Haunted Lands Review

Video GamesReviews

Mar 19

Haunted Lands is an MS-DOS era throwback, for better or worse.

*Haunted Lands.* Credit: Alevgor / Alawar

Haunted Lands is a retro action platformer from Alevgor (solo developer Oleksii Horiachev) and published by Alawar. Originally a free project on itch.io, this is an expanded commercial release. If you grew up on games like Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion, which Haunted Lands closely resembles, and miss the particular frustration of that era, this was made specifically for you. Had I not known this was a new release, I would have mistaken it as being put out in 1990.

There isn't much story here, and that’s fine. You choose one of six characters, with three available to start, then fight your way through levels overrun with cultists, demons, and other monsters. The premise is just a backdrop. The game is about getting through levels while massacring baddies. It’s enough.

The core loop is all about memorization. Learn where enemies are, die, then survive a little longer the next time. Enemies hit hard, health is scarce, and checkpoints are spaced far enough apart that death is quite punishing. Ranged combat means managing ammo or magic, and aiming is limited to straight ahead or 45°, so you’re constantly repositioning and considering spacing. Enemy placement often feels cheap, which makes memorization less of a strategy and more of a requirement. The controls don’t help. This may play better on keyboard or D-Pad, but with an analog stick, diagonals lean up or down too easily. Since you can’t move and aim diagonally at the same time, I’d often stop unintentionally. Characters do have a fixed distance dodge, but I rarely found it useful; I’d just as often dodge straight into another enemy or projectile.

The game is hard, especially if you don’t pick a ranged character. That’s clearly by design. This is for players who enjoy grinding through failure. There is some satisfaction when finally clearing a tough area, but it was limited for me because the game never feels great to play moment-to-moment. That said, the six characters do play differently enough that replaying levels with a new one can change your approach and feel fresh.

Visually, the game leans hard into MS-DOS-era aesthetics, which will either hit you with nostalgia or make you a little queasy. Personally, I’ve always found the EGA color palette hideous. The spritework itself is strong, though, with solid animation and lots of satisfying particle effects. I just can’t get past the color choices.

Haunted Lands is a committed throwback to a punishing era of game design. If that’s your thing, there’s something here to appreciate. If not, it can feel more frustrating than fun. I would’ve enjoyed it more if it simply felt better to play.

Haunted Lands is available now on Steam.