I’m starting to get a real taste for horror title’s at the moment and Rising Star Games have just announced a new addition to their catalogue – JU-ON: The Grudge. Based on a classic Japanese horror movie, JU-ON: The Grudge is billed as a ‘haunted house simulator’. Original movie creator, Takashi Shimizu, is heavily involved in the development of the game and serves as a creative consultant.
Although very little information has been released so far – Looking at the screenshots and, maybe because it’s played from the first person perspective it reminds me of “Penumbra” . The difference being JU-ON: The Grudge is being released on the Wii rather than the PC taking advantage of the Wii mote capabilities – one of which will be measuring your movements during play – the more you flinch and jump, the worse your success rate becomes. The player can still progress through the game with bad scores, but it is those with a steady hand who will fair better.
The story:
It is said that when a person dies with a deep and burning grudge, a curse is born. When an average housewife in Nerima, Japan, was murdered in a grisly fashion, it gave rise to a curse so powerful that it threatens to kill at a pace thought unimaginable before.
The curse manifests on those who encounter the curse by any means, such as entering the house or being in contact with somebody who was already cursed. Once Erika Yamada is exposed to the curse while searching for her dog in an abandoned warehouse, the entire Yamada family is put in grave danger as soon as she reunites with them at home. They must now face their individual challenges alone, and only by overcoming the curse together will their family truly be free again.
With a story revolving around the unfortunate Yamada family and using the Wii Remote as a flashlight, JU-ON: The Grudge has players move forward with the touch of a button and explore haunted areas such as an abandoned warehouse, a dimly lit hospital and a mannequin factory.
