Atari has released a new version of Haunted House The game, originally released in 1982 for the Atari VCS, has been announced. While some elements from that time have been retained, others have been rethought and expanded.
In Haunted House Players take control of Lyn Graves, the niece of legendary treasure hunter Zachary Graves. Lyn visits her uncle's mansion with her closest friends and discovers it's overrun by ghouls and monsters hunting her. To free her uncle and friends and defend herself against the supernatural enemies, Lyn must find the broken pieces of a magical urn and reassemble them to keep the troublesome poltergeists at bay.
Through procedurally generated room layouts, shifting walls, unpredictable enemy positions, and unique ghost encounters, Lyn must fight her way through hordes of ghouls and sinister ectoplasms, sneaking and running to find her friends and uncle. Each urn shard is fiercely guarded by a creepy boss, and Lyn must think fast in the isometric 3D stealth gameplay to overcome each challenge. However, once she's knocked down by a shadowy specter, she finds herself back at the haunted house's entrance, facing a completely new floor plan and enemy placement, discovering that every run is unique.
The stealth approach has been revised.
Since battles in Haunted House Less prominently featured, players must focus on stealthy movements and solving challenges hidden in the shadows. They must also utilize the arsenal of traps and items at their disposal to distract the ghouls hunting Lyn. Lyn, in turn, must collect gems to enhance her abilities and gain perks, making her even stronger on her next journey through the mansion's labyrinth.
Visually, the remake employs a quirky, cartoonish art style, which, however, only masks the tension and thrill of Haunted House. The game skillfully walks the line between silly and scary, and with its primarily stealth-based gameplay and light combat sequences, it aims to appeal to all age groups.
Finally, players can look forward to plenty of Easter eggs from the Atari era scattered throughout the game, including collectibles and backstories based on the original Haunted House and other classics from Atari's golden age.
Haunted House returns in 2023.
