News

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

Published

6 years ago

July 31, 2018

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.

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Related Topics:Aquatic Horror Narcosis PC PS4 Xbox One

Editorial

Yay or Nay: What’s Good and Bad in Horror This Week

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Welcome to Yay or Nay a weekly mini post about what I think is good and bad news in the horror community written in bite-sized chunks.

Yay:

Mike Flanagan talking about directing the next chapter in the Exorcist trilogy. That might mean he saw the last one and realized there were two left and if he does anything well it’s draw out a story.

Yay:

To the announcement of a new IP-based film Mickey Vs Winnie. It’s fun to read comical hot takes from people who haven’t even seen the movie yet.

Nay:

The new Faces of Death reboot gets an R rating. It’s not really fair — Gen-Z should get an unrated version like past generations so they can question their mortality the same as the rest of us did.

Yay:

Russell Crowe is doing another possession movie. He’s quickly becoming another Nic Cage by saying yes to every script, bringing the magic back to B-movies, and more money into VOD.

Nay:

Putting The Crow back in theaters for its 30th anniversary. Re-releasing classic movies at the cinema to celebrate a milestone is perfectly fine, but doing so when the lead actor in that film was killed on set due to neglect is a cash grab of the worst kind.

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Lists

The Top-Searched Free Horror/Action Movies on Tubi This Week

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The free streaming service Tubi is a great place to scroll when you’re unsure what to watch. They are not sponsored or affiliated with iHorror. Still, we really appreciate their library because it’s so robust and has many obscure horror movies so rare you can’t find them anywhere in the wild except, if you’re lucky, in a moist cardboard box at a yard sale. Other than Tubi, where else are you going to find Nightwish (1990), Spookies (1986), or The Power (1984)?

We take a look at the most searched horror titles on the platform this week, hopefully, to save you some time in your endeavor to find something free to watch on Tubi.

Interestingly at the top of the list is one of the most polarizing sequels ever made, the female-led Ghostbusters reboot from 2016. Perhaps viewers have seen the latest sequel Frozen Empire and are curious about this franchise anomaly. They will be happy to know it’s not as bad as some think and is genuinely funny in spots.

So take a look at the list below and tell us if you are interested in any of them this weekend.

1. Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.

2. Rampage

When a group of animals becomes vicious after a genetic experiment goes awry, a primatologist must find an antidote to avert a global catastrophe.

3. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren uncover an occult conspiracy as they help a defendant argue that a demon forced him to commit murder.

4. Terrifier 2

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County, where his next victims, a teenage girl and her brother, await.

5. Don’t Breathe

A group of teens breaks into a blind man’s home, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect crime but get more than they bargained for once inside.

6. The Conjuring 2

In one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, Lorraine and Ed Warren help a single mother of four in a house plagued by sinister spirits.

7. Child’s Play (1988)

A dying serial killer uses voodoo to transfer his soul into a Chucky doll which winds up in the hands of a boy who may be the doll’s next victim.

8. Jeepers Creepers 2

When their bus breaks down on a deserted road, a team of high school athletes discovers an opponent they cannot defeat and may not survive.

9. Jeepers Creepers

After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old church, a pair of siblings find themselves the chosen prey of an indestructible force.

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News

Morticia & Wednesday Addams Join Monster High Skullector Series

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Believe it or not, Mattel’s Monster High doll brand has an immense following with both young and not-so-young collectors.

In that same vein, the fan base for The Addams Family is also very large. Now, the two are collaborating to create a line of collectible dolls that celebrate both worlds and what they have created is a combination of fashion dolls and goth fantasy. Forget Barbie, these ladies know who they are.

The dolls are based on Morticia and Wednesday Addams from the 2019 Addams Family animated movie.

As with any niche collectibles these aren’t cheap they bring with them a $90 price tag, but it’s an investment as a lot of these toys become more valuable over time.

“There goes the neighborhood. Meet the Addams Family’s ghoulishly glamorous mother-daughter duo with a Monster High twist. Inspired by the animated movie and clad in spiderweb lace and skull prints, the Morticia and Wednesday Addams Skullector doll two-pack makes for a gift that’s so macabre, it’s downright pathological.”

If you want to pre-purchase this set check out The Monster High website.