"Would the computer game of the video board game work out? In short, yes!"

Introduction
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Well, you're probably wondering what the hell this game is. Unless you've played Nightmare/Atmosfear, of course. This game is a remake of Atmosfear: The Harbingers, but on the PC. Oh, and the places you venture to (known as The Provinces) have changed significantly. But The Gatekeeper is just as cranky as ever, so you better watch out from him! This game is not a free-roaming adventure, but rather a first-perspective board game. More on that later

Story - 5/10
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A so-so storyline. You are a Harbinger, intent of overthrowing The Gatekeeper from ruling The Other Side (a place where the most sinful of people go), and ruling it yourself. If you win, then you are the new ruler of The Other Side (however, The Gatekeeper always hosts the game, which sucks). You must collect all six Keystones and go to a crypt in order to win though, and get a fear that is NOT your own.

Graphics - 7/10
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Fairly nice graphics, though it does have problems. I'm willing to forgive that seeing as this is not the most recently released game in the world. The Provinces are nicely done, where you can see the pumpkins in Anne's Province, the evil floating clown heads in Hellin's, and the trees in Gevaudan's forest. I do have problems with Baron Samedi's jungle (the leaves do not look proper at all) and The Gatekeeper's pixellation, but again, I can forgive the people who made this for that.

The character arts are amazing, and so are the Keystones and the +/- Points pictures that you get for landing on a specific space.

Sound - 7/10
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The sound in this game is alright, but it has its drawbacks. Like The Gatekeeper repeatedly saying Peekaboo when you play the game, or other annoying things when you check the map. Each character has its own sound when you see its character artwork before you start your turn (like Khufu has the sound of a rattlesnake, or Gevaudan growls).

There is no in-game music apart from this, so I was slightly dismayed when I played it. HOWEVER, there was meant to be a bonus disk where you could listen to music in a cd player while you played the game, but I never got that.

Gameplay - 8/10
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The gameplay is the best thing about this game. You must select from six different players (Anne de Chantraine, Baron Samedi, Elizabeth Bathory, Gevaudan, Hellin or Khufu), but it is at random. That is okay for anyone who doesn't seem to have a favourite. Then, you must pick a fear from the glass cabinet. If you play multiplayer, you cannot select the same fear as each other.

If you play single player mode, you must then decide how "hot" you want the game to be. 0 degrees for easiest, to 100 degrees for hardest. You do not get this option in multiplayer.

Then, when you start the game (after The Gatekeeper rambles on), you see your character's artwork, and then it moves on to a short animation of your character (from their point of view; you never see them apart from the artwork) moving around their Province. When they reach their headstone, you can choose to roll one die or two dice. Once you choose them, you must click the mouse to the equal number on the dice. If you land on a blank space, you should be pretty safe, unless The Gatekeeper speaks to you. If you land on a triangle space, something bad will happen to you, and something good will happen on a circle space. If you land on a key space, you will earn a Keystone (each Keystone grants you different powers, such as being able to go into the tunnels below The Provinces). You must get a Keystone from each Province, then make your way to the middle of the board where you have to get to the casket. Once you reach it, you better hope it isn't the fear you selected, otherwise The Gatekeeper wins!

Sometimes, The Gatekeeper makes you play a mini-game, such as pick a door or Blackjack. Of course, you risk losing Keystones sometimes, so be careful!

Each character in this game (except for The Gatekeeper and Hellin - they're fictional) is based either on real life stories (Elizabeth, Anne, Khufu) or myths (Baron Samedi, Gevaudan).

Overall score - 7/10
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This game might not be no Mario Party, but it's still fun. However, the actual board game may be more fun for multiplayer.

Rent or buy?
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I believe the only choice is to buy. eBay sells them now and then, so it wouldn't hurt to see if they have it.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 09/19/05