TerrorBytes: The Evolution of Horror Gaming Documentary - Preview by Britt 🔪🩸🧟 @Terrorbytesdoc

An upcoming – and exquisitely titled - five-part series on the history of horror in video games, I was lucky enough to get a peek at the two of the five episodes, and it’s safe to say that horror fans are in for a treat with this deep dive into one of gaming’s most prominent categories, featuring as it does such luminaries of the genre as John Romero, John Carpenter, Akira Yamaoka, as well as various developers, composers and scholars of video game horror to add key context to the on-screen discourse.

Each episode focuses on a specific era of video game horror – the two that we at GF have seen are ‘Enter the Survival Horror’ and ‘Lethal Licenses’, both of which dive into not only the more seminal titles that are the cornerstones of the genre, but also mention underdogs and games that introduced specific mechanics and approaches that may have shaped horror video games somewhat under the radar.

An issue I’ve had in the past with such documentaries is that it’s just a never-ending melange of talking heads. Pleasingly, here, each person involved has a distinct reason to be there, whether it’s someone involved with the development of the game in hand, the head honcho of a noted horror publishing company, someone who has taken a more studious path into the industry, or a YouTuber that is known for their love of the genre – each snippet of information feels valid and practical. 

This isn’t a flat, tedious parade of talking heads, though – as the segments and games in hand breezily weave and flow between key gameplay scenes that highlights the moments that are in current discussion, and believe me when I say that some of the sequences and musical cues will bring back some serious memories. 

One of the highest accolades that I can give to this documentary is that it did the golden thing of making me pause and read up on / rediscover / re-assess the games that were being mentioned, which is when I know that the media is working its magic and lighting a fire of knowledge-seeking and rediscovery within me.

The first episode runs to 90 mins, with the following four episodes clocking in at 60mins each. The pre-sale campaign kicks off at 8pm today. Rest assured – this is shaping up to be a glorious, in-depth documentary on a genre that is beloved to so many.

Right, I’m off to re-count my ammo 

and health packs...

🔗 TerrorBytes Documentary 🔗