Cursed Mountain

Cursed Mountain is a wonderful game for the horror genre. There is a well developed story and enough gameplay to keep the real gamer interested. As well, it is developed in a different way than any game available... while drawing from existing games.  
 
The story of Cursed Mountain lies in the Himilayas, where you are an explorer looking to save your brother. Your brother has climbed the sacred mountain of Chomolonzo and was lost. Your job is to search the city for clues, climb the mountain, and rescue your brother. But there is a hitch. The entire area has been haunted by ghosts. It is very complex, as you delve into sherpa rites and religious relics you can use as weapons. You enter a village at the start of the game (an abandoned village that housed the sherpas and Buddhist monks) and search for what happened to your brother and his expidition. You quickly learn the truth and the horror that awaits. Later, you climb the sacred mountain, but as you climb you lose air. You have to use abandoned oxygen tanks and you hallucinate> This becomes intense when you are surrounded by many ghosts. Luckly you can meditate and use incense to regain health. You can also use special movements of the Wii remote and nunchuck to mimick real buddhist gestures and remove ghosts' mantras... or souls. I can't explain it more without giving away story... or simply because it has to be seen to be believed.
 
Cursed Mountain has some flaws in it's controls, which become frustrating at points. However, the story will keep you driven. The actual game is like Silent Hill with a bit of Uncharted 2 mixed in for fun. It is unlike any game I have played as a whole, while it draws a few bits from existing games. While Cursed Mountain is slow at times, a true lover of a good story and fun will over look this. As is usual with independent games, there is no real major cut scene animation, but that saves more memory for the gameplay. In-game action is great considering it is for the Wii. The story is basically linear, as most horror games are, but it is completely fresh and previously unseen. As well, the voice acting and music draw you in to the drama at hand. 
 
I was seriously shocked by this game. I purchsed it used with a  Gamestop discount a few weeks ago, and I did not expect much from it. However, I found a depth to the story that I never imagined. I have read that the actual spirituality and mythology behind the game is based on the real sherpa life and religion. While the game had its frustrations, this is no game to throw away. Cursed Mountain gave enough material to show off-the-wall games have hope on the Wii. Also, I would say any positive aspects of this game far outweigh any of the negatives. This game should seriously have more recognition than it does, and I hope for more like it.