Sweet Home (Japan) (Sample)

Sweet Home is a pioneering survival horror role-playing game developed by Capcom for the NES. The game casts players as a five-member film crew who venture into an old, abandoned mansion to retrieve valuable frescoes from a deceased artist. However, they soon find themselves trapped and must confront vengeful spirits and numerous deadly traps.

The gameplay of Sweet Home combines elements of adventure exploration and turn-based combat. Players control a party of characters, each possessing unique special abilities. For instance, one character can take photos (to uncover clues or document supernatural phenomena), another can pick locks, a third can heal, and so on. Utilizing the correct character for each situation is key to progression. The game features a top-down perspective when moving through the mansion, but switches to a first-person view during battles.

Combat encounters occur randomly during exploration and are turn-based. Players can attack, use items, or attempt to flee. A notable feature is the permadeath of characters, making every decision critical. Item management is also crucial, as each character can only carry a limited number of items, and players need to strategize about who carries what and when to exchange items.

Sweet Home is renowned for laying the groundwork for the survival horror genre, particularly profoundly influencing the later Resident Evil series. Elements such as exploring a large mansion, solving intricate puzzles, managing limited resources, cutscenes utilizing fixed camera angles, and a sense of isolation are all clearly evident in this game. The game effectively creates a tense and frightening atmosphere through its impressive NES graphics and sound.