Zero Brightness - A Podcast About Horror Video Games

Episode 148 is: a different take on Resident Evil 4 - a love letter to Funcoland - a defense of my favorite game in the series - an exhaustive breakdown of the best intro sequence in video game history

Episode 147 is: a discussion of the works of Sam Barlow, focusing on Immortality and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories - a consideration of FMV games - a deep dive on very weird game design - a conversation about whether or not turning Mulholland Drive into a sort-of-interactive "game" thing was a brilliant idea or the dumbest thing anyone has ever done

We check out another beloved video game movie, Warcraft (2016) and discover new ways to enjoy ourselves in VR.

Episode 146 is: a conversation with Vincent about the new Dead Space Remake - an exploration of what makes a good remake - a total reconsideration of the game in the title - a love letter to the flamethrower

Episode 145 is: A compare/contrast of the original Resident Evil and its Remake - a time lapse video of a grave being cleaned - a small journey through time - the start of season 3. Welcome back

An update on the show and some thoughts on Tunic, one of my new favorite games

We break down our favorite games that we played in 2022 and shoot off into all sorts of hot-take filled tangents

Some thoughts on how genres change over time, including observations about Sitcoms, Super Sad RPGs, Yume Nikki, Earthbound and Omori

We tackle the new DLC content for Resident Evil 8 - including a new story chapter - and discuss why DLC and the constant digital churn of modern capitalism is uhhhhh pretty bad

We watched Walking Tall (2004) and explored the world of seasonal holiday recipes. Yum!

Happy Holidays! We watched Taken (2008) and Christmas with a View (2018) to find out the true meaning of Christmas and Thanksgiving

Justin joins for a discussion of the various elements of Signalis, from the often frustrating survival horror elements to the stunningly well-realized aesthetic and design. We also discuss "daddy games," your mom's favorite book, Bible lore and much more. Spoiler-free until the last 20 minutes, which are marked within

Some thoughts on Signalis, Cyberpunk, Survival Horror and other classic hits. (No spoilers for the first 45ish minutes, light spoilers marked at end)

We played a bunch more indie games and curated a mixtape of short scares for you to check out. Games discussed include Nightmare of Decay, Bloodborne PSX, The Night is Darkening, You Left Me and Carbon Steel

We watched Doom (2005) and it was great

Monica joins to talk the big seasonal indie horror hit Madison, a game that is equally engrossing and frustrating. We break down the over-the-top story as well as the heavily PT-inspired gameplay. We also match the game's insane energy with conversations about long-lost vine clips, Halloween food challenges and Coleslaw's new church (spoilers marked within)

A few thoughts on the legacy of Hideo Kojima's PT and the development of First Person Exploration-Based Horror Games over the last decade - ahead of our review of Madison, coming later this week.

We watched Morbius (2022) and it was great

We watched The Punisher (2004) and it was great

We recorded this so long ago, i can't even remember what it's about. I'm sure it's awesome, because I'm fairly certain we cover Dexter, Devil House and my distaste for MFM

The first day of the rest of the podcast

We play a bunch of sick indie games that all share a fixation on the mundane; twisting simple tasks like going to work, walking through a house, and grocery shopping into surreal and terrifying experiences. Spoiler warning: we fucken love it. Games covered include Milk Inside a Bag of Milk, Anatomy, House in the Woods and The Convenience Store

Monica joins for a conversation about spoiler warnings, content warnings and the way that the internet is reducing conversations about media to juvenile nonsense.

(Content and Spoiler warnings marked in the episode) Some thoughts on Yoko Taro's Action-RPG epic Nier - including some thoughts on its humanist themes, the differences between its various versions (including the 2021 remake Nier: Replicant) and the intangible charm of its messy plot and lore. Also discussed: oversexualization of women characters in video games and anime, horny Japanese auteurs, a...

Josh rejoins to finish our discussion of Hideo Kojima's gameography, this time joined by our mutual bandmate Christian. We discuss the first three Metal Gear Solid Games as well as being old, cursed streamers, arabic ringtones, our favorite PS1-era character designers and metal gear waifus