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This is an audio version of a blog post found over on the SuperPod Network. The SuperPod Network has a plethora of video game related podcasts, blogs, and other video game related content, so be sure to give these things a look if you’re interested 😊
The original blog post by Tony:
The original blog post by Tony:
The music in the background at the beginning of the episode is Lofi Song - Jinsei by Lofium on Pixabay. You can find that audio here. Thanks Lofium for providing awesome copyright free tracks for creators to use!
As the episode starts, the cool ambient noise in the background is titled "Dark Ambient” by TheoJT also found on Pixabay.
If you like listening to me yap or want to read my blog posts, you can find me here:
My SuperPod Profile
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My Twitch
Click here to watch a video of this episode.
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What is Super Blog Codec (with Danni)?
The Super Blog Codec (with Danni) is a series of audio versions of blog posts from the SuperPod Network (www.superpodnetwork.com). I've gotten permission from the cool human who wrote the original blog post to read their thoughts out loud and capture them in another form of media. These episodes will be shorter than a typical podcast episode, but are a nice way to digest a bit of video game content.
You can find me on most social media @ danni_el_e
Well hey there! Welcome to the Super Blog Codec with Danni, I’m Danni and I’m gonna be your narrator.
What is the Super Blog Codec? It's an audio version of a blog post found over on the Super Pod Network. You can find an awesome variety of video game related podcasts, blogs, and other quality video game content at superpodnetwork.com.
If you don't really like reading, or you don't have time for a full-blown podcast episode, the Super Blog Codec is here to help! Every episode of the Super Blog Codec I get permission from the cool human who wrote the original blog post to read their thoughts, out loud, for you!
If you like listening to me yap but you’ve run out of episodes I also stream on Twitch more frequently than I release podcast episodes. All of the links to the blog I’m going to be reading, my Super Pod profile, and my Twitch can be found in the description.
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Today on the Super Blog Codec, I’m going to be reading to you Tony's blog post titled, "Haunting Ground: A Survival Horror Classic About A Girl and Her Dog." This was
originally posted to quitthebuild.com on October 21 of 2023. It was posted to the SuperPod Network on March 5th of 2025.
Podcaster note here: a very big thank you to my friend Tony for giving me free reign on which of his blogs to read. I know he was looking forward to hearing this episode and I figured it was extremely apt for Halloween time! There were a few words in Italian in this blog post that when I was reading it I tried really hard not to completely butcher, so thanks in advance for not making fun of me too badly. If you're interested in hearing more of Tony's posts read outloud by me, check out some of my older episodes to find the one that he wrote about aging consoles. Thank you again, Mr Tony Baloney for letting me read this post about Haunting Ground. Let's get into it.
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I’ve always been pretty big when it comes to anything Horror-related, even at a very young age when I found anything even remotely spooky absolutely terrifying. I would always be ready to come back for more even if it meant having nightmares for the rest of the weekend. Naturally, the older I got the less any of it would bother me and it just became more of a casual form of entertainment. That’s not to say things still don’t get under my skin, it just takes a bit more effort for something to really get to me, and when it does it usually sticks with me for a while.
The survival horror genre is one that I have always been fond of, I remember the first time I fired up the demo for the original Alone in the Dark way back when and being absolutely floored by the overall presentation. The demo didn’t offer much outside of the very first room in the game, but it still left a lasting impression on me and the game itself would end up giving birth to a whole new genre, with Capcom’s Resident Evil taking inspiration from it just a few years later. This would of course result in Capcom perfecting the survival horror formula and creating one of the most popular gaming franchises in gaming history, as well as many other cult classics in the genre. One of those cult classics is Haunting Ground, a unique survival horror that unfortunately got a bit lost in the shuffle at the tail end of the 6th generation.
Haunting Ground is a survival horror game developed by Capcom and released on the Playstation 2 in 2005. It was originally planned to be Clock Tower 4, but that idea was scrapped sometime during production (allegedly due to Capcom not being happy with Clock Tower 3 sales) and it was made to be more of a spiritual successor to the series. The story follows Fiona Belli, a young girl who wakes up in a strange castle with very little recollection of how exactly she got there, with the only thing she can remember are brief flashes of a car accident. While exploring the castle grounds she befriends Hewie, a stray dog that came to her aid during a deadly encounter with one of the castle’s occupants, and together they must figure out a way to escape.
The gameplay revolves around Fiona exploring the castle and solving basic puzzles, as well as avoiding the Stalker that lurks around the surrounding area. A chase sequence begins when Fiona is spotted by a Stalker, requiring the use of the surroundings to evade them, this can range from hiding under a bed, in a closet, or simply ducking behind something to get out of view of a Stalker. When Fiona discovers something disturbing or is attacked by an enemy, it heightens the chance of her panicking. If she becomes too stressed out, the screen will become distorted and she will go into full panic mode, making her hard to control until she calms down. Fiona is not completely helpless though, she is able to kick and shove enemies if she has to and there are also environmental hazards that you can lure enemies into to knock them out momentarily. These hazards aren’t entirely one-sided, since they can easily be used against Fiona and could result in a game over if you aren’t careful.
Learning how to command Hewie properly is going to be your best line of defense, the Right thumbstick is used to issue various commands, such as directing him to grab an item out of reach, having him stay in
place, or attacking an enemy to give Fiona enough time to escape to safety. How responsive Hewie is entirely based on how he is treated, you are able to build up his relationship with Fiona using treats, as
well as praising or scolding depending on whether or not he obeys a command. If Hewie feels ignored, or overly praised he will become more difficult to command, but if he is scolded too much he might end up
becoming aggressive towards Fiona, making it very important to find the right balance to make sure he performs actions when needed. It is also essential to make sure Hewie remains healthy, if he takes too much damage from a Stalker he can be temporarily knocked out, making it essential to always make sure that he is in good health after an encounter.
One of the things I liked most about Haunting Grounds was how accessible the gameplay is, there isn’t a heavy reliance on inventory management, and getting the best ending is easily obtainable during a first
playthrough. Fiona’s sanity and stamina replenish when standing still and there are also fountains scattered around that she can use to regain her composure. Hewie’s health can be recovered by petting him or a simple handshake, which is as adorable and satisfying as it sounds. There are also healing items for both Fiona and Hewie, but I didn’t find myself using them all that much until the very end of the game. There are defense items that Fiona can use to help fend off Stalkers, as well as accessories that can be found to boost stats. I personally didn’t find a need to use any of the defense items and felt that Hewie was more than efficient at giving me some breathing room when a Stalker had me cornered, but I’m sure more novice players would find them useful if they find themselves having a hard time.
Haunting Ground has a very moody atmosphere and interesting camera angles that give it a very strong Giallo horror vibe that really helped draw me in. I'm not sure how intentional it was, but Haunting Ground
definitely seemed like a bit of a love letter to the genre. The original Japanese title for the game was Demento before being changed for the localization, which is as Giallo as you can get as far as titles go
and perfectly sets the tone of what exactly you’re getting into. There are some moments in the game that felt like they were greatly inspired by some of the films, the end scene of one boss fight in particular
felt like it was directly taken from Dario Argento’s Suspiria. The story can feel rather nonsensical and maybe even a bit exploitative at times, which is something not uncommon for the genre. Fiona is treated like an object of desire by most of the characters throughout the story and while nothing explicit is shown on screen, there are definitely things implied during a game over screen depending on which Stalker kills her, with the game leaving it up to your imagination to fill in the blanks.
Haunting Ground flew under the radar during its initial release, likely due to the survival horror genre kind of falling out of favor with the mainstream audience at the time, which is a shame because it definitely
stands on its own against even the best games in the genre. Unfortunately, a physical copy of the game goes for a rather hefty price nowadays and it only received a digital release on the PS3 PSN in Japan. With the recent renewed interest in the classic style survival horror, I hope that Capcom re-releases Haunting Ground in the future whether it be as a remaster or just a straight port, and makes it more readily available on modern gaming platforms.
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I hope you enjoyed this Halloween-y episode of the Super Blog Codec. If you wanna interact with the show and let me know what you think of this podcast, you can leave a comment below
or you can find me at the Super Pod website at superpodnetwork.com.
Thank you for spending some time with me today! Don’t forget to check out the links in the description to find more ways to follow Super Pod content. Catch you next time, and make sure you’re taking care of yourself, friend. Thanks for listening.