Tag: Storytelling

E.8 – Resident Evil 2 (Pt. 2: Story & Campaigns)

Sometimes, you look forward to something for so long. And then it’s suddenly over. It’s a little bittersweet, but our late nights with Resident Evil 2 had to end somewhere.

Having thoroughly discussed its stylistic departures in Pt. 1, Alex, Nick and I push forward through the remake’s more familiar narrative beats. From the survivors inhabiting its world to Leon and Claire’s alternate paths, to the means of survival and a handful of our own ideas, we lay it all on the table with our final words on the RE2 remake.

Tune in as we take our victory lap through the streets of Raccoon City — and live to tell the tale.

Additional Notes & Credits:

  • Spoiler Warning! This applies to the entire episode
  • Alex Koval is a full-stack web developer, an independent short-filmmaker, and a fan of the horror genre. We’ve been best friends since 2nd grade, and some of his favorite games include Resident Evil, Final Fantasy Tactics, Eternal Darkness, and Banjo-Kazooie.
  • Nicholas Kuhar is my brother, bandmate, and frequent donor of graphic novels. He is also the Director of Innovation at St. Edward High School in Cleveland, OH, helping young students unlock their creativity through new-media. Some of his favorite video games include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Final Fantasy VII.
  • Music at the top of today’s episode is from Resident Evil 2‘s remade OST, produced by the Capcom Sound Team. Our closing theme is a fantastic cover of the game’s “Save Room Theme,” courtesy of Mono Memory – an 80’s inspired synthwave producer based in Edinburgh.
  • References include Chris Saglimbene’s interview w/ writer Brent Friedman, an archived interview with the original RE2 team (from the June 1998 issue of Japanese gaming magazine, “The Playstation“), and an old commercial for the game’s original release.
  • Special cocktail REcipes coming soon…

Tiny Apocalypses: An Interview with Dan Pinchbeck, Creative Director of ‘Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture’

Everybody may have vanished from the slumbering town of Yaughton, but not without a trace.

Across a blindingly bright English countryside, with radios left on, research abandoned, doors unshut and phone booths ringing, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture explores what life there was like as you piece together a hauntingly calm apocalypse in a most unfamiliar setting: home sweet home.

Previously known for their surreal Dear Esther and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture is the latest game from studio The Chinese Room. In my curiosity to learn more about what fueled Rapture’s story, its big questions and the creative drive behind them, I discovered what inspires and compels the team that created it. Dan Pinchbeck, Creative Director at The Chinese Room, graciously took me through their process, the artistic decisions they made, his thoughts on science fiction and the potential for storytelling within video games today.

Read an excerpt from our discussion after the jump, and/or read the full interview here.

Continue reading Tiny Apocalypses: An Interview with Dan Pinchbeck, Creative Director of ‘Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture’