Fatal Frame: The House of Camera-Shy Ghosts

When you think of survival horror games, probably what comes to mind are Resident Evil and Silent Hill.  No matter what series you're thinking of, you likely associate the genre with zombies, which are the most widely used enemy type in survival horror.  Well how about we look at a survival horror game that contains absolutely no zombies at all, or even monster nurses?

What we're going to cover today is Fatal Frame, a game where the only enemies you'll encounter are ghosts, and plenty of them.  But how do you kill something that's already dead?  Well obviously you defeat them by using a camera, right?  Okay, maybe that isn't the most obvious weapon, but that's what made Fatal Frame a unique game, it was all about battling spirits using the magic of a viewfinder instead of the brute force of a shotgun.

In Fatal Frame you'll play as a girl named Miku who is searching for her missing brother.  Her unfortunate brother made the mistake of entering the abandoned Himuro Mansion, which is inhabited solely by the ghosts of people who were murdered there.  Miku finds her brother's spirit-destroying camera as soon as she enters the mansion, and so begins her terror-filled journey.

What you'll discover right away is that this mansion isn't filled with just a couple spooks here and there, ghosts are everywhere, and the frequency of the encounters only increases as you progress through the game.  The only way to defeat these ghosts is to enter viewfinder mode on the camera, and frame the ghost in the shot.  Immediately this adds some tension to the battles, because you can't move your character around while in viewfinder mode.  So you must stand still, helplessly watching the ghost close in on you while you power up an attack.

This is bad, this is very bad...

This isn't too difficult when faced with slower moving ghosts, but later on in the game you will encounter some brutally fast versions that close in on you in the blink of an eye, and are almost impossible to keep in the frame (the longer you hold them in the frame, the more powerful your attack will be, so keeping ghosts in the frame is crucial).  It should also be noted that ghosts can (obviously) float through walls as well as teleport to various locations in the rooms.  This makes it very easy for them to sneak up behind you unnoticed, and causes some pretty thrilling battles.

Some joyful ghost types you'll encounter include boss-style ghosts with massive amounts of HP, creepy child ghosts, ghosts with broken necks, and my most-hated ghost: the Blinded.  The Blinded represent women who had their eyes stabbed out shortly before being killed, and as a result they can hunt you only by sound.  You must be especially careful to creep around them because they have an extremely fast lunging move.  Taking a bunch of damage from these ghosts is usually unavoidable because they tend to appear in small areas with not much room to maneuver.

One of the Blinded.

Fatal Frame can be very difficult due to its survival horror nature; you'll take plenty of damage from the resident ghosts, and you must make do with limited supplies of first aid and camera film.  But the rush you experience after taking down some of the more challenging ghosts is well worth it.

Have you guys played Fatal Frame?  Were you spooked by the atmosphere? 

The Dead Hand in Ocarina of Time: Nightmares for Everyone!

As I've said many times, the Zelda games contain many horrors that make you question if they should be played by kids.  Every once in a while this series will contain a monster that is so grotesque and disturbing that it looks like it belongs in a Resident Evil game.  Today we're going to look at one such monster: a boss from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time called the Dead Hand.

Immediately you'll notice that the Dead Hand is not a very pleasant creature to look at.  It looks like a blob of fat encased in pale white corpse-like skin, covered with patches of blood for good measure.  It has two stubby arms with apparently no hands attached (you'd think that would contradict its name, but just wait and see), and a hunchbacked posture. 

Because no monstrosity would be complete without a horrific face, the Dead Hand has a large head with a set of gigantic teeth.  Looking back at it, he kind of looks similar to the Joker in the Batman animated series.

Now the reason this beast is called the Dead Hand is because it commands a group of hands which protrude out of the ground.  If you make the mistake of getting too close to one of these hands, they will grab Link by the head and hold him there while the Dead Hand moves in for the attack.  Needless to say it's a horrifying feeling to watch this monster creep over to poor helpless Link and take a bit out of him with those huge teeth.

Hello nightmare material.

In order to take down the Dead Hand, you must hit him in the face with Link's sword.  This can be tricky since it tends to hold its face high in the air (taking it out of range of the sword) until it gets close enough to bite Link.  If you can manage this technique without getting caught too many times by the hands, you'll be rewarded with an end to this current nightmare, and a whole set of disturbing memories of this monster.

What did you guys think of the Dead Hand?  Do you think Nintendo went a bit too far by putting this disgusting monster into the game?

The Skilled Skeleton Archers in Minecraft

In previous posts I've talked about the zombies and spiders in Minecraft, so why stop with just those two monstrosities?  Today we're going to look at another servant of Minecraft Hell (or wherever these things spawn from), the skeleton.

Just when you thought Minecraft wouldn't be able to add anything more threatening than a door-busting zombie, or relentless wall-climbing spider, the game introduces an enemy with a long range attack.  Skeletons are very dangerous due to the bow and arrows they are equipped with, which they are quite skilled at using.

There's a few ways you will realize a skeleton is in the neighborhood.  You'll possibly hear its distinctive bone-rattling sound effect, or hear an arrow zip by your head, or worse, you'll get hit by one of its arrows.  When a skeleton has you in its sights, it will stalk closer to you until it's within firing range.  At this point it unleashes arrows upon you at a pretty impressive rate.

This is what will happen to you if you're not careful.

The closer you get to a skeleton, the faster it will fire arrows at you.  If you're planning on cutting one of these monsters down with a sword you'll need to make sure you are fully armored, because you will take tons of damage.  Also, getting hit by an arrow will knock you back a little bit, making it a challenge just to get within melee range.  If this sounds like too much of a risk, equipping a bow and attacking them from a distance is the safest way to take them down.

Just like with zombies, keeping a fence around the perimeter of your safe area will keep skeletons out.  However this is only partially effective because they will walk right up to the fence and attempt to turn you into a pincushion by firing arrows right over the fence.  Your best bet is to put up a nice tall wall to prevent this form of attack.

Also, beware of dark caves.

That's about all there is to say about the skeletons in Minecraft.  They can be a huge threat, especially when a large group decides to gang up on you.  What's your favorite way of combating these enemies?  I admit I'm not much of a bow and arrow kind of guy, and prefer to attack them with a sword.

Doom 3: Hell Unleashed On Your Nerves

If you've played Doom 3, then you've known what it is to be scared.  This game is packed with so many jump scares and tense moments that by the time you reach the end credits you'll probably notice a few gray hairs sprouting up on your head.  Today we're going to take another trip back to Mars and face the minions of Hell one more time as we explore the terror of Doom 3.

But first a little background on this series.  The original Doom is a true classic, with its revolutionary graphics (by 1993 standards that is) and thrilling first-person perspective.  Doom's popularity is considered by many to be solely responsible for the boom in first-person shooting games.  In this game, you play as a space marine stationed on Mars who is trying to fight back an invasion of the demons from Hell.

Hell is no match for the Doomguy.

The game is full of fast-paced demon-blasting action, as you charge through the level mowing down these beasts with weapons such as mini-guns and plasma rifles.  All this happens while a rocking soundtrack plays in the background, making for some pretty awesome gameplay.

The style of the original Doom games remained relatively unchanged until Doom 3, when id Software decided to go with more of a survival horror feel.  Gone was the rocking soundtrack, as were the (mostly) brightly-lit game maps that encouraged run-and-gun gameplay.  You'll still do some running, but this time it will be in fear.

The game has a very dark and creepy atmosphere that will have you on edge the whole time.  In some of the darkest rooms, you'll need to pull out a flashlight in order to make your way through.  However, when you use the flashlight, you aren't able to use a gun at the same time, adding a feeling of helplessness.  A special edition of Doom 3 was released that allows you to use a weapon-mounted flashlight, but in my opinion that took away one of the great tension-causing features in the game.

Flashlight or mini-gun? Better decide quick, he's getting closer by the second.

This atmosphere makes it all the more simple for the game to utilize jump scares to great effect.  Some of the scares are nonlethal, such as a steam pipe exploding in your face as you slowly walk down a hallway.  Other instances can be brutal, as in the case when you open a door and find yourself face-to-face with a demon that instantly pounces on you.

Because you are always expecting the game to throw something at you, gaming sessions can really do a number on your nerves.  I found this to be one of the most stressful games I've ever played, and I could only handle it in short chunks of 20-30 minutes of gameplay at a time before I needed to step away and calm down.

During your adventures on Mars (and in parts of Hell too), you'll encounter updated versions of your favorite monsters from the original Doom games.  Imps, zombies, and the huge Hell Knight all make numerous appearances (in the Imp's case, probably too many appearances).

Prepare to be ambushed by plenty of these guys throughout the game.

There's even a bunch of new additions to the cast of enemies, including a creepy demon-baby called a Cherub.  As if an evil baby isn't scary enough, Cherubs have wings similar to a fly's, and crab-like arms that end in pincers instead of hands.  As an added bonus, they tend to swarm you in groups.

Creepiness brought to a whole new level.

If there's anything bad that can be said about Doom 3, it's that the developers might have went a little overboard with the constant jump scare tactic.  Towards the end of the game you get accustomed to enemies jumping out at you every couple minutes, so when an attempted jump scare happens you just shrug it off and move on.  This game could definitely have benefited from more slow Silent Hill-style moments, where nothing jumps out but the creepy environment handles most of the scares.

That wraps up our quick look at one of the scariest first-person shooters you'll ever play.  While it's definitely different from its predecessors, the combination of scares and demon-blasting make for a tense but fun experience.  Did you guys play Doom 3?  If so, did you find it to be a stress-inducing experience?

Creepy Castle in Donkey Kong 64

Donkey Kong 64: You either love it or hate it.  Some people love it for the large levels that allow for tons of platforming action, some hate it because of the repetitive objectives and mini-games on each level.  Whatever you feel about this game, you have to admit that it does have some pretty stylish levels.  Today we're going to look at one of the last levels in the game: Creepy Castle.

As you've already deduced from the name, Creepy Castle takes place on a massive castle.  The game sets a nice spooky mood as soon as you arrive here; you start outside the castle at nighttime, during a thunderstorm.  Seeing flickers of lightning while rain pours down on you constantly is definitely a nice touch.  A bonus is the extremely catchy song that plays when you are outside the castle, which in my opinion is some of the best music in the game.

You can climb your way up to the top of the castle by walking on various pathways and drawbridges that spiral up the exterior walls.  As you venture forth, you'll pass by appropriate scenery such as clusters of headstones and skeleton-like dead trees.  The enemies you encounter are also fitting, and in true Rare style, they are somewhat goofy.  You'll see bats, giant skeletons, and Kremlins wearing white sheets pretending to be ghosts.

Along the way there are multiple entrances into the castle, taking you into areas such as the catacombs, a haunted library, and even a large ballroom (Disney Haunted Mansion fans rejoice!).  Pretty much every area you can visit feels like it could belong in a huge haunted castle, with the exception of one segment where you go inside a not-very-spooky greenhouse.

A view of the ballroom.

It just wouldn't be Donkey Kong without some minecart action (unless we're talking about the original arcade version of Donkey Kong), and this level does not disappoint.  There is a segment where Donkey Kong must navigate a minecart through a large section of the castle, while being pursued by the demon who lives there.  At some points you'll be dodging the growling demon as he takes swipes at the minecart, while at other sections you'll have to avoid random headstones that pop up in your path.  Needless to say this is a very exciting section of the level, and my personal favorite part of Creepy Castle.

Awesome.

Unfortunately the level ends on a sour note: the boss battle is absolutely terrible.  Throughout the game, you'll find yourself fighting monstrous bosses, such as a giant dragonfly (who is more dragon than fly) and an evil, cackling jack-in-the-box.  So by the time you reach Creepy Castle you'll have high expectations, which are abruptly shattered.  The boss for this level is a gigantic plywood cutout of King K. Rool.

The lame boss battle will have you disappointed from the get-go.

I kid you not, the boss fight involves the cutout of K. Rool popping up at various locations on the edge of the battle area and occasionally shooting lasers at you.  I have no idea what convinced Rare to go this lazy route instead of designing a truly awesome and scary boss monster for the one level that deserved it.

That about wraps up our look at Creepy Castle in Donkey Kong 64.  Did you guys play DK64?  If so, did you enjoy the atmosphere of this level?

Altered Beast: An Old-School Trip to the Underworld

It's time for some classic beat-em-up action!  Altered Beast was originally an arcade game back in 1988, and was later ported to consoles.  In this game, you play as a Roman Centurion who is resurrected by Zeus in order to save Zeus' daughter Athena from an evil god named Neff.  How's that for a mish-mash of mythology?

Anyway, as you side-scroll your way through the five levels in the game (yes, it's pretty short), you can obtain power-ups which cause the Centurion to "power up" as the in-game voice states (every single time you pick one up, it's actually pretty funny to hear).  After collecting three power-ups, the Centurion will transform into a level-specific beast, such as a werewolf or a bear.

During your quest to save Athena, you'll visit locations such as the graveyard where your character is resurrected, the underworld, and the so-called Cavern of Souls.  In the graveyard you'll encounter flying demons, along with hordes of (surprise, surprise) zombies.  The zombies are actually pretty entertaining; some of them will burst out of their graves in order to attack you, and a well-aimed punch can knock off their head.  There's also a variation of this enemy that walks around holding it's disembodied head in one hand.

A detailed background scrolls by as you make your way to face the boss, containing mass amounts of gravestones.  However, the whole level is set in broad daylight.  Why would the developers go through all the trouble to make a bad-ass graveyard, and not set it at night?

The underworld level is a step in the right direction, given that it's set in a dark cavern that appears to stretch out to infinity.  Here you'll be fighting giant leeches that love to latch onto your character's head and drain his health.

This isn't going to end well.

Other enemies you'll frequently run into here are large snakes that burst from the ceiling and floor of the cavern, which can be decapitated with a well-timed punch or kick.

I mentioned the Cavern of Souls level earlier, mainly because with a name like that it should be a pretty awesome level right?  Unfortunately it's not, the level is a bland-looking cave where you fight giant ants and snails.  Way to go Sega.

Yea...scary stuff....I guess...

The end of each level features a showdown with Neff, who transforms into various monstrosities.  Notable among these are his demon form, where he will continually tear off his head and throw it at you, while a new head grows back in its place.  He will also turn into a plant-based creature which proceeds to shoot out damage-causing eyeballs.

Altered Beast is a fairly short game that can be completed in twenty minutes or so.  It's fun to play co-op with a friend, but there isn't too much replay factor due to lack of depth (it is an arcade port after all).  Have you guys had a chance to play Altered Beast, and journey through the (mostly) hellish locations?

Regenerators in Resident Evil 4: Unnverving Terror

Today let's ramp up the scare factor a bit by looking at what I consider to be the scariest creature in Resident Evil 4: the Regenerator.  This is truly an unsettling beast, and makes most of the other enemies in the game seem as scary as a Muppet on Sesame Street.  Grab some first-aid sprays, here we go!

The terror has only begun.

A little background on Resident Evil 4: the "zombies" in the game aren't zombies at all.  They are merely humans who are infected with a parasite which takes complete control of the host's nervous system.  The infected humans sacrifice intelligence and freedom of choice in favor of greater strength.  This is similar to the Headcrabs in the Half-Life games, except the parasite is internal as opposed to the skull-biting Headcrab.

While most of the enemies you face in Resident Evil 4 are individuals with a single parasite growing inside them, the Regenerators are infected with multiple parasites.  This infection has caused the human hosts to be grotesquely deformed, while gaining an extreme tolerance to damage.

As you may have guessed from their name, Regenerators have incredible healing abilities.  You can blast off any of their limbs, and after a short period of time they will grow right back.  Shooting off their legs does slow them down a little bit, but make sure to keep your distance because they can and will pounce at you even in this position (it's actually a pretty good jump scare the first time this happens).

A legless Regenerator lunges at protagonist Leon.

As stated earlier, this monster is hideous to look at thanks mostly to its nightmarish face. It stands at an imposing height that only adds to the intimidation factor.  Also, they are completely naked (ugh), showing off their corpse-like gray skin.

You'll know a Regenerator is in a room with you when you hear it breathing.  It makes a distinctive wheezing sound which sounds like an asthma attack from hell.  Believe me when I say you will learn to dread this sound.  Once you have been seen by a Regenerator, it will pursue you relentlessly, albeit somewhat slowly.  Like all good zombie animations, the Regenerator has a severely disturbing gait.  Turning around to see this beast slowly shambling towards you will remind you of your worst nightmares, especially when you factor in the constant wheezes it emits.

If you let it grab you, the Regenerator will pull you in close for some snuggle time.

Regenerators can absorb a staggering amount of ammo before they are taken down, unless you stay calm play it smart.  The best way to kill one is to equip a sniper rifle with a thermal scope, which allows you to see the locations of the various parasites living inside it.  Pick off these parasites one by one and you'll be rewarded with an ammo-conserving kill.  Of course it can be hard to keep your cool when you are being pursued by multiple Regenerators coming from different directions.


That concludes our look at the horror that is the Regenerator.  Did you guys play Resident Evil 4?  If so, how horrified were you when you encountered these monsters?