Utterly, utterly bonkers...and all the better for it.
The premise is quite "simple". You have somehow found yourself stranded at an extremely disturbing hotel by the name of Gregory House, run by a creepy rat - the eponymous owner of the hotel - and inhabited by even creepier residents. Close to a nervous breakdown, you are visited by Death, who offers you a way out - by collecting the stolen "souls" held by the guests at the hotel, and bringing them to him. In order to do this Death lends you the use of a body - either a boy or girl - allowing you to move freely around the hotel as if a guest. However, collecting these souls is easier said than done, as the guests are extremely protective of them - very rarely allowing them out of their sight. In order to relieve the guests of 'their' souls, you must learn their routines and identify times when they are at their most vulnerable. This is one of the most interesting parts of the game, as every character has their own routines enabling you to identify where a character is at any given time - which soon becomes useful besides soul hunting. Added to this is the extreme reluctance of the characters to relinquish their souls. Conversely, once you have retrieved the soul of the character, they do not disappear from the hotel, which makes retrieving the rest all the more difficult. For you see, if a guest who you have retrieved a soul from spots you, they will more than likely chase you down angrily. And you don't want to be caught by them, oh no. The vast majority of characters will subject you to a disturbing and confusing 'Horror Show' if they catch you, severely harming your emotional state (believe me, you DON'T want to be caught by Catherine the Lizard nurse). This is displayed on screen as a kind of 'energy bar' known as the Mental Gauge. The Gauge is depleted by your very existence within Gregory House, and will be severely harmed if you are subjected to any one of these 'Horror Shows'. Other status effects, such as headaches, darkness and nervousness can also be thrown at you, making it all the harder to gain those souls. Fortunately, Gregory also runs a shop within the hotel, in which you can swap items in your possession for status recovery items, other useful items such as comics and books which can boost your Mental Gauge, and unlockable content. Also taking a nap, or reading in your room, can improve your state of mind, but bear in mind that if you are tired you won't want to read, and if you are suffering from any of the status ailments, then it is unlikely you will get much sleep.
The graphical look of the game is quite unlike anything else on the PS2. Based very closely on the TV series of the same name, the animations are fluid and extremely easy on the eye, without being jaw-dropping. The character design is near-genius - the sight of Catherine the Lizard nurse with her giant syringe is both funny and terrifying in equal measures. Sound is more than competent: creaks and footsteps are all well done and really brought to the forefront of the mix, adding a certain amount of tension to a very bizarre game experience. Voice acting is very good, with the same talent being used as in the original TV show - the sound of Judgement Boy singing always brings a smile to my face - and the sparing use of music also adds to the tension, that by rights shouldn't exist.
The game though, is not the longest - you could probably finish it within 10 hours of play, and having said that, there is very little replay value. Some of the puzzles can be quite difficult at times, partly because the game gives very few hints throughout the game and relies on your own wits to foil the guests. Despite this, the game does keep your interest by splitting play into a sequence of days, with new guests appearing at the beginning of each new day, strengthening your resolve to get through the current day in order to meet the new characters. And despite the game length, Gregory Horror Show was available at the budget price of £19.99 in 2003, and can now be picked up for as little as £5, adding an extra point for value from 7 to 8.
While I accept that this may not be for everyone - I imagine there will be some people who would, quite reasonably, be frustrated that you can't kill the guests in order to retrieve their souls - this is a unique take on the Survival Horror genre by the godfathers Capcom. I personally adore it for it's unique look and the absolutely bonkers content underneath it, and wish that there was a chance of a sequel of sorts. With the likes of killer7, the Viewtiful Joe series; and Okami alongside this, long may Capcom keep producing such unique titles.