Cursed Mountain

(Deep Silver for Wii)
By Mike Delano

People hang album covers on the wall: The box art for Cursed Mountain looks like it belongs in a dusty Walgreens bargain bin next to a resealed VHS copy of Timecop. Instead of a mysterious, artsy take on the intriguing title, we get a visual representation of an unshaven Anderson Cooper being chased by Nergal from Behemoth. The game, thankfully, fares much better. Inspired by old-school horror games, it’s a Silent Hill-type mood piece that has you searching for your brother on a mountain in the Himalayas. The level designs are varied and interesting, and the sparse, atmospheric locales conjure up a satisfying feeling of dread. The developers also have a knack for creating a great sense of scale, as well as the intimacy of the interior sections. The infrequent combat certainly isn’t the focus, but it helps break up the exploration, which sometimes becomes lethargic. Please be advised that you will look like a caffeinated ape flailing the Wii Remote and Nunchuck around to vanquish ghosts as you scale the mountain, but don’t let a little humiliation stop you from experiencing a good game.
(www.deepsilver.com)