Episodes
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Zero Brightness Ep. 196: The Voice of Gex (Halloween Special '26)
We check out five short indie games for our annual Halloween special. This year, we played Looking Glass and Lost Direction - as well as demos of Dread Fields, Withering Realms and Tenebris Somnia.
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Zero Brightness Ep. 195: The Fatal Frame 2 Remake is Really Good, But I Don't Get Why It's a Remake
See title - plus thoughts on remakes, nostalgia cycles and survival horror
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Chill Episode: An Overview of the Castlevania Series
Let's talk about one of my favorite series, complete with recommendations and where to play them.
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Demon Daddies 3.1: From the Ashes of Cousin Matthew
Dan Stevens has made 45 new movies since we recorded this
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Zero Brightness Ep. 194: USB Baby Controller (Death Stranding 2)
Josh joins to chat about one Kojima's weirdest swings - as well as game design, niche genres, Tom Petty and a whole lot more
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Zero Brightness Ep. 193: Capitalism will eventually ruin everything... Including Your Video Games
Some thoughts on the degradation of the video games industry under late capitalism, including discussions of workers' rights, consumers' rights, the death of physical media and corporate control. Capitalism? More like Crapitalism.
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Zero Brightness Ep. 192: The One About Japanese Found Footage Horror Movies
Aaron Arguello joins to talk about Japanese Found Footage Horror movies, the GOAT of the form Koji Shiraishi and his newest film "About a Place in the Kinki Region" Links to Aaron's Music: https://halfmasstx.bandcamp.com/album/ten-gallon-heart https://jejunestars.bandcamp.com/album/jejune-stars...
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Bonus: My Thoughts on Silent Hill F
A bonus episode from the Patreon for you to check out. Go to https://www.patreon.com/zerobrightness for more!
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Zero Brightness Ep. 190: Emergency Broadcast from the Military Occupied Twin Cities, MN
This is an Emergency Broadcast from the Military Occupied Twin Cities, MN.
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Zero Brightness Ep. 189: Merry Freakmas (Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within)
Justin joins to talk about his obsession with Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within - a sci-fi action movie set at Christmas time. We also talk about other non-holiday movies set at Christmas, how Square tried to go Hollywood, whether or not you should watch Eyes Wide Shut with your family and why...
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Ep. 188: Horses, Censorship and Other Unsettling Things
Some thoughts on the Horror game Horses and the censorship surrounding it.
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Zero Brightness Ep. 187: No More Notes (Halloween 2025)
We're back with another Halloween indie game roundup - featuring discussions of "Buckshot Roulette," "Exit 8," "Umigari," "Heartworm," "Children of Clay" and "That Night, Steeped By Blood River"
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Zero Brightness Ep. 186: You Should Play Cronos: The New Dawn
Some thoughts on Bloober Team's latest - as well as the history and future of survival horror
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Bonus: Why I Love the Alien Franchise
A bonus episode from the Patreon. Sign up there for more like this! https://www.patreon.com/zerobrightness
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Zero Brightness Ep. 185: Ridley Scott Understood AI
Exploring the Horrors of AI through the lens of Ridley Scott's Alien and Blade Runner films.
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Zero Brighntess Ep. 184: Media Won't Save Us
An episode exploring the shortcomings of media analysis, video essays and online activism - and why we should go outside and do real world stuff.
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Zero Brightness Ep. 183: Everything Sucks, But Slitterhead Doesn't
Justin joins to talk more about Slitterhead but we mostly ended up talking about how the video games industry is cooked, the internet is cooked, America is cooked, etc.
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Zero Brightness Ep. 182: You Should Play Slitterhead (and Siren and Gravity Rush)
Let's talk about the brilliant works of Keiichiro Toyama and how nice it is to see 90s Japanese Auteurs get a second chance at fulfilling their bizarre creative dreams.
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Zero Brightness Ep. 181: Why Josh Thinks You Should Play Returnal
Josh tells a dedicated hater all of the reasons why Returnal is an all-time banger. Hater responds.
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Zero Brightness Ep. 180: The One About the Dreamcast (Part 2)
...in which we take a look at Carrier, Illbleed, Blue Stinger, Resident Evil: Code Veronica, and The Ring: Terror's Realm
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Zero Brightness Ep. 179: How to Survive in America
Because America is the Real Survival Horror
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Zero Brightness Ep. 178: The One About the Dreamcast (pt. 1)
This time, we talk about the rise of the Sega Dreamcast. Next time, we talk about its library of Horror Games.
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Zero Brightness Ep. 177: The One About the Arcade (Darkstalkers, Street Fighter, Etc.)
Episode 177 is all about getting back into fighting games, loving the Darkstalkers series, embracing weird hobbies, growing up in the early 00s, playing a lot of different 90s capcom classics and going to the arcade. Watch Some Documentaries: The Lost Arcade:...
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Zero Brightness Ep. 176: Maybe I am a Depressing Bastard (2024 Halloween Special)
Justin joins to talk about three amazing indie horror games: Shinkansen 0, Mouthwashing and Hollowbody. Happy Halloween, ya filthy animals!
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Zero Brightness Ep. 175: The one about the Silent Hill 2 Remake
Vincent joins to discuss the highs and lows of Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 Remake - a game that we do not agree on, sort of. We get into the things they've changed as well as the many references to the original - and how it all comes together in this year's biggest AAA horror game.
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Zero Brightness Ep. 174: (Are) 3D Castlevania Games Bad (?)
It's supposed to be phrased like a question but. c'mon, we all know these games suck. Justin and Bea join to help me sort through this lamentable group of games. What is a 3D Castlevania game? A miserable pile of secrets!
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Bonus: Are We in a New Video Games Market Crash?
This is a little taste of the Patreon-exclusive show ZB+. Subscribe for more! https://www.patreon.com/zerobrightness
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Zero Brightness Ep. 172: You Don't Wanna Know What's Under This Apron (Crow Country)
We played Crow Country and wanted to talk about how amazing it is - but then we also wanted to talk about 90s rap, bad remakes, the video game industry, BBLs and how we're the world's pre-eminent Horror Video Game Podcast. We the best music!
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Zero Brightness Ep. 171: Cucks (Alone in the Dark 2024)
Monica and I made an episode about the new Alone in the Dark game and we are definitely getting cancelled for it.
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Bonus: A Rundown of the Alone in the Dark Series
A bonus ep from the Patreon giving you a run-down of all the various attempts to reboot Alone in the Dark. We'll have a full episode on the new game soon. Check out our Patreon for more like this!
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Zero Brightness Ep. 170: Grief, Nostalgia and Rock'n'Roll (ft. Lamniformes)
Ian (from the band/podcast/substack, etc. Lamniformes) stops by to talk about their fantastic new album - a very nu-metal influenced experimental rock record - as well as some favorite topics on this show, including using Dark Souls to process loss and the recent surge in Y2K nostalgia. Ian's new...
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Zero Brightness Ep. 169: What the Heck is Kojima up to?
Josh stops by to talk about all the recent Kojima-related news and speculate on Death Stranding 2, OD and more. We also sideline into all sort of trifling BS - as Hideo would want it. Check out Josh's music: https://seracmpls.bandcamp.com/album/the-ledger https://cachempls.bandcamp.com/album/cache
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Zero Brightness Ep. 168: The Slow Burn (Lunacid, A Space for the Unbound)
Some thoughts on slowing down, changing your brain, playing dungeon crawlers and petting every cat that you see.
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Bonus: Lies of P Rocks
A bonus ep from the patreon while you wait for the main show to return. Subscribe over there for more stuff like this!
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Zero Brightness Ep. 167: Merry Goopmas (Parasite Eve)
Episode 167 is: a conversation with Justin about Parasite Eve - an appreciation of that game's weirdly awesome mechanics, insanely good music and unexpected Christmas spirit - an exploration of why Jingle All the Way is the best xmas movie by far - some thoughts on goop
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Zero Brightness Ep. 166: Who gets to be Human?
Episode 166 is: about Palestine - about sci-fi - about humanism - about empathy - about people
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Zero Brightness Ep. 165: World is Bugs (Hollow Knight)
Episode 165 is: a slightly unhinged chat with Josh about Hollow Knight and game design in modern metroidvanias - a list of my favorite internet videos - another list of the weirdest places I've ever slept - kind of a weird one
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Zero Brightness Ep. 164: The Alan Within 2 (Alan Wake 2 Impressions)
Episode 164 is: some thoughts on Alan Wake 2 after playing about half of the game
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Zero Brightness Ep. 163: Halloween Indie Game Roundup '23
Episode 163 is: a discussion with Justin about a bunch of indie games - a list of stuff for you to check out this Halloween - some thoughts on How Fish is Made, Maple County, Parasocial, Stop Burying Me Alive Beautiful, Other Side and C.H.A.I.N.G.E.D.
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Zero Brightness Ep. 162: Revisionist Evil pt. 4 - Resident Evil 3
Episode 162 is: an exploration of the original Resident Evil 3 and the approach Capcom took when remaking one of the more unique entries in the RE series
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Zero Brightness Ep. 161: Revisionist Evil pt. 3 - Resident evil 2
Episode 161 is: a run-down of the various versions, editions, remakes and re-releases of one of the greatest horror video games of all time - Resident Evil 2
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Zero Brightness Ep. 160: The Nostalgia Cycle (PS1 and PS2 Horror)
Episode 160 is: sort of about the time I tried to make an episode and failed - sort of about Shadow Hearts, Koudelka and Baroque - sort of about memory and nostalgia - sort of about media consumption
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Zero Brightness Ep. 159: Decarnation is a 10
Episode 159 is: a discussion with Justin about the fantastic narrative horror game Decarnation - some thoughts on good storytelling in video games - a few random observations on topics including Metal Wolf Chaos, Afroman and mispronouncing words
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Zero Brightness Ep. 158: The One About Death (Soul Reaver, Nier Automata, etc.)
Episode 158 is: a discussion of Death Mechanics in video games - some thoughts on Death as a Diegetic element - an essay that touches on Shadow Man, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Dark Souls, Nier: Automata and others - not actually as foreboding as the title makes it sound
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Zero Brightness Ep. 157: The Quarry is (Allegedly) A Video Game
Episode 157 is: a conversation with Vincent and Monica about Supermassive's The Quarry - an interrogation of Vincent's love for these games (even though they are highly questionable) - an argument about the new Scream movies (and like 15 other movies and TV shows) - some thoughts on werewolf dicks
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Zero Brightness 156: A Low-Key Review of Amnesia: The Bunker
Episode 156 is: very low-key - some thoughts on the Amnesia series as well as its new entry - kind of an ad for the patreon
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Zero Brightness 155: Kojima is My Dad (Snatcher)
Episode 155 is: a conversation with Josh about Hideo Kojima's Snatcher - a discussion of the things that have (and haven't) aged well about the game - an appreciation of Blade Runner and the game's many other 80s film influences - a few thoughts about SimAnt check out Josh's new album at...
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Zero Brightness 154: Anime is the Real Survival Horror (Code Vein, Scarlet Nexus)
episode 154 is: a conversation with Justin about two anime-inspired action-adventure games, Code Vein and Scarlet Nexus - a discussion about good and bad tropes in anime - the discovery that anime vampires are maybe cool actually