To say it has been one hell of a year would be an understatement. Fortunately, the medium of horror was faithfully standing at the ready to provide spooky solace in these uncertain times. As the year comes to a close, Neil and I are counting down our top five horror games of 2021, a task […]
safe room podcast
‘Until Dawn’ Remains a Thrilling Trip to a Cabin in the Woods [Safe Room Podcast]
The line between cinematic presentation and player interactivity has been a fine line within the horror games space. Giving the player enough agency while still contending with an experience informed mainly by decades of horror filmmaking can be challenging to maintain. Something that Supermassive Games managed to pull off in spades with their first foray […]
‘Condemned: Criminal Origins’ Still Hits Like a Lead Pipe to the Skull [Safe Room Podcast]
As is in life, first impressions are important. And as a result, launch titles carry more weight than most console releases. Not only ushering in a new console cycle, but the games available on Day 1 should be a snippet of the future of that cycle. And for the Xbox 360, that Day 1 horrifying […]
Arkane’s Sci-Fi Horror Game ‘Prey’ is an Immersive World of Mimics, Misdirection, and Monstrous Aliens [Safe Room Podcast]
Countless games claim to emphasize player choice, but how many actually deliver on that promise? Often player choice amounts to little more than black and white morality decisions or variations on stealth or “loud” approaches to combat. And while there are surely outliers, a more traditional approach to immersive sims seems to be a rarity […]
Examining the Horrors of the ‘Tomb Raider’ Series [Safe Room Podcast]
Horror probably isn’t the first genre influence that comes to mind when discussing Tomb Raider. And yet, the genre’s influence has always been evident within the franchise’s 25-year tenure. Whether Lara Croft is facing off against T-Rexs, droves of mercenaries, or more supernatural foes, her journey has always been guided and elevated by sub-genres such […]
Revisiting the Voyeuristic Savagery of Rockstar’s Classic ‘Manhunt’ 18 Years Later [Safe Room Podcast]
Rockstar Games has never shied away from violence, and Manhunt is the ultimate example. Its legacy is rooted in controversy and provocation by continuously pushing the limits of violence in games, but more importantly, the violence is imperative to its vision. Where others may use extreme violence to stir up controversy as a marketing hack, […]
Talking Puppet Combo’s Murder House With Rue Morgue’s Evan Millar [Safe Room Podcast]
The age-old adage of never judging a book by its cover has never been more applicable to indie horror games than it is right now. We are inundated on a nearly daily basis with a variety of horror games, tapping into all manner of sub-genres and styles. You genuinely love to see it as a […]
The Safe Room Podcast Revisits Their Favorite Introductory Horror Games [Podcast]
Everyone remembers their first introduction to horror. No matter the medium, horror always leaves a distinct impression, regardless of the age at which someone experiences it for the first time. So for this week’s episode of Safe Room, Neil and I are going in a less traditional direction than most might assume. Rather than running […]
Is ‘Back 4 Blood’ Haunted By its Prestigious Past? [Safe Room Podcast]
Legacy is a double-edged sword when it comes to sequels and spiritual successors. Legacy can provide a day one fanbase, but often at the cost of raised expectations. This has proven insurmountable for some games, having made the fatal error of resting too heavily upon the laurels of past successes. Nostalgia and reverence can cloud […]
Introducing Safe Room: A Horror Gaming Podcast
Introductions are never easy. Striking a balance between making a good first impression but also the impression you intended to set still very much eludes me. “Did I talk too much?” “Did I talk enough?” “Have I presented myself in a way that this person will now spend the rest of their days resentful of […]