Zero Brightness - A Podcast About Horror Video Games

We talk about all the various film and TV adaptations of the Resident Evil franchise, from the original film series to the recent CGI and live action takes on the franchise. We discuss the best and worst of what is, admittedly, a pretty mixed bag of properties ranging from pretty great to completely unwatchable. Listen in to find out what falls where!

Justin joins for a discussion of game length. We talk about how expectations and realities have changed over time, what makes a good long or short game and (briefly) about how I think the new Resident Evil TV show is actually... good? We also talk about a lot of different games (including: Nier, the Resident Evil series , Silent Hill, The Witcher, Metal Gear Solid V and more) in an effort to unpac...

An exploration of Cruelty as a theme/narrative device in video games and the way that it's developed over time. Tracks its introduction in the PS2 era (via classics like Silent Hill 2, Shadow of the Colossus and Rule of Rose) through to modern games that question the necessity of violence in video games (Nier, The Last of Us, Undertale, etc.)

Monica and Justin join to talk about The Medium, a game that attempts to update the Silent Hill formula by adding in tropes and ideas from walking sims and other modern horror games. We talk about what they got right and wrong, the weird fan reception, how it compares to its obvious inspirations and if walking sims were kind of bad all along.

We talk about the recent rash of Horror Remake announcements, as well as how we feel about remakes in general and the well-worn trope of remaking/rebooting classic survival horror

Tony rejoins to talk about what we thought about the rest of Elden Ring - including favorite areas, bosses and story moments, as well as a discussion of where it ranks in the Soulsborne series. Come all ye Tarnished and listen to some takes as hot as a freshly lit bonfire!

Justin joins for a roundup of horror games that seek to wrap you in the warm fuzzy glow of nostalgia - or bore you to tears with bad game design, depending on who you ask. We dissect and debate the merits of Iron Lung, Tormented Souls and Daymare 1998 - while also discussing what makes a great survival horror game, the difference between Itch vibes and Steam vibes, the fastest way to get banned fr...

Some thoughts about nostalgia, memories, mourning and why I don't like throwback horror games.

A discussion of Ghostwire: Tokyo - the latest from Horror innovator Shinji Mikami - and the ways in which it uses the ideas and tactics of J-Horror to create a slice-of-life horror game. Also discussed: ruined worlds, media in post-WWII Japan, the importance of drama in ghost stories and how East Asian Horror movies changed the way that I view and define horror media. Also the fact that this game...

Cole joins to talk about Dying Light 2, a game that feels a lot like its predecessor with all the fun parts taken out. We discuss the various ways in which they ruined a perfectly good game by filling it full of wonky mechanics, endless filler and tons of stilted dialogue. Also discussed: horny gamers, end of the world plans, slapping comedians, cringey stage banter and how Dying Light 2 is a lot...

It's Elden Ring time! Tony rejoins for more Fromsoft talk, this time concerning their new joint Elden Ring. We talk about the many things we love about this game - as well as some things we don't - in this spoiler-free discussion of our first few dozen hours with the game. Also discussed: heavy metal, watching Berserk when you're way too young, political interpretations of dark fantasy, mysterious...

Josh (drummer of the sludge metal band Serac) joins for a discussion of Hideo Kojima's games in reverse-chronological order. In this first part, we spend a lot of time talking about Death Stranding, as well as how the more recent Metal Gear Solid games (IV and V) directly lead into the that game. We also discuss the horror elements of Kojima's works, the influence of PT, trying to figure out the e...

I give you some introductory thoughts on Death Stranding, a game that will be discussed further in the future. I talk about the many ways that it perfects the Kojima style of storytelling, the influence of Super Sad Grim Dark YA anime series on the game, as well as the all-pervasive climate anxiety that makes it such an affecting story

We discuss the sudden rise of various "Free Market" ideologies in the video games industry, including enthusiasm for crypto/NFTs and opposition to labor unions. We also discuss the ways that politics have changed over the last two years (including some discussion of Jordan "Kermit" Peterson's insane, recent Joe Rogaine interview) and how we think conscientious consumers should respond to these dev...

We tackle Condemned: Criminal Origins, a frequently requested game that seems to be an early seventh-gen take on police procedurals and dark detective dramas. We talk about those dramas as well as the xbox 360 launch, revisionist history, early 00s nostalgia and why Dexter is the greatest TV show of all time.

Some thoughts on Silent Hill: Downpour, the last mainline entry in the series - one that ended up being a surprisingly engaging experience. I talk about the game's cool narrative moments and unique aesthetic, as well as it's less than stellar moments of frustrating combat and clunky weapon dropping. Put down that wood plank and hit play already, bud

In this solo essay, I talk about my two favorite games I played this year - as well as some other stuff that happened.

We grapple with Silent Hill: Homecoming, the fifth game in the series and the first mainline entry developed by a western studio - a game with lots of ideas but no clue how to tie them all together. We discuss searching for ghostly children, janky souls-like combat, the early-00s obsession with Eli Roth and cramming way too many twists into your story - at least, I think that's what happened? Some...

We watched Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City - the latest attempt at translating the venerable survival horror franchise from small screen to big screen - and actually had a super good time. We talk lore and story changes, fun casting, being a super villain's secretary, public bathroom etiquette, trying to watch Jurassic Park and why the song Brick by Ben Folds Five is actually really douchey

We talk about the recently re-released (and actually very, very good) Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, an unfairly hated-on game that still has its fair share of problems. Justin joins to discuss the joys of camera combat, modernizing the Fatal Frame series. schlocky J-Horror movies, whatever a Wii U is and the various factors that make the sexual content in Horror games so weird and off-puttin...

Lucky episode 113 is a journey into the past as I invite you to join me on a Halloween Marathon of classic PS2 games and the Horror movies that seem to have inspired them. I'll be talking about and sharing views on Siren, Clock Tower 3, Fatal Frame III: The Tormented and Rule of Rose - including the things that make these slightly off-beat classics memorable, some weird stories from my teenage yea...

Photographer/Documentarian Tony joins for a discussion of the original Dark Souls, a classic game that stands as one of the most beloved and influential modern games despite being weird, obtuse, frequently janky and largely impenetrable to new players. We explore that duality while also discussing how the series progressed over time, our favorite creepy-laughing NPCs, learning to love souls games,...

Ali interviews an anonymous Activision employee (and member of @ABetterABK) about the recent developments at said mega-publisher and the movement spearheaded by employees to obtain better working conditions. We also talk about the nation-wide labor movement, why recent events have spurred people to advocate for better treatment of workers and the toxic boomer logic that some fans use to justify av...

Miguel of River Rats ( riverratsrock.bandcamp.com ) joins for a wide-ranging conversation about why Castlevania is the best video game series. We discuss the killer aesthetics and gameplay of many different entries in this long-running series while also touching on topics like failing to collect old cartridges, the unfairly-ignored portable CV games, finding musical inspiration in Symphony of the...

Writer/Producer Drew Janda guests to discuss his work in the games industry as well as why Eternal Darkness is one of the best games ever. We also discuss corny 90s rock music, writing lines for Bruce Campbell and the allure of cosmic horror