Cursed Mountain offers a truly unique setting and story that follows the main character as he scales a treacherous mountain range in search of his missing brother. The spiritual and religious themes are fascinating, and the game provides plenty of lore notes that do an excellent job of explaining Buddhism, the details of the mountain expedition, and the motivations of various characters. Once the combat system fully unlocks, it feels very distinct from other titles in the genre. You use a purifying beam to weaken spirits and then perform exorcisms by tracing specific symbols on the screen. The journey takes you through a wonderful variety of locations, ranging from a remote, abandoned village to frozen icy caverns. You also get access to a few different weapons throughout the climb, and each one has its own specific strengths to help you survive the ascent.
Despite the strong atmosphere, the game does not quite succeed as a traditional horror experience. There is a single jump scare very early in the story, but that kind of tension never really returns, making the rest of the game feel more like a supernatural adventure. The combat also tends to be very easy outside of a few specific moments. The only time I really struggled was during an early boss fight before I fully understood the mechanics, but after that, the challenge dropped off significantly. Furthermore, the PC port seems to have a bugged oxygen meter in the later levels. It appeared that the oxygen never actually decreased, which removed any sense of urgency from the high altitude sections where breathing should have been a major concern.
Overall Cursed Mountain is a highly original title that stands out thanks to its cultural depth and its creative approach to supernatural combat and storytelling. While it fails to deliver consistent scares and suffers from some technical issues on PC, the incredible mountain setting and the unique exorcism mechanics make it a memorable experience for players looking for something outside the usual horror tropes.