Delaware St. John: The Curse of Midnight Manor and The Town with No Name

Delaware St. John: The Curse of Midnight Manor
Publisher: Lighthouse Interactive (May 2005)
Rating: Everyone 12+ Format: PC Video Game – Price: $14.99

Delaware St. John: The Town with No Name
Publisher: Lighthouse Interactive (November 2005)
Rating: Everyone 12+ Format: PC Video Game – Price: $19.99

Ghostvillage.com review

When Lighthouse Interactive contacted Ghostvillage.com and told us there was a ghost hunting game on the market, we just had to take a look. We’re fans of any work that helps promote the discussion of the paranormal (especially seeking out the unexplained) so the game character Delaware St. John sounded like he might be our kind of guy.

The Delaware St. John series features a psychic intuitive who investigates various abandoned (and haunted) locales. In Volume I, The Curse of Midnight Manor, you play the role of St. John — but you’re not in it alone. St. John carries with him, VIC (Voice/Imagery Communicator) with a direct connection to his assistant, Kelly. VIC can be used to capture EVP or take photographs to send back to Kelly for analysis. As you explore Midnight Manor various ghosts and other creatures pop up offering signs and pleading for St. John’s help. To solve the mystery, Delaware needs to gather evidence via VIC, and explore the building looking for clues. But danger lurks around a few corners keeping the player on his toes.

In Volume II: The Town with No Name, Delaware St. John, VIC, and Kelly are back again, but there are new building and mysteries to solve. From an abandoned theatre to a former boarding school, the ghosts and monsters are there waiting to be discovered, and a few displeased and discarnate souls are out to get St. John right up to the end.

If you’re looking for a high-tech, modern-day ghost hunting simulation, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you have an early teen (give or take a few years) who is crazy about ghost hunting, then the basic storyline, rich graphics, and relatively simple puzzles will offer a few hours of fun. Adult ghost investigators who enjoy whiling away some of their free time with videogames will find this a bit too basic and watered down to really be a game for ghost hunters.

Overall, our hats are off to the Delaware St. John series because it’s a soft introduction to ghost investigating to teens who may be too young to step into the real thing just yet. When Lighthouse Interactive is ready to take Delaware St. John pro, we hope they’ll call us. We got lots of ideas…