PLOT: In this new five-part episodic documentary, they explore and celebrate the rich history of horror gaming, taking you behind-the-scenes with the developers, artists and composers of the scariest games of all time.
REVIEW: We have received countless documentaries about various aspects of the horror genre over the years. Whether it’s the films, their franchises, or their stars, it’s always entertaining to see them get a spotlight. Because there’s no group of fans more dedicated than those within the horror community. Having been so shaped by it, it’s long overdue that Horror Video Games are finally being given the same treatment. TerrorBytes: The Evolution of Horror Gaming takes a deep dive into the games, creators, and playstyles that have helped shape generations.
TerrorBytes is broken up into five episodes and manages to span every essential horror title out there. It got to the point where I was just trying to think of obscure horror games, and before the credits rolled, they spoke about said game. This really shows the diligence that went into this, doing its best to not only highlight these games, but do it through the lens of an expert. We’ve got episodes on the many different types of game types like Survival Horror, Licensed, Narrative-based, Indie, and those of the Cursed/Controversial variety. It means they’re really able to run the gamut of what you would expect to be spoken about. Though if you’re only going to check out one, make sure it’s Survival Horror as I think that covers the core of Horror gaming.
There’s something so deeply personal about the video game experience, yet this documentary is able to distill it into the communal experience that it ends up being. Even single-player games that would allow for the watercooler talk of “What was it like the first time you ran into Mr. X in Resident Evil 2?” There’s a moment where Silent Hill 2 is discussed, and anyone that’s played it knows that the loss of one’s wife is a major moment in the game. And it’s made all the more poignant when the games Translator and Voice Director, Jeremy Blaustein speaks of his wife passing just two years prior to the interview. It shows how much these games can connect with us in unexpected ways, truly highlighting the magic of the artform.
The interviews are all very well shot and interesting, never wavering in quality. There are some people I would have liked to hear from more, but that’s the nature of these talking head documentaries: you have to prioritize the good answers and what works for the story you’re telling. Because of this, some people get a lot of play, but it’s because they’re so informative. I was hoping we’d get John Carpenter talking video games more, but it’s really just focused on the fact that The Thing was made into a licensed game. Since he’s a big gamer himself, it would have been cool to hear more from him. As can be said for many of the interviews, the bigger names only appear in a few cutaways.
As a video editor myself, I was constantly blown away by the editing in TerrorBytes. There’s so much love and care put into each frame. Even the footage from a random throwaway game is in HD and looks gorgeous. I can only imagine all the time that it took to source the game footage alone. And it’s presented in such an interesting way. I’m sure there was plenty of gold left on the cutting room. But it’s all for the sake of tightly paced and tightly focused segments. Each episode gets more obscure, becoming more of an introduction to these games versus a nostalgic look back. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as this is a showcase of a ton of indie horror games. I know I was constantly adding games to my Wishlist while watching.
I feel the In Search of Darkness series started having diminishing returns with each entry, so I really hope this doesn’t follow suit. I can’t imagine where else they would go from here, outside of new horror games taking that the world by storm, and Asymmetric Horror (which is lightly touched on here). So here’s hoping they don’t milk it to death. If you’re a fan of horror video games, then you owe it to yourself to check out this wonderful documentary. This is simply the definitive look at the world of horror video games.
All episodes of TERRORBYTES: THE EVOLUTION OF HORROR GAMING are available now at terrorbytesdoc.com.
