Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle

Massive amounts of atmosphere and charm kept me thoroughly engaged the whole way through. A type of spooky story that I wasn't accustomed to with an "evil" rooted in stuff I know very little about made it even more fun to explore every nook and cranny and read all the world building and lore. On paper when you know the game it doesn't seem like it should be scary but it manages to create a really spooky and tense mood of danger regardless, and that's to be seriously respected, let alone that it still holds up almost 20 years later. That being said, it's not all great. It is very very easy to miss certain hot spots that feel frankly like they are set that way just to pad gameplay, backtracking, and clicking on literally everything in the hopes something will happen. It is pretty easy to miss something small and find yourself wandering with no clue what to do or that a path you hadn't explored even existed. I had to consult a guide on a few things and I don't regret using it, but even so I still heartily recommend it to fans of this kinda thing who haven't played it already or if you're curious. It's a very niche kinda horror game but if like me it scratches that itch of a more slowburn and classic horror vibe with a ton of heart in its creation, you'll probably dig it regardless of its shortcomings like I have.

A good game but why does such a complicated plot not end with something of an explanation and achievement.

classic 2006 point and click adventure that despite its technical flaws and questionable puzzle design holds a special place to me with much nostalgia

I enjoyed Barrow Hill's unique British charm that made it enjoyable to play as someone who isn't from anywhere near Cornwall, England. It was rich in texts to read about the world of Barrow Hill and its characters through all the journals, books, and letters scattered around the world. I wish there was more between Peter and Nancy, but that's the sliver of romantic in me. It plays out leaning more towards psychological horror with the atmosphere building a sense of unease of being watched by the ... "elements." Overall a great point and click game. Can't wait to play the sequel.

Questo sasso mi ha salvato la vita.

If you like old school point-and-click adventure games, then you might also enjoy this one. If you don't like them, then it's very unlikely that this game would be your exception. Personally, I love them, and this game exemplifies a lot of what I enjoy about the genre. There's a large quantity of extremely necessary reading, as numerous clues are hidden in notes, journals, scientific reports, etc. The journal entries and scientific reports are particularly well-written imo, and I really liked delving into them and teasing out the plot-relevant details. Puzzles are logical and suited to the story, and the game plays fair with providing background info and hints...sometimes even more than once. There's one puzzle that you can solve in at least three different ways! The triggers for plot progression are mostly well-judged; there's only one that really bugged me, in which a location was off-limits for no discernible reason until the game decided it was time for me to explore there. On the less positive side, the graphics are dated and the voice-acting is amateurish (though not the worst I've heard), neither of which bothers me overly much but which may turn some people off. Also, the first time I played the game I was able to complete it without any outside help, but the second time I was playing with a darker monitor, and I ended up relying on a let's play to find some objects that I [i]knew[/i] were there but couldn't locate in the shadows. This problem was exacerbated by the navigational controls, which are a bit on the clunky side. The atmosphere is more unsettling than it is scary. There are a couple of very minor jump scares (seriously, so minor they barely qualify). Some of the sound effects are wonderfully subtle and eerie, however, and provide a nice sense of dread in certain scenes. And a couple of pieces of advice if you decide to play the game: 1) Keep pen and paper handy when you play. You don't have an in-game journal, and there's a lot of info you'll need to keep track of. 2) This isn't readily obvious when you're playing, but there are two possible endings, one good and one bad. Take care to get the one you want!

I have mixed feelings about this game. My expectations aren't excessive for a title that costs less than a tenner, but when it's a bit dissatisfying in the end, does that cheap price somehow balance it out? The video it shows is a bit misleading, since it appears to be slightly rough 3d but is in fact static pre-rendered scenes that you flick to in a slightly awkward fashion. That panning camera shot is not even in the game, and generally nothing moves in a frame bar some jump-scares or the effect for a flash-light. I can ignore the amateurish production values on the voice-work and the performances, but it's clunky to play. With it easy to miss things of importance due to how you "move" around the world. Think of it like "google maps: the game" as it jerks forward and then you wave your mouse pointer around to see if there's any response. Repeat that gingerly in every direction to see if there's anything at all of relevance around you, and then move on. Initially I found the mental challenges to be quite pleasant and logical, but as it went on it became increasingly tedious trying to spot fiddly "sweet-spots" of interactivity. Then you have the odd contradictory puzzle that doesn't follow the same rules, or is a bit silly. Not in the sense of the solution being ridiculous or nonsensical, but still a bit "red herring-like". An example of this: someone hides an item and then programs a GPS so they can locate it later. Yet the GPS only works in one spot, which is about ten feet from where you initially find it and right in front of your face. This item is hidden under a fire-extinguisher, yet I walked around the entire area thinking it would be buried in the ground or some-such. I know that that is my own fault, yet it's annoying to have "puzzles" where the clues suggest a more complicated solution and you traipse around futilely looking for something that isn't even that well-hidden. Most of the puzzles are quite good to solve, with detective work and mental reasoning being the driving factor, but stuff like that feels like a misstep to me. SPOILERS!!!!!!! Beyond that, the story is.....uh....well, crap. It suggests a great evil awakening and something monstrous being unleashed, but it's pretty comical when you find out what is actually terrorising this quaint location. I get that this is based on British myths, and some people will find that fascinating, yet I was expecting a terrible demon, or whatnot, and instead got....a killer rock. Now, I am British and I am aware of our myths, but nonetheless....It's incredibly daft to see it happening, even if there's a load of superstition about it. To my tastes it wasn't a great reveal, and when I add in the irritating format and (the few) puzzles that didn't quite hit the mark, I can't recommend it overall.

Barrow Hill wurde sicherlich mit sehr viel Liebe entwickelt und bietet eine recht düstere Atmosphäre. Das war es dann aber auch. Leider. Die Story war anfangs interessant und vielversprechend, verlor allerdings schnell den Reiz. Einige Ideen wirkten sehr deplatziert und eher albern, als gruselig. Außerdem hätte ich mich ohne Hilfe vermutlich nie wirklich zurechtgefunden.

Dieses Spiel und auch der 2. Teil, The dark Path, haben mir supergut gefallen. Es lief bei mir einwandfrei. Die Spielführung ist leicht verständlich und die Rätsel / Aufgaben sind manchmal knifflig, aber wenn man sich umschaut und auf die Hinweise achtet, gut lösbar. Schöne Gruselatmosphäre. Gerne mehr davon.

Not great at this kind of game, but persevering I have found this quite sneaky and satisfying, and certainly atmospheric. Pernicketiness is rewarded in the control method lol