Kuon

"Beware, the trees hold grudges here..."

In a genre that's almost been monopolized by Capcom's Resident Evil series, there are few survival horror games that manage to stand out. Kuon is one of those many survival horror gems lost in the towering shadows of such franchises. Finding such an unappreciated game for only twelve dollars at a local game store in the mall left me tickled pink.

Storyline 9/10
The storyline starts off pretty generic. There's a typical Japanese manor being plagued by demonic entities and vengeful spirits. You can choose between one of two (and eventually three) characters, Utsuki the priestess who enters the manor in search of her father and Sakuya the exorcist sent to rid the manor of it's less the holy new denizens. To fully appreciate the storyline, you'll have to play through both Utsuki and Sakuya's scenarios. I found the storyline to be filled with many clever, unexpected plot twists as well as some predictable ones. It should leave anyone that plays it guessing all the way through both scenarios.

Graphics 9/10
The game is beautifully rendered. Japanese robes flow seamlessly on their owners as they walk through dark, ominous pathways and blood drenched corridors facing off with grotesque and sometimes disturbing beasts. A couple of people on other reviews complained that the characters don't move their mouths when they talk, but that's being too whiny if you ask me. The fact that there is no lip movement when the characters speak does not detract from the game in any way, shape, or form. Anyone who would complain over such a trivial detail is clearly spoiled and doesn't know how to appreciate a game for its finer qualities, like the lighting!

Sound 10/10
Eerie chanting of little girls, the guttural snarl of an unseen creature lurking nearby, the pounding of angry fists against doors gives this game a great feel. The sound effects leave you on the edge of your seat throughout most of the game. The occasional boss battle is accompanied by taiko drums and more up beat rhythm. It definitely lives up to the expectations of a survival horror.

Gameplay 8/10
The gameplay was overall very fluid. I never felt that I was stuck at some impossible road block or that I could not continue on in the game because any one particular area was too difficult. In fact, you'll spend a lot of your time during the game worrying about something that isn't there. A large portion of the gameplay, depending on the scenario, seems more like exploring that actual enemy encounters, which is fine. You'll encounter everything from spontaneous, around the corner shocks, to decisions that can mean instant death for your character. My only complaint was combat system. No, i'm not complaining that neither one of the characters had huge "combos" because, frankly, you aren't supposed to be able to open a can of whoop ass all over enemies with your fists in a survival horror like Kuon. Enemies can be, at best, avoided if you really don't want to fight them. My complaint was more towards the sluggish response. Even when your character casts a spell, there's a delay that always leaves you open to an attack and no matter how you time it, your opponent somehow manages to squeeze in a little hit. This can be devastating when you're fighting some of the stronger enemies that can decimate you in three hits or so. Luckily, there is a life bar (despite what everyone's saying) that you can check when you enter the menu screen during gameplay. It's a bar that appears on the top of the screen and it works much like the life bar in Resident Evil in that it changes colors depending on your health ranging from blue (full health) to red (critical condition obviously). You'll also find that healing is pretty easy after you finish off your opponents. You'll have the option to meditate and restore your health unless caught in the middle of a fight (it'll be hard to stop and clear your thoughts with the hell sent gnawing at your ankles). Then, you might want to consider one of the healing products that are in ample supply throughout the game.

Replay Value: Moderate
It's a great storyline and you'll ultimately have to play every scenario to fully understand the storyline. There's a hidden third scenario that can be unlocked only after you complete the two default scenarios (conveniently named "Yin" and "Yang."). The third scenario offers the closure the other two didn't give and brings the story to its resolution. Short lived, but fun. I bought it. You should too if you like survival horror.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/24/06