Editorials
Is it Time We Retire the Term ‘Survival Horror’?
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re a fan of horror games, and if you’ve been gaming long enough, you’re likely nostalgic for the golden years of survival horror (late 90s, early 00s). That era saw the release of numerous genre defining games, including Resident Evil 2, Silent Hill 2, and Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly, among a myriad others. It was a great time to be a fan of the genre.
“Survival Horror” has become a controversial term as of late, as fans urge game developers and publishers to return longstanding franchises — the most recent example being the next Resident Evil — to their roots in survival horror. We’ve watched in horror as one major horror franchise after another has fallen to publishers’ futile attempts broaden the appeal of their games. Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Dead Space — the list goes on, and it’s more than a little depressing.
But when we ask game companies to make more survival horror games, what is it, exactly, that we’re asking of them?
Survival horror is generally described as a subgenre of horror in which the narrative, characters, exploration and puzzles are the primary focus. These games limit the player’s ability to defend themselves from whatever horrors are hunting them by making them feel helpless. This is usually accomplished by tossing players into an unfamiliar and often terrifying environment where they’re either unarmed or barely capable of defending themselves.
Conserving what few precious resources that are available, like ammunition and healing supplies, is crucial.
The problem with this genre has always been its limited appeal. Old school survival horror games were notoriously difficult, and that kept these games from finding a wide enough audience to justify the growing costs of game development. It’s difficult to justify spending potentially tens of millions of dollars on a game with limited appeal, and that’s why we’ve seen several survival horror series gradually turn into more action oriented affair.
This has inspired a number of arguments, even here on Bloody Disgusting, with fans of the genre arguing over what’s scary and what isn’t, what’s survival horror and what isn’t. It’s a ridiculous argument, seeing as horror is so relative to the person experiencing it. What I find scary might not have any real impact on you, and vice versa.
All of this is a terribly long-winded way of asking: should be retire the term “survival horror”?
The question was brought up by Game Informer, which asked if it’s time to finally retire survival horror, a term that has seen its definition gradually changed over time to better describe a genre of games that have evolved quite a bit since it was first coined by Resident Evil back in 1996.
They brought up some good points, some of which I’ve touched on above. And before anyone gets upset, the point of this discussion isn’t if horror is dead — because it clearly isn’t — the point is to open a discussion about whether or not this term should see continued use to describe a genre that has seen significant changes over the last two decades.
Let me know what you think. I’m genuinely interested in knowing what you think about the term and whether or not it’s become outdated. And if it has, what should we replace it with? Plain old ‘horror’? I’ve seen a growing number of games that refer to themselves as ‘weird fiction’, which I love. Or how about “tweedpunk robo-horror” — that may very well be my favorite genre term yet.
After you vote, you should check out our list of the remaining horror games of 2014 — it’s proof enough that this genre is still very much alive.
No conversation about cartoons based on live-action movies is ever complete without mentioning The Real Ghostbusters.
This animated continuation is, warts and all, a notable example of turning a hit movie into a hit series. And although the new target demographic skewed a little younger, even kids-at-heart could partake in the further adventures of Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore and Egon Spengler.
For a good part of its run, the show required fans to wait at least a week for more Ghostbustin’. That’s torture for a kiddo. Luckily, though, the entire series, or at least most of it, is now available for streaming.
So, as you revisit The Real Ghostbusters on Tubi—for now it’s just the first five seasons there—use this guide to help prioritize some must-see episodes.
The Boogieman Cometh
“The Boogieman Cometh” (Season 1)
Season One’s “The Boogieman Cometh” is a classic episode featuring one of the show’s more iconic villains. It’s hard to forget the unique character design used for the Boogieman (whose creepy voice was provided by Ray and Slimer’s actor, Frank Welker). In this story, Egon is reunited with that bump-in-the-night entity who haunted his own childhood, all while trying to keep him away from his latest targets: the brother and sister claiming to have the Boogieman in their closet. Although the Ghostbusters do save the day here, the Boogieman eventually returns (“The Bogeyman Is Back“). That same episode also features the love-’em-or-hate-’em Junior Ghostbusters.
Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream
“Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream” (Season 1)
You could say the namesake of “Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream” had good intentions for putting mankind to sleep for the next few centuries—he wanted to end war and keep everyone dreaming. Sounds nice until you remember that whole free will business. But when it seems like the Ghostbusters have lost to their latest foe, the last one standing, Winston, gains a sudden ally. Janine’s dream of becoming a Ghostbuster is manifested, and she helps put this rogue spirit to bed.
When Halloween Was Forever
“When Halloween Was Forever” (Season 1)
Before the show’s execs capitalized on Slimer’s popularity by making him the focus of later episodes, early stories like “When Halloween Was Forever” better utilized that gooey ghost. Here, the spirit of Halloween itself, Samhain, hopes to make the holiday a permanent thing by stopping time. And who does the embodiment of All Hallows’ Eve use in his nefarious plot? Slimer, of course. Thankfully, the lil’ green bud knows where he really belongs, and Samhain is banished (at least until Season 3’s “Halloween II 1/2“).
Night Game
“Night Game” (Season 2)
Because Season Two was rather long, in comparison to other seasons, it accumulated quite a few solid episodes. One of the most beloved, though, is that ultimate good-versus-evil story, “Night Game“. Winston gets to shine here as he participates in a battle that was 500 years in the making. Except this time, the fighting is done on the baseball field. The other-dimensional settings in The Real Ghostbusters are always great, but the one here is particularly memorable.
Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin
“Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin” (Season 2)
Not all ghosts and whatnot were bad in The Real Ghostbusters. As “Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin” showed, some were actually benevolent. Sadly, it took a lot of convincing, and one very heroic act, for Peter and the others to see past this goblin’s grotesque appearance. The heroes find more than one shapeshifter at a sideshow carnival in the Poconos; a sinister Class-4er called the Metamorph does a swell job of menacing the Ghostbusters before they finally realize Drool’s not their culprit. The good guys indeed win here, but that victory is a bittersweet one.
The Collect Call of Cathulhu
“The Collect Call of Cathulhu” (Season 2)
While “The Collect Call of Cathulhu” does misspell “Cthulhu” in the title (probably to avoid legal issues), it is clearly the Old One in this Lovecraft-inspired episode. The story kicks off with the Necronomicon being stolen by the deity’s modern-day cult, who then raise their ancient god at Coney Island. From there, the Ghostbusters’ typical methods don’t work on the big guy, so they seek advice from an old issue of Weird Tales (or “Wierd Tales”, as it’s spelled on screen). That build-up to the finale comes with a decent amount of dread before the Ghostbusters, as well as a scholar named Alice, face off with one of the show’s most powerful entities.
Knock, Knock
“Knock, Knock” (Season 2)
A number of Real Ghostbusters episodes could be reworked into big-screen features, but perhaps “Knock, Knock” is the most hopeful. It helps that this story feels in step with the first two movies. Here, some ignorant construction workers accidentally uncover and open an ancient door in the subway. What’s behind said door is none other than those unspeakable evils that only the Ghostbusters can quell. A good deal of the imagery here is prime for adaptation.
The Grundel
“The Grundel” (Season 3)
One of the darker episodes, which was written by the prominent J. Michael Straczynski, is “The Grundel“. Here, a boy is being influenced by the titular entity, a type of ghost who ultimately turns his targets into new Grundels. The episode does have something of an after-school special quality to it, but that doesn’t take away from the eerier moments. For more Grundel lore, be sure to check out the episode “Grundelesque” from the sequel series, Extreme Ghostbusters.
Standing Room Only
“Standing Room Only” (Season 4)
It’s no secret that The Real Ghostbusters experienced multiple changes after the second season. Out of all of them, though, retooling the show so that Slimer would get more of the spotlight is maybe the most egregious. Thankfully, Season Four (the first to be called Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters) didn’t completely obey that new directive; episodes like “Standing Room Only” felt more like the old days. The focus here was on the well-being of the city and its people, rather than on the series’ green mascot (or the Junior Ghostbusters). In the episode, Peter’s new ghost attractor isn’t to blame for the ensuing chaos; the ghost-eating Mee-Krah is what’s really imperiling everyone. And the Ghostbusters must dish out everything they have to avoid a doomsday situation.
The Halloween Door
“The Halloween Door” (Season 5)
While many fans will skip the later seasons in their rewatches, episodes like “The Halloween Door” are still worth checking out. This colorful helping of Halloween pandemonium premiered on primetime, so the animation is better than usual. And save for a random musical moment, it’s an enjoyable event. Here, a group of anti-Halloweeners tries to cancel the holiday, but they only end up making things worse by unleashing a baddie named Boogaloo.
The first five seasons of The Real Ghostbusters are available on Tubi, starting on July 15.
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