Where is Spidey's Arkham Asylum?

  Most comic book geeks have acknowledged that Batman: Arkham Asylum is without a doubt the best comic book video game to date.  Rocksteady, the development team behind Arkham Asylum, created an amazing atmosphere packed with cameos and interesting pieces of Bat-history that would please any Bat-fan.  With the near-universal praise for Arkham Asylum, comic book video games are now a far more profitable gamble in the eyes of the major publishers.  This is a perfect time in the gaming industry for your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man to make his comeback.

  I grew up in the 90s, and I constantly read the Amazing Spider-Man comics whenever I had the chance.  I was one of Spidey's biggest fans.  My love for the webhead was unmatched, he was my hero.  As I matured and learned of the human miracle known as "video games," every weekend became a hunt for the next Spider-Man game at my local Blockbuster.  One of the first Spidey games that I had the joy of playing was Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six.  After playing the game for a couple of days, I wanted to rid myself of the abomination via the nearest window.  My tiny heart was broken, and I simply could not believe that sub-par Spider-Man games existed.  

  The year was 2000 and I was losing hope in the gaming industry's prowess to produce a marquee Spider-Man title.  My doubts received a powerful uppercut to the jaw from Spidey himself when Neversoft's Spider-Man released on the PS1.  The game was amazing and everything I could ever want from a Spider-Man game.  The storyline felt as if it was ripped straight from the original comics, the voice acting matched the characters' personalities, the gameplay was robust, and the sheer amount of cameos was simply everything a Spider-Fan could ask for.  All was right.

  Soon after the release of Spider-Man, Neversoft produced a sequel titled Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro.  The game was fun, just like its predecessor.  However, I wanted something new.  I needed the next Spider-Man game to be even better.  After three years of more mediocre Spider-Man games, Treyarch stepped up to the plate and delivered a homerun with Spider-Man 2.  Possibly the first movie-to-video game adaptation not to suck.  Spider-Man 2 was an epic victory in the eyes of comic book geeks around the globe.  The game allowed you to swing your way through a lifelike New York City using Spidey's signature web-swinging abilities.  Freedom was finally granted to the player, and the experience of swan diving from the tallest structure in the city was too good to be true.  Since Spider-Man 2, nothing quite like it has emerged. 


  I've played some of the more recent Spidey titles like Spider-Man: Web of Shadows and Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, but none of these games have really pushed the boundaries like Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2.  Beenox, the development team behind Shattered Dimensions, is producing yet another Spidey title this year.  And it's not just any Spidey title either.  This new game, The Amazing Spider-Man, is actually a movie tie-in with the upcoming film of the same name.  I cannot help but feel that this upcoming Spidey game will not meet my expectations, as few movie-to-video-game adaptations ever do. 


  The Spider-Man universe is ripe with untapped elements and new gameplay ideas.  Create an experience that is true to the source material - the comic books.  Design the most realistic version of New York City, add Peter Parker segments where he deals with the real life issues of his personal life, throw in as many classic Spider-Man villains as possible, and take advice from the fans.  Without Spider-fans, companies would have no reason to continue pumping out title after title.  We, the fans, are the people who support Spidey in his video game endeavors. We deserve better than another rehashing of a previous title.

  The time for another innovative Spider-Man video game is now!  We need a development team to bring us the Spidey equivalent of Arkham Asylum - no, a game that surpasses Arkham Asylum!  Deliver what the fans are asking for, not your shareholders! 

Amnesia: The Dark Descent - This is True Horror

  Allow me to be perfectly blunt.  The horror genre is no longer horrifying.  We've all played titles like Dead Space, a game that has proven that the horror genre has yet to fade away into obscurity, but was the experience truly terrifying? 

  Dead Space is an amazing game. EA Redwood Shores (Visceral Games), the development team behind Dead Space, borrowed game elements from Resident Evil 4 and atmospheric elements from films like Alien and The Thing to create one of the best-selling horror titles of the generation. While I admit that Dead Space is a solid horror title, I cannot help but feel shafted during the halfway point of the game. My weapons are too powerful, the ammo is too plentiful, and my suit upgrades make me feel invulnerable.  Am I supposed to be a ship engineer or an intergalactic space marine?  This feeling is especially apparent in Dead Space 2.

  Personally, not since the original Silent Hill titles have I experienced a genuinely frightening video game.  Oh, how I yearned for the next spectacularly spooky masterpiece to haunt my nightmares.  I heard talk amongst the horror gaming community about a title called Amnesia: The Dark Descent.  I did not take interest in Amnesia until many months after it released due to my blind skepticism for the title.  Needless to say,  I am quite disappointed with myself for doubting the spine-chilling fright-fest that is Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

  The year is 1839 and Daniel, Amnesia's protagonist, has just awakened in Brennenburg Castle, a decaying mansion with many dark secrets.  Upon awakening, Daniel is disoriented and confused as to what exactly is going on.  Daniel eventually manages to find a note written by his pre-amnesia self.  He learns from the note that he is suffering from self-afflicted amnesia and is instructed to murder a man named Alexander, the mysterious baron and proprietor of Brennenburg Castle.  After reading the note, Daniel sets out to uncover the secrets and mysteries lying deep within the walls of the eerie castle.

  

  What makes a game "scary?"  Enemies that cannot be fought or wounded?  Atmospheric tension that never loosens its grip on your psyche?  A well-paced story with interesting twists? Amnesia contains all of these elements and more.  You will not encounter many "jump scares" during your trek through Brennenburg Castle.  However, you will experience an atmosphere that haunts you every step of the way.  I never considered the "jump scare" to be a legitimate horror tactic, it's simply a human reaction to something suddenly appearing accompanied by a shrill noise.  True horror is creating a world so dreadful that you wince at the thought of walking down that dimly lit hallway.  In Amnesia you dread the unknown, not the predictable "jump scare" found in many other horror titles.

   Amnesia uses darkness as its primary weapon.  If Daniel lingers in the darkness for too long he will slowly begin to lose his sanity.  Lighting candles with tinderboxes and oil for your lamp (i.e. flashlight) are your only weapons against the ever-present darkness that Daniel will encounter throughout Brennenburg Castle.  If your sanity drops to a certain point Daniel's vision begins to blur, paintings are contorted into ghastly images, and a few other nasty things occur as well.  However, the darkness is not the only obstacle in Daniel's path, you will eventually come across actual enemies whom are basically impervious to damage.  Looking at these enemies for too long decreases your sanity which is just the icing on the cake.  There is no combat.  Daniel must remain hidden and evade these enemies if he wishes to survive.

  Throughout the castle Daniel will find notes and letters from different people associated with either Alexander or Brennenburg Castle.  Daniel will also find  diary entries and notes from his pre-amnesia self, these notes shed light on the story just as BioShock did with audio recordings.  If you have ever read an H.P. Lovecraft tale, you will feel right at home in the world of Amnesia.

  Amnesia does everything right.  Frictional Games, the independent development team behind Amnesia: The Dark Descent, has created a true horror gem.  Playing Amnesia reminded me of the days when playing a horror game was actually frightening.  Remember that night you played Alone in the Dark with the lights off for the first time?  Amnesia: The Dark Descent has brought back that same sense of horror with a vengeance and has proven that "scary" video games are still out there.