Editorials
How a Love of Horror Shapes Comedic Roguelike ‘Phantom Halls’ Into a Celebration of the Genre
Before you even know what Phantom Halls is about, it manages to catch your attention with a mere glance at it. The papercraft visual style is certainly a unique selling point for this horror-comedy roguelike. When you delve deeper than that, however, there’s a clear ardor for the horror genre.
You’re tasked with controlling a squad of characters inside a procedurally-generated 2D mansion, and naturally, this is no walking tour. There’s something strange going on here, and your squad must take on a variety of ghouls n’ ghosts as they move around the creaking halls. There are different missions for each character and they lean into the goofier side of horror
You control your entire squad as one entity, using different keys for each of their actions. There’s gunplay, but the more satisfying side to combat is the crunchy melee that allows for some fine brain-bashing. The weapon and item drops are randomized too, so plenty of scope for experimentation in your skull-smashing-related activities.
Phantom Halls looks suitably spooky, as you guide your intrepid squad of ghoul killers through dimly-lit areas, relying heavily on a flashlight to spot the evil that lurks in the shadows, but there are many homages to horror. Not just its heroes, villains, and trendsetters, but also its faults and tropes too. Phantom Halls manages to be a celebration of the silly, the spooky, and the scary sides of the genre.
Developer Incedium is hardly shy about these influences. The game’s creative director (and founder of Incedium) Llexi Leon is clear about where Phantom Halls‘ genesis lies.
”Phantom Halls really draws on all forms of B-movie horror and celebrates the visceral gore and outlandish creatures of the genre in a comical way, whilst also tipping our hat to the narrative staples of the genre and building on those concepts to create unique gameplay mechanics and character abilities,” Leon told Bloody Disgusting.
It’s hard to deny that. Phantom Halls feels like a game made by horror fans who are able to poke fun at the shortcomings and narrative crutches of the genre whilst displaying genuine affection for it.
”The whole game was built around horror movie tropes as the primary objectives. I think the often ridiculous yet comfortingly familiar scenarios for the dozens of missions will give players a good laugh if they’ve spent as much time watching horror and listening to heavy metal as we have.”
Notably, this adoration played a big part in Incedium securing a rather lucrative license for a film that is a firm favorite of the development team as a whole, and a splendid fit for the haunted house comedy horror of Phantom Halls, Evil Dead 2.
”We’re all huge Evil Dead fans and so the officially sanctioned Ash content – drawing from our collective favourite, Evil Dead 2 – is very prominent in the game.” Says Leon.
Yes, Ash himself is a downloadable character for Phantom Halls, made up in the game’s delightful papercraft form. There’s also Evil Dead-themed missions, including a battle against Evil Ash, and the iconic cabin also joins the party. The Sam Raimi classic’s inclusion is a beacon of Incedium’s love for comedic horror in particular, but while the focus is on B-Movies and low-budget classics, the focus isn’t narrowed to just that, as Leon goes on to explain.
”There’s many far more subtle nods and references to the genre throughout, whether it’s the clowns, zombies, killer dolls, or risen gargoyles. There’s a host of undead monsters to face in the mansion that draws inspiration from iconic movies and staples of horror literature like The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow, Frankenstein, and Dracula, all reimagined through our satirical papercraft lens.”
Leon also cites the King of the B-Movie himself, Roger Corman, as an inspiration. So much so that his name pops up a fair bit in Phantom Halls. ”There’s a few tributes to Roger Corman in the game world of Phantom Halls – as he’s arguably the godfather of the B-movie, we had to bring him into the mix, with Corman Valley High being the school where the kids ‘occult studies club’ is formed, and the Corman Valley Crabs being referenced as the cheerleaders squad – a nod to ‘Attack of the Crab Monsters’ for the real B-movie buffs out there!”
Phantom Halls has steadily been growing since its Early Access launch last year into the horror love-in you see today and the future could well be brighter still, with bucketloads of potential for themed tie-in content and plain expansion into more homages. It’s one thing to make a good horror game that nods to its influences, but to make one that’s funny as well is an admirable feat.
Phantom Halls is out now on Steam Early Access and has its full release on October 31st.
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!
You must be logged in to post a comment.