Death is bound to be a traumatizing experience, but at least it’s a one-time deal. The lights go out and that’s it, pain is over as the body shuts down for good, but in the afterlife of Hauntii the transition from living being to wandering spirit has wiped the memory of a slightly-confused soul. A little disorientation is expected, though, so helpful signs point the ghost (also named Hauntii) in the right direction and let it know of a few new abilities its living form wouldn’t have had access to. With nowhere else to go the spirit sets out along the path to discover what’s next.
That turns out to be getting an idea of how to be a ghost, starting with possession. Hauntii can fire off little spectral bullets that not only dispense with the occasional hostile spirit, but also possess features of the landscape like small hills and posts. The hills are apologetic about not being able to do much, just being tall mounts of dirt and all, but posts can grow to give a better view of the surrounding landscape while a floating pillar can be knocked over to easily take out a few stray dangerous souls. The spirit bullet can also light lanterns, which can either just look neat or illuminate hidden paths.
Hauntii’s levels are lit paths through a world of darkness, and while the spirit can wander off to explore a little, it’s dangerous away from light. Being in the dark too long will see it overwhelmed and sent back to the nearest save point, although there’s a good buffer of about ten seconds before this kicks in, so it’s worth peeking around the edges of safety to see what kinds of shortcuts might open up. Eventually Hauntii needs a little help with this, though, and meets an angel to guide him along the way. Initially this is of the “too many wings and eyes”, “Be not afraid” type, but it settles down into a much cuter form fairly quickly to help Hauntii to its final reward and leave the lost memories of its past behind for good.
The demo cuts out shortly after this but honestly it’s more than enough and also disappointing at the same time. Hauntii’s demo is short, sweet and a perfect teaser for the adventure to come that it made me want the whole game right now. The two-tone artwork combines with color-bursts to create a gorgeous world that’s a little cartoony but also suffused with lovely particle effects. The writing is as lively as the animation, preventing the heavy gloom of the darkness from making the presentation feel too somber even though Hauntii is a story about a ghost finding its place in the afterlife. The demo is a wonderful balance between spooky-dark and fun, and last year’s reveal trailer promises plenty of beautiful strangeness ahead.
The Hauntii demo is available on Steam from now until the Steam Scream Fest ends on November 2. It’s not one to miss, sohead on overto play while the demo is available.
