Trapt - A Horror Anime Game of Home Alone

Trapt is an action game with strategy elements released by Tecmo for the playstation 2. it is known in Japan as kagero II; Dark Illusion and borrows a lot of elements from the first Kagero and Deception games from the PS1.

I played both Kagero and Dark Delusion for the ps1 but it wasn't until recently did I get my hands to play Trapt. That being the case I will make comparison to the previous Deception games to make a more in depth review. Also spoilers for this one.

In Trapt player takes control of Princess Allura, framed for the murder of her father King Olaf by her stepmother, Queen Catalina. With the help of her friend Rachel, Allura is able to escape into a forest. She stumbles upon an eerie mansion where she acquires the ability to set traps through a demon which has become her only defense from his pursuers. But things aren't what it seems and each death leads her to a darker faith.

If you are familiar with the Deception and kagero series then you will know exactly what to expect with a game such as Trapt. The game is divided into story chapters and you encounter different enemies on each chapter and you have to eliminate them using the traps you have. The premise is simple but is a hell of fun specially when you get the hang of the game and start to juggle the enemies through the use of traps. This is like the movie SAW but with a cute anime princess doing the killing.

Killing your enemies rewards you with "warl". These "warl" is this games currency which players can make better traps in between story missions. You need to upgrade your traps since later enemies can run, jump and some are even immune to certain traps so you need to up your trap game if you want to survive. Cause let's face it nearly everyone in this game probably wants Allura dead in some form or another and will stab her in the back if given the chance.

Aside from the usual traps your character have there are also "Dark Illusions" which are the pre-existing traps foudn throughout certain areas of the mansion or castle you find yourself into. They have specific activation processes and can only be used once but they give high "warl" points. Activating them will treat you into a gruesome trap cinematic worthy of a Final Destination movie horror film death scene.

Just check the video below

The character design is decent and is a slight improvement from the ps1 Dark Delusion as Allura is as sexy, sleek and alluring to look at as she is as cruel and sadistic as the player can make her to be. And the rest of the characters design aren't bad to look at either. You can also unlock character skins of Millenia and Reina for Allura in the game. It character skin are just cosmetics but its nice to see how Millenia and Reina would look like if they were given the PS2 graphics improvement.

Aside from the main story there are also side missions you can do in between story chapters that expands on the story and a Survival mode for those who are more trap experts. The game has three different endings and each will unlock additional options and Secret Traps your character can use in the next playthrough. It's like an M rating movie of Home Alone but with more gore and blood.

Trapt does have its downside as there is no english dub anywhere but more of a japanese dub with english text. Personally I like the japanese dub but an english dub would have been nice. Also the story is paper thin and pretty much a cliche horror story but the Deception games aren't really played for the story but more of its addicting gameplay. Besides there is nothing more soothing than juggling an Evil Knight 15 plus times around a room full of traps specially if the crazy bastard deserved it. Its bloody but in a good sort of way.

As gameplay goes though there is no online or two player mode in Trapt something players has asked for since Deception II games hit the shelves. The enemies in the screen are still limited to two enemies at a time but seeing how hectic the game can get two enemies is already a handful specially when your character cannot block but only run away and dodge.

Like previous Deception heroine Allura is also isn't immune to her own traps and more often than not new players will find themselves on the friendly fire receiving end of their own traps. It's frustrating for a lot of folks but you got to get the bruises to learn the ropes. Also the dubbing and english text is kinda bad. The game is gory violent with an M rating so if you're not into those type games this is probably not for you. This is specially not for little kids.

Trapt is an entertaining and fun game if your into setting traps ala Home Alone but has a more darker gory Final Destination death scene result. The game isn't for the faint of heart and definitely not for the little kids. But if your into gory horror type games and are tired of ghost and zombies than this game is definitely a game you should try. Its a one trick pony but its a one fun one trick to do. Definitely an horribly underrated game for the playstation 2.