Today we are covering one of the premier series in gaming history. This is a game series that ultra defined the horror game franchise. Resident evil has had us killing zombies and scrounging for items like green herbs for ages. This series has so many game sin it that it will make your head spin. I have only played a lot of the games and though so not all of them will have a substantial presence on this list. I will, however try to touch on each one.
We were all taken aback by the huge step up in technology brought out by the playstation in the 1990s. During this time one game was introduced that really changed the genre and threw it for a loop. We had survival horror games in the past such as haunted house, Alone in the Dark and stuff like the Clock Tower series. This game really gave you an opportunity to fight with the zombies and where this is nothing totally new adding the horror factor with it instead of a novelty factor such as with Zombies ate my neighbors. Adding to this we have new graphical and game play upgrades that have lead to beautiful background visuals and more realistic action and cut scenes that drove fans crazy.
This game again redefined the series giving you a choice between playing two characters: Chris and Jill. You had an element of challenge to this game that stepped it up with limited ammo, dangerous enemies and top notch puzzles. The game could be completed in about 90 minutes but the hidden factors would keep you coming back again and again trying to beat your time. Healing items and saves were available but were discouraged due to the rating you would get in the end.
One factor that also characterized the series came from the consistent bad voice acting that made this game into more of a B movie type. For those of you who have experienced it you will find the above pic pretty funny. To this day I feel the voice acting identified the game.
The next game released was the director's cut which offered slightly better graphics and a remix feature that would allow for a different gaming experience and allow for an easy mode with plenty of ammo for people who preferred to blast their way through. This version also came with a demo of the second eagerly awaited game in the series. I would say that this helped to take an old game and make it into something new.
Our next entry in the series is a game we had all eagerly awaited which was the first real sequel to the game series. This game gave us some graphical innovation and improved upon the original formula incorporating even more puzzles and creative baddies. This game improved on the weapon and items available to you in the series including allowing you to alter your weapons to make them even more innovative. This game improved upon most aspects of the series.
The biggest improvement on this game is it got rid of the corny nature of the last game and incorporated a great and deep story into the series. The other aspect of improvement you see is the ability to not only play as one of two characters but each one had their part in the story to play. After beating the game you can reverse the roles making it into four different games to run through. I considered this a huge development and in my opinion made this the single best Resident Evil game.
Well as the series developed they decided to incorporate the new playstation Dual Shock Controller allowing for greater movement flexibility and the ability to feel little shocks to build tension. This version of the game not only added extra ability but added some new moves such as little extras with new weapons such as the gatling gun and an easy play mode much like the Director's cut.
After this point things start to get complicated. Look out for part 2 for the next set int he series.
Hello and welcome to the next in my Gaming series. This time I am covering the Game series Condemned. There are two games in the series but I am only going to cover the first game as I have never gotten to play the sequel. This is a series that got a lot of play and popularity in its day and is still very much worth a view even in this day and age.
This series follows a police detective in what seems to be a routine film noir case where you are following along taking crime photos and then an insane killer tries to take your head off. As you traverse your way through the eerie environments and twisted storyline the killers become more and more insane and supernatural until your very sanity is put to the test.
The first person perspective gives you and a little extra insight into this massive underground labyrinth so you never know what you will run into or what might be sneaking up behind you in the dark. Are those store Mannequins getting closer? That's crazy right? right?! This also gives you a lot of room to have fun with various tools and not just the standard gun and grenade selection. You even have to utilize your wits against your enemies as taking them head on doesn't always work out for the best.
The Largest drawback in this game is the storyline. The characters are weak at best and the ending is well...poor. We have to put things in perspective and just enjoy the scare factor and the creep factor along with the entertainment. Like some horror films it isn't the story but the fun you had getting to the end.
Hello again and welcome to the next in my halloween movie blogs. This time I am working on a series of movies that belong to one set. I will be updating this throughout the month. This time I am covering the series involving the Collector and the Collection. This is a series of films that that follows a brutal serial killer and I believe has a large impact on the horror community. After watching the sequel last night it even had me change my blog focus onto good movie series or stand alone movies for Halloween. I believe that this is a good series for submission on the Halloween movie exploits.
The first in the series is the Movie the Collector. This movie follows a contractor and part time cat burglar who is hard up and owes some major cash to some rather shady characters. He decides to rob a house on which turns out to be the worst night possible for such activities as this is also the night a contract killer is out on the hunt and he's unfortunately stuck right in the middle of everything.
The Collection takes up where the original movie left off where we revisit our hero from the first film managing to escape from the twisted Collector but instead of going home he has managed to run afoul of a group of mercenaries paid by a wealthy business man to rescue his daughter, who recently got captured. Now they are taking the fight to the killer but with our master trapmaker invading his home could be a fatal mistake.
Well lets talk about some of the nice aspects of our movie series. Both are a good mix of the crazed killer with the haunted house genre. The dark household filled with shadows that are filled with deadly traps, poisonous insects and of course a heavily trailed killer stalking prepared to jump out of the shadows and slash your throat or worse, capture you and subject you to vicious tortures. Both settings are well suited for the horror genre.
The villain himself is a well oiled killing machine. The Collector is an expert at trap making working in the blink of an eye to construct horrors and make a seemingly harmless situation into a trap that Jigsaw would be proud of. This guy is not just a well trained contract killer but the personality also makes him one evil twisted guy. From the use of drugged out zombie victims or the strange human sculptures that he creates and has suspended in glass cages filled with fluid you know that man is someone you don't want to mess with and will haunt your very nightmares. I would give this killer a huge advantage in any fight and could go one on one with some of the greats.
Last of course is the quality of the hero or heroes in the films. The main character is fairly well acted which is a plus in this case and strikes you as not quite the evil bastard that you would think he is when he tries to rip off the family he is working for. He's a family man and though he is practical is isn't a terrible person. This man may not be a trained killer but he is no slouch himself when it comes to his knowledge of traps and finding his way around overly complex situations. He was able to match the Collector wit for wit and in the end with a broken arm still managed to get a few punches in. This man is a survivor and is a good foil. Really and truley the other characters are just window dressing for this battle in both films and after your recognize this you will be pleasantly pleased.
In the end if you like the slasher Genre and enjoyed the Saw films then this is a series you should be seeing.
Creep Factor - 7/10
Entertainment Value - 7/10
Scare Factor - 6/10
Hello again horror fans and we are back for another game that is a cool way to spend your halloween nights alone in the dark. Today we are talking about Corpse Party. This game is for the PSP and is one of the few japanese rpg style horror ports that actually made a full on american release. For those few of you with a PSP or a Vita this game is still available for download.
Corpse Party is a horror game done in the old school 16 bit tradition. You play a group of students that make the mistake of performing a ceremony in the school at night. In doing so they have managed to trap themselves in an endless nightmare from which they may never escape.
Game play is remarkably simplified involving your standard walk around, press A and continue interface. This allows for simple exploration of the school and its many creepy elements. This style can be clunky at times but reflects many of the games of its kind through we never really got to keep this side of the ocean. Think of this as a sort of really dark old school rpg game.
Now the story is where we get into the creep factor of the game. There are many avenues that you can take throughout that lead to variations in the story. Element here are definately not appropriate for children. You are dealing with elements of madness, murder, sadism, rape and a myriad of other nasty little creep factors that lead you from one dark scare to the next.
The next part is the difficulty factor of this game. You constantly find yourself in bad situations and there are many times when you are stuck without a way to go. Trust me you had better make sound decisions and pay full attention to your surroundings if you are to survive this experience.
In the end this is a very fun and creepy game that is very much worth the time for your to keep.
Creep Factor 9/10 - Even with the low end graphics this game still packs in the creep factor like no one else. Once you've died a few times you will start to see it yourself.
Entertainment Value 6/10 - The style and difficulty makes the game frustrating at times.
Scare Factor 6/10 - Again the factors are there but the graphics really don't back it up so jump scares are just not in the cards.
Hello again and welcome to #2 in our Halloween 30 odd days of horror! This time we have the thriller Darkness falls. This movie was chosen as we were looking for something and I came upon it as we were sitting in bed that night. I was informed this movie was pretty lame yet had a few basic scares. As I had been getting home from a long shift and it was unknown as to weather I would get a movie in later I decided to give this one a go.
This is a movie that starts in a quaint little sea side town/city of Darkness Falls. This town is a special place as it is the home of an older woman who was known as the tooth fairy as she gave out gold coins to children who gave her their missing teeth. Things turned a tad dark as the town folk decided to burn her when two of the children had gone missing. Now the vengeful ghost continues to do the work taking teeth and leaving money...that is unless you look at her face and then she seeks her vengeance by killing everyone. Our star is a child who looked at the tooth fairy's face and now cannot sleep without light as the fairy stalks him in the shadows. It has been a time but the fairy is out to kill a new child and he must do what he can to face his dark past and save this innocent.
Well lets talk a little bit about the creep factor in this series. I am really interested in the premise. The monster in this is fun and creepy at the same time going on a blood thirsty killing spree taking out whoever wanders into the shadows. The way the monster looks with the creepy mask and flowing robes mix well with the shadows and the sneak attacks. This monster really does make you fear the darkness and turn on the lights.
The other characters in the film are sort of likable. The female lead is ok playing the typical clueless friend holding on to her love until her childhood sweetheart returns from the mental hospital. The main character is fairly well written and not terribly acted. You are together with many of these for the entire film but at the same time you have to also care about them or the scares are not as effective. I would say the point here is not so much.
Well we have a lot of creepy here so lets see how this adds up.
Creep Factor 7/10 - We have our creepy little town with plenty of shadows for our evil tooth fairy to hide in and make a final plea for freedom.
Entertainment Value 6/10 - Nothing new here but at the same time we have a look at a nice scary ghost story.
Scare Factor 6/10 - We have a scary ghost hiding in the shadows so plenty of jump scares here yet still I feel they could do more.
In the end a good simple scare film for you all to watch and enjoy.
Welcome to my other Halloween Blog. This one is for those of you who don't just want to watch the action from the safety of your couch but actually immerse yourself in it with some freaky and creepy horror games. Many like to think of this as the survival horror genre but in reality it is all just straight horror. In this section I will only cover games I have gotten a chance to play (not necessarily beat but have played) and will talk about all the games belonging to a category that I have played in each section. This means that some of these will be really long and some, like this one will be relatively short. I will put a rating at the end much like I do with movies so that you, after careful consideration can check it out. I will also put a series overview rating and give a brief homage to the games in the series that I have not had a chance to play. So without further ado lets get going :)
The first on my list is one of those games I did not get to finish called Among the Sleep. This is a game that I had followed since their kickstarter campaign and am hoping that they do eventually win their campaign to go onto a console or I get a better computer to play it with. I can tell you though after all the frequent updates during the kickstarter phase and the amount I did get to play I feel you really cannot go wrong with this.
This game takes place in what would normally be a slightly creepy place by itself. I mean who has been walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night and heard a sound in that dark corner? You think "I'm alone right?" but there is that nagging feeling in your reptile brain that you are very much not alone and you better empty that bladder and get back under those covers pronto! Now imagine this scenario but as a toddler with a very vivid imagination. You awaken in the middle of the night and leave your cradle to discover an empty dark house. Where are your parents? Is there something out there in those shadows? You must explore to get to the bottom of this mystery with only the help of your best friend in the world your Teddy Bear! Will you find your parents in time before the Boogieman gobbles you up?
The environments in this game are quite surreal and allow for a great deal of interaction. You can rifle through drawers and utilize them as stepping stools or open that closet to hide inside. The dark foreboding rooms coupled with images conjured by your toddlers imagination lead to not only have you jump at that creepy sound but run and hide as you see a monster searching for you while you can only hope that the closet is safe...or at least that nothing else is hiding there with you.
The monsters in this game are pretty terrifying and coupled with the exploration feature you get the feel that you are wandering and crawling through a real haunted house. Playing this in the dark adds to the creep factor and the fact that you cannot fight back makes the danger very real so be careful not to get a game over.
As the game goes along the world gets to be more and more imagination and less and less the house that you are wondering through. This makes things that much more interesting and less predictable about what you can find. Is this image a hallway in the house or is it the gateway to a magical realm? In the end I was unable to play it to its completion as I was unable to meet the processing line. The character movement was jerky and the load time was incredibly slow. I feel that to enjoy this you really need to check on your system requirements.
Creep Factor 7
Entertainment Value 6
Scar Factor 8
This game may be worth a greater level of value should I have gotten the chance to play through a little bit more without the game crashing on me which ruined the entertainment for me. If you are looking for a reasonably cheep way to creep yourself out in the middle of the night get this game it will do the trick.
Greetings! It is the Halloween season yet again and I am very excited as it is that time of year where I can watch scary stuff every night and enjoy every moment of it. I didn't get into the season at first...actually I didn't even like scary movies until I started undergrad and then something changed where I really got into the horror craze be it good, bad, gorey or funny just don't let it be boring. I will be running two blogs over the next month as a test to see how good I am at following through with my writing and blogging. This is the first of the two and it is dedicated to movies. Each Night I will dedicate this blog to one scary movie that I watched during that day or evening. So lets kick off with a movie I watched a little after midnight...
Yes I give your Coraline! I know what you are thinking, this film isn't a scary movie! Its a little kids film! Well I will work through this to convince you it totally is not...just a kid's film.
Well we start our film with our young heroine Coraline who has been ripped out of her happy place and forced to move to a new town with her parents so they can better research their books. They move to a rather creepy old house that was blocked off into several full sized apartments with odd and interesting neighbors to boot. Coraline is just kicking around, bored and dissatisfied with her life when she finds a strange tunnel in the house leading to an alternate world where everyone pays her exclusive attention and she can finally live in the world of her dreams...or is it her nightmares. All is not as it seems as the denizens of the house and the other world reveal their true natures, will she be able to discover the truth in time before she is swallowed up by the evil within?
This movie starts out with a little creepiness where a creature made up of sewing needles tears apart an old doll and fashions a new one in the likeness of our main character. The creepy doll display really follows through in this movie not only starting with the dolls but the whole buttons for eyes deal (see below).
We learn later on in the film the whole sinister angle behind the button eyes but I won't spoil that for you. We also need to take a look at the setting. This is about as bleak and creepy as you can get with bland coloration in the real world scenes and odd imagery when she goes to the other world at night. The way that the "Pink Palace" is laid out you would expect some sort of monster to just rip out and steal your soul right away.
Of course even with the background and the story the biggest creep factor is in the cast of characters. Even those that you see during the day display that little bit of being off that makes it go that extra mile. Even Coraline's father who is voiced by one of the people from They Might Be Giants has that slight bit of creepiness to him that is only accentuated by the darker maddening touch of the other world.
In the end this movie gets a 6 out of 10 for creep factor, 7 of 10 entertainment value and a 4 of 10 scare factor. This movie is much creepier than it is scary and even with the little twist int he end where the dream world becomes a nightmare you still realize that this is just a children's film and can only go so far. At the same time don't let that hurt your opinion as this goes to show you that even children's films can be creepy.
