Cliches.

There is an advert on TV right now for Kitchens. The women shows the store keeper a set of chop-sticks and her love of the orient and presto-change-o her kitchen is transformed into a red and black cliche of the far east. Despite the fact that most of the far eastern kitchens I have been seem to be in love with pastel browns and greens.

Ghost Hunter series: Black death mask is a FMV inspired RPG. Set in foggy old London. I've been to London almost every day for the past two years and it isn't foggy. There is no more fog in London than Guilford is in London. Didn't stop Humming Bird Soft placing it there though.

I'll start off by saying that this game is not emulation friendly. The video sequences are not played back well in Freedo and I made the fatal mistake early on. The mistake of not noticing the blood on the entrance to the ballroom was indeed fatal. It's pointed out to you, if you speak Japanese, so I missed it. First time round, I walked straight in and I was attacked by the 1970's Tokyo Disco appreciation society. Deceased. They wobbled up to me and killed my two lead psychics, Mr Kusakabe and Alex, all before I could figure out how to run off.

So - in true video game style I started again. This time avoiding the Ballroom.

The plot seems fairly straight forward. You as one of a team of four psychic investigators are looking into the death of a Mr Owen, his wife and his two kids - at least I think there was two.

Mr Owens death was solved by me fairly rapidly and without speaking much Japanese - He killed himself. The biggest clue in solving this most perplexing mystery was when the ghost of Mr Owen turned up with a rope around his neck and introduced himself as 'Watashi-wa Owen des'. Page one of Japanese for busy people covers this. So far, so Sherlock Holmes good then.

As it turned out Mr Owen had taken his own life after finding the remainder of his family dead. The rest of his family had been killed, and I surmised this from watching the video sequences only, by either Adam Ant or an extra from Black Adder series 2. The perpertrator, in my eyes, pausing long enough before killing Mrs Owen in shower, to suggest that it was Male.

To help my team, we were assisted by the Butler. Who was also dead. Apparently, according to his story, he had died of natural means. Funny things to say really. I mean, in my opinion it's perfectly naturally to die from being repeatedly stabbed but hey-ho.

The game has you running around a detailed and well designed old English country house, casting your psychic powers over various items and objects and all gathering clues about the murders. Despite my glib comments it did manage to draw me in a little.

The missing name from the family tree. The haunted Church Organ. The Pentagram. It was all building up well.

There are some nice touches in the game. The ghosts are laughable but not too awkward to watch. Some attack, such as the haunted Snooker Cue that went for me. Some just talk, as in the Ghosts of Mr Owen and his Bulter and some offer silent guidance, such as the one that pointed upwards to suggest I should stop pratting around downstairs and go and see Mr Owens ghost.

The lightening strikes constantly in the background added a nice atmospheric effect and the music was later pinched to do the News on Channel 5.

In all I found the game isn't import friendly, as it is all in Japanese. The only other thing worth mentioning is that this game features the best box art for the 3DO.

This game could have been a grower. Even though the clues as to what the hell was going on was faint at best - I did come to enjoy tramping round the spooky old Guilford house but ultimately one for collectors only.

Medium rare in Japan and unheard of else where!

3DO Kid.

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