A rather long Hiatus, and The Evil Within

Hello! I don't know if anyone if following this blog anymore, but I'm back. I took the longest hiatus and I am truly sorry. I got seriously side tracked with life, and school. I'm pleased to announce that I'm finished with all of my serious schooling until grad school. I'm a state certified teacher and I'm working on some endorsements that will take me to Japan for a year. But I do intend to be back and in the game on the gaming end of my life.

I am considering restarting Cursed Mountain. The story has been nagging at me for a few days now and I think it might be time to re-tackle that game. I've also been considering starting some other none game related projects that should they get off the ground would cause me to once again abandon this blog, maybe forever. I don't know. I'm not sure how many people pop in. No one ever leaves comments. :p

Anyway, with the launch of new consoles and such, I picked up an Xbox One despite my prior reservations about the system. It had Dead Rising 3, and frankly, that game won out. PlayStation did not offer up a better game. With that came the usual game browsing, looking for the next installment in Silent Hill. Fatal Frame, Resident Evil, you know, the staples of the survival horror genera. And it lead me to "The Evil Within". O.M.G. I cannot tell you how freaking excited I am to play that game.

I refuse to read too much on the game, because people tend to not tell you about spoilers, (Looking at you GoT fandom) but I did read Kotaku's article about people freaking out watching/playing the game. (Do click the hyperlink and enjoy, it is glorious!) And that only got me more excited. Like seriously! Who does not want to play a game that gets they type of reaction from people? I cannot wait. If it doesn't freak me out, I will be deeply disappointed.

It also has a stellar line up of directors and producers. like Shinji Mikami! *Fan girl* I mean, he is like the godfather of the genera. And I'm so excited to see him step away from Resident Evil and work on a new project. It is my personal opinion that Resident Evil has deviated too much from the genera. It is more of an action game with horror elements than it is a true survival horror. Though I hear 6 does a good job bringing us back to the good old days of gaming. I haven't had time to play it. I'm sure it is something I will work on this summer between projects.

I've also recently been directed to the game Dread Out. Now, I do love me some steam games.
Terraria stole vaulable life hours from me, much like Minecraft. But these games tend to not hold my attenion like the more mainstream triple A games. However, I've followed Chris's Survival Horror Quest for as long as I can remember. And it really was the inspiration for starting my own blog. If Chris says it is worth my time then I will believe it and give it a go.

Well that is all for now. I'll come back with more when I've played some games! :D

Peace!

Dementium: The Ward

So I finally found a copy of Dementium: The Ward. I was very excited to finally get my hands on a copy. I popped it in and played it for a solid 20 minutes, and that game is scary as hell. Its a blood covered mess. I totally suggest it for fans of Survival Horror. So far it's pretty damn cool. The graphics are good for the DS, but I've been spoiled by the graphics on the 360. But over all the sound track, the sound effects, and the game play are all pretty solid!

Get the game and try it out. Honestly I didn't have a lot of hope for this game, but I'm very very impressed! I can't wait to play more. I hope the sequel is just as good! I'll be crushed if its not!

Alan Wake Sequel?

I finished Alan Wake. It was seriously a great game! I don't really feel that it was a "survival" horror, as I ended up with TONS of flares and amo. And there were no "energy drinks" or food stuffs of any kind. So it was a bit different. However it was totally worth every penny! In terms of things that we haven't seen for the genera, it really didn't deliver all that much. The use of light and day was excellent. They did the atmosphere great! While playing you feel scared in the day light. Very creepy! The night was even creepier as "monsters" would materialize out of almost nothing.

I liked the "zombie" aspect of the Taken. It was a very cool touch. I wish that there had been a big boss fight, but that was something that was really lacking. I really think that this game focused more on a comprehensive story line and very cool things going on in the background. I would like to see this game played by someone else just to see the cinematic's that I did miss.

I'm now working on finishing up Deadly Premonition. I also need to work on the Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. I've also unlocked the alternate chapter in The Calling. So I've got a bit to do this summer! :D

It is good to be a survival horror gamer!

Alan Wake

IT DID COME OUT! I was unable to pick it up on release night because I got engaged and had to go home to announce it to my friends and family. I also Graduated from college with my BA in Psychology. So I've been pretty busy. I also got a consultation for braces! :D Things in my life have been pretty crazy and they seem to be panning out. And that's why I haven't been around lately.

However I've been playing Alan Wake since Saturday afternoon. And I'm on episode three. I have a few hypothesis as to whats going to happen. As far as this being a survival horror game.. I think its just on the edge of that genera. It is certainly new in terms of game play for a survival horror game.

One thing I love about this game is the references that it makes to other horror mediums. It mentions Stephen King two or three times. They made mention of H.P. Lovecraft and Hitchcock. ^_^ So its a lot more fun for me since I know of all of them.

I will update again after I finish the game! :D

The Calling

So I have made it a point to finish a survival horror game this weekend. I have a lot to do school wise, and I just got back from Spring Break, but I see no reason why I shouldn't delve into my little hobby. On today's menu, a retry of The Calling. So far I've been pretty frustrated with it. I even looked up an FAQ because I spent over and hour trying to prompt the next scene. Nothing. So after I finish the yummie burrito's my sweetie made I will embark on the game and hopefully I can get a review up for you all!

So, I've been away!

But I am back! And I am here to share with you some new titles. I got The Calling! I am looking forward to playing that. I also got a game that was really on the down low called Deadly Premonition. I'm not sure what to think yet. The game has started slow. I also played through Heavy Rain, it doesn't really count as a survival horror game. But it is interesting. So I can't knock it.

Everything's been quiet other wise. We have Bioshock 2 that came out, I am not as impressed with it. We are also waiting on Dead Space 2 and Dead Rising 2. So, until I can get around to playing the Calling, and hear about more great survival horror games, I bid you,

Fair well~

Things have been quiet...

So things have been quiet on the Horror front. Thus I turned my attention to RPG's for awhile. Especially in light of the new Kingdom Hearts DS release. I have always enjoyed Kingdom Hearts and while I didn't get a chance to pick up the DS game, I have been replaying the first 3 that have been released. (Yes, 3. 1, 2, and Chain of Memories)

However I decided to do some horror snooping today, since I just got a copy of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories! I'm so excited!!!! >:D So we are still waiting on Alan Wake.... It will never come out. Lets just face it and move on. The sites that are up for it do not have much to offer that instills confidence in this hardened gamer. We are also awaiting Heavy Rain. Which looked wicked! And the Wii released Resident Evil 0. I also read at Chris's Survival Horror Quest that Calling was released in Japan! So that is exciting.

The Camera Lens is getting ready to release the Wii patch for FF4! I'm so excited for that! I have to still get a legit copy of the game, but man I guarantee I will be there! I check the forums every time I log in to see if maybe it came out while I was away!

I hear Saw is not really a good game. So I've put off that game until I can get it in the bargain bin. And I'm waiting for Ju-On to drop because I just can't justify $30 for that game. It seems too cheesy. So, I shall man the battle front and bring news as soon as it comes about! Have a lovely Christmas!

P.s. keep your eyes peeled for Calling!

Cursed Mountain-- First Thoughts

So, my old TV died, and my thus my Wii was out of commission when Cursed Mountain was released. However I did go pick it up on release date despite not having access to it for a couple of days. Today I was able to pop it in for about an hour, or two and get started! So far, I'm pretty impressed. :)

As with any game there are pros and cons. This game is no exception. However there are more pros for this game than cons.

One of the con's that really stands out for me is that the graphics are much lower than I thought they would be. Nintendo could have had better graphics if they didn't push games on to the market with such limited time, these graphics could have been better. They aren't bad mind you, they are just a bit under what I was expecting.

Another thing that is a con is that there aren't really movie scenes. I love movie scenes. Instead they have still pictures with dialog in the background. Which is okay, just a bit disappointing cause when they do give you movie scenes they are poor quality.

What I like about this game is the fights with the ghosts. While they can be a bit confusing in the beginning, after you figure it out, its pretty cool! You use both the wiimote and the nunchaku to fight them, and so you shake both or swing them in directions according to the arrows on the screen.

Another thing I like is that this game is very similar to the original Silent Hill, Fatal Frame and Resident Evil. You have limited everything, and NO GUNS! You have to use an ice pick or staff to defeat the ghosts. (Who are very Fatal Frame-ish) Personally I think this is a step in the right direction. Its taking us back to our roots and breathing life into a dying genera. A genera that is slowly becoming more action based. This one keeps its foot in the psychological arena and stays there.

Well this is all I have for now. I know there was more I liked about this game, but I have other things demanding my attention. So hopefully I can get more up soon!

Dino Crisis

I found a copy of Dino Crisis. YAY! :) I'm looking forward to putting in some play time. Unfortunately school starts tomorrow, so who knows how much time I will actually get to put in. The nice thing is most of my classes are via the internet, so I can log in anytime I want to. And do the work. So I plan on getting in a good 5 hours for that game.

I'm doing a bit of research, and everyone knows that survival horror got its start with Resident Evil and Silent Hill. What most people don't know is that this genera goes back to Atari. Atari 2600 game Haunted House featured monsters, mostly bats and ghosts, solving puzzles, and mangaing your invantory that you see in todays games. So, technically, this was the FIRST game in the genera. Then we have Sweet Home which is a Nintendo game release in 1989. This is the game that would later inspire the "opening door" loading screen seen in Resident Evil. It also featured a mansion that also would inspire RE.

Borrowed from wiki here is a synopsis of the game: Sweet Home follows a team of five people who venture into the deserted mansion of the deceased Mamiya Ichirou to photograph her frescoes. Upon entering the house, the door locks behind them and the group discover that the mansion is haunted by Mamiya's ghost, among other creatures. Now they must find a way out of the mansion before they are all killed.

I don't know if I can find these two games, I would love to get a hold of them, but these are pretty old and finding emulations, let alone ORIGINAL copies of these games may be nearly impossible!

On a more exciting note I got Nananshi no game!

Couple Games US will never see

So I stumbled across a couple of titles that I think might fit the criteria of this blog. One is Mite wa Ikenai, but I can't find much info. The cover is similar in style to Kuon, so I think that if I could get a hold of a copy it would be along these lines.

And also Twilight Syndrome 2. Watch the trailer and tell me what you think. Watch the end. That is the creepiest part!

Long Update

I know, I updated yesterday, but I had another one of my long internet binges. And here is what I found.

The very first blog I posted here listed a couple of games that were rumored to be coming out. This was back in 2006 when this blog was originally a myspace group. A couple of the titles I mentioned were:
Xbox 360: Possession, Harker, Deprived, Alan Wake, I Am Alive.

So far, the only one that isn't vaporware is Alan Wake. Though my hopes of actually seeing this game are dwindling. Sadly. The other games while sounding neat, have no substance to them. They are mentioned on IGN, but haven't been updated in about 3 years. So, I'm assuming that they won't ever happen. Which is sad cause one of them, Possession I think, was suppose to be a Zombie game.

Found a couple new games that look neat, apparently we get a new Wolfenstein game. I will consider this carefully for this group. It looks scary! And the current rumor is that we may be seeing DOOM 4! How cool would that be?

I also did some snooping under Wii titles and found some new stuff:
We are getting Cursed Mountain sometime at the end of the month, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, the Untitled Silicon Knights game, a untitled Suda51 game, Calling, Ju-On. And the games that America won't get Winter, and Fatal Frame. A moment of silence.

...

Okay, on to PS3: A game called Witches, which I'm not sure fits into the scope of this blog. But I will keep my eyes peeled. And Heavy Rain: The Oragami Killer. I watched a preview for this game. I figure if Condemed Criminal Origins made it in most groups this will likely follow. Plus the preview was wicked cool! >:D

And then on to the DS:
We are getting Dementum 2, Moon, and I heard about a game called Nanashi no Game. I can't find a copy of this game translated into English. But my DS is old enough that it isn't region specific, so when I place my order through Amazon.jp I will likely toss this game in as well. If you get a chance check it out. It is very much in the style of The Ring. What is suprising about Nanashi no Game is that it is a Square Enix game. Basically this cursed game comes to people, (the game in the game is an RPG, ^_~ very nice touch Square) that once you play it kills you in 7ish days. So I will try and wrestle this game down.

Otherwise this is it for now. Hopefully I will have more news in the coming weeks!
<3
Liz

References: IGN.com

Siren: Blood Curse

So, I would like to post my initial thoughts about Siren: Blood Curse. Firstly, $49.99 for all 12 chapters seems kinda' steep. However, once you see all that this game is doing (in the background) you understand why it is so expensive. It has taken up about 12GB on my 80 Gig hard drive. So the game is pretty huge. My one complaint is that it took forever to download and install. You have to install each chapter by itself. So I spent a good 40 minutes just letting that download. Otherwise I am blown away, and saddened that we never got Forbidden Siren 2.

I did learn something interesting while doing research on the Siren series. Apparently, the gentleman who worked on Silent Hill, Keiichiro Toyama. So you know that anything coming from a member of "Team Silent" will be great! :) Naoko Satō and Isao Takahashi, who were also member's of "Team Silent", also had critical roles in Siren's creation. So if that doesn't light a flame under some panties nothing will.

The game is pretty cool. You have this nifty ability to see into your enemies line of sight, called Sight Jacking. And that can be scary as hell. If you get to close to an alert Shibito (literal translation is Corpse) then it makes you auto Sight Jack and that can really make you freak out! Needless to say I've died a couple times because I got scared and ended up running in a circle.

The voice acting in Blood Curse is so much better than the first one. I never did get all the way through the first Siren, but I remember laughing a couple times at the terrible dialog. :p Dialog can be a real kicker for me.

I was even lucky enough to find a copy of Forbidden Siren the movie. Killer film. I spend a lot of my time watching foreign films, so I was really excited to stumble across this. Apprently it was released in 2006 along side the 2nd game! I am hoping we will see more Siren games in the future!

<3 Liz

P.s. I have created a library of the games I am working on and have completed toward this quest. If you have any suggestions please feel free to jot them down!

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siren_(video_game)
http://www.eatmybrains.com/showfeature.php?id=5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_Siren_2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siren:_Blood_Curse

PS3

So I bought a PS3 and I'm downloading Siren: Blood Curse as we speak! :) Woot! I'm really excited because I've been waiting a while to play this game! ^_^ I'm sad that there aren't more exclusive PS3 games, but what are you gunna' do? So hang tight while I play this game! Also I found copies of Cold Fear and The Suffering! So Hopefully I can get around to those!

Game on!
Liz

F.E.A.R.

So, FEAR maybe a little outside the scope of this blog. However, I have deemed it relivant for one reason. It is genuinally scary. Kind of like a modern day doom! And don't tell me that the creepy long haired girl didn't freak you out! LOL

I played the demo about a year, maybe a year and a half ago. I didn't finish. I was too scared. However, I was super bored and in my boredum I picked up FEAR. So far I enjoy it a lot more. I hock this up to gaining skill after playing Left 4 Dead for hours and actually learning how to play FPS games. So I'm pretty pleased. I would like to get a hold of the expansion and the 2nd game!

Meanwhile, Alan Wake seems to have once again fallen off the grid... :( I'm begining to think people are toying with our emotions! Showing us good games just to take them away. But who knows. We may yet see Alan Wake. Also, while its not a Survival Horror game it is worthy of mention: Dead Rising 2. Zombies. Thats all I'm going to say. And we have a release date of October for Silent Hill: Shattered Memories! Woot!

I think this is it for now. More soon! <3 Liz

iTouch

So I got an iTouch recently. And the first thing I bought for it was Silent Hill: Escape. Lets just say I'm not impressed. I defintly think that it is not very user friendly. Has great potential, so maybe I just don't know what I'm doing. HAHA. I defintly enjoyed the RE Degeneration on my phone! I miss that game. I will have to get it on my touch the next chance I have.

Got some great news at E3 2009 about Alan Wake. We got a new trailer and a potential release date! So I'm pretty stoked though I don't expect to see it until 2010. We have a date for the Ju-On game as October 27th 2009. You can preorder it here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/JU-Grudge-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B002DC8GVS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1245648285&sr=8-1

I'm going to wait until that game goes down. It will drop fast in price so I won't be waiting long. Its not really expensive so I might break and buy it, but I have a few other things that I have to do first. So we will see.

Well Sorry this is so short, but I have some homework to get done!

Later
Liz