Retro Review – Page 5 – Savior Gaming

Doom 3

Admittedly my experience with Doom has been pretty limited but I loved 2016 and Doom: Eternal is likely the best game I’ve played all year. With Halloween time upon us, I wanted to see what this iconic series had to offer. What did I find, descending into the black sheep of the Doom franchise?

The UAC has been busy at work on Mars, at the height of there fame and prosperity. A lone, silent marine comes to Mars as part of the security team for the new experiments going on up there. Things go awry as power dies and otherworldly creatures are let loose, demons straight from hell, slaughtering the soldiers and scientists in the facility. Alone, you must battle you’re way through the layers of hell and stop the end…

So first and foremost, I have to say the game runs pretty good for something 2 console gens old and graphicly it holds up quite decent at times. That being said, Doom 3 feels like a generic horror shooter rather than the crazy ass, ultra-violent mayhem fest the series was and is now known for. It’s really dark, there’s creepy whispering in tight corridors, a crazy mad scientist, spooky music and you’re fighting mostly gun wielding zombies, ghost creatures, with some series regulars sprinkled throughout. Gone is the ultra violence and kick ass metal music and feeling like a bloodthirsty unstoppable badass. The shotgun sucks but the weapons from the machine gun and up are serviceable; while you do fair damage, you don’t feel the oomph behind them and the sounds are weak. For a game that involves a lot of sneaking enemies, there could have been better sound ques to alert you for things coming up behind you. In the end, Doom 3 isn’t a terrible game in a pinch but it lacks anything that made the classics and reboots so memorable, but it’s ok as a standard horror shooter. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Day of the Dead

Well folks, I’m officially back and I can now say I scratched a huge box off of my bucket list as a horror fan. With Savior, I finally can say I’ve watched Romero’s original Dead trilogy, including NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD – Movie and Dawn of the Dead . Both legendary titles and both well deserving of there statuses as 2 of some of the greatest horror movies of all time, I was pretty curious what Day would bring?

Day begins when basically all hope seems lost. No signs of survivors as the undead flood the streets and time is running out for a underground outpost comprised of military personnel and scientists. The scientists are trying to figure out any way to find a cure, a reason the zombies exist, anything that could save them; the soldiers are there to protect them at all costs and maintain order. Tensions are running high as ideas and the power struggle between the two ensues, fueled by the tyranny of Captain Rhodes who is going mad as his men are seemingly wasted on fruitless experiments while the scientists fear the mentally broken and volatile soldiers. But when the question of “can zombies be taught?” comes into play in the form of Bub, a domesticated zombie, will they find there answers or the end of the road?

Day of the Dead is often said to be the darkest film in the whole Dead saga and much like Alien 3 the film goes for a pretty bleak outlook. I love how claustrophobic the movie feels, even in the opening which takes place on a empty street in broad daylight. This movie does a damn good job at building tension and while Rhodes is a fantastic villain, Bub steals the show for me and only someone like Romero could make me feel sympathy and actually care for a zombie. There is no shortage of zombie gore and kills which is always appreciated. The ending is satisfying as hell and I can’t really complain about the music or cinematography. In the end, I can’t recommend this movie enough as perhaps my favorite of the Dead saga. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Dawn of the Dead

dawn of the dead

George Romero broke unimaginable ground when he made NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD – Movie and changed the horror genre as we know it by giving us the modern zombie. Dawn, the second part of the long running Dead series, brings us a true horror sequel. 4 survivors are on the run during the early days of the zombie takeover. They hop in a helicopter and get as far away from the city as fast as they can. It isn’t long before they start running out of fuel and supplies; the only refuge in site is a shopping mall. It’s up to them to hold up together and fortify the mall, but the question remains why the dead never stop coming?

Dawn of the Dead may very well be Romero’s masterpiece and it was a absolute joy to watch. The acting was great but Ken Foree steals the show as Peter; the four lead actors have great chemistry between them and you do care about them through the movie. The mall is a great setting and brings a lot of tension in both close quarters and the emptiness of it. There are some great, old school Tom Savini gore effects which make any horror film a bit more memorable and there is plenty of zombie attacks throughout the runtime. The zombies look goofy by today’s standard, mostly spray painted gray, but they manage to feel threatening just by the sheer number of them. What I truly love about the movie is all the different beats it’s successfully hits- it’s horror, action, comedy, and has a lot to say about greed and consumerism. Honestly, Dawn of the Dead is a horror must see that’s fun but also pretty smart. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Demons

demons

We’ve all seen a good horror movie that made us terrified of monsters, killers, or what have you but at the end of the day, the terrors are contained on screen. But what if you saw a movie where the monsters weren’t just on screen? Cheryl and her friend Kathy are given free tickets to a movie premiere at the Metropol theater by a masked stranger. The girls ditch class and head to the movies, not knowing what they were in store for. It turns out to be a horror movie at a packed house. But when a girl in the audience gets a cut similar to a girl on screen, all hell begins breaking loose as she begins to transform into a demonic fiend. As the bodies start rapidly piling up, the question is what started the demons and how can they be stopped?

Dario Argento is an Italian horror master and this a good example why. Demons is a fun, blood drenched meta horror show. Seriously, the squeamish should stay away as a lot of the kills don’t hold back. I love the rock score and colorful, claustrophobic setting. There is some beautiful camera work on display. The English dub is pretty corny but it gets the job done. The pacing is just right, fast but knowing when to to slow for some creepy, tense scenes. Some may get bothered at the lack of answers given but honestly I liked that and the downbeat ending. This movie may not be for everyone but damn if it ain’t a fun joyride. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Ju-On: The Grudge

ju on

The Grudge, much like The Ring , was a huge hit when I was a kid. While I heard nothing good about the latest 2020 American incarnation, I wanted to go to the source and experience the film that spawned so many sequels both in Japan and America…

Ju-on follows a series of characters caught in the frightening aftermath of a deadly scene. It begins when caretaker Rika is asked to look in after a catatonic old woman while her family works. During her first stay, she discovers a little boy hiding in the house named Toshio. Things rapidly begin spiraling out of control as the old woman’s children turn up dead and people who’ve gone inside the house either die or go missing, a tragic and malevolent history of the house unfolds and those wronged won’t let themselves be forgotten…

I honestly enjoyed this movie a lot more than I thought I would. I have to say I have to give the music and sounds a huge shout out, combined they do a really good job at building tension without acting as the gaudy jump scares that plague modern horror. Another thing I love, is the camera work and how a lot of things can be seen going on in the background and how there aren’t many ques pointing to it; I actually missed a few and found them rewinding back which was really cool. The imagery and atmosphere are well done; Kayko stands out for me and she grew more unsettling as the movie continued. The only real complaint I have is some of the shadow effects looked cheesy as hell and took me out, plainly being early CGI. In the end, I’d highly recommend this movie but I’m going to warn you, subtitles are a must. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Predator

Predator_Movie

There was no time for action and sci-fi movies in the 80’s whether it was Aliens , Robocop , or Terminator the scene was at it’s peak. You can argue which is the best and for me its a close ass tie between Aliens and the original Predator.

Dutch Schaffer is the head of a crew of a special ops rescue team getting reassembled and sent into the jungles of Central America on a mission. Bullets and badassery are on the agenda and delivered as they guerrilla soldiers they came to wipe out have gotten seemingly violent as Dutch and his team find a couple of skinned bodies hanging from trees. The hostages talk of a demon in the trees. Everything seems said and done but members of Dutch’s team are getting picked off one by one by an unseen assailant with some badass tech. Can Dutch and his team survive the mission and face something inhuman?

Predator is a fantastic movie and should be seen by all- yes that’s a short review. You have memorable characters, score, kills, and plenty of badass quotes. The Predator is a Sci-fi action icon and is a great monster. The final battle between Dutch and Predator is one of my all time favorites and the Predator’s dying laugh is truly haunting. The action scenes are powerful and there is plenty of suspense once the Predator enters the scene. In the end, this is an outstanding 80’s action movie I can’t recommend more. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

P.S: R.I.P Little Richard, who’s voice inspired countless artist and set the scene for this badass movie. You will be missed.

Resistance: Fall of Man

Resistance_Fall_of_Man

What if the horrors of WWII wasn’t a product of man but what lead to man’s downfall? Enter the Chimera, grotesque aliens that came to Earth in the early 1900’s and by the time WWII would’ve been ending, the Chimera are well on there way to domination. Can Sgt. Nathan Hale survive the war against these monstrous aliens and there impressive technology?

This was one of the PlayStation 3’s first games and in some ways it shows like the gimmick of having to shake the controller when a Chimera grabs you or the graphics that aren’t too distant from PS2 but it’s a damn solid debut. The story is a good looking apocalyptic war story that does has a nice, grim tone and feels surprisingly grounded. The Chimera are pretty creepy and fairly intelligent so they feel like a threat; while the human weapons are solid, the alien weapons are badass and a blast to use. Hale is a bland, generic protagonist but he’s serviceable. A mild issue I have is the environments are dull to look at and thankfully, the sequel has a bit more color. In the end, it’s a solid game that is worth playing if you want a solid FPS that you don’t have to heavily invest in. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

5 lesser known Resident Evil creatures

What do you think of when you think of the Resident Evil series? Zombies (be it man or dog)? The skinned, drooling Licker? The behemoth Tyrant variants whether it be the classic, Mr X, or the cuddly rocket launcher carrying Nemesis? Today I want to talk about some lesser known or underappreciated monsters in the franchise whether they be bosses or standard enemies. In no particular order let’s begin with…

re ustanak 1. Usternak ( Resident Evil 6 )-

Like many, I trashed the hell out of this game and while a Winter Soldier take on the Nemesis archetype, this brute was pretty cool as he hunted Jake and Sherry relentlessly with his various combat mods for his metal arm. Honestly, he was the best part of a bad game but deserves some respect.

re chimera 2. Chimera ( Resident Evil (remake) and Resident Evil 5 )- Crossing man and animal has been a long thought of ideal, but Resident evil made these gross, grasshopper like bastards freaky and extremely dangerous.

re 0 lurker 3. Lurker ( Resident Evil 0)-

Of all the animals to dread on this Earth, who would really think a frog? Well what if this frog could brutally swallow you whole, slowly digesting you alive? I can’t say why but for the love of god that idea freaks me out but c’mon, how dangerous can frogs be?

re revenant Revenant ( Resident Evil Revelations 2 ) – I loved fighting these things for 2 huge reasons. One, these things are the definition of “oh hell no” and they live up to that reputation. What I like is the tactical approach you need to take to kill them. These things were a healthy source of dread.

re scagdead

5. Scagdead aka The Comms Officer ( Resident Evil: Revelations )-

We end this list with a boss, a notorious one at that. Slimy, slow, pathetic as it is partially conscious during the battle, crying out for help as it lumbers after you. Scagdead isn’t the fastest beast but the traps he lays surely slow you down so he can give you a big ol hug with his giant saw arm.

I hope everyone enjoyed the list I came up with and it makes some of you want to check the games out. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Resident Evil 4

re4 It’s been 15 years since this particular legend dropped and it’s influence not only influenced the DeadSpace trilogy as well as the series leading up to the remakes of 2 and 3.

After the destruction of Raccoon City, it seems the Umbrella Corporation has finally fallen. Leon Kennedy, the once rookie cop of Resident Evil 2 ( classic) , has become a highly trained government agent on assignment in Europe- find Ashley Graham, the president’s missing daughter. Leon discovers a town overrun by a deadly cult under the influence of the Las Plagus, a mysterious parasite and masterminds Salazar and Saddler. Even with a host of new survival skills and some new weapons, can Leon save Ashley and survive the secrets of this grand conspiracy?

Resident Evil 4 took a lot of risks and made a lot of changes to gameplay and story and it was fantastic. The story is great and after completion, there’s plenty of extra modes to play which are really solid as well; Mercenaries, with a great list of characters, took weeks of my life alone. Gameplay was a humongous improvement and the game found a damn good balance between horror and action unlike Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6 . The bosses are some of the most memorable of the series and Leon is badass hero. So where is the downside? One Word: Ashley. She’s a pain in the ass who will frequently make you want to drink, but hey, fan favorite Ada Wong returns and at least you can usually hide Ashley’s whiny ass in a dumpster. The game has aged over the years but there is still a shit load of fun to be had. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (classic)

nemesis classic

Ok, I try not to do this often, but I have a honest disclaimer here: I never finished this game. In fact, I never even got that far in this game but holy shit did this game have an impact on me as well as the horror community as a whole, giving us the both terrifying and legendary badass named Nemesis.

Jill Valentine thought she saw the pinnacle of horror and macabre after surviving the Spencer Mansion. The terror isn’t over for Jill yet; it wasn’t long after the mansion that the T virus found it’s way into Raccoon City and the city became overrun with monsters and the undead. Trying to escape, she encounters a group of Umbrella soldiers tasked with aiding in evacuations and allies herself with Carlos Olivera to try escaping, while being hunted by a new kind of horror trying to exterminate the old surviving S.T.A.R.S members. Enter: The Nemesis.

From the get go, the intro movie blew me away as a kid. Seeing the silhouette of Nemesis in the firelight after wasting the police with his iconic rocket launcher was simply badass and set the stage. The cut scene graphics were impressive for the day and besides the intro, the Nemesis reveal was grisly and freaked me out back then. Whether you’re on the streets or in the police station before the events of Resident Evil 2 ( classic) there is a great sense of claustrophobia and even after encountering Nemesis for the first time, hearing his groans or pounding on the walls adds another layer of dread. It was cool that you were presented with choices and given split seconds to decide and each has consequences. Fighting Nemesis is hard as hell because of the sheer amount of damage the bastard takes and he can dish out just as much. So where’s the downside? Well, the gameplay. The game ran ok in the old days- mainly because it was mainly a norm back then- but now it runs like dogshit and a lot of the game’s graphics are muddy as hell, and this is amplified if you can’t fit it to your screen proportions. In the end, I have to say this game has a lot going for it but holy crap it needs a new coat of paint to it and I can’t wait for the remake. May the gaming gods bring you glory.