Spirit Camera - The Cursed Verdict

Sounds fun? Well, it is, and on occasion Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir is effectively scary. Turning on the spot and moving the 3DS to see ghosts in your location or look around a netherworld location is surprisingly convincing, and the AR tech does a great job of holding CG animations to the right spot. Even the 3D effects are convincing. What's more, there are some great moments involving creepy masks and special lenses, and while you can see the ending coming from a mile away, the tale works pretty well. However, Spirit Camera also has a few major issues which might put you off trying the game.



The Spirit Camera Curse
First, it’s reliant on the 3DS’s rear-facing camera, and as well all know this is roughly no cop at all in low light. This means that you have to play Spirit Camera in daylight, in a well-lit room, or it simply doesn’t work. It’s a shame, as it would be more effective if played after dark. If you live in a house with small windows or little natural light, this is not your game.

Secondly, there are some gameplay irritations. The game is constantly stopping you so that you can have a quick natter to your ghostly companion, Maya. Rather than add to the atmosphere, these actively disrupt the flow of the game. The puzzles, such as they are, are frequently too obvious, and a few battles seem needlessly protracted, not least a final confrontation at the end, where cheap shots from the attacking ghost make a game that is normally too easy a bit frustrating.

Most seriously, however, Spirit Camera is really, really short. We clocked it in just over two hours, and that was at a fairly leisurely pace. To be honest, being any longer would dilute what works about the experience, and there are some fun extra modes where you can snap the ghosts haunting friends and family or even give battle, or complete simple AR challenges based vaguely on sequences from the game.

Spirit Camera is slightly cheaper than the average 3DS game but, all the same, nobody could say that it offers great value for money. As a £5 to £10 download it would be a must, if only to see the AR tech in action. But is it worth £25? Maybe not.



All the same, if you get a chance to play it without stumping up that sort of cash, then we would recommend that you do. Spirit Camera is far from perfect and much too short, but it’s a unique experience that harnesses new technology in very interesting and imaginative ways. There are concepts in here on which better games might one day build something really special, and while Spirit Camera gets lost along the way, at least it’s trying to blaze new trails.

Verdict
Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir is arguably the best and most fully-fleshed example of augmented reality gaming yet, but one that’s held back by its short length and by the limitations of the 3DS. When it works, it’s spooky, immersive and genuinely fresh, but it’s a shame that it needs good lighting and that the story is over in a flash.