When I first purchased my PS3 way back in 2008, one of the first games I picked up was a little RPG title called Folklore. The name reminded me of Microsoft’s Fable, and coupled with high praise from reviewers I thought it would be the perfect way to break in my console. I started her up, played through a long opening, and soon became distracted by the other games I had procured with my console: the incredible adventures of Nathan Drake in Uncharted, Solid Snake’s harrowing conclusion in Metal Gear Solid IV, and the stunning action of Heavenly Sword. Needless to say, the game has sat on my shelf practically since that moment, taunting me for never being able to journey past the game’s slow opening hours. As part of my New Year’s resolution, I felt it was high time to put this baby to sleep.
Folklore (PS3) Developed by: Game Republic Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment 2007
In Folklore, players take control of one of two characters: Ellen, a young girl with a mysterious past, and Keats, a reporter for an occult magazine. Both of the characters have traveled to the quaint Irish village of Doolin after receiving a haunting message from a dead woman. Doolin has a history with the dead, as legends say that within the village lies a means of venturing into the Netherworld where the souls of the deceased now live. Shortly after arriving in Doolin, Ellen and Keats become involved in a local murder mystery, and it’s up to the dup to solve this eerie whodunit by traversing into the Netherworld and communicating with lost souls.
It’s an intriguing story that is fitting for this fantastical adventure. The game’s visuals give off a whimsical horror appearance, with some characters appearing as if they have been ripped right out of a Tim Burton production. The environments are fun to explore as well, with each circle of the Netherworld becoming darker and more varied. One area for example is reminiscent of a fantasy World War I setting, while another endless corridors of an ancient castle.
Players control Ellen and Keats individually across seven chapters (and a prologue) with each character’s side having a unique perspective on the story. The duo interact with the citizens of Doolin in the real world to uncover the murder mystery, but it’s when venturing into the Netherworld that gameplay shifts primarily to using folks. Folks are the creatures that players encounter in the Neatherworld, and they can be battled and captured. Collecting folks is essential to the game, it’s with their abilities that players do combat. Capturing folks is much like Nintendo’s Pokemon: players must first use an element, such as fire or ice, that a folk is weak to, and then once it is near defeat tap a button to absorb their power. All battles are done in real time, with the folks’ abilities assigned to one of the four face buttons on the controller. This makes battles quick and intense, and more exciting than typical RPGs.
Capturing folks is sometimes done via a small mini game. All of these are done using the fireaxis feature of the PS3 controller. While most folks are collected with the tap of a button and the flick of the controller upwards, others require a little more precision. For instance, some folks require you to jerk the controller u at a certain moment, while others make you swing it to a rhythm to weaken the folks further. These moments add an extra layer of strategy to your battling. Traditional folks can easily be absorbed in the midst of battle, while the others require more time and usually cannot be safely captured until all other enemies are defeated. Players must choose wisely when to attempt these captures or risk being hit from behind.
Folklore may say that it’s an RPG, but I would say it’s an action-adventure game with mild RPG elements. Yes, there are experience points that level up your character, but leveling up only increases the character’s health. Folks can increase the power of their abilities, but for them to level up they do not require experience. Instead, each folk has a check list of things they must do in order to strengthen their abilities, such as defeating a certain number of creatures, or collecting items. All battles are done in real time, and there are no random encounters. There aren’t even items such as healing potions that can be used during or outside of battle. While the game is heavily focused on story, this is more accustomed to adventure games than RPGs, as these segments unfold with little to no player input.
Choosing to play as either Ellen or Keats isn’t simply window dressing. Each character’s storyline puts them at a unique perspective, and in order to unlock the final two chapters, players must complete all previous ones with both characters. Ellen and Keats also have unique abilities that are meant to differentiate one from the other. Keats can transform into a beast to unleash even more powerful attacks, while Ellen can dawn different outfits at save points that give her stat boosts. The folks that the characters collect also do different types of damage, and in some instances certain folks can only be acquired by one character. If collecting folks is similar to Pokemon, then both the Ellen and Keats storylines are accustomed to the dual Pokemon titles that typically release together. Players will journey through the same areas, live out the same story, but there are some unique creatures to be found on both sides.
While Ellen and Keats are made to be different, there isn’t enough there to make their storylines all that diverse. As stated before, both characters journey through the same areas in the same chapters, and battle the same creatures save for a minor few. Folk abilities are different, but not drastically enough that the characters play different. By the end of the game, both Ellen and Keats will have the same abilities, just linked to different folks. This becomes a chore to memorize, especially when players are constantly switching perspectives. The boss monsters encountered at the end of the chapters are also the same, although in some of the cases the battles go somewhat different for both protagonists. Still, other battles are essentially the same with very minor tweaks, making the fights monotonous.
The feeling of déjà vu doesn’t end there with Folklore. Except for the prologue and one other chapter, each section of the game plays out essentially the same: players begin in Doolin, uncover a clue that sends them to the Netherworld; then, they battle creatures for a few screens before reaching a mini-boss, followed by a save-point; afterwards, players travel through a few more screens before fighting yet another mini-boss (in most cases it’s the same boss as earlier), followed by a final save point; players must then fight through the last screens filled with minor enemies to battle the boss monster. Rinse and repeat for all other chapters.
Some of the music for the game are quite beautiful, setting the mystifying theme in a glorious way. The main theme’s somber piano for instance paints a foreboding and mysterious picture right from the outset. Most other soundpieces in the game are much more forgettable. The music in most of the realms for example are rarely more than fitting sound effects set as the backdrop to a dull melody. Most folks make little to no sound, robbing them of the rich personality that their appearance hints at. Folklore is widely inconsistent when voice acting should be used. Most cutscenes are shown in the style of a picture book, fitting the folktale theme, with no sound whatsoever. Sparingly, a full motion cutscene will occur in which some characters will speak and others will not. It’s jarring, especially during the instances in which the game cuts back and forth between such scenes. I would have favored no voice acting to be used at all rather than this mismatch of design.
Overall, Folklore is an entertaining game with an intriguing mystery and engaging action gameplay. Collecting and training the various folks can be addictive, especially for completionists. There is also numerous DLC options on the Playstation store, offering new quests to undertake, realms to explore, outfits to obtain, and folks to capture and train. I didn’t try any of these out however, thus I cannot comment on their quality. What I can say is the base game of Folklore should engage most RPG fans for the better part of 20 hours, perhaps double that for those that want everything the title has to offer.
This was a second playthrough for me (it was just that good)
where I went back to see other scenarios and collect achievements. This was
certainly a Game of the Year contender for 2014 for me, and I can’t wait to see
what Tale Tell has to offer in a sequel.
4.5/5 Stars
2.
Dragon Age Inquisition (Xbox 360) – February 9
I had been working on this beast since October. I did pretty
much all I could with my human rogue, and by the end of it I was completely
exhausted with fantasy games for awhile. The game was great (It was probably my
favorite game of 2014), but with so much content and spending so much time on
it, I was ready to move on. I still plan on returning to the world of Dragon
Age sometime soon, but it will just have to wait.
4.5/5 Stars
3.
Binary Domain (PS3) – February 12
After finishing with Inquisition, I wanted to play something
quick and explosive. This had been sitting on my PS3 from Playstation Plus for
almost a year, and thus I knocked it out in just two days. I loved it more than
I thought I would. Killing robots is always fun.
3.5/5 Stars
4.
The Darkness 2 (Xbox 360) – February 15
The first Darkness was one of my favorites. It had unique
gameplay, and one of the more emotionally crafted storylines I have ever
experienced. The Darkness 2 was enjoyable, but just lacked sometime that kept
it a little short of the original.
3/5 Stars
5.
Castlevania Symphony of the Night (Xbox 360) –
February 20
This was one of my favorite games from childhood that I
could never beat. Somewhere around the halfway point I would get lost and
eventually just stop. I aimed to put this game to rest even if I had to use a
guide. It still holds up after all this time.
4.5/5 Stars
6.
Arkham Origins (PS3) – February 22
I found this on sale at Gamestop and started playing through
it not long after finishing Inquisition. It wasn’t has horrible as many people
had told me, but I had no motivation to complete many of the side challenges as
I had in previous games. In fact, it’s the only Arkham game to that point that
I hadn’t earned the platinum trophy for completing everything, and I don’t plan
to.
3.5/5 Stars
7.
Castlevania IV (Wii) – February 27
After Symphony of the Night, I felt the urge to finish
another favorite from my childhood that I could never finish (this time due to
the sheer difficulty). With the magical help of Wii U save states, I was able
to complete what I feel is the best Castlevania to date.
4.5/5 Stars
8.
GTA 3 (PS2) – March 5
My original copies of the GTA trilogy were stolen from me
nearly a decade ago. While shopping at Walmart, I saw all three copies for less
than $10. I jumped on the deal, hooked up my PS2, and worked my way through the
original games in under a month. I still don’t know how I did it. The controls
for GTA 3 haven’t aged well, thus I had to rely on cheat codes late in the game
to finish (I’ve been spoiled on modern releases) but the game was just as great
as I remember it.
5/5 Stars
9.
Super Mario RPG (Wii) – March 8
Here is a favorite from my childhood that I actually have beaten. Several times, I might add.
I have owned this on my Wii for awhile but had never replayed it. I had been
working my way through it for about a month when I reached the credits for what
is possibly the 10th time in my life.
5/5 Stars
10.
Vice City (PS2) – March 12
It only took me a week to breeze through Vice City, which I
started as soon as I finished GTA 3. I loved the style and story of this game
perhaps the most of all of them, but it certainly has its flaws. Still, it was
the perfect sequel to what may have been the most important game on the PS2.
4.5/5 Stars
11.
San Andreas (PS2) – April 1
April Fool’s Day brought closure to CJ and the crew in San
Andreas. I didn’t do every single mission or collect every item, but I did do
the vast majority of it in a little over two weeks. I still think it’s the best
GTA game even after all this time.
5/5 Stars.
12.
XIII (PS2) – April 6
A fun, unique PS2 shooter, XIII I feel is often overlooked.
Many of the stealth moments created problems for me when I played it when it
first came out (despite being a pro at Metal Gear Solid), but I was able to
persevere this time through. I had aimed to run through a bunch of PS2 games
that I had never beaten after being so accustomed to the system with the GTA
series, but unfortunately this is as far as I got.
3/5 Stars
13.
I Am Alive (PS3) – April 12
I don’t remember much about this game, other than the
initial thought that the contrast was off and it needed more color. Once I got
used to all of the grey, I found this survival game to be enjoyable, if
somewhat forgettable.
2.5/5 Stars
14.
Game of Thrones (PS3) – May 7
This RPG, modeled slightly after the original Dragon Age:
Origins, received very critical reviews when it first launched, but I found it
to be a pretty good experience. No, it’s not as good as what Tale Tell has to
offer, nor is it as amazing as the television series (which was just launching
when this released) but it gives fans of the books and show a fascinating take
into a new chapter of the Song of Ice and Fire. I recommend it to anyone who
enjoys George R. R. Martin’s masterful work.
3.5/5 Stars
15.
Assassin’s Creed 2 (PS3) – May 29
This is by far my favorite Assassin’s Creed game, and when I
picked up the Ezio collection on PS3 (I owned each game individually on Xbox
360), I had to experience it again. Sometime soon I’ll go through the others,
but this game justified the purchase.
5/5 Stars
16.
Injustice (PS3) – June 3
It’s been a long while since I had played any fighting game
with any degree of regularity (even Smash Bros. doesn’t get as much love as it
deserves) but I wanted to play something different and Injustice had it. I
finished the storyline in a few brief sessions, enjoyed it, and haven’t picked it
up since. Fighting games just aren’t my thing.
3/5 Stars
17.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii) – June
I can’t remember exactly when in June it was that I finished
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (I went back to collect the extra stars after completing
the game and I never wrote down the exact date). Still, I loved it and kept
playing long after the credits rolled. I have yet to collect everything this
masterpiece has to offer, but I’m sure I will one of these days.
4.5/5 Stars
18.
Final Fantasy VI (PS3) - June
Another game I can’t remember when I beat it (June was a
rough month for me it seems!) but I remember it being around my birthday in
late June. This classic SNES title was another favorite, but I never owned it
and thus could never finish it. It certainly is one of the best RPGs out there,
giving the later, more popular Final Fantasy titles on Playstation a run for
their money. If you haven’t given this a serious playthrough, go do yourself a
favor.
5/5 Stars
19.
Rogue Legacy (PS3) – July 2
This game was HARD. Still, the “Metroid-vania” style of game
was tons of fun, and I even did a second playthrough a month later just out of
boredom. It’s perfect for a few quick play sessions when you want something a
little more substantial than an easier casual game.
4/5 Stars
20.
Resistance 2 (PS3) – July 4
I don’t love the Resistance games, but I picked up 2 and 3
for less than $5, which I felt was worth it. The games have always felt a
little too much like Halo-meets-Call of Duty, and frankly I’m tired of alien and military shooters. The later
chapters were pure brutal on the high difficulty I was playing on, but I was
entertained enough to finish it. I have yet to even turn on the third entry.
2/5 Stars
21.
Darksiders (PS3) – July 18
Another game that has sat on my PS3 for over a year after
getting on Playstation Plus, I felt I needed to check it off the list.
Darksiders reminded me of Soul Reaver, an amazing game to deserve a modern
remake. This is closest we have to that, and because of this I say you have to
play it.
3.5/5 Stars
22.
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (PS3) – July 9
I didn’t expect much out of this game when I booted it up,
but the wild west theme looked entertaining at least for a little while.
Entertaining is right. The arcade style shooter kept me glued through the short
campaign, so much so that when it ended late on the day that I started playing,
I went back for round 2. I’m sure I’ll go back for more this year.
4.5/5 Stars
23.
Labyrinth Legends (PS3) – July 25
The art and gameplay style reminded me of A Link to the Past
and similar top-down Zelda titles. The quick and challenging dungeons offered a
casual diversion from everything else I was playing at the time, which is
exactly what I needed. Still, it was far too short and can be finished in just
a handful of hours.
2/5 Stars
24.
Ducktales Remastered (PS3) – August 5
Ducktales was one of my favorite games growing up. The
platformer was near perfect on the NES, and needless to say I was very excited
when a remastered version with updated graphics and sound was announced. The
game is good, fun, and full of nostalgia. Some of the new areas don’t hold up,
with the last stage aggravatingly difficult. I haven’t played the original
since in order to compare, but I’d recommend the remastered version to anyone
wanting a fun afternoon.
4/5 Stars
25.
Deadly Premonition: Director’s Cut (PS3) –
August 20
This is one of my favorite games, but I have to say it is
indeed horrible. A great supernatural crime mystery is muddled with bad
graphics, terrible voice acting, horrible controls, and a disastrous combat
system. I still love it because, like a B movie, it’s so bad it’s great. Still,
it must get a low score for the mentioned reasons. If you like sci-fi/horror
mysteries, go get this game despite its many flaws.
1.5/5 Stars
26.
Brothers (PS3) – September 3
This was an enjoyable two-player puzzle game, but that’s
about all I can say about it. The atmosphere is darkly appealing mixed with a
childlike innocence, much like a Tim Burton movie, and I liked seeing what the
game offered next. Still, most of the puzzles were far too easy, and I ran into
numerous glitches in the short 3 hour campaign, forcing me to reload a
checkpoint.
2/5 Stars
27.
Final Fantasy X-2 (PS3) – September 4
When this first debuted in 2003, I was still in highschool.
The opening scene, with Yuna singing and dancing to J-pop music, and the battle
system that focused on dressing up the all-female squad really turned my
teenage self off from the game. I managed to complete it twelve years later,
and it’s not as bad as I remember. The story isn’t that great for an RPG, but
the combat is fast and fun. It’s leagues better than most of the games that
came after.
3.5/5 Stars
28.
The Last of Us (PS4) – September 12
The first game I played on my PS4, I couldn’t have chosen a
better one. I never got to play the original release due to so much going on in
my life when it released, and I saved the experience for when I purchased a
system upgrade. Wise decision indeed. Not only is this a fun game to play, but
the story is gripping and horror is genuine. One of the best games I’ve played
in years.
5/5 Stars
29.
Shadow of Mordor (PS4) – September 21
I didn’t know what to expect from this game when I picked it
up. I hadn’t seen much about it, it only knew it was like a Lord of the Rings
Assassin’s Creed game. That’s not too far from the truth, though I would
compare it more with the Arkham series of games. The Nemesis system of tracking
down generals and other high ranking Orcs was unique and addictive, and the
combat with solid, but I still wanted more. It only took me about 20 hours to
get a platinum trophy for this game, for an experience I expected would take
twice that long. I haven’t tried the DLC yet, but I will sometime this year.
30.
Steamworld Dig (PS3) – September 26
This was my third or so playthrough of this great game. I
had owned it on 3DS, but when I got it for free on Playstation Plus, I couldn’t
pass it up. It’s a short adventure, but can offer a very exciting two hours
that’s different every time you play it.
4.5/5 Stars
31.
The Witcher (PC) – Oct 9
One of my favorite RPGs, I had owned it on PC for years but
couldn’t progress too far without my old computer just unable to fully run it.
I upgraded my PC over the summer, and I immediately went back to the world of
the Witcher. It took me a few months, but when the game ended I needed more. I
jumped right into the Witcher 3 the next day. Needless to say I loved it.
5/5 Stars
32.
Sakura Samurai (3DS) – November 3
This was a neat little game that was challenging and fun. It
could have done a lot more, and towards the end the game was more tedious than
it was entertaining. Still, I enjoyed it more than I disliked it.
3/5 Stars
33.
The Witcher 3 (PS4) – Nov 21
My personal game of the year. The Witcher 3 does so many
things right that the few things it doesn’t are completely overshadowed. The
side quests are some of the best I’ve experienced in gaming; I just had to know
what was happening, and sought out to complete each and every quest I
encountered. The large, open world was the best I have explored since Skyrim.
Fantasy lovers, go play this.
5/5
34.
Fallout 4 (PS4) – December 25
My most anticipated game, I received the platinum trophy on
Christmas day. I was a little underwhelemed with Fallout 4, to be honest. I
never stopped playing, but much of the game felt like I had “been there, done
that,” especially after lengthy playthroughs of previous Fallout games. I
enjoyed the settlement building, but again so much more could have been done.
3.5/5 Stars
35.
Yoshi’s Woolly World (Wii U)– Deccember 26
I had been playing this game since its release, but Fallout
and others just ate up all of my time. I really had fun with the title, and
think it was the best Yoshi game since the original Yoshi’s Island. I personally
think the art style is the best that has been seen this year. The game is
challenging towards the end, especially when collecting all the secrets (which
I have yet to do), and can see this being a fun game for anyone at any age.
4/5 Stars
36.
Metroid Prime (Wii)– Jan 1st
Not quite in the year 2015, I finished this on New Year’s
Day and felt I should include it here. Metroid Prime is a marvelous title that
propelled the Metroid series into the realm of 3D. When I first played this on
the Gamecube, I could never figure out where to go past the midway point. This
time, with the aid of a guide, I was able to see it to the end. It has some
problems, particularly with some of the controls, but I loved it. Sometime soon
I aim to finish the game’s two sequels.
4.5/5 Stars
The Unbeatables:
Below is a list of games I have played this year that I have
not beaten or cannot beat due to how they are constructed (multiplayer based
games, etc).
·
Splatoon (Wii U)
·
Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)
·
Bloodborne (PS4)
·
Civilization 5 (PC)
·
Fantasy Life (3DS)
If you enjoyed this, please let me know. I have lists for previous years that I may upload if there is enough interest.
Real Name: None Classification: Extraterrestrial Organism Bio: The Thing is an extremely aggressive, fully adaptive organism that was picked up by an extraterrestrial zoological expedition, but the Thing attacked the crew causing the ship to crash land on Earth where the Thing went into a cryogenic stasis and stayed dormant for roughly 10,000 years. It was discovered by a Norwegian Antarctic crew who unearthed the being, believing it to be a major scientific find and also mistakenly believing it to be dead. It quickly assimilated its way through the crew, was nearly defeated but escaped in the form of a dog to then begin assimilation of a nearby American outpost. After being tracked to its new ship it was apparently destroyed, although it is hard to say whether or not the Thing was truly killed or if an aspect of it survived. Abilities: The Thing is extremely powerful and aggressive, given that it is a being that exists for no other purpose than survival. It is a living virus. All it wants is to spread. Each cell of this being is an individual creature existing for a single purpose, meaning that it can break down and reshape itself into any form, causing any part of it to launch a full-fledged attack and making it almost impossible to completely destroy. Characteristics: It’s hard to say whether or not the Thing displays actual intelligence or if it simply a virus acting in its own best interest. There are times in which it displays possible cognitive intelligence by assuming the form of the host for an extended period of time although this could easily simply be the creature repurposing biological memories. Whether it is capable of cognitive function or not, it does seem to be smarter the bigger it gets. Franchise: The Thing Appearances: The Thing (1982), The Thing (2011)
I know I’m human. And if you were all these things, then you’d just attack me right now, so some of you are still human. This thing doesn’t want to show itself, it wants to hide inside an imitation The Thing (1982) dir. John Carpenter
The Thing Developed by Computer Artworks Published by Black Label Games Distributed by Vivendi / Konami 2002, Xbox / PS2 / PC
The Thing is one of my favorite survival horror games, which is based on one of my favorite horror movies. Most movie based games are complete duds and should be avoided at all costs, but as The Thing shows, this isn’t always the case. Just as the marvelous games based on Scarface and The Godfather show, waiting about twenty years to bring a movie into video game format might be a far better move than rushing it out to coincide with the movie’s release.
The Thing has a complicated history. The game is a sequel to the 1982 classic film of the same name directed by John Carpenter (Halloween, Escape From New York, Assault on Precinct 13), which was actually a reimaging of the 1951 film The Thing from Another World. All versions feature a shape-shifting alien being that terrorizes scientists and crew members at a remote Arctic research facility. A prequel/remake of Carpenter’s version of the movie was released in 2011 to poor reviews.
The video game adaption of The Thing is just as chilling as its big screen predecessor. Players control the leader of a squad of soldiers tasked with investigating the Arctic research facility that was savagely attacked by the alien life form from the movie. The game is very intense, with haunting environments, blood-pumping combat, and superb graphics for the time.
Much of the terror in The Thing comes from the alien that is out to devour you and your squad. The plant-like creature attacks in swarms, sending dozens miniature portions of itself to crowd the player at a time. What’s worse is that the alien can reanimate fallen soldiers, turning them into human-sized, lumbering monstrosities that tear down falls and beat down doors in attempt to murder the player. Then, there are the times in which the alien mimics members of your own squad. Sometimes the alien can be fighting right alongside you, catching you off guard before striking when you’re most vulnerable.
The shape-shifting nature of the alien makes The Thing’s gameplay different from all other third-person shooters and survival horror games. The game incorporates a “trust and fear” system in which to monitor your squad mates. Since you do not know at any one time who might be the alien, you are constantly testing your team. The Thing was one of the first squad based games in which you could share ammunition and health packs, or trade weapons. This helps you judge whether your squad has been taken control by the alien or not: if a team member who has a high degree in trust in you suddenly doesn’t want to cooperate, then chances are he is actually the Thing. Should you suspect that your ally is now your foe, you have the choice to kill him. If you are right, the rest of your crew will praise you on your ineptness. If you are wrong though, your squad will think you are paranoid, and lose trust in you. Losing trust can mean refusing to help you when you ask for it, to even having them think that you are the Thing and attempt to kill you under their own suspicions.
A similar feature is the “fear” system. Games prior to The Thing attempted to monitor your sanity in environments, but few games before and after The Thing have attempted to monitor the sanity of all individual characters. Your squad reacts to the environment in The Thing more so than the player character: entering an area covered in blood, being aggressively attacked, and paranoia can all add to your squad’s fear. If a team member gets scared enough, they may run away from a fight, shoot at shadows or overuse ammunition in a real encounter, or possibly even commit suicide. The player may try to erase their squad’s fear by increasing their trust in the protagonist, but if a teammate is too frightened, the player may have to kill them before they do something drastic that endangers everyone in the squad.
The Thing’s “trust and fear” systems made the game a stand-out title that is still enjoyable nearly ten years later. The only disappointment about this feature is that it is very linear: an experienced player will know which team members fall under the Thing’s control and when, and can thus eliminate them before anything drastic happens. It would be very interesting to see how a similar feature could be used in games today, where a different character could be the Thing every play through.
Rule number one: Never go to an abandoned building filled with disgusting, bloody human body bags on the 13th floor on Dying Light.
Results may contain the following:
Jump Scares
Seizures
Crapping Your Pants by a vicious Zombie
Losing your brain
Screaming from your lungs
And importantly,
Crying in tears by a friend next to you laughing hysterically for making a decision which intentionally isn’t your fault.
That friends is what Survival Horror is about | Reblogged : #videogames Instagram: seditionthroughscorn
D Developed by WARP Published by Acclaim Entertainment 1995, PSX / Sega Saturn
D is among the very first survival horror titles on consoles, as well as being among the first 3D CGI full-motion video games, and a survival horror title played from a first-person perspective. Despite these accolades, D remains an obscure and not well received game, and like most early CGI full-motion video games, it hasn’t aged well at all. D deserves a place on this list not only for its early achievements, but for displaying some of the finest gore in the PlayStation era, and for its disturbing plot even by today’s standards.
The plot of the game begins simply: student Laura Harris receives a horrifying message that her father, the head doctor at a large medical hospital, has barricaded himself in the facility after going on a long mass murdering spree. Distraught, Laura goes to the hospital and encounters a ghostly version of her father among his mutilated victims. Her father warps her to a twisted version of the hospital that resembles a medieval castle, complete with deadly traps down every corridor.
D is played like most other adventure games popular on the PC during the time (Myst,The 7th Guest) with players using point-and-click controls to explore the environment and solve puzzles. While this was familiar for most PC gamers at the time, few console players had ever experienced an adventure game of this sort before. Adding to its uniqueness, D introduced a time limit to the genre. Not only must Laura maneuver through the dangerous castle without falling victim to any of the traps (resulting in a Game Over) she has exactly two hours of real-time before she is trapped in this world forever.
The traps in D are truly memorable, with trap doors leading to a bed of spikes, rooms collapsing on top of the heroine, and blades swooping down from the ceiling with the objective of beheading the protagonist. Solving a puzzle wrong, heading down the wrong path too quickly, or examining a rigged item can trigger the traps. Sometimes the player will have a chance to avoid death, giving a limited second-chance to resolve the puzzle (or undo their decision) or turn back and run from an obstacle; other times though Laura’s death is quick, forcing the player to start from the beginning again. This “instant death” element of the game makes it all the more horrifying, feeling very absolute with no save-points to allow you to begin your quest again. Add to that the strict time limit, and D can be a very stressful affair.
All of the controversy surrounding the title doesn’t just come from insane amounts of gore, which was rare in the early days of the PlayStation, but from the gruesome plot twist. Throughout the game, Laura begins seeing visions of her late mother being stabbed to death. Towards the game’s conclusion, Laura’s father reveals that it was she that killed her mother, but not through any conventional means: Laura and her family are part of a twisted bloodline, and the heroine displayed a lust for blood at an early age, and devoured her mother alive. Her father, gifted in medicine, somehow blocked this shocking episode from her memory. This revelation is gruesome even after all of these years, and it was D’s early use of having a protagonist with a dark history that led to game’s like Silent Hill 2 and others to adopt it much later.
Did You Know?
D was originally planned to have a long history on the PlayStation game console. Shortly after the game’s release, a sequel was being planned by developer Kenji Eno. Eno was upset with Sony though when the company refused to meet the demand of over 100,000 pre-order units, only agreeing to do 40,000 copies. The sequel, Enemy Zero, was then moved exclusively to the Sega Saturn, with the original game being ported to the Saturn as well, and D2 was developed for the Dreamcast.
Kenji Eno also felt that the story for the game was the most terrifying aspect, and hid it from the other designers. Instances of the game was created without any plot, and Eno only added the story after all of the other portions of the game were completed.
A rare version of the game, D’s Diner: Director’s Cut was released, with never before scene footage and a soundtrack included.
