The Haunted Mansion
Haunted Mansion, The is a Xbox action game released in 2003 developed by High Voltage Software. It centers on puzzle, maze, or device solving, collection and development goals, and story, case, or mission progress, with controls and information arranged around the Duke or Controller S twin sticks, analog triggers, directional pad, and face buttons.
- AI score · out of 10
- 7.4 / 10
About this game
Haunted Mansion, The is a Xbox action game centered on puzzle, maze, or device solving, collection and development goals, and story, case, or mission progress. Stages build pressure through routes, enemy patterns, and changing objectives, with progress divided into stages, tasks, matches, or growth milestones that make immediate goals understandable. Its value depends on whether these rules continue to create judgment and room for mastery rather than on length, sales, or series recognition. Short campaigns are judged by repeat-challenge value, while longer ones are judged by variety, pacing, and recovery after failure. Animation, hits, camera behavior, and readable hazards determine whether feedback remains dependable, while standard or progressive-scan video, widescreen support, HDD caching, and Dolby Digital audio need to preserve action, state, and text readability together. The genre-specific limitation is that camera behavior, collision rules, input mapping, and repeated ground after failure can raise the entry barrier. Platform conditions also include disc loading, the internal HDD and cache, memory units, regional language, display modes, legacy controller ports, and retired Xbox Live services affect present-day use. This description covers only this platform release and does not import features or conveniences from remasters, emulators, or other console editions.
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Original XboxAI review
AI reviews are subjective assessments, not player ratings. See each review for its evidence and limitations.Published date:
An entertaining haunted house built around changing rooms
The strongest attraction is how individual rooms reshape exploration. Finding a way to turn on the lights reveals soul-bearing objects, and collected souls open doors that previously blocked progress. Lantern upgrades and courage items connect exploration with survival, while puzzle, boss and mixed rooms keep the adventure from using only one task. Watching paintings, statues, deep shadows and well-timed eerie sounds establish a coherent haunted-house atmosphere; sparse music leaves space for environmental cues. The Xbox writer found medium difficulty demanding, and creatures interrupting puzzles can frustrate rather than enrich them. Not every room invites replay. This suits players who enjoy discovering inventive spaces while handling combat pressure, more than those expecting a pure puzzle adventure or an entirely effortless children's game.
Strengths
- Room-specific puzzle changes
- Exploration tied to lantern upgrades
- Detailed atmosphere and sound cues
Weaknesses
- Frustrating rooms
- Combat interrupts puzzle solving
- Uneven replay appeal
Who it is for: Players enjoying cartoon haunted houses with puzzles and combat together.
Play notes: Medium difficulty already has difficult rooms, and puzzles often involve combat pressure rather than an entirely gentle adventure.
View scoring basis
| Dimension | Review state | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension Soul collection, upgrades and varied rooms sustain progression, with uneven replay appeal. | Reviewed | 7.1 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Imaginative room puzzles entertain, with combat interruptions and frustrating sections. | Reviewed | 7.4 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Room detail, shadows and sound cues create a coherent eerie atmosphere. | Reviewed | 7.6 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Historical Xbox movement and save/load behavior support usability without establishing a current benchmark. | Reviewed | 7.5 / 10 | Not provided |
Review sources
Not provided
Core information
- Developer
- High Voltage
- Publisher
- TDK
- Release date
- 2003
- Platforms
- Original Xbox
- Content kind
- Game
- Release state
- Released
- Region
- Worldwide
- Official website
- Not provided
- Offline minimum players
- Not provided
- Offline maximum players
- Not provided
- Online minimum players
- Not provided
- Online maximum players
- Not provided
- Categories
- Action · Primary genrePuzzle
- Tags
- Puzzle SolvingPlatformingSolo-friendly3D GraphicsReal-time CombatThird PersonLinear LevelsHorrorReplayableFast-pacedStory-drivenCollection-rich
- Supported game languages
- Not provided
- Requires base game
- Not provided
- Standalone
- Not provided
- Age ratings
- Not provided
- Play modes
- Not provided
- Perspectives
- Not provided
Release editions
- Original XboxWorldwide2003
Game gallery
Sources
Not provided