Category: Horror Culture

A place for the celebration of the Horror Genre, discussions, debates, reviews, and of course personal opinion.

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Gamer News

Wolfenstein The New Order,Gamer News, Sonic Mercury,Z3ROTH3RT33N

In my last post about Wolfenstein: The New Order I had mentioned that some stealth elements would be present in the gameplay. Yesterday a new YouTube trailer was released on Bethesda Softworks official page and it sheds some light on just how stealth plays into Wolfenstein. The trailer subtitled Stealth Vs. Mayhem shows two alternate ways of approaching the same level. From the trailer it appears that stealth is actually quite viable and it appears more involved than previously believed. Using silencers and picking locks, protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz quietly progresses, dispatching unsuspecting enemies along the way. The mayhem approach is pretty self explanatory. Go in high profile with guns blazing, which admittedly looks like a lot of fun and probably the way I would play the game. A few high powered weapons are shown off as well as the ability to duel wield different weapons. Let’s be honest though hearing me describe this stuff isn’t nearly as fun as watching it for yourself so here is the link to Bethesda’s Official YouTube page so you can check it out for yourself. I would say the gameplay trailer is probably NSFW as it is pretty violent. You can read the disclaimer at the beginning of the video and decide for yourself. Wolfenstein is slated for a May 20th release for PS3, PS4, XBOX 360, XBOX One as well as on the PC and of course if you pre-order it you will be given access to the DOOM beta. For more on Wolfenstein: The New Order and games like it subscribe to Sonic Mercury’s mailing list at the bottom of the page.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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Horror News

Survival Horror

A new gameplay trailer for The Evil Within has surfaced. The trailer shows off many new areas including a forest suggesting the world for this new survival horror title may be more diverse then has been shown previously. Up until now The Evil Within appeared to take place all inside one building but it is now apparent that this is not the case. There is also a scene showing the main character walking towards a barn through a field of surreal sunflowers suggesting that our journey through the game may feature lapses in sanity. Many different creatures, monsters and other nasties can be seen as well.

 

The Evil Within is being developed by Bethesda Softworks and directed by Shinji Mikami the creator of the original Resident Evil Games. Mr. Mikami has previously stated that he was unhappy with the current state of survival horror games and began creation of The Evil Within with the intent of bringing the genre back to its roots. Mr. Mikami has also stated this will be the last game that he directs. According to the new trailer the release date for The Evil Within will be August 26th 2014. As this trailer was created for this weekend’s Pax East conference in Boston I think it is safe to assume this is the U.S. release date. It was speculated The Evil Within could potentially have been in development until 2015 so it is exciting to know we will be able to get our hands on this one sooner than later. Here is the link to the new trailer via the official Bethesda YouTube channel. The Evil Within. (NSFW – Violence and Blood)

 

I will say I definitely get an old-school Resident Evil vibe from the atmosphere in this trailer. The good news is we will only have to wait a few months to find out if this new title makes good on the promise of old-school survival horror. For more on The Evil Within and games like it subscribe to SonicMercury.com’s emailing list at the bottom of the page and subscribe to the links provided at the end of this article for even more updates.

 

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Video Game Spotlight

It has been over 6 months since the release of the critically acclaimed epic The Last Of Us. Many including myself have heralded it has a masterpiece of modern day gaming and story telling. Numerous nominations and game of the year awards aside and a prequel DLC on the horizon I believe enough time has passed for a proper retrospective. Now that the initial gloss has had time to wear off and the hype time to die down we can take a more grounded look back at The Last of Us and its impact.

 

I have seen many great games come and go, bosses defeated, puzzles solved, princesses rescued and worlds saved. Final Fantasy 7 springs to mind. It was a high water mark for its era of gaming. It was like nothing I had ever seen before or thought was possible in a video game. I still remember the first time I saw those cut scenes. Cloud and his friends stealing futuristic vehicles and driving them straight out the side of a sky scraper landing on a nearby highway fleeing into the night. I remember watching Sephiroth disappear menacingly as he walked into a wall of flames. The disturbing experiments revolving around Jenova and of course the grim fate of Aerith. These are moments in a game I played 17 years ago that still stick with me. It was an epic that pushed the boundaries of what was possible within the realm of video game storytelling. Final Fantasy 7 created a story built on characters that have gone on to become video game legend. To this day I still talk to people who wish that the Final Fantasy series was still about Cloud and his friends and to be fair the only Final Fantasy game I have played all the way through since FF7 was Crisis Core the prequel to FF7 because it involved the characters I cared about from the original game.

 

Seventeen Years from now will The Last Of Us be as fondly remembered? Will the game share similar relevancy among the gaming community? That is a tough question to answer. If FF7 is the example of how a video game can transcend peoples preconceptions and expectations of what a video game experience can be than TLOU is the evolution of that example. Combining engaging gameplay mechanics with fascinating characters, a well realized highly detailed world and a story of substance you can not help but become immersed in the world of TLOU and become invested in Ellie and Joel’s journey. I don’t want to get too off topic but I think part of why TLOU won so many game of the year awards over Bioshock: Infinite is because the characters actions within the setting matched the tone of the story better. Bioshock’s world is beautifully rendered but it is also highly stylized and I think contrasted with the extreme violence of the protagonist in Bioshock the overall experience suffers for it. That is not saying that the story of Bioshock: Infinite is any less profound or the core gameplay any worse than TLOU but I wonder what the game would have been like had they gone for a slightly less stylized presentation.

 

A major part of what makes TLOU so unique is its humanity. You are constantly reminded of life. Although human life is scarce it is obvious that yours is but one journey among countless others. Every person you meet, every location you traverse and even your own characters interactions tell unique stories of the individuals who exist and have existed in this world. Every enemy you meet may have been a friend had the circumstance of survival not been so immediate. Even the infected who exist as horrible deformations in various stages of decay were once regular human beings. They are horrific reflections of ourselves. Reality is grim.

 

Ultimately this is where TLOU really shines. In the depth of the characters. It is their triumphs in human spirit, their ability to overcome constant barrages of negativity and looming hopelessness. How the characters still find ways to have moments of true levity. They remain brave and vigilant. In a world where existing means endlessly enduring harsh savagery from man and monster, Ellie and Joel desperately struggle to retain and define their own humanity while constantly being asked to compromise that definition.

 

The tale of Ellie and Joel has struck a chord within the gaming community. It is interesting to listen to others talk about their experiences with TLOU as many people speak with an air of reverence for the title. I personally play online occasionally with someone who was so taken by the game and specifically the character of Ellie that they actually created an entirely new PSN account to reflect their appreciation of the game and that character. I know he is not the only one to do this for TLOU and he is definitely not the first person to make a new profile for a game but when you discuss the game with fans like him you would swear that Ellie and Joel were real.

 

We will have to wait and see if TLOU reaches the level of video game mythos that games like Final Fantasy 7 have reached. For those of us who were touched by this epic that really shouldn’t matter, like a good book the story of Ellie and Joel will always be one of endearment. A tale to be kept pridefully on the wall among other greats. It may or may not live on with the kind of high recognition other games have received over the years but it will live on with high regard to all those who connected with Ellie and Joel forever. The fact is a game like TLOU is proof positive that video games truly are a medium unlike any other. As in all media video games have the ability to touch peoples lives in profound ways.

 

Though its only been a little over 6 months since the release of TLOU the roots of a legacy have been planted in fans around the world. Their word of mouth will help the roots spread to new fans. With an all new prequel DLC rumored for a U.S. release on Feb. 14th its safe to say that TLOU isn’t fading from the public eye anytime soon. Given the completeness of the overall story arc it will be interesting to see if a sequel does come to fruition and what it would be all about.

 

( Just off the top of my head real quick, I mean since your here anyway. Can you imagine how cool an MMO spinoff could be? Creating your own characters and weapons, making alliances with other real players all while scouring for resources and exploring more of the chaotic universe presented in The Last Of Us. It could even be possible for characters from the original game to make cameos occasionally. All well I can dream can’t I? )

 

See you in 17 years.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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Horror Spotlight

Alien: Isolation is a video game being developed by The Creative Assembly and being Published by Sega. The game is based on the franchise of the same title and if any of you reading this are at all familiar with the last Alien franchise based video game to be released you are probably cringing at the very thought of playing another game within this universe. Let it be known that I am one of those who did get burned by the Gearbox debacle. As such I am definitely hesitant of a new game based in the Alien universe. One major reason so far to exhale is that Gearbox doesn’t seem to have any thing to do with this game.

 

There are already some gameplay demos out for Alien: Isolation and I will make sure to include something so you can check it out for yourself. Right off the bat what is very striking about this game in comparison to Aliens: Colonial Marines are the visuals. From what I have seen the graphics really do seem next gen and the lighting really looks good. The next thing of major contrast to A:CM is that you are definitely not a soldier in this game or any kind of formidable combatant for that matter. You play as Amanda, Ripley’s daughter 14 years after the events of Alien and the game is strongly influenced by Ridley Scott’s 1979 horror classic and not James Cameron’s action heavy 1986 sequel.

 

From what I have seen Alien: Isolation is the polar opposite of A:CM. Instead of fighting droves of mindless enemies there is supposedly only one Alien. Armed with the classic handheld radar from the movies you slowly creep around a seemingly abandined ship gathering tools to help your escape all the while being stalked. In an interview I heard on IGN about this game they said that the people at The Creative Assembly have put a major emphasis on staying true to H. R. Geiger’s original design of the Alien and even pointed out details of the monster in still shots from the game that include the humanoid skull that is supposed to be visible beneath the creatures frontal lobe.

 

My impressions from the actual game play are that this game has the potential to be pretty scary. Even in just the first few seconds of the demo the atmosphere is effective in conveying a sense of tension. Navigating in the first perspective the sense of being alone is amplified by an uneasy quiet and the knowledge that their is at least one other very hostile presence on board with you. Your obvious first response is to never let go of your handheld radar but doing so partly obscures your vision and distracts you from possible danger because you are looking down at the radar instead of monitoring your surroundings.

 

You must consider the consequences of your movements. While it may be tempting to just make a B line for a possible escape route, your heavy footsteps will alert the Xenomorph to your location so it is imperative to plan your actions wisely. Instead moving slowly and choosing your path meticulously will likely award a more prosperous journey, although it will be no less daunting.

 

When researching this title the people from Outside Xbox mentioned that given that Colonial Marines was so negatively received publisher Sega likely would have scrapped Alien: Isolation if wasn’t for A:CM being pushed back from its initial release so many times. By the time A:CM finally came out A:I was too far in production for Sega to consider scrapping it so maybe something good can still come out of that disaster.

 

Alien: Isolation is slated for a Q4 2014 release on PS3, PS4, XBOX 360 and XBOX One. While what has been shown so far is promising it will be interesting to see how the game ultimately executes on that promise. For obvious reasons its hard to whole heartedly believe in this game but I am hoping that this will finally be the Alien game that we can legitimately be excited for. In the mean time here is a link from the CommunityGame YouTube channel which not only shows a trailer using actual game play but also contains a brief behind the scenes segment with the developers so you can form your own opinions.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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Horror Spotlight

SOMA is a survival horror title being developed and published by Frictional Games and is slated for a 2015 release on PC, MAC and PS4. Frictional Games most famous game up until now is Amnesia: The Dark Descent. SOMA has been secretly in development since 2010. The first official gameplay trailer was released early this passed October and since then a few live-action trailers have surfaced as well. SOMA and The Evil Within are both going to be games within the survival horror genre and while The Evil Within looks to be a promising new horror title that I am excited to play, it is the game mechanics that I am ultimately drawn to. SOMA on the other hand looks to be potentially a catalytic explosion in the horror world. The gameplay trailer alone is enough to give you goosebumps of depraved joy at how unabashedly demented it is and their is a certain uneasy undertone to the live action trailers that give a hint of SOMA possibly being something truly horrifying.

 

The world of SOMA is sort of like if the legendary artist H.R Giger of Alien fame was crossed with influences of Hellraiser and placed in a cold futuristic setting where it appears robot technology is common. The goal of the game according to Thomas Grip Creative Director of Frictional Games in his own words according to his blog entry on Playstation.com states that. “SOMA is meant to chill you to your core, and confront you with questions about your very existence.” The stark setting of the game paired with the commitment to exploring futuristic sci-fi theories and philosophies definitely has my attention as an experience that could possibly stand out as more than just a good horror game and be something truly special that none of us will soon forget. 

 

My impressions of everything I have read and seen so far of SOMA reminds me of a post-apocalyptic short story published in 1967 that was later turned into a 1995 computer game called “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream.” The story is fairly disturbing about a self-aware supercomputer that engineers mass genocides around the world until their are only 5 survivors left in the whole world. The survivors live in a vast underground complex but the supercomputer holds great hatred towards humankind and thus makes the 5 remaining humans borderline immortal so it can torture them for all eternity. Although there is little evidence that the two narratives will be in anyway similar I just get the feeling that very bad things are going to happen to the protagonist in SOMA. Furthermore the Creative Director went on to say that the player will not take control of a space marine fighting his way out but rather a regular person finding their way through.

 

Three years in development and only a little over a month out of secrecy it seems unfair that we will have to wait until 2015 to get our hands on SOMA. Here is a link to Creative Director Thomas Grip’s blog on Playstation.com so you can read what the game is about in his own words as well as check out the official gameplay trailer which is included on his blog page. Please note as with most horror related media the trailer on Thomas Grip’s page does include some scenes of gore and violence. I have also include links to 2 of the live-action trailers for SOMA posted on Frictional Games official YouTube page here entitled “Vivarium” and “Mockingbird.” Bookmark SonicMercury.com for updates on SOMA and all things horror related.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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Horror Spotlight

Survival Horror

The Evil Within is an upcoming new horror videogame that will appear on both current-gen and next-gen consoles in 2014. The game is being developed by Tango Gameworks and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game centers around antagonist Detective Sebastian Castellanos. Sebastian wakes up in a gruesome world where violence and death are all around him after he and his partners investigated the scene of a mysterious mass murder. Now its up to Detective Sebastian Castellanos to traverse this decrepit world and discover the mystery as to why all this horrible stuff has been occurring.

 

At first glance it sounds like a typical horror game. Here’s why its not. The director of The Evil Within is Shinji Mikami a name we should all know as he is the creator of Resident Evil and creative lead for every subsequent Resident Evil title for many years. Resident Evil 4 was the last game in the series that he created. The Evil Within is Shinji Mikami’s return to the survival horror genre. Mr. Mikami has been quoted as saying about his new game that this will be a “true” survival horror game in response to his disappointment with current games of the genre he says this game will be, “one in which the player confronts and overcomes fear.”

 

The original Resident Evil series is a masterpiece. The first RE set the bar as to what survival horror could be on home consoles, the second RE far exceeded that bar introducing Claire Redfield and fan favorite Leon S. Kennedy into the horror of a familiar suburban setting in a chaos storm of monsters and zombies, the 3rd RE polished and refined elements of the first two games with smoother menus and action animations as well as detailed ammunition creation options. The 3rd RE also introduced the walking fear-bomb Nemesis who could go through doors and walk up stairs something previously impossible by RE foes instantly cranking up the tension of this entry. Finally RE 4 redefined the genre all together. Everything in the series had been overhauled for RE 4 new combat system, revamped menus and more cinematic presentation. Everything in RE 4 felt bigger and grander. From the story rife with plot twists and strange characters/creatures to the mysterious girl that Leon must rescue, RE 4 was a stout message to the Resident Evil fans and survival horror fans in general that nothing would be the same.

 

The graphical leap combined with the directorial decision to make the camera a 3rd person over the shoulder view that follows the player instead of set camera angles proved a very immersive experience. The visuals were gorgeous for a console game at the time. While I truly did enjoy Resident Evil 4 and had hours and hours of gameplay in the various survival modes alone some of the changes in the game were implications to me as to where this franchise was heading and for me I knew that Resident Evil 4 might be the last that I purchase. As I stated it’s not that RE 4 was a bad game in anyway. I felt Nintendo’s influence on the franchise was obvious however. The further I got into the game the more it reminded me of Zelda. The way items were highlighted in colorful columns and the change sound the game made every time you picked one up. The constant search for treasures paired with the more fantastical creatures versus horrible monsters created by viruses and the constant smashing of boxes and or pottery. Blood seemed minimal. The weird guy you bought items from who always greeted you with the same gruff voice, “Hello stranger.” The fantasy influence combined with the treasure hunting elements were just enough of a departure from the original 3 games for me to long for the old days of running through Raccoon City battling T-Virus zombies and not “Las Plagas” drones sent forth by the ghost of Napoleon’s inner child.

 

Needless to say I was more than a bit wary of the next installment of Resident Evil and my suspicions were confirmed as soon as I saw the trailers for Resident Evil 5. I thought the setting looked boring with lots of muted colors and the focus was obviously action based. Super fast infected people. I really wasn’t that turned off by the two player element that was introduced as I thought it could definitely work if implemented correctly. I played some of it and it just didn’t feel anything like the Resident Evil that I had grown to love. I guess with the success of the highly action based Resident Evil movies starring Mila Jovovich as a superhuman zombie slayer, which by the way undermines the entire genre of survival horror I mean how are you supposed to be scared when Supergirl fights a bunch of monsters that is an entirely different movie than what Resident Evil should be about but I digress, I guess the game developers thought this an appropriate direction for their game.

 

Then their was Resident Evil 6. Featuring 4 separate but intertwining campaigns. After all the hype it got and the promise that it would at least include Leon in one of the campaigns I decided to give it a shot. Originally 3 of the 4 campaigns were co-op until players made it clear to Capcom that it made no sense to have your game be primarily co-op only to offer the final campaign as a strictly single player experience. The 4th campaign was made co-op and available from the start of the game instead of an unlockable campaign made available after completion of the 3 other co-op campaigns. Each of the 4 campaigns had their own specific characters with their own story pertaining to the same global event. I really enjoyed most of Leon’s campaign quick time events aside. It had zombies in a dark creepy atmosphere genuinely conjuring fearful moments at times. The co-op actually worked great here, even with a friend the tension was still high. It felt like a proper evolution of Resident Evil. The rest of RE 6’s campaigns have their moments but they feel superfluous, like other ideas for Resident Evil games sliced and diced from their games and spliced together to create a grotesque Frankenstein of one game. At the end of the day RE 6 is more like 4 separate games under one title.

 

Now Capcom is in financial turmoil and the likelihood of a new Resident Evil from the company is uncertain. Just how bad a state Capcom is really in is debatable but information is surfacing that Capcom barely has enough cash to develop one more feature game. In other words if Capcom pays to develop one more game they could go bankrupt. Something to support this belief that Capcom is on dire straits is that when game producer Yoshinori Ono the producer of Street Fighter IV was asked by a fan on twitter if SF IV would be coming to the next gen Ono responded that Capcom lacked the resources to port the game to next-gen consoles although he expressed that it would be “sweet” to bring SF IV to the next-gen. Porting Street Fighter IV to next-gen consoles doesn’t require nearly the team and resources creating an entire game would. If Capcom can’t even port a fighting game to the PS4 and XBOX One how can any of us expect them to create a whole new Resident Evil?

 

With the most recent entries of Resident Evil 5 and 6 being disappointments for long time fans of the series because of their departure from the initial survival horror genre that Resident Evil helped to define The Evil Within might be just the gloriously gruesome return to the survival horror roots we all grew to love. Shinji Mikami has state that this will be the last game that he ever directs. Let us all hope that Mr. Mikami goes out on a high note helping to create a new chapter of survival horror, one that we can all look upon with fond memories and pass on a new legacy of horror to future generations. I have included a gameplay trailer for The Evil Within here courtesy of Bethesda Softworks YouTube page. Fair warning their is some extreme violence and gore. Bookmark SonicMercury.com for more on other upcoming horror titles in all media.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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Horror Spotlight: Update!

It turns out that their is even more to see this year at Halloween Horror nights. A few more attractions have been added since my last article about this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. One attraction will appeal to horror and videogame fans alike. It turns out that the Orlando location will be getting an attraction based on Resident Evil 2 & 3! The attraction is called Escape from Raccoon City. You will actually get to see the R.P.D. and meet up with Claire Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy. There will even be a 12 foot nemesis walking around firing off a Gatling gun. There will be zombies, lickers and hunters for you to run from as you make your way through famous locations inside Raccoon City from Resident Evil 2 & 3. As a huge fan of these two entries in the Resident Evil series it sounds like an exciting sprint down memory lane. Just the idea of actually getting to run from monsters in Raccoon City, getting to see the R.P.D. and meeting up with Leon and Claire makes me grin from ear to ear. The Evil Dead attraction sounds like a great time but a chance to go to Raccoon City and experience Resident Evil 2 & 3 firsthand is a Resident Evil fan’s dream come true. The other attraction of note is a maze based on An American Werewolf in London where you can traverse the English moors looking for werewolves and explore the circus from the movie, but Resident Evil 2 & 3! You get to go to Raccoon City!

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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Horror Spotlight

Let me be clear I don’t in anyway work for or have I ever been an employee at Universal Studios. Halloween Horror Nights is an event that has been held annually on and off again under various names throughout the last 20 years at Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood. For many years the events theme revolved around Jack Skellington of Nightmare Before Christmas fame. In recent years the Halloween Horror Nights event has been themed off of popular horror movies including Friday the 13th which quite honestly I really wish I could have gone to. The reason I bring this all up is because this year looks to be exceptionally awesome if you are a horror fan and a heavy metal fan. Some pretty great horror franchises are being tapped this year for the event so I figured with Halloween not too far off I would break down the different attractions being thrown at this years Halloween Horror Nights.

 

The first attraction this year is a maze based on the Walking Dead AMC TV series. You start off in a maze through the prison from the series the West Georgia Correctional Facility which is obviously full of Walkers. Even the fenced in area outside the prison is full of Walkers. After you make it through the prison there is a forested section full of Walkers and if you can “survive” the wilderness you will actually end up at the town of Woodbury where you can meet the Governor. Universal Studios has promised that you will relive many iconic moments from the Walking Dead series.

 

The next attraction is a maze inspired by the Evil Dead. You literally walk through the forest to the most famous of abandoned cabins in horror history. The description says you can either try to run from the Deadites into the forest or you can try to survive the night in the cabin. Exactly how it works I am not sure, you might have to keep running through the maze as staying in the middle seems like a difficult way to get out again. Either way the maze is filled with plenty of gore and Deadites. When you reach the cabin listen for the words from the Book of the Dead as that definitely will be your cue that lots of crazy stuff is about to happen.

 

OK so by now you probably guessed pretty much all the events are mazes. The next maze is inspired by Insidious. People will actually get to walk through the haunted house from Insidious and experience different moments from the movies first hand. The special effects look pretty impressive as they show a girl being wrapped up by a shower curtain seemingly on its own volition. One of the most exciting mazes for me is the one inspired by songs from Black Sabbath. You start the maze in a demon filled cathedral, then go through graveyards, madhouses, corpse filled battlefields and even a nuclear apocalypse full of mutated beasts. You wear 3D glasses the whole time and Black Sabbath music will be playing in the backround. Personally I would love to see Black Sabbath’s reactions as they all walked through the maze. Its being called a interactive 3D movie inspired by Black Sabbath’s most famous songs.

 

The next maze I am kind of on the fence about. Its a maze called “El Cucuy” The Boogeyman. I am all for bringing back the boogeyman for some good old fashioned horror fun but this maze is narrated by Danny Trejo. It looks like it could be fun and if Danny Trejo only says a few things at the beginning and end of the attraction it probably won’t be too bad but I just can’t for the life of me find him scary. The final attraction for this years Halloween Horror Nights is called Universal Monsters Remix: Resurrection which is supposed to be a revival of the classic Universal Monsters. That sounds really cool I am all for the original Universal Monsters being revived for the 21st century. However the attraction features the music of Figure a dubstep artist. The comments on the page make him seem pretty beloved by Halloween Horror Nights patrons but I really don’t want to see Frankenstein pop and lock. I have no proof that is what the attraction will be like but my own gut feeling is sour towards dubstep Universal Monsters. Not saying it can’t be done but it is with guarded skepticism that I would patronize this final attraction. All mazes were constructed with direct input from the creators and producers of source materials including the Black Sabbath maze, Ozzy, Geezer and Tony all had input on their maze.

 

Other non-maze attractions include “Terror Tram: Invaded by the Walking Dead” sort of a tram tour of a Walking Dead infested area. Bill & Ted will have an “Excellent Halloween Comedy Adventure” if you have a will made of pure steel. There are several “Scare Zones” each with its own theme. One scare zone has you playing hide and seek with Chucky. That could be fun. Another scare zone is themed after the movie the Purge that came out last year where you will be literally hunted by psychos with weapons and no laws. One of the scare zones features murderous french clowns in haunted Paris. ( Yes I am laughing even as I type it. ) There will be a field of haunted scarecrows looking to fertilize their crops with human blood, that could be promising. Finally Walking Dead Walkers will be everywhere inside the theme park so look out. The final attraction is you can actually walk through the backlot used in Season 3 of AMC’s Walking Dead series and it will be filled with Walkers. There will also be a landscape you can run from the walkers in that is inspired by Black Sabbath’s new album “13.”

 

So if I had a way to get to Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood or Orlando and could also afford it. This would definitely be on my list of places to go this year for Halloween. If you can swing it and have the schedule for it this just might be the place to get your scares this Halloween.  As always I am Z3R0TH3RT33N and I will continue to keep you updated on all things Horror, Metal and Videogame related.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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For the Fans!

Hey everyone the feedback has been amazing lately. I greatly appreciate the level of passion followers have. I wanted to thank everyone for supporting Sonic Mercury. When I started I wasn’t really sure what to expect but I think that I quickly found my voice. Clearly videogames have been at the forefront of my updates lately. I promise more metal and horror related articles will be included on the site to help diversify content in the future. I am thinking a top ten 80’s horror movie list is in order.

 

Gamescom was huge! So much stuff was shown off their it really was hard to break it down. Here is a quick overview. Someone at the Sony conference said something like “unlike others, we have had a clear path for our new console.” There was outrage. People were like “Cheap shot!” “ohhh Sony slams Microsoft again!” “Scandalous!!” Honestly at this point who cares? Microsoft messed up really bad and burned a lot of bridges with gamers around the world. Whats done is done. Lets get on with what we all really care about, the shiny new consoles and their respective videogames. Nonetheless people definitely tried hard to make this one comment in a 90 minute presentation a big deal. Seeing the comment in context it sounded to me like the speaker was just saying that they have been focused with the PS4 and the path Sony was taking with their new console. Anyone who saw this as a major jab at Microsoft was reaching.

 

The PS3 slim model will have a limited edition model available next year in the color blue. Special Microsoft employee  only editions of the XBOX One were shown off and they will be white. What is it about videogame consoles in different colors that makes them more desirable? Is it that we actually like the other colors or is it more just owning something that others don’t? “I have a new console!” “That’s cool, I have it to but mine is blue.”

 

Lets see other news from Gamescom. Battlefield 4 reportedly looks a lot worse than expected in the port from high end PC’s to the PS4 and XBOX One editions. This is very disappointing news considering the game is highly anticipated and every demo of the game up until the Gamescom hands on demo were visually impressive.

 

The new revamped Dualshock 4 controller for the PS4 received positive feedback at Gamescom with many FPS fans saying they would now be more likely consider playing first person shooters on the PS4 in the future.

 

Lots more happened at Gamescom but there are some highlights for you. Thanks again to everyone who has been following Sonic Mercury and I promise plenty more content on the way. Look for more info on Sonic Mercury’s new YouTube channel SonicMercuryTV in the next few weeks. Bookmark SonicMercury.com for more unique perspectives on videogames, horror, and heavy metal.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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Video Game News

The impact of The Last of Us is getting larger as developer Capcom says that the popularity of Naughty Dog’s newest title is an implication of what kind of zombie game the fans want. The Tomb Raider reboot was also given a nod for its success with a more grown up and adult approach to the franchise. A representative from Capcom further stated that Resident Evil 6 was a mixed bag garnering mediocre reviews with fans stating that the overall game “felt bloated.” The Leon missions were widely accepted in Resident Evil 6 as the most popular part and Capcom is stating this will help inform Capcom where to take Resident Evil 7 and they are promising a return to their survival horror roots.

 

This is exciting news for longtime fans of the Resident Evil franchise as many ( myself included ) have felt the series as drifted pretty far from the original gameplay style that had made the games so appealing in the first place. Admittedly it is with caution that I anticipate Resident Evil 7 because of Capcom’s recent track record with the franchise. I am wondering if Capcom can recapture that survival horror magic that made Resident Evil a household name. Capcom definitely has the resources. Let’s hope Resident Evil 7 is a return to form and that we get a solid/finished game without any DLC or patches to “fix” the gameplay. I for one would welcome an old-school style Resident Evil updated for this generation. Playing Resident Evil 2 are some of my fondest memories playing videogames and for me it is very exciting to here Capcom tease the possiblitly of the franchise returning to those old survival horror glory days.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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Horror Spotlight: Hemlock Grove

Hemlock Grove is a Netflix Original TV series based on a novel of the same name released in March 2012 and authored by Brian McGreevy. Eli Roth of Hostel fame is the executive producer of the series and the show has been nominated for an Emmy in the category of original online only web television. I have to give Netflix credit for not making something safe and taking risks. This is a show that takes out all the stops. A large part of Hemlock Grove’s allure comes from deciphering the unknown but when it comes to events happening to characters pertinent to the story the show can be quite graphic. This candidness adds a rawness and validity to an ever present sense of danger. The tension is high and the atmosphere potent.

 

Hemlock Grove is beautifully twisted, its Beethoven’s No. 5 painted by Van Gogh and played backwards by Slayer. A symphony for the senses. There is sex, violence, drugs, high school, young love, divorce, love triangles, unexplained pregnancies, monsters, murders, genetic manipulations and the supernatural. These ingredients are slow cooked on a rotisserie of intrigue and served in mouth watering bite sized revelations wrapped in mysteries that are fulfilling but never fill you up. The show hits all the right notes, interesting characters, believable dialogue and a refreshing take on familiar mythologies, while still giving respectful nods to source materials.

 

First off I have to mention the fantastic cinematography of Hemlock Grove. Almost every shot, be it an establishing shot of a landscape or a plain old alleyway, looks gorgeous. The use of lighting and filters are executed expertly and almost always seem to add to the atmosphere. Several times throughout the series I found myself just gawking at the scenery. It was seldom that I thought the image quality of a scene suffered a little but in those rare instances I couldn’t say for sure if my internet connection slowed down a little bit or if it was an intentional production choice to add atmosphere to a particular shot.

 

The thing to really get across with Hemlock Grove is that it is so much fun. The world created inside this show is one of limitless potential. You really feel like anything can happen. The characters are unique and satisfyingly fleshed out. While the show has many dark and gruesome moments they never feel overbearing and their is a really nice balance of levity. Another thing that I really appreciate about Hemlock Grove is that it doesn’t hold back, it embraces its premise and its previously mentioned “ingredients” and sprints full force into its own world. Nothing feels toned down, they chose a direction and they run with it. The horror elements are fully embraced and their are some really great effects used throughout the show.

 

The characters of Hemlock Grove are bizarre. Whenever time is taken to add exposition I couldn’t help but pay attention. Every detail just makes the show even more fascinating. Even at the very very end of the series the freight train of insanity never slows down and if anything it picks up speed. You can literally feel the tension in the air and its genuinely exciting wondering what could possibly happen next?! I don’t think I have ever enjoyed a TV show as much as this one.

 

Although Hemlock Grove currently only has a single season of 13 episodes each episode averages 45-50 minutes. Each episode is packed with content and a season 2 has already been approved for the series. There are a few moments of utter ridiculousness but the show is so damn entertaining that I honestly really didn’t care I was having too much fun to let these moments bother me. The climax of this series delivers in spades, the payoff to everything leading up to the end is so gratifying. Questions are answered and a lot of plot points are brought to a close but just enough is left hanging in the air of uncertainty that has me wishing season 2 was already here. If you have Netflix or know someone who does and your looking for an exciting supernatural tale of “Who dunnit?” with strong horror overtones and interesting characters go to Hemlock Grove you won’t be disappointed. In case it wasn’t obvious in my descriptions of the show its probably best you put the little ones to bed before turning this one on as the series does have a lot of adult content such as nudity and extreme violence.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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Evil Dead Remake/Reimagining

(Image appears courtesy of Christopher Ott and London 1888)

 

 

I just wanted to say a few things about the Evil Dead reboot. It seems somewhat appropriate seeing how it just came out on Blu-ray this week. First off I am a huge fan of the original series. I still remember renting the original Evil Dead when I was like ten years old. The smell of row after row of rental tapes, talking to the guy behind the counter. “Say my man, what’s the scariest movie you have?” and the clerk replied, “Why the Evil Dead young man.” When I was a little kid it seems like all we really ever rented were horror movies actually. The Return of the Living Dead series, Alien, Predator, Wish Master, Lost Boys, Silence of the Lambs, Hellraiser, as a kid I really liked the Puppet Master series for some reason and an endless supply of other old horror movies.

 

The original Evil Dead struck a chord. Like any great horror movie you lose your self in the plot and this may sound a bit strange but I actually cared about what happened to the characters in the story. I didn’t know until much later in life that the Evil Dead was already a cult classic by the time I rented it back in the early 90’s. What I did know is that it became one my favorite movies. The story was bizarre, the atmosphere was ripe with tension and a genuine sense of fear was conveyed by the purveyance of the unknown. Before this movie I never fathomed anything close to a book bound in human flesh and inked in human blood or what evils it would unleash upon the world.

 

The X factor of Evil Dead and the subsequent trilogy is the character Ash Williams played by Bruce Campbell. As the series goes on Ash became more and more of a bad ass, quick with a one liner and faster with his boom-stick. The story of Ash Williams has become legend to many, myself included. The character of Ash Williams has appeared in multiple Evil Dead video games and comic book series. Most horror fans would agree the original Evil Dead and Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams are iconic.

 

Here lies the monumental task of rebooting this beloved piece of horror cinema. ( Note: Evil Dead director Sam Raimi went on to direct the first Spider-man trilogy ) Director Fede Alvarez was hand selected by Sam Raimi to helm this project. The cast and crew were all explicitly told by both Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell to not try and recreate what had already been done. Sam and Bruce, both producers of the film, were very supportive but took on more of a coaching position leaving Fede Alvarez and his cast free to blaze their own story, to create something fresh.

 

The trailers for Evil Dead 2013 were really promising. Lots of gore, lots of violence and deadites. ( Look up the Redband trailer on YouTube its pretty wild NSFW )This was the first horror movie I had been truly excited for in a long time. When I finally got to see it I wasn’t disappointed. Evil Dead 2013 had an interesting plot giving the cabin more meaning to the characters and a real reason for everyone to visit the cabin. It succeeded in recreating the feeling I had watching the original, tense on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. It was a lot of fun to say the least, Easter eggs for the initiated were abundant without diminishing the new story in any way. I left the cinema happy to see that one of my favorite franchises was in good hands and to see the Evil Dead legacy grow and know that its legend will live on.

 

I have talked to some people who were really disappointed by this film. I was confused thinking OK it was pretty violent I could see some people who don’t enjoy horror being turned off by this title. That wasn’t the case as it turns out they were huge fans of the original series, and I found out that there are others who shared in their disappointment of Evil Dead 2013. These fans actually left the film confused about what had happened in the movie. Apparently what some fans were hoping for was a shot for shot remake of the original movie just updated with new effects.

 

The shot for shot remake of a classic horror movie has been done before. The one that jumps to mind is the remake of Psycho. A cinematic legend. Anthony Perkins’ performance in the original Psycho film is legendary. The Vince Vaughn performance in the shot for shot remake of Psycho is infamous. Bruce Campbell and the Evil Dead franchise are iconic. Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams is iconic. Like in the Psycho remake no one could ever capture the performance of the original. A shot for shot updated remake of Evil Dead would be a terrible step backwards for the franchise because all anyone would do is compare Bruce’s Ash to whomever’s Ash.

 

Even if it was a good shot for shot remake of the original, nothing original would have been done. What a waste of time to re-shoot a classic film scene by scene when you could just watch the original anyway. Instead what we got was a new story in an updated universe of a legendary horror franchise, with plenty of nods to the past to give die hard fans something to cheer for.

 

Rumor has it that Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell have three more Evil Dead titles in mind. One film will continue with the events of Evil Dead 2013, the second film will be a sequel to Army of Darkness with Campbell reprising his famous role of the chainsaw wielding deadite slayer Ash Williams, and the third film is intended to be a film where Ash Williams’ universe crosses over into the universe of the new series.

 

The Evil Dead 2013 did not give us an Ash Williams. However the film did give us a compelling story and interesting characters. There is plenty of gore and practical effects. Many events that occurred in the original series are homaged. Evil Dead 2013 is exhilarating, a refreshing new adventure in a beloved horror haunt. A thrilling tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat til the credits roll. I give it 4 and 1/2 stars out of five. If you have the stomach and like full on horror movies that hold nothing back I strongly recommend this film.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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Jason Lives!….Again?

Friday the 13th coming back soon?

                                                      According to an article on IGN, Warner Bros. who released the recent Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy has given Paramount its rights to co-finance a new Friday the 13th movie just to stay connected with Nolan on his new endeavor Interstellar. So to stay on board with Christopher Nolan’s next movie Interstellar and the right to co-finance the picture with Paramount, Warner Bros. has released its co-financing rights for the next Friday the 13th movie as well as the next South Park movie to Paramount. Both movie franchises have suffered from the many hurdles it takes to overcome when two of the biggest film distributors in the world have to agree on something. There is a catch however in that Warner Bros. has only relinquished its rights for five years giving Paramount a relatively small window to go into production on either of these franchises. The Friday the 13th series and the South Park series are both fairly lucrative but does that guarantee that we will be seeing the likes of Jason Voorhees or Eric Cartman on the silver screen anytime soon we will just have to wait and see.

-Z3ROTH3RT33N

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Friday the 13th Remake Critique

 SPOILER ALERT! This is my abridged critique of the Friday the 13 Remake.

1.) Jason’s mother dies in the first 5 seconds of the film. This wasn’t an immediate deal breaker for me but killing her off so quickly made it hard to really comprehend her importance in the story line and it also made it hard to understand why someone would kill Mrs. Voorhees in such a violent way.  As a big fan of the original Friday the 13th series I wanted to like this movie pretty badly but this version just misses the nuances that made the original series (especially in the beginning of the original series) so iconic to me.

2.) One of the biggest most glaring omissions from this version to me is the fact that Jason NEVER KILLS ANY CAMP COUNSELORS! I mean doesn’t it make sense that the people Jason would most want to kill are camp counselors? They are the ones who left him for dead at the bottom of Crystal Lake and they are the ones who ultimately killed his mother, brutally decapitating her. So instead of wasting the first 20 minutes of the movie with the adventures of how stoner mcgee and generic victims 2 through 5 are brutally murdered by Jason (which are a footnote at best on his resume) wouldn’t it have been so much more fun to have seen what Jason did to Camp Crystal Lake for it to be shut down in the first place? Then we the audience would have a vivid understanding as to why the camp is so heavily revered by all the locals?

3.) The character design of Jason was ok. I thought that Derek Mears performed adequately as Jason but at the end of the day if felt more like a man in the woods pretending to be Jason the body language was just off. I thought putting more emphasis on Jason being a conscious hunter was an interesting concept but I really hated seeing Jason out and about during the day so much.  Specifically the scene where he finds the hockey mask was really painful for me. Obviously I love when Jason wears the hockey mask but the moment of him discovering it was really cheapened by the fact that he is just bumbling around a barn in the middle of the day. This last part is more my own personal taste but Jason is just so much more menacing at night.

4.) Why even bother giving any of the other characters names? The only two who stand out and bring anything to the table were the characters of Lawrence and Chewie who were funny and actually made me kind of care about their fates. Now don’t get me wrong Friday the 13th has always been about the gratuitous nudity and the high body counts as well and I totally appreciate and enjoy that aspect of the series but it was hard to care about anyone in this story line at all. I spent the movie praying for Jason to come back in hopes of not suffering more terrible dialogue from generic victim #2 or his friends.

5) They totally left out Jason’s signature moves, just completely ignored staples of Jason Voorhees’s character. There is always a moment in the original series where Jason is about to kill someone or he is stalking someone where something else catches his attention and he violently jerks his head in the direction of the distraction, the move is always accompanied by a sharp musical cue. In the old movies, even as dated as they are now, that was a moment that always gave me a chill and made me smile. The other omission that really bothered me was that in the first few movies there was always a scene towards the end where one of the last survivors would be all alone sneaking through a quiet darkened cabin and you weren’t sure if maybe they might actually have escaped Jason’s attention for the moment. The tension would grow as the character tip toed through the silent darkness when suddenly one of Jason’s previous victims would come crashing sideways through the elongated cabin windows on to the cabin floor right in front of the tip toeing character shattering any sense of false security to dust. In part four when Jason grabs a kid through a glass window, that was classic or the part in six or maybe it was seven where Jason jumps through a dining room window and the lights are dim and he is standing behind some birthday balloons is just terrifying. Later on in another scene when people walk through the same room again it was revealed that Jason was standing in the back of the room watching them the whole time when a quick flash of light subtly reveals him in the back of the room motionless. That sense like in the first Jaws movie like at any moment anywhere terror was lurking. What was a major part of what made Jaws so effective? The music! We all know the iconic Jaws theme, so then why? Why was Jason’s theme so completely minimalized? The Jason theme is iconic and when used properly does fathoms to increase the tension of the movie. These were part of the elements that made the original series so awesome to me. Also I don’t think we ever really see the camera from Jason’s perspective just stalking his victims. This is also a great technique from the old series.  We didn’t get any of that.

6) I will just say the final battle with the wood chipper just wasn’t very interesting or inspired. Not necessarily a terrible moment but for the grand finale of a reboot of such an iconic series that’s weak sauce man, it’s like you’re not even trying. Then of course the teaser where he pops out of the water,  “oh boy, I mean you uhh, you just did that and well we all saw you do that and you’re going to possibly do it again? huh that’s just, uhhh, that’s something.”

Anyway to summarize I think this movie would have made more sense as a continuation than a reboot because so much of Jason’s beginnings are vaguely touched upon or flat out ignored and as mentioned earlier just plain lacking that spark to reignite such a beloved franchise. In the end though, I think that I would rather remember this one as a sort of bizarro world Friday the 13th than part of the actual lore. Yes I know I completely ignored the whole Jason taking a hostage arc of the movie. I didn’t hate that part but I also didn’t really understand it. Why would Jason take a hostage? Even with her wearing the necklace that reminded him of his mother what was his end game? Was Jason going to keep that girl chained up forever? It just seemed uncharacteristic of Jason to do such a thing and I know they were trying to reboot the story and I am open to new avenues with the Friday the 13th series but I just found the hostage arc to be ultimately unrewarding. I get why it was included but it just lacked umph for me. The bottom line with that arc is you got to give me a reason to care for the characters if they are so integral to your story and they just never did that for me.

The bottom line: Not enough attention to detail and the overall integrity of the Friday the 13th series or the character of Jason Voorhees. The film ultimately feels hollow lacking the spirit of the original series.

Critiqued by:

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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