Cursed Mountain is a survival horror set on a haunted Himalayan peak, following mountaineer Eric Simmons as he searches for his brother. The third-eye combat reveals and shoots ghosts, weakening them for the symbol-tracing banishment that follows.
The combat is the standout, with the tracing mechanic far easier with a mouse than the original Wii remote. The ritual weapons progress well, from the cartica ice axe to the one-shot lagpa, with the kila dagger the standout of the set.
The Tibetan Buddhist lore is the heart of the setting, with the Lando Chronicles and the diary entries slowly painting the protagonist as the arrogant architect of the curse. The atmosphere delivers on the title, with demonic whispers, jump scares and deserted mountain villages.
The climbing and traversal set-pieces carry the ascent, from sheer wall climbs and wind-blasted ridge crossings to the finicky balance-beam QTEs. The story builds on the brotherly dynamic, with a late-game reveal about a supporting character and a summit confrontation that closes the climb.
Melee is nearly useless, its whole function mostly breaking open pots, and the swaying ghosts make clean shots a recurring frustration. The fixed camera angles and tank-like movement are awkward, especially when the angle shifts mid-fight.
The PC port is a rare find, significantly easier with mouse and keyboard, though it is effectively abandonware with bare-bones options and no controller support. The oxygen gauge barely functions on PC, the closing boss is baffling and disjointed, and the vulture-demon rematch drags.
Overall, combat, lore and atmosphere make Cursed Mountain a welcome surprise. The finicky controls and the awkward boss fights are the main caveats.