you have discovered the secret entrance to...
☉ B E L L I C A S T L E ☉
The girl and the dog both inspect you with a mixture a curiosity and caution. Whether you are one of their numerous tormentors, caught up to them once more, or simply another poor soul lost and prisoned inside the guts of the castle, remains to be ascertained...
At the beginning of what will soon turn into her greatest nightmare, Fiona Belli wakes up alone, screaming. She finds herself in a terrifying, unfamiliar place: a cold, dark basement reeking of blood and freshly cut meat, butchered carcasses hanging from racks around the room.
The rusted cage Fiona has been trapped in does not hold her long; the lock on the door left clumsily open by her captor. Determined not to remain in this place for even a second longer, she braves her way out of her crude prison, holding tightly on to the thin white sheet wrapped around her -- the only thing separating her from the gloomy night enveloping all.
Fiona takes a few hesitant steps, confused and bewildered by where she is and what has happened to her. Before she can gather her thoughts, the silence is cut through by a growl from the shadows underneath large table beside her: aggressive, low and guttural. The lurking creature pounces, the rough shape of an animal, obscured by the dark, dives over her in a flash, soon disappearing into the night.
On the floor, by her feet, lies a leather collar with a silver nameplate. The engraving on it reads:
HEWIE
⚚ YOU ENTER THE HAUNTING GROUND ⚚
Haunting Ground (Demento) is a 2005 stalker survival horror game developed by Capcom for the PS2.
The game follows Fiona Belli, a college student, who finds herself captured and imprisoned inside a castle that appears to belong to her family line. Desperate to escape, Fiona must navigate this unreal mazelike environment with the help of her new canine friend, Hewie, and attempt to solve the castle's numerous puzzles, avoid its deadly traps and do her utmost to not be caught by any of the castle's strange occupants in the process.
Though they all bear their own twisted motivations, each and every being inside Belli Castle appears obsessed with something precious they claim she possesses: the Azoth, the key to eternal life, to completion and perfection.
Haunting Ground's story is layered with a multitude of possible interpretations. The story revolves around alchemy, hermeticism and other occult themes, depicting at its core the horrid suffering and destruction caused by an alchemist's desperate attempts to complete the Great Work and achieve eternal life. And, on the other hand, when stripped of its these esoteric allegories, we are left with a devastatingly real psychosexual horror story centered around the objectification, violence and lack of bodily autonomy women continue to face each day.
Haunting Ground released shortly after Resident Evil 4 and was unfortunately left in the shadow of its success. The game sold in low numbers and got mediocre reviews from critics, and so copies of it sold online have always been unfortunately rare and pricey. Personally, however, I consider Haunting Ground a real hidden gem of the survival horror genre.
Haunting Ground's environments and level design feel unique, dreamlike and satisfyingly interconnected. The soundtrack and overall sound design are truly immersive and anxiety inducing. The visuals and facial animations are pleasing to look at even decades after the game's release. And the gameplay mechanics, especially those revolving around training Hewie, building up your relationship him and giving different commands to him during combat, puzzles and item searching, feel way ahead of their time.
Each stalker is scarier than the last and feels relentless in their search for you. There are very few moments in the game where you can truly relax and be certain of your safety. The powerlessness you feel playing as Fiona, especially when entering the panic state or being separated from Hewie, is palpable.
My only complaint about the game concern the somewhat rushed lategame sections. The very last areas, and Lorenzo as the final stalker, do not feel as detailed and fleshed out in comparison to the rest of the game. After a long time of mysterious build-up, the finale is over relatively quickly and the ending is abrupt.
Regardless, I consider Haunting Ground to be one of the very best horror experiences out there!
☿ WHO WANTS HER AZOTH ☿
(spoilers ahead + mild trigger warning: mentions of SA related topics)
Debilitas
The gardener of Belli Castle. A homunculus made by Lorenzo Belli. Debilitas has the body of a giant man but the mind of a child. Though not evil by nature, he fails to comprehend his strength and the consequences of his actions. Debilitas loves to play with dolls and mistakes Fiona for yet another new plaything, thus growing obsessed with capturing her for his collection.
Vepa's notes:
I feel bad for Debilitas and the way he is depicted in such an unpleasant way, being a caricature of intellectual disabilities (down to his name). I am, however, glad that they included a non-lethal option to deal with him in the game, allowing him to learn from his mistakes and repent his actions.
Daniella
The apathetic servant of Belli Castle. Unable to feel pleasure or pain, Daniella envies Fiona and is fixated on becoming a complete, perfect woman like her. She believes that acquiring Fiona's Azoth will help her achieve this goal. While usually appearing dazed and monotonous, she cannot bear the sight of her reflection, completely losing control when faced with her own image.
Vepa's notes:
Daniella is the most interesting stalker to me and has the most complex behaviour out of all the enemies. One moment she is chasing you with a fire poker and in the next she is cleaning up a mess on the floor, either completely ignoring your presence or addressing you in a servantly manner. She is a tricky enemy, closing doors behind her to slow you down, frequently checking hiding places and making interacting with the environment risky with scripted events0in certain rooms.
Riccardo
Steward and groundskeeper of Belli Castle. A homunculus cloned from Fiona's father, Ugo Belli. At first appearing to be helping Fiona by protecting her from Debilitas, Riccardo's true intentions are beyond horrid. A defective being, rapidly aging and deteriorating, he plans to forcibly impregnate Fiona in order to clone himself and continue his legacy.
Vepa's notes:
I hate this man. I hate, hate, hate him. An absolutely disgusting character that really makes your skin crawl. To me, he is worse than Lorenzo. And he is bloody annoying as an enemy too with his gun. If I get a game over screen with him, I have to mute the game. If you know, you know...
Lorenzo
A descendant of the 13th century alchemist Aureolus Belli, eager to finish the Great Work he started centuries back. Lorenzo believes Fiona's Azoth is the key to eternal life. He helps Fiona in her attempt to escape by warning her of Riccardo and by leaving her notes throughout the castle. However, this is all done in order to bring her closer to him.
Vepa's notes:
I wish there was more about him in the game to really give a better picture of his character. With the way he is in the final release of the game, he feels quite similar to Riccardo in his motivations and character, only in a different font, so to speak. He is definitely creepier in his old form. The way he crawls around is one of the most disgusting things I've seen.
𓍝 AZOTH, ALCHYMIA ET LAPIS PHILOSOPHORUM 𓍝
Īgnōsce mihi. Reflections on the alchemical aspects of Haunting Ground are yet to be written.
Have patience, my friend...
☿ ACTA EST FABULA ☿