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Valor Mortis Is A First-Person Soulslike That Tries Too Much

Valor Mortis Is A First-Person Soulslike That Tries Too Much https://ift.tt/Xk2BUfe The soulslike genre has been around long enough now that it's easy to pick out its most recognizable traits. Whether it's managing stamina in combat, the risk of losing progression with each death, health items and enemies that respawn when you reach a bonfire, lantern, or some other recognizable checkpoint; all of the best in the genre adapt these in their own distinct ways.  Valor Mortis is no different, but attempts to stand out through its shift in perspective. By moving the action to a first-person view, Valor Mortis affords itself novelty, which works well with snappy and satisfying combat that rewards deft parries and patience in equal measure. But it's also marred by a weak story and sluggishly paced opening hours that betray the more captivating moments in its second half, where Valor Mortis' most interesting narrative beats and combat encounters finally deliver on some of ...

The Silent Hill 2 Remake Is Significantly Better Than The Trailers You’ve Seen

The Silent Hill 2 Remake Is Significantly Better Than The Trailers You’ve Seen https://ift.tt/wBavmTf

There is no genre quite like horror. At its best, it's so much more than guts and gore, or tired tropes and torture scenes. It's self-reflection. It's catharsis.

It's entering an implicit agreement with a work's creator: If you spill your guts out to me (metaphorically or perhaps literally), then I will wade through my own, hold them up, and take note of what makes ours similar to one another. While there are certainly qualities that make for a "good" work of horror, the transcendent variety is subjective; it relies on your own fears, traumas, and beliefs to create resonance with what's laid before you. The more vulnerable a work is, the greater its opportunity to connect with--or possibly alienate--its audience. This is precisely what makes Silent Hill 2 such a memorable and pivotal entry in the horror game genre--it's sheer vulnerability creates a game wherein even alienation feels like connection.

I say all this to emphasize that the upcoming remake of this 23 year-old game is an incredibly exciting prospect to me. Though the original holds up well, there's no denying that it feels quite dated--and not always in an endearing, "time capsule" kind of way. There's also no denying that the game is incredibly influential; its DNA is woven into countless horror games and horror-adjacent titles, with last year's Alan Wake 2 proving that, even decades later, this continues to be true. This ultimately elevates Silent Hill 2's status from "great game" to a "genre essential," albeit one that is frustrating to play--or even simply access--at the moment. A remake, then, seems entirely warranted.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

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