Playing Dread
A horror video game podcast hosted by Lamont Williams and Adrian Sandoval
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Playing Dread Ep. 10: DooM + Wolfenstein 3D
08/04/2025
Playing Dread Ep. 10: DooM + Wolfenstein 3D
After a way-too-long hiatus, Playing Dread is back, and we're looking at a big one for our tenth episode. Just in time (and by that, I mean 3-months after the fact) for DooM: The Dark Ages, we look at the original, 1992 release of DooM. We discuss its history, its place as a horror-action game, and Lamont's aversion to Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. There's something for everyone, really! We also talk so much about Wolfenstein 3D, this may as well be considered our episode of Wolfenstein. Super Mario Bros. 3 PC Demo (Ideas from the Deep): Stop Skeletons from Fighting & DooM Ports: Masters of DooM on Amazon: DooM Guy on Amazon: Action Button Reviews DooM (Tim Rogers): John Romero is So Sorry About Trying to Make You His Bitch (Briash Ashcraft for Kotaku): John Romero's About to Hope You're Doing Well (Matthew Kumar): Doom: A Classic Game Post-Mortem (John Romero for GDC): The Romero/Petersen Feud on Reddit:
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Ep. 9 - Hollowbody
02/04/2025
Ep. 9 - Hollowbody
Lamont and Adrian head into uncharted territory; the United Kingdom! But also indie games, new games... so many firsts! Hollowbody is a PS2 throwback with its own identity and actually made by a solo developer. But how does it hold up in the estimations of our hosts? Notes & Sources Hollowbody - Launch Trailer Hollowbody - Devlog Indies in Depth - Interview w/ Nathan Hamley
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Ep. 8 - Parasite Eve
12/18/2024
Ep. 8 - Parasite Eve
For our first (and only?) holiday episode, we look at Squaresoft's foray into the horror genre, Parasite Eve! Lamont and Adrian talk about having a nice time at the opera, untangle the connection between the game and its original source material, struggle to comprehend the junk science nessecary to understanding the game's plot and do a deep dive into the evolution (heh) of Square's approach to battle systems. Is there a direct line between Parasite Eve and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth? Does posing the question itself automatically answer the question? You tell me! Notes and References: Parasite Eve (Novel) Parasite Eve (Film) We forgot to mention directily in the podcast, but big shout out to I Finished a Video Game for their exhaustive (as much is available on the internet anyway) research: The shot of the sewers we kept mentioning: And, of course... Ghostbusters 2:
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Ep. 7 - Silent Hill
11/20/2024
Ep. 7 - Silent Hill
We’ve delayed the inevitable long enough! Lamont and Adrian shine their pocket flashlights onto the foggy streets of the original Silent Hill (and no other Silent Hill game)! From point lights to Stephen King, from defending tank controls to arguing the semantics of survival horror to horror adventure, will the unspeakable horrors kill them first, or the scariest thing of all: the Silent Hill fanbase? All this and more in the latest Playing Dread! References and Notes: TheGamingMuse videos on Silent Hill 1: TheGamingMuse book ‘Fear for the Flesh: The Story and Symbolism of Silent Hill’ on itch.io: TheGamingMuse Book ‘History of Silent Hill Part 1’ on Patreon: Sphere Hunter Suzy, ‘Silent Hill’ Fighting for Modern Japan: The University Protests of 1968-1969, Kahan, Kim Japanese Religions and the Global Occult: An Introduction, Gaitanidis, Ioannia, Stein, Justin Silent Hill Plot Guide, President Evil/Birlew, Dan Ben Affleck was the bomb in Phantoms, yo. Or so I’ve been told. I actually haven’t watched it.
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Ep. 6 - Dead Rising (2006)
10/24/2024
Ep. 6 - Dead Rising (2006)
Guest host Steve Tramer joins Lamont and Adrian to cover wars and smoosh pies in zombie faces! Capcom's Dead Rising boasted freedom and more zombies held on screen than any other game, but our panel discusses all of the other things that made it special in 2006; from game engines to Breath of Fire, from escort missions to the politics surrounding obesity and American interventionalism, we dug deep into the heart of Williamette Shopping Mall and got to try on some pretty slick looking outfits along the way. Sources and relevant links: I'm Mixed on the Dead Rising Remaster - Suzy the Sphere Hunter Dead Rising review (2006) - IGN Dead Rising review (2006) - EuroGamer Dead Rising Xbox 360 Trailer List of MT Framework Games - Giant Bomb Open Conference on the RE Engine (2023) - Capcom On beef eating as a trending topic in 2006 - NPR Robin, A Bobbin - Mama Lisa's World of Children and International Culture This podcast was not recorded, approved or licensed by the owners or creators of George A. Romero's Dawn of the Deadᵗᵐ.
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Ep. 5 - Harvester
08/14/2024
Ep. 5 - Harvester
On this episode: Lamont and Adrian discuss violent video games, generational warfare, political propaganda and hegemonic attitudes of gender/sexuality/race as depicted in mainstream media, the nature of art itself, and more. Oh, and Harvester. We also talk about Harvester. Hosted by Adrian Sandoval & Lamont Williams Playing Dread is a Q27 Media Production, and a member of the New Jersey Horror Collective. New episodes every second wednesday of the month. Find our socials: All music in this episode used under a creative commons license. Sources, references and more: Save Your Game Ep. 18: Duck Detective and Harvester w/ PushingUpRoses and Matt Aukamp: Game Grumps Harvester playlist: Harvester Dev interview/Dread XP: Harvester dev interview/Austin Gilbert: The full 1993 video game violence hearing/CSpan: The Digital Antiquarian Analysis of the Senate Hearings: That Mortal Kombat Ad: Wikipedia page for Ken Park (Sorry for what you're about to read - Adrian): Sega Genesis 'Bully' Ad: Actual bullying PSA for comparison: Troma Entertainment/Wikipedia: Dartmouth Libraries - Exploitation Films explainer: I realized I had the opportunity to coin the phrase 'pretensploitation' in this episode when discussing Ken Park and Harvester and missed my window. Dang it.
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Ep. 4 - Alan Wake
07/10/2024
Ep. 4 - Alan Wake
Alan.... WAKE! Our July episode looks at Remedy's first foray into horror (kinda), Alan Wake! We dive into Remedy's fascination with live-action sequences, it's change from an open world adventure game into a prestige TV-structured linear shooter, it's release against Red Dead Redemption and more! Sources & References: Alan Wake Originally an Open World Game: ProZD skit - cutscenes that keep the stupid clothes you put on your character: IGN Review - Max Payne GBA: How to Find Hideo Kojima in Control: Alan Wake: American Nightmare Mr. Scratch playlist: Sam Lake's Announcement to Fans (Alan Wake 2 cancellation announcement) 13 Minutes of Alan Wake 2 prototype Gameplay (Polygon)
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Ep. 3 - Until Dawn
06/12/2024
Ep. 3 - Until Dawn
With a remastered edition for PC and the PlayStation 5 recently announced and a live-action film on the way, we dive into Supermassive Games' first (but certainly not last) foray into the horror genre, Until Dawn! Along the way we quickly run down the history of the adventure game genre, pit teen slashers against creature features, struggle to pronounce Hayden Pantiere's last name, and discuss the merits of truly 'infinite' branching stories. Oh and we talk about the game some too. Which character did both Lamont and Adrian try to kill in their playthrough? Find out in this month's Playing Dread! SOURCES Until Dead Bonus Content documentary material How Until Dawn Changed from a Playstation Move Title into a Horror Classic Choose your own Adventure Books The Rise and Fall of Telltale Games Until Dawn Remastered State of Play Trailer Watch Larry Fesenden's 'Wendigo' on Tubi:
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Ep. 2 - Clock Tower
05/08/2024
Ep. 2 - Clock Tower
Our second episode is a mega-sized look at Clock Tower, Clock Tower 2 and Clock Tower: Ghosthead, AKA Clock Tower 2: The Struggle Within! Adrian gushes endlessly about the first game, Lamont flexes his manga knowledge, and both of us struggle over the confusing naming conventions between the Japanese releases and the American ones. Also; more talk on Giallo horror, the influence of western mysticism in Japanese media and much more! Sources and References Polygon article “What is Giallo, Really?” (Noel Murray) GamesRader+ Interview with Hifumi Kono (Sara Elam) The Untold History of Japanese Video Game Developers Vol. 2. (John Szczepaniak) The Rise and Fall of the Clock Tower Series (tangomushi) Clock Tower: Official Reveal Trailer (Limited Run Games) Clock Tower: Ghosthead VS The Struggle Within (WaddleBih) Clock Tower 2: Is It Really THAT Bad? (Stop Skeletons from Fighting) TheGamingMuse’s video on the influence of Western Occult & mysticism seems to not be up any more but he still has an amazing YouTube channel you should check out, so here’s his video on Clock Tower 3: Clock Tower: The First Fear Death Scenes (Liam Moore) Clock Tower 2: The Struggle Within Character Bios Clock Tower 2: Ghosthead Fan Translation “The Burning” 1984 Movie Wikipedia Entry “Phenomena” 1985 Movie Wikipedia Entry “Left Hand of God-Right Hand of Devil” Manga on GoodReads Bloomberg (paywall) “X-Files Supernatural Hold on Japan” (Edith Hill Updike) Helen Maxwell & Gillian Anderson Optional drinking game: take a drink every time one of us says the word ‘vibes’.* *Not recommended for obvious legal reasons. Please drink responsibly.
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Ep. 1 - Alone in the Dark
04/10/2024
Ep. 1 - Alone in the Dark
The inaugural episode of Playing Dread covers 1992's Alone in the Dark and its immediate sequels! One of the most influential video games of all time, we dive deep into its history, its influence, and so much more. But how does the game hold up today? Does it still resonate in 2024? Does it even matter if it does? Listen on and find out! Hosted by Adrian Sandoval and Lamont Williams. Playing Dread is a Q27 Media production and a member of the New Jersey Horror Collective. New episodes every second Wednesday of the month. Consider becoming a member of our Patreon and get exclusive content including bonus podcasts, Discord community access and more, starting at just $1 a month! Find our socials at: All music in this episode used under a creative commons attribution license. Intro music 'The Curse of the Dolls' by Geoff Harvey. Other music by Alex Grohl, Dmitry Taras, Grand Project and Pump up the Mind. Sources, references and more: Alone in the Dark trilogy + 2008 available on Steam: Alone in the Dark (2024) Trailer Alpha Waves PC Port Psycho - Arbogast Meets Mother Resident Evil Pre-rendered Backgrounds The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H.P. Lovecraft They Create Worlds - Alone in the Dark GDC Classic Game Post-Mortem: Alone in the Dark Alone in the Dark complete playthrough by CommanderGrog: Alone in the Dark Books and Text with In-Game Narration: Alone in the Dark 2 Full Game No Commentary by Kari-Pekka Alone in the Dark 2: Great Sequel or Missed Chance? By The Dadliest Man: Alone in the Dark 3: The Ending of an Era by The Dadliest Man Origins of Survival Horror: Alone in the Dark by RagnarRox The Lovecraftian Elder God referred to in the episode was Shub-Niggurath. Yeah, we weren't gonna vocalizing that.
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