Deeply atmospheric, if a little emotionally detached, The Haunting of Velkwood is all about the melancholic mood, and its unique premise of a neighborhood being 'stuck' in an unidentifiable dimension. Even though thematically the story has shades of Silent HIll 2 and The Grudge, where the negative energy from a traumatic event physically marks a place, the execution remains pleasingly original and provocative — I particularly appreciate the choice in not providing concrete explanation to strange phenomena, further enhancing its otherworldly feel.

The character portrayal of The Haunting of Velkwood is where I have conflicting thoughts. While the sense of being weighted down by one's guilt is vividly conveyed, the more emotive scenes comes across as awkwardly stilted and robotic — which makes subplots such as friendship bond and forbidden romance a little difficult to resonate. However I can see it being justified as a stylistic choice, as the almost 'uncanny valley' delivery adds to the overall off-kilter vibe (like in Twin Peaks), but with the story's closure being linked so tightly to human emotion, I question if the scale is skewed too close to the 'weird' spectrum for its own good.

Still, I applaud The Haunting of Velkwood for its originality and vivid scene-setting. If you want to indulge in an introspective, lyrically eerie slow burn (and enjoy the various references mentioned), this one is worth picking up.