So, as it turned out, the Blair witch game (or at least the first one) is not like the film in that it was about frightened kids running around a forest. Instead, it in fact delves deeper into the oddly interesting constructed mythology that the film touched on, and in many parts is similar to the movie in that it includes its fair share of scares. In fact, I found playing the game in the dark a much more frightening experience than the movie was at times, something the developers are to be credited for.

Who's going to want to go near the game? If you even remotely liked the movie you're bound to enjoy the game, although I'm not so sure that non-gamers will cope with the difficulty level of the title despite the helpful tutorial at the beginning. It's gorgeous, interesting and genuinely scary at times even with the lights on; a promising start to the trilogy. If the other two games in the trilogy, developed by Human Head and Ritual respectively, prove to be just as good we might finally have a new PC horror game series that deserves to sit beside the excellent Alone in the Dark games and System Shock series. Blair Witch Volume 1: Rustin Parr hardly redefines the genre, but it is entertaining enough that you're bound not to notice or care. The price is a very reasonable 20 bucks for a game that is almost as long as numerous recent full price offerings.

Pete Closs
Games Editor