October Horrorshow: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Scary movies not doing it for you anymore? Are the days of peeking through your fingers or cowering under a blanket long behind you? Are you worried that you’ve become so desensitized to horror films that you can’t enjoy the genre like you used to? These are the fears of the horror movie veteran — sometimes the only fears left after watching hundreds and hundreds of horror films.

Well, might I suggest a game?

Resident Evil is the videogame series that won’t die. There are two main reasons for that. One is that when games in the series get it right, they are among the best releases in any given year. The other is that Capcom, the series’ creator, pivots gameplay and reinvents the series just as soon as they’ve beaten all their good ideas to death in lackluster sequels. Continue readingOctober Horrorshow: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard”

October Horrorshow: Dying Light

There are more good and great games out there than a person has the time to play — especially if they don’t get paid for the privilege. A good game can grab a player and immerse them in a story that takes just as long as a novel to resolve. The very best games allow a person to explore the reaches of the game’s construction and the player’s imagination, making playing it more than just play, but creative expression (I’m looking at you, Minecraft). Most games, like all things, fall into readily recognizable categories, breaking little if any ground. But, as with all things, it is not necessary for a game to be wholly original for it to be a good game, or fun to play. And isn’t ‘fun’ the whole reason for playing a game in the first place? Continue readingOctober Horrorshow: Dying Light”

October Horrorshow: Alien: Isolation

Alien: Covenant was a profound disappointment, just like every Alien film since Alien 3. But it turns out that fans of the Alien film franchise have been looking in the wrong place for worthy sequels. Since the release of Aliens in 1986, there have been numerous comic book and video game entries in the series. None of it is canon, but it’s all fiction anyway so that doesn’t really matter. Continue readingOctober Horrorshow: Alien: Isolation”

October Horrorshow: Resident Evil (HD Remaster)

I have a confession to make. I love horror flicks. But, if I have never seen a horror flick before, there’s a good chance that when I do watch it I’ll be spending quite a bit of time looking away from the screen. The tension in so many horror flicks is just too much for me, and as the protagonist creeps up a darkened stairway or approaches a slightly ajar closet door, I can’t handle it. I’ve obscured my view through my fingers, pulled my glasses down the bridge of my nose, even watched the reflection of the screen off of the glass of my desk — anything to prevent a direct line of sight to the coming terror. It’s sad and pathetic, really. But such is my ability to suspend disbelief and lose myself in some horror flicks, that genuine fright oftentimes keeps me from watching. I can’t imagine experiencing the genre in any other way. Continue readingOctober Horrorshow: Resident Evil (HD Remaster)”