Results tagged “horror”

Bioshock approaches the way you play through video games in a way many of us have never seen. Well, at least it did when a lot of gamers played it two years ago. The problem with being late to the party for a particular game is that if you're the kind of person who likes to keep up with everything related to video games, you can't help but hear about some of the best details about popular and well-received games. Not to say that people started freely discussing spoilers about the game, assuming that everyone played it (which would be discourteous even at this point), but people can't help talking about why they liked that game. Though they're mentioned casually and with the best of intentions, they sure can tarnish the experience somewhat for someone who hasn't ventured through the game.

It's nice to be able to keep track of everything gaming related, especially if you're making blog posts on a site like this. But it sure has some irritating setbacks.

But it's not all bad, though. Bioshock is the kind of experience that shines while you're playing it. The subterranean city of Rapture as a place that exists in 1960 is bizarre and creepy enough that you can't help but be entranced at its aesthetics and unnatural happenings as you venture through it. Who the heck are these "Splicers," and why are they intnet on shooting me to death? And what the heck is a Big Daddy? The combination of both the enemies and environments that seem to crumble around you makes for an involving and creepy atmosphere, the likes of which you've probably never experienced before.

(Well OK, unless you've played System Shock.)

The story is also told in a way that really puts you in the game as well, and leads you through a tale of deception and overcoming yourself. The game works in a way that makes you challenge what you're doing in terms of morality, and makes you skeptical of the people you meet along the way. Who knows what their real intentions are, but without them, you'd have no guidance. You don't really have a choice, and it leaves you with no other option but to press on.

It also presents you with the ability to question your own sense of morality, the outcome of which will alter people's perception of you and radically change the ending. Bioshock actually incorporates the notion of the usual through-the-motions gameplay inherent in so many games -- this one included -- as a major plot point. It's also possible to get so emotionally attached to some of the games thematic elements so much that you could genuinely feel bad afterward.

Bioshock really don't have a soundtrack of its own, but it doesn't need one either. All of the sounds you'll hear doing the game -- well, the ones that aren't enemies, gunfire, etc. -- are all sounds you'd expect to hear from the period. It's a treat for anyone who remembers TV shows, movies, and music from that time; for anyone that wasn't around then, and that's probably the majority of you, it all adds to the mood and environment the game exudes.

Plenty of people around the internet complained that the game was a little too easy thanks to conveniently-located Vita Chambers. But no, they actually help balance the difficulty pretty well. If not for their convenient locations, the quality of the overall game would've diminished because of how frustrating it would have inevitably been. Even if you're experienced with shooters, you'll die quite a bit while enemies sometimes get the jump or you, especially if they're of the Big Daddy variety.

It's a testament to how great Bioshock is, given that even from hearing people gush about it ad nauseam (especially at the end of 2007), it's still a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Note the use of the word "experience," because it's not particularly memorable solely because of its gameplay experience. No, it's the entire package that you'll still think about for years to come; it's different from most other games because of usually dissonant elements that all need to work together cohesively to form something special. And that's what Bioshock is best at.

We're now in the advent of Halloween, a time where people will be watching movies, reading books, and playing video games based with some theme of fear and horror in them. The day of Halloween itself is, around most parts, usually seen as an excuse for kids to dress up and get sugar high because of all the candy they'll consume. (Though there may be a hindrance this year.) Somehow it also became a consummation time for adults also, in that they'll engage in some kind of entertainment medium that will horrify them.

But way too many sites around the internet are giving recommendations on what to watch, read, and play. So here's a mini-feature about the games you definitely won't be playing at this time of the year, either because of delays due to the frightening (ha ha) duo of Halo 3: ODST and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 or plain bad timing.

When Silent Hill: Shattered Memories was revealed earlier this year, its developers promised that it would be a return to form for a franchise whose installments since Silent Hill 3 have been a pretty questionable (excusing Origins, of course). Shattered Memories is a retelling of the first game in the franchise that seeks to differ itself from the creepy immersion factor previous games in the franchise strove for. That's not to say it won't intend to be horrifying, but that its new features plan on making it more horrifying. The game is built from the ground up to use the Wii's motion controls to semi-realistically control protagonist Harry Mason's actions.  Of course, the PSP and PS2 versions will miss out on that feature, not to mention they're being handled by a different developer.

But it's been delayed quite a few times now. Its original date was earlier this month, until it was silently moved back until early-November. But it's not that anymore either, with it having a date of early-December. Apparently Konami felt it needed a little more time in the oven, which probably isn't a bad thing. Who knows if it will be delayed again.

Though it's not liable give you any scares, there's something harrowing about venturing through Dracula's Castle while blood is dripping from crevices in the background. It's the feeling that Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth intends to recapture: the classic feeling of journeying through a bizarrely designed iteration of a castle whose platforming is as frightening as its enemies. Actually, this game being here is kind of a lie, because it's actually available on WiiWare right now. Well, in Japan at least. It's due for a release in America and Europe any week now, though a good week would have been this very one.

Not that the fact that it didn't release this week is a surprise, since Konami hasn't even announced the game outside of Japan. Though given current release standards, it'll release in Europe tomorrow, and in America next Monday. If that doesn't happen, then that means Cave Story comes Monday, right?

(Yeah, sure.)

If I owned a Wii, I'd sure be disappointed if I didn't have that new Castlevania game for Halloween! Though it's likely there's at least one you haven't given a shot yet. If there is, just make sure you stay the hell away from any of the 3D ones -- a trend that hopefully Lords of Shadow will buck next year. Also, I'd definitely like Shattered Memories to be good, as I think the franchise deserves some success after suffering a minor hindrance in the last, oh, five years (again, excusing Origins). That's all for Konami, but I'll have some from Capcom tomorrow.

Nearly four years after its release on the 360's launch, it turns out Condemned: Criminal Origins is still a pretty scary game.

No, this isn't some clever way to lead into talking about how badly the game's character models have become with age, like some sites around the internet. They have, sure, but it's precisely what you'd expect from a game released in the earliest time of the console generation. But what matters with the game is how engrossing a game that prides itself in being the first current generation horror game stands up to the test of time. Playing it now, Condemned is still an enjoyable game; unless you're that fastidious about said models.

Actually, that unintentionally adds to the mood it presents. Here's a game whose itinerary is to be anything but pretty, and the majority of the character models you see are of enemies that are either trying to beat you to death with any inanimate object lying around or shoot you. The character models are horrifying, but seeing them run after you incredibly quickly is enough to have your blood pumping enough to fend them off efficiently. In other words, you're now experiencing the game in a way that's better than what the developers intended.

Condemned weaves together the tale of a man named Ethan Thomas, a SCU agent on the trail of a mysterious criminal known as the Match Maker. He's initially acute enough to make it far into the building - with your help, of course -- where another murder of the Match Maker's has taken place, but it's a pity that he slips up and loses his gun to a criminal. Said criminal shoots and kills two of his partners with a weapon that has his fingerprints on them. This leads to Ethan, though some spurious leap of logic, being branded a traitor and a fugitive of the law. No one ever said video game narratives had to be works of art, and Condemned is pretty average in that department. That doesn't stop it from being entertaining, however.

Thankfully, the focus on the story itself is a tertiary concern compared to the act of venturing though a moody, harrowing atmosphere. Condemned may be a first-person game, but it differs from a lot of titles in the genre by placing a primary focus on survival. Guns are pretty effective, but they're rather sparse and stocked with little ammo. You'll occasionally stumble upon them as you travel though numerous dreary locations; they're the most effective weapons in the game, which you can especially tell when you're being shot by them. You'll mostly be relying on melee combat to fend off enemies, which requires mastering how to block and counter effectively. You can tell Monolith wanted to keep things realistic while maintaining the identity of a video game: sometimes you can die quickly, but it'll rarely happen in a way where it felt unfair.

In the event that you find yourself suffering from your injuries, health kits are spread around to help mend your wounds. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to jump headfirst into this expecting your wounds to automatically regenerate after taking a few hits. It's a pretty old-school kind of way to do it, but it doesn't do much to ravage its achievement of verisimilitude. Though, like a game, it frequently takes liberties with reality, which is perfectly fine.

Your enemies aren't completely brainless, though. Sometimes they know the way around how to attack you, and they'll get smarter as you get further in the game. But it's not all roses for them either, as you'll occasionally see them fighting upon themselves. You can feel free to wait for them to finish each other off...well, unless one of them has a gun you want.

Ethan is regarded as being especially acute when it comes to investigating clues, and you can use this sensibility to keep track of enemies though each level. Your findings are sent right to the forensics department of the SCU, as one of the investigators, Rosa, decides to stick with you. There's actually quite a bit of variety in the evidence analysis you'll be doing throughout the game, and some levels are even built around it. It also never feels like it breaks into the action and is forced down your throat.

Condemned is frightening in a purely psychological way, not in the Resident Evil SURPRISE style that wore out its welcome about three games in. The game tries to psyche you out with numerous ambient sound effects that will make you question whether it's actually safe to go on, because it constantly isn't. Admittedly, it's much more frightening when you haven't gotten a grip on how combat works just yet, but the game does a good job of easing you in to learn the ropes for combat, and learning not to get too trigger-happy whenever you happen upon a gun.

Unlike many launch titles from any period, Condemned was one of the few games that didn't need launch goggles in late November. Anyone who purchased the game knew they had something that was quality, which is why is one of the only games mentioned with minimal criticism these days (the other game being Call of Duty 2). It's still worth playing too, and you can still find it around for a very cheap price.

Every so often I'll try out an unknown anime movie on TV. Not because I'm particularly excited about the movie but because it's more or less free to watch. Occasionally I'll see an anime movie worth buying and watching over again. But more often that not I'll watch the movie once, find myself glad I didn't pay for it, and never watch it again. Unfortunately Strait Jacket (a three episode OVA spliced into a movie) fell into the latter category, and except for the purpose of this review I'd like to forget I ever watched it. It isn't because Strait Jacket had a bad story or ideas, those elements were just badly executed and underdeveloped.

In an alternate universe sorcery was discovered in the year 1899. As society modernized science and sorcery were able to coexist, and sorcery is used in many aspects of everyday life. From the medical world to the military, sorcery is restricted and regulated by the government. While magic has generally made people's lives better it also has the potential to curse the user, eventually turning him or her into a grotesque man-eating demon. The military arm of sorcery management, known as the Sorcery Management Bureau, is tasked with hunting down these demons and destroying them with magic. Specialized warriors known as tactical sorcerists wear special armored suits called modes. The modes have two main purposes; to protect the user during battle and to prevent the user from becoming a demon themselves. In other words, the mode prevents the user from becoming the very thing they must destroy. For this reason mode users are also known as strait jackets.


No offense, but if there was a chance I'd mutate into something like that  while using sorcery I'd pass. Seriously, no thanks.

Strait Jacket's plot revolves around Leiot Steinberg, an unlicensed (i.e. illegal) lone operative tactical sorcerist and Isaac Hammond a sorcerist within the government. Steinberg is well-known for using highly destructive methods and illegal spells in order to dispatch of demons. The Sorcery Management Bureau is forced to call on Steinberg for help when the actions of the Ottoman Organization, a terrorist group, drastically increases the number of demon attacks on the city of Tristan, leaving the government short-handed. Steinberg reluctantly agrees to help, but refuses to officially join the government. Meanwhile, Hammond a tactical sorcerist who does everything by the book disagrees with the choice to let Steinberg do as he pleases. When the two occasionally cross paths during battle the animosity between them is palpable.

Strait Jacket starts off strong but ultimately fails in terms of plot and character development. The entire conflict with the Ottoman Organization being in league with the Sorcery Management Bureau to orchestrate demon attacks in Tristan is made clear early on. It could have been a major source of interest given how Steinberg works outside of the system and the antagonists clearly want him dead. Instead, the entire Ottoman Organization/Sorcery Management Bureau ties only serve to bring misery and misfortune to Hammond, which further fuels his contempt for Steinberg. When the antagonists are finally called out and punished for their misdeeds the resulting struggle is so anti-climatic that it borders on boring.


Because magic and metal never looked so good together. Except for when the armor breaks in battle, then everyone is screwed.

The eventual showdown between Steinberg and Hammond is marginally more interesting, but only from a philosophical point of view. Their differing life experiences (an anti-hero who wants atone for his sins and a hero who failed to protect what was important to him), manifests itself in the form of a physical confrontation. This plotline while good to a degree, came at the expense of the terrorist organization one. In short, Strait Jacket really suffers because 76 minutes simply isn't enough time to pursue both plotlines to their fullest potential.

Character development was also stifled because of the lack of time. Steinberg is the main character of the series but he more or less remains an enigma. Other than discovering his reason for fighting so recklessly and why he wishes to die (thus finding atonement), the ambiguity surrounding him is never lifted. By the end of Strait Jacket all of his potential (like the plot) is wasted in a frustrating way. Hammond and his little sister Rachel, are interesting characters but only because a tragic sense of foreboding hangs over them for the entire series. All of the other characters were easily forgettable.


Leiot Steinberg: "Sorry ladies, I'm not available. I'm too busy being emo when I'm not making a wise-crack. Thanks for looking though!"

The quality of the animation was fairly good and got the whole horror/steampunk theme across well. The animators at Feel were going for a gritty, horrific setting and they pulled it off. Still, there was nothing to really get excited about. If the animation was good then the music can be considered unremarkable. It didn't clash with the horror/steampunk/sorcery genre, but none of the songs are worth remembering.

The voice acting on the dub was mediocre at best. It wasn't a horrible dub but it wasn't a good one either. Steven Blum as Steinberg is by far the most spirited actor of the group, but his role may not have been a good fit. Considering Steinberg's heavy emotional burdens, Blum's wise-cracking nature may have been an attempt at a character who makes light of his situation. Or they could have been out of place entirely, I couldn't really tell. Because I don't have access to the subtitled version I can't make a fair comparison. Crispin Freeman delivers a solid enough performance as Hammond, but I've heard him perform better. All of the other actors were lackluster, yet I can't fault them considering how lackluster Strait Jacket is overall.


Kapelteta Fernandez is Steinberg's partner in crime, so to speak. Too bad she doesn't get much development either.

When everything is said and done Strait Jacket suffers from being way too short for its own good. Had it been a few episodes longer, or an actual movie (instead of being spliced into one) it may have been much better. The plot held lots of promise but failed to deliver, and many of the characters were uninteresting. If you're looking for a series that blends science and sorcery you could do much better with a title like Fullmetal Alchemist. If you're dying to watch a horror movie with a magical angle to it Strait Jacket may be worth renting, or watching on late-night TV. Otherwise, I'd recommend giving this disappointment a wide berth at the video store.