Unfortunately, as good as Haunting Ground is, it's also a victim of its own design. Since the eerie mood of the game comes from not knowing what's lurking around the corner, enemy encounters are few and far between. Most of the game is spent solving puzzles like trying to find Key A that will open Lock B or something to that effect. As a result, there's a lot of backtracking throughout the castle required to advance the story. At times, this repetitive feeling takes away from an otherwise disturbing experience.

Despite these occasionally dull moments, Haunting Ground still does an excellent job of getting inside of the player's head and tapping into your fears. What the game lacks in shock value, it more than makes up for in sheer psychological terror. If you're a fan of the survival-horror genre, you should definitely check out Haunting Ground. Just be prepared to sleep with the lights on afterwards.