Gregory Horror Show – Review

This is one of those rare titles I’ve actually completed without help, sure I got stuck, but it never became so frustrating that I didn’t eventually work it out for myself and move on, this is just one of the reasons this quirky little title gets the big seal of approval. Add to this its humor, the fact that this is something very different indeed, not to mention released as a budget title and you’re in for a bit of a weird treat. The game is actually based on a hit Japanese cartoon show and features more than a dozen characters in an odd mix of action, stealth and puzzle solving.

The story of Gregory Horror Show is fairly simple, you find yourself at Gregory House, an odd little hotel with some very strange inhabitants, what you don’t realize is that Gregory House is a Hotel for lost souls. It is your task as the protagonist to steal the souls of the guests, all of which can be found throughout the hotel in bottles. The story is deeper than this with the souls already previously stolen so you’re doing a good deed whilst helping yourself and thus gaining your freedom from Gregory House. You’re helped in your task by none other than Death himself… yes I did mention.. this is weird.

Gameplay is a fairly simple affair on the surface and works in daily cycles (24hour). You use your day learning what each Gregory House guest does and when they do it, thus working out when it will be possible for you to sneak in and grab that much needed soul!

Here’s where things begin to get tricky, when you actually manage to collect a soul the guest will want it back and they’re just a little annoyed you took it and so comes the difficulty level which creeps up with each soul you take, because now you have more guests gunning for you in the confined space of a relatively small hotel.

As if this wasn’t enough you have more problems to contend with, you’re a bit of a nervous nelly and you have to withstand illness and mental stability including tiredness, confusion, severe headaches and more. All of these put you in a precarious position where ensuring you don’t lose your mind in your search for souls is paramount because that will be the end for you.

That said you can mix up / find various antidotes to your ailments such as eye drops for your tired eyes. I won’t spoil this any further for you as this is one of those titles where it’s fun to discover all the little additions yourself. Suffice to say that this style of gameplay will not suit everyone, it’s one of those rare titles that will throw gamers into one camp or the other, you’ll love it or you’ll hate it, I fall into the love camp as it was a joy to play something different, something with humor, horror and fantastic characterization.

Graphically Gregory Horror show has two edges to it, the technical edge which rarely pushes the PS2 to its limits being as this is fairly standard stuff, but it would be unfair to review this title based on technical advantages overall because it’s far more than that. The graphical style of Gregory is something you are not going to get in another game.

The character models are cubist for the most part and just darn strange but despite this squared off appearance they move fluidly and rather than distracting from the title it adds that quirky edge I previously mentioned. The graphics are colourful though dark and moody as you make your way around the hotel, there’s many a weirdness to uncover and even stranger characters. Add to this some sweet little touches such as standing on tippy toes to peek through a guests keyhole or the simple act of sneaking up behind someone and it’s all so beautifully done, with such care and affection that you can’t help but smile, for me it is these little touches that make this game something truly special.

The sound in Gregory is also brilliantly done, even the voice acting, which is superb and filled with humor and fear, all of which matches the characters perfectly. Speech is accompanied by speech bubbles for the hard of hearing or deaf gamer and the story is engrossing regardless of audio cues. The music and accompanying sound effects too only add to this game, the little nuances of the various ‘themes’ are superb at adding that little bit more mayhem to proceedings. I challenge you not to do a double take as you first hear judgement boy and his insane and all too catchy ‘juuuudgemeeeent!’.

The female gamer angle is simple, this is one of few games that offers you the choice to play a male or female protagonist. It doesn’t matter which you choose as this has no effect on the game overall other than what your playable character looks like. This is a brilliant addition to this title as it’s always nice to at least have the choice. All of the characters in Gregory are memorable but Nurse Catherine deserves a special mention all her own as one of the most terrifying game characters ever conjured up, you’ll cringe in horror as she screeches and chases you down the hall for a blood sample using a syringe the size of a fire hydrant.

Overall scoring Gregory Horror Show is actually a bit of a logistical nightmare because it’s one of those rare titles that despite its uniqueness will not appeal to everyone. The pseudo linear and repetitive puzzle solving nature of it will have some gamers pulling out hair, whilst others will be so taken by these strange little characters and the plight of the protagonist that the stress and frustration felt at being repeatedly chased by angered soulless hotel residents will be completely overrun by the joy you feel at playing something that is unique and crafted with love.

As puzzle led titles go this is a masterpiece of devious design, the fact you have to contend with so many problems all at once can at times seem just too much, but the elation you feel at completing another task successfully seems to push previous frustrations to the back of your mind. It’s different, quirky, devious and delightful and at a budget price there’s really no question that you should own this title or at the very least rent it.

Gamers consistently complain and bemoan the plethora of ‘samey’ titles they’re objected to, so we should thank Capcom for once more showing us that it’s ok to go off the beaten track and attempt something different. The only true downside to this title is the length, if your brain is switched on and your dexterity in top form you may well finish it in just a couple of 5 hour sessions, but the fact you’ll be yearning for more means this was a journey of utter enjoyment. I could go on about this game for eons, but I wont, All I’ll say is…. Get it and make your own “JUUUUDGMEEEENT”!

Review by Angela

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