Editorials
[BEST & WORST ’13] Adam’s List Of The Best Horror Games Of 2013!
It’s no secret that I tend to play a fair amount of horror games. Between work and my undying love for the medium, I go through quite a few each year, so coming up with a list of my favorites has always been tough. To make matters even more difficult, in April I took over our YouTube channel, turning it into a channel for all things video games. This means I play even more now, and specifically those of the indie horror persuasion, because that’s where much of the excitement has been lately.
If you’re interested in joining me for a brief look back at the best horror games the year that was had to offer, read on for my picks (in no particular order).
Lonmonster (Best/Worst) | Lauren Taylor (Best/Worst) | Ryan Daley (Best Novels) | Adam Dodd (Best/Worst)
Best Posters | Best Performances | Best Trailers | Best Albums
Finally, Capcom got it right. Or, at least, they came pretty close. After Resident Evil 5 and the lazy attempt at bringing us something akin to Outbreak with Operation Raccoon City, Revelations was a breath of fresh air. It isn’t perfect — far from it — but it’s a step in the right direction for what fans have been asking for from the series for some time. It’s creepy, atmospheric and absolutely a must-play if you’re a fan of the series.
It’s unfortunate that so many people waved this game off because it wasn’t as scary as The Dark Descent. A Machine for Pigs is less scary, sure, but it makes up for that in the many other things it gets right, like the setting and story. Narratively, this game is much stronger than its predecessor.
This free indie horror game scared the pants off me. It’s one part Condemned, two parts Silent Hill, and it’s terrifying.
This is another game that made me want to sleep with the lights on. I could boil it down to “Paranormal Activity: The Game,” since it takes place in a house at night that’s plagued by randomly generated hauntings, but that wouldn’t do it justice. This game is great and it also has a free expansion en route called The Town that will bring with it a bevy of new content, including a slew of fresh haunts.
I immediately fell in love with Metro 2033, mostly due to its developer’s impressive attention to detail. The story, characters and world are enriched with a level of detail that isn’t often seen in games crafted by such small teams. Thankfully, publisher THQ (followed by Deep Silver) saw promise in the series and gave the sequel the backing it deserved. Metro: Last Light is a haunting tale of survival in a Russian post-apocalyptic wilderness where everything wants to kill you. It’s unforgettable.
Kraven Manor is another (free) indie horror game made by a team of thirteen graduate students. It’s one of the scariest games I played this year, and that’s saying something.
I was hesitant to include The Last of Us on this list because, unlike the rest of the world, I haven’t beaten it yet. Even still, I feel I’ve played enough to know that this is one of the most memorable games I’ve ever played. It’s a story driven game delivered by a developer (Naughty Dog) that’s at the top of their game.
Speaking of games that favor story over everything else, Telltale finally continued their emotional episodic series based on The Walking Dead. Season two premiered last month with All That Remains, an episode that set a sturdy foundation for what could be an intense second season. Poor Clem…
State of Decay snuck up on me. I knew of it, but I had no idea how much love developer Undead Labs would invest in this. It’s a love letter to a genre that’s seen significant attention this past generation and one I’m very much looking forward to seeing more of with its already in-development sequel, code-named Class4.
If you follow the games section here on Bloody Disgusting with any sort of regularity, you’re likely already very familiar with my love for this game. Red Barrels hit it out of the park with what could very well be the scariest game I’ve ever played. Ever. Outlast will stick with me for some time.
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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