 Computer Gaming World writer Arinn Dembo called the storyline of a couple buying a haunted mansion " a cliché so familiar that it needs no explanation " , but said it still worked in a computer game because the player could directly experience it in that medium , rather than simply watching it in a film . Dembo also praised the game for featuring a female protagonist , though she said Adrienne was too much of an exaggeratedly feminine " girlie @-@ type girl " . Overall , Dembo said the game " achieved a new height of realism and beauty in a computer game " and was " an important technological leap , and represents a step forward for the whole industry " . Another Computer Gaming World review said Phantasamagoria " appears to deliver on its ambitious promises " and that although the puzzles are too simple for experienced gamers , the appeal of the game is exploring a setting that " would have had even the folks in Amityville making tracks " . Harley Jebens of the Austin American @-@ Statesman said some of the acting was " hilariously bad " and the storyline was predictable , but that the game keeps you engaged , the story draws you in and the controls were well executed . Fort Worth Star @-@ Telegram writer Andy Greiser said the game was a beautiful combination of live actors and computer @-@ built backgrounds , but said the action doesn 't start to pick up until the halfway point . In a mixed review , Phil LaRose of The Advocate praised the game for having a female protagonist and excellent special effects , and said it had gone further toward merging the realms of film and game than any other computer game . However , he said the game was too linear , with overly simple puzzles and a plotline with " so many recycled concepts in this game , players will feel like they 've seen it all before " . 
