the game) and left-click the potion to pick it up, then immediately right-click.”
- “I didn't see any 'glitches', but it was still weird to navigate.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization model is generally viewed positively, with users appreciating it as a significant improvement over typical cash grab practices seen in many modern games.
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be mostly enjoyable, with engaging puzzles that evoke nostalgia for classic titles like "Thief," though some late-game mazes and switch mechanics can feel tedious.