Overview
Released by Japanese developer Riverhillsoft for the 3DO in 1994, Doctor Hauzer was the first fully 3D survival horror game. Both the player character and the environment were rendered entirely in 3D polygons, while allowing the player to switch the view between three different perspectives: third-person, first-person, and a cinematic or overhead view. The game also utilized an early example of cel-shaded art for the character graphics. The game was directed by Kenichiro Hayashi.
In a departure from most other survival horror games before and after it, Doctor Hauzer lacked any enemies, but the main threat was instead the sentient house that the game takes place in, with the player having to survive the house's traps and solve puzzles. It also made effective use of sound, including dynamic background music that heightens tension and changes depending on the situation, and ambient sounds such as the player character's echoing footsteps that can change depending on the surface. These elements would later be used more effectively in Resident Evil. The game is considered a formative step in the creation of the survival horror genre, improving significantly on the likes of Sweet Home and Alone in the Dark while paving the way for the likes of Resident Evil and Silent Hill.
Reception
- GameFan: 268/300 (3 reviewers, 89.333% average) (vol. 2, issue 8, p. 31)
- Defunct Games: B-
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