Old School Horror

I completed the original Clock Tower for the SNES this weekend. I had misgivings at first; I mean, who would have thought that a survival horror game could be done as a side scroller? The game was excellent, however, and I am very glad I played through it. Though completing Clock Tower doesn’t take very […]

Alan Wake’s American Nightmare

Platforms: Xbox360, PC Release Date: 2012-02-22 Regions: USA Japan Europe Chris’s Rating: ★★★★ Small, tight, and fascinating, this short follow-up is better than the original Alan Wake. “I think the major is just about to fall asleep over his typewriter-although his fingers are still racing feverishly over the keys…” “It’s a creepy thought.” “This is […]

Rise of Nightmares

Platforms: Xbox360 Release Date: 2011-06-09 Regions: USA Japan Europe Chris’s Rating: ☆☆☆☆ A lame zombie brawler is rendered unplayable by its motion control scheme. Rise of Nightmares is a first-person horror beat-em-up that relies on the Kinect sensor for controls. You pivot your shoulders left and right to turn, put your foot forward to walk, […]

…Iru!

Platforms: PSX Release Date: 1998-03-26 Regions: Japan Chris’s Rating: ☆☆☆☆ An extremely dated exercise in unwavering linearity, …Iru! is only interesting when contrasted with better games. I have a huge collection of obscure horror games that I have amassed over the years. Most of them are Japan-only PS1 releases, and these days they are neigh […]

Silent Hill Downpour

Platforms: Xbox360, PS3 Release Date: 2012-03-13 Regions: USA Japan Europe Chris’s Rating: ★☆☆☆ A disappointing entry in the Silent Hill series, Downpour’s flaws stem from a few major design decisions. Silent Hill Downpour is a disappointing game. It is clearly the worst Silent Hill game to date, and it was justly panned by the press. […]

Amy

Platforms: Xbox360, PS3 Release Date: 2012-01-11 Regions: USA Europe Chris’s Rating: ☆☆☆☆ An interesting idea is completely ruined by mechanical flaws and lackluster design. Amy is one of those games that sounds great on paper. Designed by Paul Cuisset, a veteran game developer famous for creating the seminal Flashback (one of my favorites), Amy is […]

Ikenie No Yoru

Also known as: Night of Sacrifice Platforms: Wii Release Date: 2011-03-24 Regions: Japan Chris’s Rating: ★★★☆ Incredibly simple gameplay is made scary by the use of the Wii Balance Board for movement. Ikenie No Yoru (???????, “Night of Sacrifice”) is the only game I know of that uses the Wii Balance Board other than Nintendo’s […]

Dead Space 2

Platforms: Xbox360, PS3 Release Date: 2011-01-25 Regions: USA Europe Chris’s Rating: ★★★☆ Slick as ever, Dead Space 2 is way more interesting than its predecessor. I had problems with the original Dead Space. It played well enough and was clearly a high-end, well-produced game, but it just didn’t do anything for me. There was nothing […]

Catherine

Platforms: Xbox360, PS3 Release Date: 2011-07-26 Regions: USA Japan Chris’s Rating: ★★★★ A thriller with sex, curses, and… block puzzles? Catherine is one of the most innovative and difficult-to-catagorize games ever. Though this site has cataloged many horror games, most fall into one of a few distinct categories. You’ve got your exploration / puzzle games […]