There Is An OFFICIAL RESIDENT EVIL 7 Candle Being Released

Resident Evil is a game series that I have been playing since I was younger, always finding new ways to terrify myself. I only really got into the series when I played Resident Evil Zero and Resident Evil 4 on the Nintendo Gamecube – I still strongly enjoy these games to this day! However, I do not have a newer generation console yet – I plan to eventually get a Playstation 4 – and I think it is about time that I pick one up, because the highly anticipated next chapter in the Resident Evil franchise is coming out in a few short weeks: Resident Evil 7.

It gets better though, the Playstation 4 version of the game is [also] being released in VR – Virtual Reality – in order to give the player the feeling that you really are in a creepy New Orleans house surrounded by deadly creatures. While VR gives you the experience of seeing these scares from your couch, there’s one sense it cannot simulate yet: smell. Luckily, there’s now an official Resident Evil 7 candle just for that reason. [wait, what?]

Calling itself the “Resident Evil 7: Blood, Sweat, and Fears 4D VR Candle,” the object in question is designed to give off “the smell of the game,” so that you can be totally immersed in the horrifying world around you. Its creators claim that it smells like “old timber, leather, and maybe some blood..” which sounds pretty damn insane! If you’re a veteran Resident Evil player, the candle should last you through the entire game with approximately 20 hours of burn time. This is a good thing, because in order to have that sense of mental involvement comes at a price: the Resident Evil 7 candle is currently priced at a $18.99 and is available for preorder here. [Shipping January 20th, 2017!]

Of course, there is a strong chance are that you do not want your house smelling like rust, deteriorating wood, and blood when you are done playing the game, so I am going to suggest that you open a window or two after a play session. Worst case, and that does not work, you could always replace the smell of the undead with Clean Cotton.

Although it goes without saying, if you are planning on picking up both Resident Evil 7 and one of these candles, safety is always of the most importance. The very last thing you need is to accidentally knock over the candle, [while wearing the Virtual Reality] and find yourself in an actual burning house/apartment!

The real question today is if You are planning on picking up one of these “one of a kind” candles? Is it something You can find yourself buying, or was it absolutely unnecessary? Let me know your thoughts in a comment or two! Be sure to also follow me over on my Facebook page! [we’re at over 180+ likes – let’s get to 200!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been “gone live” online; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. So go follow over there too! Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

I’ve also been writing way more reviews on my Letterboxd account, this is because I’m trying to review every single movie I watch  – with each review [usually] posted the very next day after viewing! Are you interested yet? Check me out over there and click that “follow” button! I’m just bound to follow you back because I like reading other people’s thoughts on film, as well as writing reviews myself!

THANKS FOR READING.

Horror Gaming: Pokemon Creepy Black

HAPPY NEW YEAR! ..I know I am a little late, but after all the celebrity deaths in 2016, I think it is safe to say we survived. I want to start this post by saying that I sincerely hope that 2017 is a hell of a lot better than last year, and that I am sorry if I seem M.I.A. again. With my job/work picking up speed [I have been working almost six days a week, as opposed to my regular three] and my application status being approved next month; I have been extremely busy. Even yesterday, I planned on writing this post but didn’t because Steph has school/work almost every day and it was [a rare] one day off that we chose to spend together. HOWEVER, I am not here to make long winded apologies, I am here to write about something I have been wanting to write about for a while; and now I have a reason to because today’s Horror Gaming segment involves….Pokemon?

Before Christmas, Nintendo released two new Pokemon games in their 20+ year old franchise: Sun and Moon. I grew up playing the original two games [Red and Blue] so naturally, they hold a very special place in my heart.  was excited for these two new games, and I, if you know me personally, naturally picked up Pokemon Moon. [I have always been a fan of the fire and dark types!] I do not play video games as much anymore, but when I do, it’s Pokemon Moon. It may handhold the player, and be somewhat simple for veteran Pokemon players, but it is one of [if not] my favorite in the franchise yet! But did you know there was a bootleg Pokemon game called Pokemon Creepy Black – and that it supposedly turned the player into a killer? Today we are talking about the infamous Bootleg cartridge known as: Pokemon Creepy Black Version.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: this game is part of a CREEPYPASTA, meaning it may or may not be based on actual events. Many CREEPYPASTAs are fake.

When the game starts up, it begins the same way as Pokemon Red and Blue – being a bootleg version of those games – giving the player the same step by step intro of Professor Oak outlining the basics of the game. When the game allows you to choose your starter Pokemon, things feel…different. Where Red and Blue gives the player a choice between three different starters – Squirtle, Charmander or Bulbasaur – Pokemon Creepy Black offers up a fourth: the original three with an additional character referred to only as GHOST. Those who have played Red and Blue will recognize GHOST as one of the spirits from Lavender Town who haunt the Pokemon Tower until revealed by the Silph Scope. If the player chooses GHOST, they will find that the “Pokemon” will start at level one, when normally, starter Pokemon start at level five. To add to this mystery, GHOST only knows a single move: Curse.

GHOST‘s Curse move is devastating, making battles against weaker Pokemon [like Pidgey or Weedle] a simple affair for the trainer in control of GHOST. It becomes even easier when you begin to notice that the opposing Pokemon are ‘too scared to move’ in retaliation, and the actual “attack” on the Pokemon is quite the terrifying as well. According to TinyCartridge, this is how a “typical” battle using GHOST would play out:

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“When the move ‘Curse‘ was used in battle, the screen would cut to black. The cry of the defending Pokemon would be heard, but it was distorted, played at a much lower pitch than normal. The battle screen would then reappear, and the defending Pokemon would be gone. If used in a battle against a trainer, when the Pokeballs representing their Pokemon would appear in the corner, they would have one fewer Pokeball.”

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Once the battling is done and all the Pokeballs have been removed from the party, the player is presented with one final option: you can either ‘Run’ or ‘Curse.’ Choosing Run does exactly what would normally happen in a Pokemon game – allowing the player to leave the battle. However, if Curse is chosen, it erases the opposing trainer. Choosing ‘Curse’ makes the screen go black, and when the screen lights up again, the trainer seems to have disappeared; allowing you to continue. But, if you then return to the spot where you first encountered the trainer, He/She will not be there – instead, you will find a tombstone left where they stood, strongly suggesting that you Cursed – or rather – killed the trainer!

With the power you possess, killing countless Pokemon and even more trainers, you can continue to follow the story the creator of this hack and eventually reach – and kill – the Elite Four. [Which is essentially the end of the original Pokemon games] It is only then that the game suddenly takes a turn.

Finishing the Elite Four presents a black screen with a text box saying ‘Many years later…‘ and we cut to Lavender Tower. [Remember, this is where the GHOSTs originally appeared in Pokemon Red and Blue!] We see an old man standing looking at tombstones. For those who have not caught on yet, this man was your character. The old man moves at only half of the game’s normal walking speed, and you no longer have any Pokemon with you – not even GHOST – who this entire time, has been impossible to remove from your party; even through depositing in the PC.

With the game now finished, you can you step back to Pallet Town, which causes the game to become extremely dark and almost cloudy. The usual and expected happy music that plays, slows down to to almost an almost demonic pace and your character stands before the tombstones. If that is not enough for you, the game can go one step further if you stand your character on the exact tile that you began the game on. For a moment, The dark overtone lifts from the screen and is replaced by a constant stream of moving images. These images are implied to be the souls of all the Pokemon and trainers you have killed throughout the game, reinforcing the fact that you and GHOST have killed everyone..

It is after this revelation that GHOST appears one last time, and it seems that he has turned on his trainer – you. Now, as an old man, the only attack you have is ‘Struggle’ and as you now well know, it does not – and will not – take long for GHOST to wear you down. [you essentially helped give it the strength it now possesses] With your health now gone, GHOST will use one last ‘Curse,’ this time on you, and the screen finally fades to black.. and then the game freezes. The only way to get out of the frozen/blackened screen is to reset the Gameboy/device you are playing on. Once it is successfully rebooted, the entire experience disappears, therefore suggesting that GHOST has killed you too..

Unfortunately, as I stated above, this is a CREEPYPASTA so there is no real way to tell if this game truly existed. Though there are images [as I shared above] these could easily have been manipulated on Photoshop, but that does not stop us from having wishful thoughts. Video games are a way of escaping the real world, including our real world fears. GHOST seems to be an extremely powerful Pokemon, if you can call it that, so be careful who You choose when starting a new Pokemon game!

What did You think of Pokemon Creepy Black? Had You heard of it before? Would You play the game? Let me know in a comment or two! Be sure to also follow me over on my Facebook page! [we’re at over 180+ likes – let’s get to 200!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been “gone live” online; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. So go follow over there too! Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

I’ve also been writing way more reviews on my Letterboxd account, this is because I’m trying to review every single movie I watch  – with each review [usually] posted the very next day after viewing! Are you interested yet? Check me out over there and click that “follow” button! I’m just bound to follow you back because I like reading other people’s thoughts on film, as well as writing reviews myself!

THANKS FOR READING.

horror gaming: FRAN BOW

Here’s something exciting: a new horror gaming segment. It’s something I haven’t done in a while, and after watching a few videos online about it, I decided I wanted to talk about a very specific game: Fran Bow. Developed by Killmonday – an indie studio  founded/comprised of “two Swedish game developers of madness” [their words, not mine] who created this extremely well crafted game that is scary not once, but also the second time you play it. The game isn’t strictly horror either, it delves into subgenres – such as sadness, depression, and even other mental illnesses.. and they’re done perfectly. Let’s dig a little deeper, shall we? If you upset by mental illnesses, or anything relating to the nature of these topics; consider this your forewarning. From here on out we’re going to be relating to and talking about our “hero” Fran Bow. [be sure to visit the official website for the game]

In the game, Fran Bow is the young girl who serves as the main character. She is described as struggling with “a mental disorder and an unfair destiny.” which I’m sure many of us can relate to. She also has a black cat named Mr. Midnight, who she refers to as her closest and only friend. As an individual, Fran is described as a curious 11 year old with bobbed brown hair and blue eyes. She usually seen wearing a yellow dress with a small blue bow tie and brown boots with black-and-white striped stockings. [see below]

[and the award for the creepiest 11 year old goes to…!]

When we first meet our “hero”, we see Fran Bow living a happy life with her mother and father just like any ordinary kid. [though Fran is no “ordinary kid”] They give her Mr. Midnight and shortly after her Aunt Grace arrives for dinner. After a few days, she is disturbed by an dark and ominous figure in her window, only then does she hear a scream from her parents’ room and goes to investigate..When she enters her parent’s room she faces what no kid should have to face – her parents. Killed and dismembered, with their bodies [and various lying about the bedroom. [Naturally] Terrified, Fran runs into the nearby forest with Mr. Midnight and blacks out. Though her cat seems to want to stay and comfort her, we see a dark figure [who we later learn is named Remor] approach. Fran is then picked up by a hooded figure. After this Dr. Deern wakes Fran up, which reveals this to all to have been memory. Fran and Dr. Deern talk for a bit, leading to Fran demanding to be released from the mental institute that Fran has been in the whole time. As one would expect, Dr. Deern sternly refuses her request.

Being as her parents are gone, Fran is given her mother’s old purse – which she finds a note from Aunt Grace inside. As soon as she reads the note though, a nurse was called in to the room in order to give Fran her “new medicine” called Duotine. Fran is told that she is not allowed to leave the room until she takes it, because it’ll “help her relax.” Of course, considering she has no other option, Fran takes the medicine, stating that she is not feeling well; and immediately has visions of blood, gore, and decapitated heads raining in the room. While unconscious, she dreams of Mr. Midnight, who encourages her to come find him, saying the pills will help her do so. He says he is waiting for her in the forest and tells her he loves her. It’s with these final words we start the game’s First Chapter.

Even though it’s not a long game, it is divided into Five Chapters with each one being even more depressing as the chapters go on:

• Chapter One: Sober Day
• Chapter Two, Part 1: Curiosity symptoms
• Chapter Two, Part 2: Double Personality
• Chapter Three: Vegetative State
• Chapter Four, Part 1: My Imaginary Friend
• Chapter Four, Part 2: Doctor’s Prescription
• Chapter Five: The House of Madness

The one thing that I will always think is cool about Fran Bow from a game play point of view is that Fran is able to pass into this “other” hell world and alter her surroundings so that she can escape.. through the use of her pills. [Which can be used at any time during the game] The entire point of her “adventure” is to try and discover who is responsible for her parents’ tragedy and ultimately – find her way home. Along the way, Fran discovers a strange land named Ithersta: a magical fantasy-like land where vegetables and roots live together in harmony. After she leaving Ithersta she runs into a skeletal creature named Itward. Itward is the being that ends up helping Fran get back to her only friend: Mr. Midnight. On a depressing note, throughout the game we see that Fran‘s reality seems to be breaking down, making it difficult to tell what the difference is between what she sees when she’s using the pills or what she sees when she’s off them. Fran is ultimately faced with the reality that her parents have actually died and that the person responsible might be someone very close to her.

Itward [and his “flying machine”] and Fran

I’m not going to spoil the ending for the game, and as expected, I did miss a lot of points. I didn’t even explain where Remor came from or what he/it is. If you are interested in a more in-depth explanation, check out this video on it – it’s actually where I heard about the game. Just know this: as Jordan points out in the video I linked, it’s not a “scary” game, it’s more a game about “hope”. Seriously – Watch it.

If one thing is for sure, it’s that we desperately need more games like this. Games with zombies, aliens, vampires, ghosts, demons, serial killers or animatronic abominations [if you didn’t get that reference…where have you been? Living under a rock?!] will always have a place within our favorite genre. But it’s so important that games developers don’t rely exclusively on these familiar “monsters” when there are real monsters that live inside our heads.

As someone who studied it a bit in my first year at college, Mental illness is a different kind of scary: it’s a real thing. Even though you might not understand it as intimately as someone who lives with it, you probably know someone who does. Somewhat ridiculously, it’s still somewhat looked down on in our society, and I hate that. It’s insane to know people see depression as something other people “choose” to feel. Mental Illness has, and often continues to, claim too many lives. I’m not just talking literally, but also in the passion for life it often pulls away from its unsuspecting host like an never satisfied insect. But we’ll talk about that another time. That’s enough sad-talk for one day.

As always, if you find yourself to enjoy what I do on here, then please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [we’re at over 150+ likes – let’s get to 200!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been “gone live” online; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog.

Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! I’ve also been writing way more reviews on my Letterboxd account, this is because I’m trying to review every single movie I watch  – with each review coming the very next day after viewing! Are you interested yet? Check me out over there and click that “follow” button! I’m just bound to follow you back because I like reading other people’s thoughts on film, as well as writing reviews myself!

who’s the creepy thing on the right? Play FRAN BOW to find out!

THANKS FOR READING.

Film Study: It’s been TEN YEARS since we visited SILENT HILL

I’ve always been a fan of Silent Hill. The games are eerie enough, with the rusty and dark settings always feel unsettling, and the atmosphere is brimming with personality. With creepy monsters around one corner, and an almost empty void of a town around the other, Silent Hill is pretty damn scary. I love these games, but I can’t play them in the dark. Not because I’m scared, but I start..hearing things. Naturally though, this would imply that the game series would make for an excellent horror film, right? Technically, there were two films: Silent Hill and Silent Hill: Revelations 3D. We’re going to look at the first film today, mainly because the sequel was a piece of hot garbage – which I’ll save to talk about another day if the interest is there. [LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT IT REVIEWED]

So why are we talking about Silent Hill? If you follow warrenisweird on Facebook, you would have noticed that yesterday I mentioned that it’s been ten years since we got Director Christophe Gans’ vision of Silent Hill came to theaters and presented us with what might very well be the most faithful video game-to-film adaptation ever. [take that comment with a grain of salt..] While the film didn’t do insanely well, only earning $100 million against a $50 million budget, it was still praised for its atmosphere, set design, and visuals; which are pretty important in a Silent Hill title. I remember enjoying it when it came out, it was scary, it looked great, and it was generally entertaining. As a fan of the games, I was impressed..but that was ten years ago.. and the real question is: does it hold up? Only one way to find out, so strap yourself in – we’re going on a road trip. Destination: Silent Hill. Population: Spoilers.

this scene feels like it’s lifted straight from the game!

The movie follows Sharon, the young daughter of Rose Da Silva, [oh yeah – Harry isn’t in the movie – just so you know] who has been dreaming of a town – Silent Hill. In an attempt to show her that it’s just a dream. Rose makes the decision to take her to this town. However, the road to Silent Hill is anything but easy to reach, and Rose finds herself in a high speed chase between herself and a police officer only to end in a crash for them both! When she wakes up, Sharon has disappeared and Rose is at the entrance to the deserted, dream-like town of Silent Hill. As Rose begins the endless search for her daughter, she does not realize the terror and mystery surrounding her, finding herself getting more and more entwined into the disturbing past of a little town known as Silent Hill.

Right off the bat, the movie opens with music lifted straight from the game itself – in fact, the entire movie contains original tracks from the game as well as some being a remixed score. Just as it was a fantastic and brooding background when playing the game, it works very well on the big screen. The plot describes the town of Silent Hill that Rose finds herself trapped in as a “nightmare world”, and thankfully, that is exactly what Christophe Gans does with the film: we see buildings transform into a caged inferno when “the darkness” comes, we actually see the creatures that come with this darkness: the patient demons, “the nurses”, and..even Pyramid Head? Yes. Pyramid Head makes an appearance..even though he wasn’t in the first game. [which this movie is based on] But who cares? He’s still really pretty to look at – he’s no doubt here for the fans, not for the original story arc.

But perhaps my favorite part of the film was knowing that almost none of the evil “creatures” are overused, and thankfully – that is what truly stops this separates this film from a zombie movie. The demons, with the exception of the Pyramid Head, aren’t the true evil of the film, but rather work together to give us a sense of fear while they are on screen. Gans was not afraid to get gory, having several scenes with deformed and tortured bodies – as seen above – even as far as to where we see Pyramid Head skin a human being.. with his bare hands. [find warrenisweird on Facebook to see the GIF!] These scenes are extremely effective, and almost always adds to the intensity of the movie.

Finally, we have the best part of the movie: the fact that you don’t need any significant knowledge of the games to be familiar with Silent Hill‘s atmosphere – specifically within the town itself – It feels like the world is cloudy and dreamlike, like a living thing. Silent Hill is scary not because of it’s monsters and dark areas, but because it changes based on your darkest fears, secrets and sins.. Making this fear a very personal nightmare.

I mean, sure, the game was scarier. Way scarier. There was something appealing about the vagueness of the story here though – the fact that it was never fully explained. Some parts [specifically in the final act] could have been edited down and made more intense, but this is just nitpicks.. overall, the movie is really well done – especially being a video game adaptation – which don’t usually go over well. This goes above and beyond your standard fare horror flick. It’s made for horror fans, but feels like a love letter to the fans of the game as well!

did I mention I love The Nurse demons?

I’m not saying this movie is flawless, it definitely has it’s positives and negatives, but for a video game adaptation – it’s pretty damn good. Again, I won’t be mentioning the sequel, Silent Hill: Revelations 3D, unless someone requests it – but being such a terrible sequel/adaptation, I might have to talk about it..for the sake of how bad it is. [if you want me to review it, let me know in the comments!] So does Silent Hill hold up after ten years? I’m going to say that I, personally, believe the only answer here is: Yes. I loved it then, I love it now, and I really want to [re]play through the games.

As always, now I turn to You. What are Your thoughts on an Silent Hill? Is it something you enjoyed? Or were you more a fan of the games? Let me know your thoughts on the matter in the comments! If you haven’t played the Silent Hill games – I strongly recommend sitting through and playing the series, or at the very least, watch a play through on Youtube! As reiterated [about 3 times] above, if you want me to review Silent Hill: Revelations 3D, let me know that in the comments as well! Also, if you find yourself to enjoy what I do on here, then please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 149+ likes – only a few more and we’ll have reached over 150!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been “gone live” online; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog.

Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! I’ve also been writing way more reviews on my Letterboxd account, this is because I’m trying to review every single movie I watch  – with each review coming the very next day after viewing! Are you interested yet? Check me out over there and click that “follow” button! I’m just bound to follow you back because I like reading other people’s thoughts on film, as well as writing reviews myself!

[I was legitimately shocked at the visual quality of this “monster!”]

THANKS FOR READING.

horror gaming: MARYSE

A few days ago, I was going through my email, unsubscribing to newsletters and websites I no longer use when I came across an email about an account I hadn’t thought of – let alone remembered – in a while: Newgrounds. If you’ve ever been on the site, you’ll quickly notice that it still looks the same, almost like a relic frozen in time. Naturally, I looked around the website, checked out a few flash animations, and ended up where I used to always end up: the flash games. Like the site itself, the games portal seems very much the same as it always was: minimalist formatting and categories on the left in a row.I went through a few games, but decided instead to see if I had any games “saved to my profile”. Sure enough, I had a few – six to be exact. One game, really stuck out to me: almost like it was familiar, but I couldn’t figure out why. This game was none other than Maryse. It’s a simple click-and-point game, and it’s also very short; but holy crap does it ever deliver in the scare factor. It’s atmosphere and dark colors make it feel kind of like a Silent Hill game.. if Silent Hill was in 16bit.

In the game, you play as Maryse – Who is woken up on a stormy night by her a light on computer. [which she seems to have left on overnight] When you go over to it, she explains that she doesn’t remember leaving it on, but she quickly dismisses this notion when she notices she has a new message; from someone she doesn’t know. [the sender didn’t leave a name]

This message is somewhat bleak, only saying “They Are Coming For You.” Quickly dismissing it as a prank, Maryse decides to get a drink from her kitchen, probably to relax and go back to sleep, when she hears something – or someone – from behind her door. She calls out, but after getting no reply, she decides the best course of action is to hide in her closet. Good thing too, because this thing suddenly appears:

that’s…gross looking.

By this point in the game, I assumed that Maryse can see through the cracks in her closet, because after seeing…that, she decides she needs to leave her apartment.  She gets dressed and leaves through the door. [which looks a lot like Super Meat Boy] However, almost immediately after leaving, a note is seen pinned to the door, asking how she is. Also, it looks like it’s inked in blood! More scared than she already was, she heads for the elevator, when the monster [from the picture above] appears again, screeching at her. [headphones on full is probably a bad idea] She dashes into the elevator, if only to catch her breath. I swear her luck isn’t that great, because the elevator then breaks: causing her to hurt her head and end up in the basement of her building.

It’s from here you have to escape the basement, and ultimately: the building. I won’t describe how/what to do any further [I have to leave you some surprises afterall] in Maryse. Like I said above, it’s fairly short but but it’s definitely worth your time if you’re looking for a quick scare. The best part is that it’s a free-to-play game! If you’re a fan of horror and you grew up playing Super Nintendo, you’ll love the play style and the art design of Maryse. Does this game sound like something you’d like to try? CLICK HERE to play it and tell me in the comments what You thought of it. Also, one quick thing: I’m planning something new for this website. I’ve said it before and never ended up doing it but starting on Sunday, I am officially beginning this new segment – when it will reach the actual blog, I’m not sure yet. [time to edit, etc] I’ll explain more as it comes closer!

But as always, if you find yourself to enjoy what I do on here, then please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 130+ likes – only a few more and we’ll have reached over 150!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

THANKS FOR READING.

HORROR GAMING: TERRORDROME: RISE OF THE BOOGY MEN

When I’m not just lounging around, watching movies – thinking of my next post – I’m usually found guilty of sitting on the couch playing video games. One such pleasure in the video game world is the Mortal Kombat series, specifically, Mortal Kombat 9. The fatalities are gruesome, the gameplay is great, and the difficulty tends to step it up as you progress. One of the best parts of the game was if you bought “THE KOMPLETE EDITION”, [or paid for DLC] you actually unlocked Freddy Krueger as a playable character: with his own fatalities and attacks inspired by the Nightmare On Elm Street films. [unfortunately, it was remake Freddy that was playable] So naturally, part of this post was inspired by the fact that Jason is to be a DLC character for the new Mortal Kombat game: Mortal Kombat X.

but today we talk about Terrordrome, a fan-made fighting game by Huracan Studio for the PC. It’s a little game that features 14 of the most iconic horror movie characters, such as Ash, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Leatherface and others; [see the entire character list here] fighting against each other one on one – Sort of like a Mortal Kombat game. It also features stages and environments based on the movies each character is from. It’s essentially the Horror-loving gamer’s dream for a fighting game that ends with a bloody brawl to the death! If all this wasn’t exciting enough, Terrordrome is also free to download – though it’s hard to get to their site – and it’s arguably the best looking fan made game I’ve seen in a long time: with it’s stop-motion look, moody/depressing levels, and it’s attention to the small details that make the game incredible: especially for a fan project. I mean, the fact that Michael Myers stands completely still when he’s not attacking his enemy, or how Ash has an attack where he literally raises the dead. These custom move sets, these animations, and all the movie references make this game a must-play! Before you ask, it does include a two-player mode, along with a somewhat basic story mode, which attempts at pulling all the horror universes together..

choose your fighter!

At the current time, I’m ashamed to admit that I haven’t downloaded and played Terrordrome yet, but that doesn’t mean I’m not excited to. If it plays well, and the controls are decent enough, this could very well be the fighting game the die-hard horror fan in me has always wanted. If not, well – at least it can be said that it was an ambitious attempt to praise proper horror, from yesteryear’s classics. But the question remains, have you played Terrordrome? Do you want to play Terrordrome? If you do decide to download it, be sure to share your thoughts about it in the comments. Be sure to also check out the game’s trailer below!

[NOTE: If you decide that you want to try to download Terrordrome, be sure to click “Download Current Version”]

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THANKS FOR READING.

horror gaming: [coming soon] Friday The 13th: The Video Game [2015]

Whenever I write a “horror gaming” segment on here, I tend to choose games that have been released already, usually ones that have been around for a fair share of time. However, today’s edition changes that. Today, we’re going to be talking about a game that isn’t released yet, but still has enough of a grab on my attention: Friday The 13th. To give a slight back story, there hasn’t been a Friday The 13th game since LJN‘s NES game that was based on the 80’s movie. [if you really wanted to – you can actually play the classic NES game online here: just click “play now!” on the page] But if what I’ve read is true, this is all going to change this coming year..

According to Friday The 13th creator Sean S. Cunningham, a new game based on the film is in the process of being made by an “experienced game studio” that he left unnamed. He mentioned that this new game is slated to be released in October 2015, and that the best part of all this? Unlike the [not scary at all] NES game, this version of Friday The 13th: The Video Game is said to feature a team of “resourceful survivors” who will be going up against a “player-controlled” Jason Voorhees in an co-operative and/or competitive multiplayer environment! Talk about awesome

Based on the fact that it’s planned for October, the game seems to be planned to go along with with the upcoming Friday The 13th TV series – yeah, that’s a thing – and the newest installment in the film series Friday The 13th 2015. [which is being released November 13th, 2015] Although the game hasn’t been “officially” announced to the world as of yet, The game looks like it’s going to be keeping with Jason‘s appeal, as proven by a piece of the game’s concept art which shows how the game is seemingly going to play out. This concept art though, kind of reminds me of the Left4Dead games somewhat, with it’s two “good guys” holding weapons in hiding, while Jason – player 1 – is lurking around the corner.. The thing I’m excited for is the fact that even Jason is controlled by a player – instead of the usual, and typical, computer controlled villain. It actually seems that horror games have been gaining attention lately, with games such as Dead Space, Slender, [don’t even get me started on that topic] F.E.A.R, – and the one I haven’t played yet, but need to pick up – The Evil Within; all being increasingly popular. I’m glad that this is a trend that’s picking up. I think a little fear is healthy – especially when it comes to video games. [agree? disagree? sound off in the comments!]

But enough about what I think. How do you feel about the idea of a new Friday The 13th game? Does it look like a horror fan’s dream game, or just something that is a senseless cash-in in the world of slasher films/games? Let me know in the comments! Also, warrenisweird is on Facebook, so check me out over there and smash that “like” button for exclusive news/trivia! There’s just one more question that remains: will you defeat Jason when the time arrives? Only one way to find out!

really?? that‘s what we get for beating the NES game? damn..

THANKS FOR READING.

horror gaming: Zombies Ate My Neighbors!

What would you say if I were to mention a mad scientist named Doctor Tongue? and what would you say if I said he created a ton of monsters inside his evil castle, only to unleash them on nearby suburban areas – terrorizing the innocent civilians? Throw in two teenage friends into the mix, who had just witnessed these attacks from said monsters and thus decide that they must save their neighbors from certain death. Well, I’d say you’re probably playing a game from my childhood: Zombies Ate My Neighbors. This game is known as a “run and gun” game, which essentially means what it sounds like – basically, just run around and shoot the fuck out of enemies! It was developed by LucasArts [who are known for the Star Wars games] and was actually published by Konami [who later went on to make the Silent Hill games] for both The Super Nintendo and The Sega Genesis back in 1993.. I was [and still am] a Nintendo fan at large, so naturally; I played it over on the SNES!

The player[s] take control of heroes Zeke and Julie [see above] for the sole purpose of rescuing the neighbors from both monsters and zombies from classic horror movies. Aiding them in this task are a variety of weapons [such as the water gun in Zeke‘s hands, or even cans of soda..as grenades!]  that can be used to battle the numerous enemies. The game has elements and various aspects of horror movies [which are referenced in the game – more on this later.] and because of this, some of the more violent content had been censored in certain parts of the world, such as in Europe and Australia, where the game is known only as Zombies. Another cool thing is that although it wasn’t as huge of a success, Zombies Ate My Neighbors also spawned a sequel, calling itself Ghoul Patrol re-starring both Zeke and Julie who find themselves traveling through five [new] worlds to save their town from a horror exhibit come to life. This sequel was released a year later in 1994. [I never got to play the sequel, sadly]

Back to Zombies though, Our titular characters have to navigate through neighborhoods, shopping malls, pyramids and haunted castles. Along the way, they find themselves fighting against a variety of horror-movie monsters, including [but not limited to] a vampire, werewolves, huge demonic babies, [seriously though] squid-men, evil dolls [that are identical to Chucky], aliens, UFOs, giant ants, blobs, giant worms, and of course: zombies. The other awesome in-game referencing horror movies are the level titles. Below, I’ve written a list of the level names, along with the bonus levels. [try and see how many horror references you catch!]

1. Zombie Panic [Bonus Level: Day Of The Tentacle]
2. Evening Of The Undead
3. Terror In Aisle Five
4. Lumberjack Hedge Maze Mayhem
5. Weird Kids On The Block
6. Pyramid Of Fear
7. Dr. Tongue’s Castle Of Terror
8. Titanic Toddler
9. Toxic Terrors [Bonus Level: Mushroom Men]
10. No Assembly Required
11. Weeds Gone Bad
12. Mars Needs Cheerleaders [Bonus Level: Cheerleaders Versus The Monsters]
13. Chopping Mall
14. Seven Meals For Seven Zombies
15. Dinner On Monster Island
16. Ants
17. Office Of The Doomed [Bonus Level: Someplace Very Warm]
18. Squidmen Of The Deep
19. Nightmare On Terror Street
20. Invasion Of The Snakeoids
21. The Day The Earth Ran Away
22. Revenge Of Dr. Tongue [Bonus Level: The Son of Dr. Tongue]
23. The Caves Of Mystery
24. Warehouse Of The Evil Dolls
25. Look Who’s Shopping
26. Where The Red Fern Growls
27. Dances With Werewolves
28. Mark Of The Vampire
29. Zombie House Party
30. The Horror Of Floor Thirteen
31. Look Who’s Coming To Dinner!
32. Giant Ant Farm
33. Fish & Crypts [Bonus Level: Curse Of The Pharaohs]
34. I Was A Chainsaw Maniac
35. Boardwalk Of Terrors
36. Monster Phobia
37. Labyrinth Of Horrors
38. Monsters Of The Blue Lagoon
39. Destroy All Vampires
40. Pyramid Of Fear Two
41. Martians Go Home!
42. Spikes
43. Super Fund Cleanup Site
44. The Curse Of Dr. Tongue
45. Danger In Picnic Park
46. Day Of The Chainsaw
47. Gridiron Terror
48. Curse Of The Tongue [Credit Level: Monsters Among Us]

In each of above the 55 + stages, the player[s] have the goal of rescuing the surviving neighbors by walking into them, thereby “saving them”. When all the neighbors are “saved” [or killed, though at least one neighbor has to be saved] a door will open which brings you to the next stage. If the player does not find a neighbor in fast enough time, an enemy will kill them when walked into, stopping them from being saved for the rest of the level. [or until you’ve received an “Extra Bonus Victim” token]  Each level has [at most] ten neighbors to save, and each neighbor type is worth a different amount of points, which is broken down into sections below:

top row – left to right: evil teacher, baby, barbeque guy, tourists, trampoline girl                                                                        bottom row – left to right: soldier, inner-tuber, explorer, dog, cheerleader

Cheerleader – 1000 points

Baby – 700 points

Dog – 500 points

Explorer – 500 points

Trampoline Girl – 300 points

Tourists – 200 points

Inner-tuber – 100 points

Soldier – 100 points

Evil school teacher – 10 points

Barbecue Guy – 05 points

---

Ultimately, the game Zombies Ate My Neighbors is totally worth your while: it has tongue-in-cheek humor, it has horror, and it has awesome competitive play for you and your friends! If you have a Nintendo Wii and a credit card, the game is on the Virtual Channel for only 800 points! [which equals out to roughly $8.00]  So do yourself a favor, and pick this game up: you won’t be disappointed!

surprisingly, this is the art that was used for the Mexican box-art of Zombies Ate My Neighbors. I’d love to have this framed and put behind my TV!

THANKS FOR READING.

horror gaming: SILENT HILL: SHATTERED MEMORIES

as if a frozen little girl wasn’t creepy enough, right?

While there are already seven Silent Hill games before this one; Shattered Memories is the one of the only ones I’ve actually beaten all the way through, at least more than once. One thing to consider while playing is that Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is a remake/re-imagining of the first Silent Hill game. The game came out for Wii/Playstation2/Playstation Portable but for the sake of this post — I’m going by the one I have, since it’s the only version of it I’ve played: the Wii edition. Our story begins like any other Silent Hill game, a person [it’s been both a man and a woman in the past] and their daughter driving, until an accident spins them out of control. It’s only when the individual wakes from the accident, that you have the realization that your daughter is gone and you’re in a deserted town called “Silent Hill”. While I’m sure the game is more or less the same over each port, I like the version on the Wii mainly because when you’re playing, you use the Wii-Remote as a flashlight/cellphone moving the controller around like an actual tool you need. If that wasn’t enough to feel like you’re becoming the character, when you boot up the game and it’s loading, you get this on your screen: I remember first seeing that ‘warning’ and wondering just what was I getting myself into. It almost make me nervous to play because I’ve never seen anything like it when playing a video game. As it turns out, during certain points of the game, [it feels like an interactive cutscene] you are in an office re-telling a psychologist what you went through in Silent Hill — asking questions like “have you ever cheated on a lover?” or even “did you really love your daughter?” to which you shake the controller up and down to say “yes” or shake left and right to say “no”. He also has you pick cards from a deck and other strange things but these choices in-game are important: as they determine what the game does to you..becoming, quite literally, your own personal nightmare.

yep, yep, yep, and maybe?

The game has a couple endings; so by answering “tests”, like the one above, the game basically creates a custom game based on how you respond. I remember the game being really emotional the first time I played it, being that my ending was that Harry — the main character you play as — had killed his wife and daughter, and after realizing what he had done: killed himself. The whole game, I was a “supposed” spirit who had disconnected himself, trying to find his daughter due to regret. As for the whole psychologist part? turns out [according to my play through] it was the psychologist trying to piece together what Harry had said to him during their sessions before all this happened! [before he snapped] I mean, What. The. Fuck. So if you like horror gaming and you feel that you can handle the suspense, definitely give Shattered Memories a go, just be sure to answer as truthfully as you can during the psychologist’s questions — it definitely amps up the creepy-factor. There’s also a new “Silent Hills” playable trailer out for Playstation4, so if you get the chance; you should totally Youtube that! And this post concludes “horror gaming”, at least for now– but who knows? It just may come back another day. But for now, new posts will be about what I know best, horror films and “film studies”, etc!

THANKS FOR READING.

horror gaming: SAW [and] SAW II: FLESH & BLOOD

It’s always tough to make a game based on a movie, am I right? especially if it’s based on a series that spanned over seven films by it’s release. If the wasn’t difficult enough, how the hell are you supposed to make a game based around someone in “death traps” and then what happens next? Well, for that reason, today on “horror gaming” — I’m bringing up SAW and SAW II: FLESH AND BLOOD!

Like last time, the SAW games are available for both Xbox360 and Playstation3 so if I’ve caught your attention enough; they’re fairly cheap now. But the question is why? Why were they so badly overlooked? Was it because SAW is considered “torture porn”? Maybe, but the games were actually decent, at least for what they were. I’m going to try and explain this the best I can, without getting too confusing. As explaining the differences/similarities between the games and films can be kind of tricky. sigh. Okay, here we go;

The first game takes place between the movies: SAW and SAW II. You play as Detective Tapp, who we last heard — was obsessing over the death of his partner Sing and doing everything to apprehend Jigsaw. The game however, [which I presume starts at the end of the first movie] starts with Tapp in a reverse bear trap [similar to the one Amanda wore in the first film] and already you’re up to the challenge of getting him out of it: rotating the joystick counterclockwise and pushing the corresponding button flashing in the corner. When you finally get the device off, is where the game begins [see what I did there??]

It’s in that moment you realize you’re locked in what looks like public bathroom. and although the lighting is quite terrible, you find a lighter on a table nearby, which becomes is your light-source for about 95% of the entire game! when you make your way to the door to exit — it’s [naturally] locked with a combination lock. The code is found painted backward on the doors to the bathroom stalls and you need to close them all and look in the mirror to read it and get the fuck out!

Now that’s all I’m going to say about the beginning [I’m not writing this as a walk-through haha] but as for story-line you come across quite a few news files [which are collectibles] which tie the game you’re playing to the films. Mentioning names from various SAW characters [old and new, including Tapp‘s son?] and what they have been doing. Throughout the game however, each chapter is divided by a person’s name; which is the person you have to save in each chapter. The final game chapter, is titled only as TAPP. Which I took as symbolism for “saving yourself”. I won’t say much, but I will say one thing — that ending is pretty extreme. even for a game based on SAW.

The second SAW game is where the extremities really stepped up. It’s a direct sequel to the first game, as you now play as Tapp‘s son, Michael. [but not before doing some crazy opening knife cutting sequence, which looks exactly like the opening to the film SAW II and works the same way as the start of the first game] While you’re not put in a reverse bear trap, like your father, you’re stuck in a train shaft [at least that’s what I thought it was..] and have push gated barriers out of the way, creating an opening to exit through — almost like a reverse Tetris. As with the first game, you come across people to save and files to collect, but this time around you get to collect seven Billy dolls, one in each chapter of the game — probably symbolizing the seven movies, the catch is that each one is hidden behind the most difficult of traps.

The ending to SAW II: FLESH AND BLOOD was much more of a higher note than the first SAW game. While still fairly extreme in story telling, it wasn’t as depressing to see, making you question if helping the people in the first game was really worth it.

If I had to choose FLESH AND BLOOD was definitely the superior game, both in fear, and in quality. In the end, it’s still “game over” as there were only two games, and probably no chance at a third. [correct me if I’m wrong!]

Also, if you’re still interested in more SAW, that the first SAW movie is going to [select] theatres on October 31st 2014 to celebrate it’s ten-year anniversary date! finally, don’t forget to join me tomorrow for my final “horror gaming” sequence, before we go back to scary movies until Halloween! Tomorrow’s game is none other than the SILENT HILL series!!

THANKS FOR READING.