Operation Backlog Completion 2026

Eternal Darkness: What Happened to Joseph De Molay?

 Video games  6 Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Oct 132017
 

Today is Friday the 13th. The superstition of Friday the 13th being unlucky is sometimes attributed to the arrest of the Knights Templar on October 13, 1307, which was also a Friday.

Last October, we took a look at a fantastic horror game for the GameCube called Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem. Now, on this Friday the 13th, let’s discuss the mysterious Templar character who was cut from the final game.

Joseph De Molay (named for Jacques de Molay of the real Knights Templar) was a Templar who appeared in a considerable amount of footage prior to the release of Eternal Darkness.

In fact, not only was he shown in gameplay footage, he was also one of three playable characters in the 2001 E3 demo, alongside Pious Augustus and Alex.

So what happened to him?

The official explanation for Joseph De Molay’s removal from the final game is that he was created just for the demo. However, that’s a significant amount of work for a demo, especially for that 2001 demo when two other characters were already playable.

There are screenshots of De Molay from the Nintendo 64 build of Eternal Darkness, as well, which further suggests he was meant to play a role in the story.

It is widely accepted that De Molay is the unnamed knight used as the foundation for the Pillar of Flesh.

That would certainly explain why that knight seems significant, yet has no chapter of his own.

But why didn’t Joseph De Molay make it to the final game? One interview says he was removed as a result of the September 11th attacks, along with several other changes made to the chapters set in the Middle East.

Whether it was that or other concerns that led to De Molay being cut from the game, who replaced him?

De Molay mainly appeared in the Forbidden City, a location explored by Pious, Karim, Roberto, and Michael. The interview says he was replaced by Michael. However, there are unexplained dead knights in Karim’s chapter, which suggests he was replaced by Karim instead. And the Pillar of Flesh cutscene occurs right before Roberto’s chapter, so it could also be him.

(It’s definitely not Pious, considering their roles in the story.)

He also appeared in the cathedral, but I don’t believe there are any other characters in the game with scenes in both the cathedral and the Forbidden City. Maybe he wasn’t replaced, but was intended to appear alongside all of the other characters.

On the other hand, maybe they intended to save De Molay’s story for the cancelled sequel…

Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem is a great game, and I still hope we get a sequel someday, especially since Nintendo keeps renewing the trademark. What do you think happened to Joseph De Molay, and what do you think his role in the story would have been?

Top 5 More Upcoming Horror Games

 Video games  No Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Oct 112017
 

In 2014, we looked at 5 upcoming survival horror games. Of those, 3 have been released, 1 was cancelled, and 1 is in limbo.

Now, let’s take a look at five more upcoming horror games.

5. Hollow

Hollow is due out on November 16 for the Switch and PC, and it takes place on an abandoned mining ship where something has gone terribly wrong. Check out the haunting trailer!

4. Allison Road

I didn’t have a PS4 in time to play P.T., which disappointed me almost as much as the cancellation of Silent Hills. Allison Road is a game trying to be the spiritual successor to P.T., with supernatural horror set within the main character’s house.

It definitely sounds creepy, so I’m looking forward to learning more about it. Allison Road has no announced release window yet.

3.Call of Cthulhu: The Official Video Game

While not as strictly survival horror as the other games on this list, Call of Cthulhu: The Official Video Game looks intriguing. Planned for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC in 2018, it’s a horror RPG inspired by the 1981 Call of Cthulhu role-playing game.

It looks wonderfully atmospheric, and what can I say? When you mention H.P. Lovecraft, you get my attention.

2. Resident Evil 2 Remake

When an HD remake of Resident Evil 2 was finally announced, I celebrated.

Actually, I panicked. Resident Evil 2 is a fantastic survival horror game! What if they turned the remake into action? My worries were calmed when they assured fans they were looking at the HD remaster of the first game’s remake as an example.

Resident Evil 7 has also gotten positive feedback, although I haven’t played it yet to judge it as a survival horror game.

If they make a Resident Evil 2 remake that holds true to the spirit of the original, it should be an excellent game indeed.

1. Moons of Madness

I first heard about Moons of Madness back in August, and I was immediately interested. A psychological horror game set on Mars and inspired by Lovecraft? I’m in!

It looks creepy, weird, and potentially fantastic, and it aims to have both hard science and a true Lovecraftian essence. It also promises plenty of puzzles, always welcome in survival horror. Moons of Madness is planned for 2018 on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and it’s the horror game I’m looking forward to the most right now.

Conclusion

Hollow, Allison Road, Call of Cthulhu, the Resident Evil 2 Remake, and Moons of Madness are five upcoming horror games to look forward to. What horror games are you most excited for?

Celebrating All Things Spooky – Yomawari: Night Alone

 Celebrating All Things Spooky, Reviews, Video games  1 Response »  Tagged with: ,
Oct 092017
 

Yomawari: Night Alone, available for the PS Vita and Steam, looks like a cute game.

Do not be fooled!

Yomawari is definitely horror, and it makes sure you realize early on that despite the cutesy graphics, plenty of darkness and death await you.

You play a little girl searching for her sister in a city filled with spirits and monsters. The enemy designs are great. There’s all sorts of creepy, unsettling, and just plain bizarre spirits lurking around. If you know anything about yokai, expect those kinds of creatures.

You can’t fight, and when you hide in the bushes, you can’t see anything. Instead, you rely on sound and your heartbeat (which functions as a sort of radar system while in hiding) to let you know when the danger has passed.

As you search for your sister, much of your time will be spent exploring the town. Despite the lack of combat, this actually reminded me a lot of Silent Hill, especially the first Silent Hill. It has a lonely, unsettling atmosphere, and you never quite feel safe.

Click for Yomawari spoiler
It even has a sort of “Otherworld” in one chapter.

In some ways, Yomawari can be brutal. Enemies kill you in a single strike, and it often takes a lot of trial and error to figure out how to get past them. On the other hand, you don’t lose any items when you die, and there are quick-save statues scattered around the map that you can fast-travel between.

(However, the statues only work for fast travel and for you to respawn when you die. If you want to save your progress, you need to return to your house. Don’t be put off by the game’s confusing warning that your save point will be reset. You don’t lose anything by warping back to your house.)

The main storyline is dark and ambiguous, but what really makes the world of Yomawari interesting is that the collectibles you find throughout the town hint at other stories when you read their descriptions. It’s a nice way to learn what else has been happening in this haunted town, and it made me want to explore everywhere to see what I could find.

Yomawari: Night Alone is a delightful little game that’s much darker than you’d think at first glance, and I’d recommend it to anyone who likes atmospheric horror games (or wants to see darker takes on yokai).

Its sequel, Yomawari: Midnight Shadows, is due out later this month on October 24.

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