What happens when we die? That’s the question that has surrounded us since the dawn of humankind.
Visions of the afterlife and what it entails have been represented in games from Limbo to Spiritfarer, with multiple games providing thoughtful designs on the afterlife, inspired by the imagination and creativity of various game developers.
A new game is now added to that list with Hauntii. How you end up in a strange mysterious afterlife, as exploration and twin-stick shooting come to the fore, are the order of play. It’s a strange and haunting game that is fun and beautiful at the same time.
The game starts with a shard of light coming from a planet. Inside is a small little ghost – Hauntii – landing in a version of eternity. As you progress through this strange landscape you soon bump into a white angel-like girl who you start to follow, ascending through the world. But suddenly you are dragged back to the bottom and you then try to journey back to find her.
Storytelling is mostly told through the visuals and it’s that which is capable of creating a brilliant world and atmosphere. But as you progress through the game you get more bits of the story drip-fed to you, providing some great heartwarming moments.
Gameplay is key here and Hauntii makes the most of a series of different mechanics. The first is that of the twin stick shooting. It speaks for itself, as you try to rid the screen of loads of little spirits and enemies. You will die a bit too, particularly as the ghosts get tougher, but it’s here where you’ll also be able to upgrade your shooting with stars that you collect along the way. You get these stars by solving puzzles and finding them at each level.
Each stage requires you to solve some puzzles, possessing things along the way like objects, strange monsters or roller coasters. Even though the game is quite linear there is a feel of freedom to the levels, in particular in what you can possess, which seems like everything to begin with. Shake a tree and you get currency, but you also use it to solve puzzles. It’s hard to explain how the puzzles work in writing, but it becomes instinctual when playing the game.
The mechanics are clever, unique in style and execution. My main critique is that at times during a Hauntii playthrough you may feel a bit lost, especially in the beginning hour of the game.
The art style is beautiful and – again – unique. The use of colour is nothing short of amazing and the strange monochrome environmentals are capable of sparkling and standing out. The characters you meet and how they are designed are wonderful and, personally, I could have spent a huge amount of time in the world; it feels like a great place to explore and play in.
And complementing things is a vibrant and jazzy soundtrack – it fits perfectly with the combat and atmosphere that Hauntii builds.
Hauntii is another gem of an indie game. It’s a fun mix of puzzles, exploration and twin-stick shooting. You’ll love exploring the world and whilst the story is simple, it is very heartwarming. Yes, you’ll find moments of Hauntii that are overwhelming and slightly frustrating, but when you get into your stride it becomes intuitive.
If you want to see what a possible afterlife might be like, come and enjoy the adventure with Hauntii.
