Phantom Halls is a game themed around action and atmosphere as you battle ghosts and monsters in a haunted house. With heavy shadows and scary beasties behind every corner, you need wits to survive.

As haunted house games go, Phantom Hall embraces the cartoon silliness of Spooky's House of Jump Scares rather than more serious-minded fare as in Silent Hill 4: The Room. This lends its appeal to all age groups and has something for younger and older players.

A cartoon haunted house adventure

The player must choose which archetypical high-school character to play as. Amongst the heroes are Goth, Jock, Nerd, Cheerleader, and Ash. From here, your job is to explore eerie corridors, collect various items, and avoid the spooks. You will need the right tool for each job, and a wrong decision could leave you stuck in a nasty predicament.

Which weapon to use?

While Phantom Halls never takes itself too seriously, it does have a sophisticated set of gameplay mechanics. The different weapons and items, which range from an axe to firearms, have different purposes, and there is an element of strategy in choosing which weapon to use in the brief moment before the latest ghost attacks you.

A few minor issues

For all of its virtues, the game also has shortcomings. The gameplay can become repetitive after a long period, and some of the character elements quickly become annoying (for example, the way the Cheerleader character laughs whenever she interacts with an object). Phantom Halls is probably best suited to briefer periods of play.

A game for all ages

Whatever its weaknesses, Phantom Halls stands as a game with something to offer players of all ages. Younger kids will enjoy the cartoon spookiness, while older players will appreciate the tense gameplay and the fond parody of high school horror films.