The second game in the trilogy of the Blair Witch, which is based on the myth of the movie. Everyone and their mother should know of the Blair Witch Project by now. The movie was a financial success with low budget, high profit and was the surprise blockbuster of the summer of 99. It was just a matter of time before game companies jumped on the bandwagon and started developing games based on that success.

Human Head Studios decided to produce the second title in the trilogy and they took a different twist than the other two releases. The story is set about 100 years before all the Blair Witch stories that we have come to know. Robin Weaver, a little girl, comes upon a soldier deep in the woods who is injured from the Civil War that recently ended. Robin takes the soldier back to her grandmother for care. After the soldier gathers his strengths, the grandmother says that Robin has ventured back into the forest and hasn't returned. As repayment for her hospitality, you control the soldier and start your quest to find Robin. Why is this girl in these nasty woods anyway??

Your memory has been damaged from your injuries and the grandmother gives you the name of Lazarus, who returned from the dead in the Bible. The story is given to you by dream sequences or visions when Lazarus regains certain memory and he faints and falls to the ground. There are A LOT of dream sequences, but they do give the game a good plot and are not that annoying. The downside is that the dreams do take away from the action and some people won't like the story to unfold in that matter. The action is very comparable to the "Resident Evil" series that is well known on the PSX with the hack 'n slash of undead creatures.

The graphics are also done with the Nocturne engine and are just as good, if not better, than the first release. The backgrounds are pre-rendered and the atmosphere of the forest is genuinely creepy. Every aspect of the forest seems to come alive with the eerie sounds and scenery.

Just like the first release the sound is the best of any horror series to date. The creepy sounds of the forest and ghosts make your skin crawl with fright. The sounds of Rustin Parr are what I really enjoyed, and it is just the same with Coffin Rock. The best way to really enjoy this game is to turn off the lights and turn up the sound.

The gameplay and controls are the same as the first Blair Witch release by Terminal Reality, which is good if you plan on playing through the entire series. The camera angles are not as good as the first, with trees getting in the way at times. The creatures you fight are very unique in design and give the game the same creepiness as the other elements. The real downfall to the game was that it was short, with easy puzzles and the save the game anywhere element. Even with the cut-scenes, the story was still short. Did I mention there were A LOT of cut-scenes?

Overall, the game is a good game for the price. $20.00 at most stores is definitely a plus for any game. Other than the short game and some awkward camera angles, the game is enjoyable and adds to the enjoyment of the trilogy as a whole. If you enjoyed Rustin Parr, then you will really enjoy Coffin Rock.

Install: Easy, The install is simple.

Gameplay: 7.2, The controls are the same as the first release, which is good not to re-invent the wheel. The cut-scenes do add to the story, but take away from the action at times. The puzzles and game are very short and the game really gets going when it ends.

Graphics: 8.3, The older Nocturne engine is doing a great job for this series and is comparable to the newer engines in the industry today.

Sound: 8.6, The sounds of this game are one of the best of any horror series. If you would turn off the sound…the game would fail miserably.

Difficulty: 6.5, The puzzles are way too easy and the game can be completed in a matter of hours.

Concept: 7.7, The concept is a little better than the first because of the story that is only somewhat related to the movie plot.

Overall: 8.0, The first release of the trilogy was only slightly better than the second. The game was overall a good game, but was way too easy to beat. The game is a good addition to the trilogy overall.