'Paranormal Activity: Sanctuary' game app offers devilish fun

'Paranormal Activity: Sanctuary' game app offers devilish fun: "Don't you hate it when you're just trying to head home from the bodega when a hell zone opens up and demonic forces begin to attack, forcing you to whip out your iPhone and start casting spells? I know, right? Such a pain.



Well the folks from Paramount Pictures and game developers Ogmento hope to inject a little excitement into that tedium with the new video game app, Paranormal Activity: Sanctuary, which is loosely connected to the Paranormal Activity film franchise.

The game encourages gamers to face temptations from evil forces and either resist or succumb to possession. They will then either cast spells through gameplay to create safe zones on a map or choose to create 'hellholes' where evil reigns.



Sanctuary utilizes a choose-your-own-adventure open-world gameplay system, and while nifty, that's not what makes this app cool.



Instead, the game stands on its own because of the geo-location based, augmented-reality location. That is to say the game board is based on each player's neighborhood map using the iPhone's GPS. So the bodega you just shopped at may become an integral element in your personalized game. Additionally, using the phone's camera, players interact with creatures who appear to exist in your surrounding areas. Finally, the game utilizes Ogmento's own user-generated technology that allows gamers to draw symbols on paper, which are then 'read' and given life in the game.



Although Sanctuary carries the PA name, an understanding of the movies isn't necessary to enjoy the game. Instead, the incredibly fascinating app stands on its own regardless of the recognizable franchise.



There is a slight learning curve with getting used to the augmented reality and gameplay, but for a really fresh game concept and free downloadable app (with added features available for purchase), Paranormal Activity: Sanctuary is worth taking the information super highway to hell for.

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