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‘Claire’ Plays Like a 2D ‘Silent Hill’, and I Love it
There’s no denying the monumental impact Silent Hill has had on this industry, but its influence is most noticeable when you look at recent retro-style indie horror games. There’s no shortage of developers who are taking inspiration from Konami’s longstanding survival horror franchise these days, including the makers of Lone Survivor and the upcoming Silence of the Sleep. Now we can add another similarly themed title to the list with Claire, a 2D survival horror game from indie developer Hailstorm Games.
If you’re looking for something scary, Claire is terrifying, atmospheric — thanks, in part, to a stellar soundtrack — and a fantastic love letter to the survival horror genre. Watch me play through its beginning level below.
Claire is available now on Steam. You can get it for $8.49 (15% off) if you jump on it by the 14th, where it will return to its normal price tag of $9.99.
In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war, but it was a cheerful illustrator from England who helped to define the terrifying war-torn imagery that inspired what we now know as Grimdark (a hybrid genre combining horror with sci-fi/fantasy).
Unfortunately for fans of Warhammer 40,000, Trench Crusade and countless other sources of Grimdark thrills, veteran artist John Blanche passed away this week after struggling with health issues for the past few years.
While the artist retired back in 2023, he leaves us with an enormous legacy of iconic artwork that continues to inspire gamers and storytellers around the world to this very day.
The news is especially gloomy as it was only last year that Daniel Lowman and Napoleon Dynamite himself Jon Heder released The Grim & the Dark: The Search for John Blanche, a documentary following Heder’s exploration of the Grimdark genre culminating in a heartwarming encounter with Blanche in his own home.
Below is one of my favorite pieces by Blanche, his highly influential depiction of Warhammer 40k’s God-Emperor of Mankind on his Golden Throne.
We send our deepest condolences to John Blanche’s family, friends, and fans.
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