Connect with us

News

‘Narcosis’: A Deep Dive Into Slow Burn Aquatic Horror

Published

on

Narcosis

I’m big on aquatic horror. Deep Star Six, Leviathan, The Abyss. These film titles really get to the claustrophobic reality of being trapped deep under the ocean, which is scary enough, then adding a monster or alien into the mix. Honor Code’s Narcosis completely lives in what we love about those elements of aquatic horror and adds in a heavy dose of the surreal in a game that has plenty of narrative strengths going for it.

In Narcosis you take on the diving suit of a of a deep-sea miner. While on the job, shit goes wrong leaving him stranded at the bottom of the ocean. It’s up to you to find a way to get back to the surface, while piecing together bits of vital narrative info and trying not to loose your mind due to hypoxia and well… Narcosis.

The experience is at its basics a walking simulator with some survival elements thrown in. The majority of the game is spent walking from structure to structure in pitch-black freezing waters trying to find additional oxygen rations and attempting to avoid the local creepy-ass deep dive sea life. These things are all kinds of nope and range from giant squids to monstrous spider crabs.

The game doesn’t rely on big combat set pieces when it comes to dealing with those things. Instead, you bat them away with a small knife or use stealth to avoid them all together. The first few stealth bits, are effective in the scares department. It’s horrifying just being that deep under the ocean then you throw in some hideous H.P. Lovecraft looking “bad guys” and it’s all out disturbing.

A lot of the gameplay elements become stale over the roughly 5-hour play through time. The game really shines when it comes to its strong voice work and its narrative structure and payoff. The non-linear storytelling has you jumping from your current situation to your training as a deep dive miner, as well as events leading up to the incident.

As the title of the game implies, there is a very hallucinogenic components at work. The longer your diver(s) stays down at the bottom of the sea, they begin to suffer the effects, leading to all kinds of creepy moments and jump scares. Narcosis does a great job of Freddy Kruegering you and bluring the line between reality and tripping the fuck out.

The intro to the game and its new gameplay style is best when fresh. After a while of getting used to the situation and knowing what to expect from its gameplay, the game begins to lose its edge and interest. For the second half of the game I found myself only playing to finish the narrative and didn’t care much for the about what was inbetween. A little more variety would have gone a long way here.

If you are into Jules Vern, Lovecraft and love aquatic horror as much as myself, then I say give it a try. It’s a quick play and if anything else, you will get a cool story and some serious claustrophobia. There isn’t a lot of action, but the immersion, structure and unique genre approach are worth a peek.

Narcosis is out now on PC and PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

News

Jake Gyllenhaal’s Thriller ‘Presumed Innocent’ Series Gets Early Release Date

Published

on

Jake gyllenhaal presumed innocent

Jake Gyllenhaal’s limited series Presumed Innocent is dropping on AppleTV+ on June 12 instead of June 14 as originally planned. The star, whose Road House reboot has brought mixed reviews on Amazon Prime, is embracing the small screen for the first time since his appearance on Homicide: Life on the Street in 1994.

Jake Gyllenhaal’s in ‘Presumed Innocent’

Presumed Innocent is being produced by David E. Kelley, J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot, and Warner Bros. It is an adaptation of Scott Turow’s 1990 film in which Harrison Ford plays a lawyer doing double duty as an investigator looking for the murderer of his colleague.

These types of sexy thrillers were popular in the ’90s and usually contained twist endings. Here’s the trailer for the original:

According to Deadline, Presumed Innocent doesn’t stray far from the source material: “…the Presumed Innocent series will explore obsession, sex, politics and the power and limits of love as the accused fights to hold his family and marriage together.”

Up next for Gyllenhaal is the Guy Ritchie action movie titled In the Grey scheduled for release in January 2025.

Presumed Innocent is an eight-episode limited series set to stream on AppleTV+ starting June 12.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

on

The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

on

lizzie borden house

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

Inside the Lizzie Borden House

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading