Spookvember: Dead by Daylight

Dead by Daylight
Generator Fixing Stalk 'Em Up
5 Players
System: PS4
Developer: Behaviour Interactive
Year of Release: 2017

I saw a lot of negativity thrown at Dead by Daylight, specifically the PS4 version. Even still, the game appealed to me in a major way, even after learning all you do is run around restarting fucking generators. I just kind of forgot about it until the spooky season fell upon us. A friend wound up picking it up, and that was all it took. Immediately I was immersed in a world of stalking serial killers, hide and seek, and some clunkiness.

Spooktober: Wytches vol 1

Wytches vol 1
Written by Scott Snyder
Drawn by Jock
Published by Image Comics
Released 2014

You know when you wait on something, and it's something that deals with a topic you typically love a lot. Inevitably hype builds up internally, without ever even realizing it. That's what happened with Wytches for me. I haven't read much Scott Snyder, but I hear almost universal praise for his recent runs on Batman, which I still have yet to check out. I also hear universal praise about this book, with people claiming it's actually terrifying at parts, and with a title like that I know the subject matter is something I'm particularly keen on. So does it manage to live up to my hype that I typically try and avoid having? Well..

Spooktober: Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead
Genre: Zombie Parody
Directed by: Edgar Wright
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield
Released: 2004

It's weird that when I first watched Shaun of the Dead I didn't really care for it. Even putting aside my love for the zombie genre, especially then in it's hey day, I'm just kind of disappointed in myself for not enjoying a thoroughly entertaining and, mostly, clever movie. Of course, I quickly grew an appreciation for it over the course of several rewatches, thankfully.

Games I Beat: Kamiko

Kamiko
Action Puzzle
1 Player
System: Switch
Developer: Skipmore
Year of Release: 2017
Beaten: Oct 2nd, 2017

Kamiko is one of those random games I saw a recommendation for somewhere on the internet and decided to pick it up based solely on that, and the general aesthetic of the game. Developer Skipmore is probably most well known for Fairune, a duo of games that got decently good praise. The first one is, or was, available for free on phones, and I tried it out. Didn't really do anything for me, and didn't really put much time in it. It certainly looked very nice though.

Spooktober: Halloween III Season of the Witch

Halloween III Season of the Witch
Genre: Irish Robot Cult Horror
Directed by: Tommy Lee Wallace
Starring: Tom Atkins, Stacey Nelkins, Dan O'Herlihy
Released: 1982

I guess you could argue that massive disappointment can be horrifying. With that in mind, I guess this movie is a fine way to kick off the season. Oh shit, I just gave away the ending.

The Phoenix's Roost

The Phoenix's Roost

For a while now I've been interested in expanding the scope of my projects that actually see the light of day. Thanks to a good friend of mine coming together with me one of those projects has finally taken flight. The Phoenix's Roost is a podcast that focuses mainly on video games, but much like this blog, will cover anything that really suits our fancy. Join my friend Mattt and I for a casual chat about things we, mostly, love.

The first episode focuses on Overwatch. Due to figuring out scheduling, this was recorded two months ago (August 2nd) at this point, so if some things seem dated, that's why. Most of what we said still holds true though, and if you like what you read here, it's worth checking out. Please leave any feedback you might have, and if you like it share it with anyone who might be interested!

You can find the podcast on Podiant.

DLC I Beat: Ashes of Ariandel

Dark Souls III Ashes of Ariandel
Action RPG Lore 'Em Up
1-6 Players
System: PS4
Developer: From Software
Year of Release: 2016
Beaten: July 15th, 2017

Dark Souls 3 might get a bit of flak from some fans of the series, but it is probably the most polished of the Souls series. Personally I quite enjoyed it even if it felt a little bit like a Greatest Hits album for the franchise. I never felt drawn back to play through the DLC though, until recently.

Games I Beat: Gaiapolis

Gaiapolis
Top Down Beat Em Up
1-2 Players
System: Arcade
Developer: Konami
Year of Release: 1993
Beaten: June 10th, 2017

It's both bewildering and amazing that so many games made by well recognized game developer's are still managing to float just outside of most people's radar. I'm pretty familiar with many video games from every generation, and delightfully still run into little gems I'd never so much as heard of. When I stumbled on a video for Gaiapolis I knew I would want to check it out immediately. So, with a friend in tow, we managed to make our way to Gaiapolis.

Games I Beat: Legend of Kusakari

Legend of Kusakari
Lawn Mowing Sim
1 Player
System: 3DS Download
Developer: Librage
Year of Release: 2016
Beaten: April 5th, 2017

Sometimes things happen that further convince me I'm actually just an insane person. Just, look up the trailer for this game and tell me if the main idea and especially the music would draw you in. Granted the art style is cute, simple and pleasant. But that music is just awful. I needed it.

Cinephilia: The VVitch A New England Folktale

The VVitch A New England Folktale
Genre: Supernatural, Horror, Period Piece
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie
Released: 2015

Blair Witch was doomed to fail. The whole gimmick of "this is actual found footage" unraveled almost immediately, and without that aspect a lot of the impact was lost. Found footage is a dead genre in my honest opinion, the whole premise is almost always just going to irritate viewers and even if the climax gets interesting it almost never makes up for the inane opening bits. The VVitch is nothing like Blair Witch, but it manages to capture that eerie feeling of something living out in the woods.