Halloween Stories: Invitation – Review

Jane and her friend Joe have been invited to the coolest Halloween party of the year! However, Jane’s night out turns into a real-life horror show when she is trapped inside the mansion with creepy strangers threatening to kill her. Can Jane and Joe escape from the haunted mansion before the insane cult gets to them?

After the year-to-year success of the Christmas Stories series, Elephant Games is now ready for more holiday-themed series. Halloween Stories: Invitation is the first game in what will most likely become an annual event and it shows great potential. The storyline is entertaining and the slight campy feel distinguishes it from all the other haunted house games out there. We also love the classic jump-scares and satanic-looking puppets that appear throughout the game.

When it comes to sights and sounds, Elephant Games always delivers. The visuals in Halloween Stories: Invitation are stunning to say the least. All the scenes are packed with fascinating elements, Halloween-themed ornaments, and as previously mentioned, a campy aesthetic. In addition, the soundtracks are equally-amazing. The haunting melodies combined with the dramatic sound effects provide the necessary spooky vibe to the game.

Unfortunately, Halloween Stories: Invitation is not all-around excellent. While the gameplay is well-executed and every aspect functions smoothly, the lack of challenge makes it slightly juvenile. The hidden object scenes and the puzzles are far from memorable, with most of them being either too easy or too mundane.

Halloween Stories: Invitation also disappoints it terms of the length of the game. The main game took us under three hours to complete and the bonus chapter came in short at 35 minutes. The Collector’s Edition section is fairly standard, containing a strategy guide, wallpapers, concept art, soundtracks, achievements, collectibles, morphing objects, and a secret room.

With only one game in, we feel like the Halloween Stories series has already found its identity. Although in order for the sequels to be even more successful, the developer will need to address the lackluster gameplay and up the level of challenge.