Zero Brightness - A Podcast About Horror Video Games

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 ending of Death Stranding and Kojima's love of drunk uncle-style conspiracy theories. Part two soon!

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 developments.

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? Somebody got a drill to the head in a Silent Hill game, I know that much.

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-putting

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 years and a few choice horror movies that I like to watch on October 31st - the only holiday that matters