Kuon, From Software's first entry into the survival horror genre, is a solid, enjoyable title. Graphically, the environments are well-done, with minimal pixellation or other flaws. They are also, unfortunately, rather too static, missing many of the small touches that make the environments in similar games so frightening. Neither leaves nor silk threads sway in the wind, and aside from a few incidents very early in the game, there's little attempt to create suspsense by having strange things moving around. The character and monster models are detailed and in some cases deeply disturbing (the first boss, for example), though here we also run into one of the oddities of the game. Outside the pre-rendered cutscenes, the characters' mouths don't move when they speak. This is more odd than a major flaw, as it's easy enough to ignore, but it's a very strange choice. A nice touch is the way hair and clothing moves as the characters do, but the hair is often oddly stiff. The pre-set camera is problematic. You rarely get a good look at those monster models, it's occasionally difficult to tell where monsters or doors are, and it occasionally gets in the way when trying to find items in a room. Both Japanese and English audio tracks are included, which is a great bonus. The English voice acting is quite good. There's very little background music, but there are some nice pieces - a koto and distorted voices on approaching one area, the eerie twins singing, and some excellent boss fight music. The gameplay is one of the weakest points, however. The use of magic isn't especially innovative, though the effects are well-done (I particularly like the way enemies will keep burning when hit by a strong fire spell). As noted above, the camera isn't particularly helpful, and there's no way to lock on to a target. The few 'puzzles' are far too easy, and rather than clues, you find solutions. The usual lock and key mechanic of survival horror appears again, although the seals/sacred cloths are loosely integrated into the story. The storyline, after some stumbling in the beginning, is one of the game's strongest points; while it needed some elaboration and refinement, it stands well. The beginnings of both the Yin and Yang phases are virtually identical, which is a shame - it wouldn't have been too difficult to integrate them properly, and one of the major events of that beginning is never followed up on in the later game. The later sections of both phases cover mostly the same ground, but the events are different enough it feels less repetitious. The final phase, while it clears up a few issues, is too short compared to the other two phases, though it does avoid treading most of the same ground. There is a playable Sugoroku (Japanese game similar to backgammon) unlockable, which is entertaining. Overall ... a solid game, but not as good as it could have been.
Why this game is so underestimated,i cannot understand. You can choose one of two characters to begin the game.The one is Utsuki,daughter of a local priest,and the other is Sakuya,a student of Utsuki's father. The ... Read Full Review
Most horror games requires players to beat the game just once to get the ending, Kuon on the other tries something new and integrates two playable characters and a Japanese haunted mansion. Though its not revolutionary, ... Read Full Review
