Kuon

"Ancient Japanese Survival Horror"

Most gamers know about the two most popular survival horror franchises out there, namely Resident Evil and the mighty Silent Hill. Many have come and gone before and since, most notably the Alone In The Dark, Clock Tower, and Fatal Frame series. However, there is one that may have fallen through the cracks, which is unfortunate since, while flawed, it was a frightening experience that will definitely get under your skin if you give it a chance, namely the unusually-titled Kuon.

Out of all the survival horror games I've played, Kuon is most similar to Fatal Frame in that it draws its inspiration from ancient Japanese lore, religions and superstitions. The fundamental difference between these two, however, is that Kuon actually takes place during Japan's Heian Era. You start Kuon either as Utsuki, the daughter of a renegade exorcist (onmyoji) in search of both her father and sister who have gone missing, or as the onmyoji's apprentice/disciple, named Sakuya, who is investigating a demon attack on a lord's manor. Much like what is in this reviewer's opinion the greatest of Resident Evil series, RE2, Kuon's many secrets are only unlocked when you play through as both Utsuki and Sakuya, and even then only after you beat an extra level, known as the "Kuon Phase". However, some may be disappointed to learn that it will only take you a little over 12 hours to play the game through all three phases - and that's if you explore every nook and cranny several times, as I have.

Thankfully, the journey is a frightfully beautiful one. The character models are eerie in a good way, and the scenery (what little you can see with your pathetic paper lantern) is breathtaking. Since this is a Japanese game, it's no surprise that the architecture is reproduced faithfully, whether it's an archway, a Shinto shrine, or a defiled Buddha statue. However, as previously stated, much of what you'll see is limited to the light from the lantern you carry...and it's not much. It certainly succeeds in adding to an already tense atmosphere (it owes, and BIGTIME, to Silent Hill's flashlight); imagine, if you will, walking cautiously down a hallway with blood smeared copiously on the walls, fresh from a battle with two THINGS that wanted nothing more than to feast on your flesh, hearing nothing but a creepy lullaby in the distance, and you can only see about a meter in front of you. However, this also makes gameplay frustrating, since oftentimes you can't tell where a door is, where the floor ISN'T, or where you are in relation to your map. One other graphic quibble has already been mentioned: the characters' lips don't move, making it hard to tell who's speaking. It's really a minor complaint, but it needed to be said.

Sound is another extremely important facet to the survival horror genre, even more than the visuals. Thankfully, Kuon's developers knew this, too. Whether it's some beast breathing in the distance, a demon's scream, or a lullaby from the creepiest twins since The Shining, Kuon will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. As far as the voice acting is concerned, the player is given the option of going with the English dialog or the original Japanese. I definitely recommend the Japanese dialog, not only for the sake of accuracy, but it also possessed better voice acting. The English-language dialog was rather flat and, to quote MST3K, had "more pauses than a Pinter play". It wasn't terrible (check out the first Resident Evil or the more recent Siren), but it wasn't that great either. For those of you who don't speak Japanese, they thoughtfully supplied English-language subtitles, which are easy to understand, although they are filled with typos.

Combat, like most survival horror games, can best be described as "clunky". Thankfully, most of the enemies aren't that tough, and even what few bosses there are can be dispatched easily with the right combination of spells and melee combat. Your health meter is only displayable in the menus, and even then you only have three colors to go by: blue for good, yellow for hurt, and red for "you're gonna die soon, chuckles". Also, when you get to red, your vision starts shifting and blurring and you hear a heartbeat which is mimicked by your controller vibrating. This, the game calls "vertigo" - something that is also achieved when you're running through a spot full of negative energy or just run too much. Yeah - you run too much, you die. This I actually like, as it's attempting to best simulate stamina, and maybe even a fatal asthma attack. Running will also attract the attention of ghosts and will cause your lantern to dim, so be careful to run only when you need to.

All in all, Kuon is a must for die-hard horror fans, and even casual horror gamers will probably enjoy renting this title. At this time, you're probably only going to find this in the 'used' bin for about $10 - if you do, GET IT. It's not the best horror game out there or even the scariest. It is perhaps the easiest one out there. However, if you're a horror fanatic like me, you'll find a lot to like here.

PROS: Stunning visuals, excellent sound design, engrossing (if rather confusing, at first) storyline, genuine scares.

CONS: Extremely short, not terribly challenging, some gamers won't like the ambiguous storyline, flawed English dialog, and all those typos!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/05/09

Game Release: Kuon (US, 12/07/04)