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The History of the Gothic Video Game (Hardback)

Colour Books Hobbies & Lifestyle > Gaming P&S History > Social History Photographic Books

By Christopher Carton
Imprint: White Owl
Pages: 168
Illustrations: 170 colour illustrations
ISBN: 9781399069687
Published: 30th May 2024

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Step into a world of darkness!

Towering castles…magical spells…demonic creatures…certain DEATH. The gothic video game has crossed generations, from 8-bit computers to the most powerful 4K PCs and consoles, to deliver dark thrills filled with atmosphere and peril.

Gathered in this book are some of the most prominent and enduring games to be developed under a veil of gothic presentation, from their gloomy settings to spine-chilling audio design. Follow the histories of some of gaming’s most popular franchises, such as the decade-spanning Castlevania series and FromSoftware’s “Soulsborne” titles (Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Elden Ring).

Packed with over a hundred screenshots that encompass all generations of gaming - with home console, handheld and PC gaming included - and featuring trivia and recommendations across a variety of genres such as strategy games, hack-and-slashers and first-person shooters, The History of the Gothic Video Game is an essential book for fans of all things macabre.

The shadows await…

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I love playing video games and this has been an interest since childhood so I was excited to read this book and delve into the gothic video game and explore the incredible darkness.

NetGalley, A D

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The History of the Gothic Video Game by Christopher Carton is a stunning journey through the genre that gave us pure art, fear, an extensive puzzle solving ability and a resistance to jump-scares, well, almost.

Castlevania, Devil My Cry, The Alice Series, Bayonetta to Dnte's Inferno. Whether you reminisce about 16 bit or revel in 3d and hi-res, this book is a fantastic journey through the evolution of the Gothic Video Game. The chronological nature of each category makes it into ideal reference material for after you have indulged in all of the dark and dastardly delights within!

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I loved that MediEvil was featured in this book! I still have the PS1 disc! I absolutely loved this game and although not as dark as other titles featured in this book, I was so glad it received an honourable mention! Ee that made me smile!

Shortly thereafter turned into an eek moment when I remembered Haunting Ground "shudder" - in a good way! If you play a game to be terrified, a la Silent Hill, Resident Evil, (Contemporary games such as Lethal Company even), then seeing Haunting Ground in this book will have this effect and I was thrilled! I was also delighted to see Resident Evil Village as it has one of my favourite Game Noir characters of all time, Lady Dimitrescu)

The writing style is informative and engaging, very well researched and a great reference book for any ardent Gamer, especially those who have grown up alongside the genre and those who want to delve deeper into the grass roots of Gothic Video Games, especially wen taking into account the section on the impact of video games. This book would also be a perfect research source for any potential game developers coming into the industry

Absolutely brilliant and a great read

NetGalley, Ink Reads

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I love video games as a whole and enjoyed the Gothic elements in a lot of video games. This had everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the way this was done and was well researched. I thought Christopher Carton has a great writing style and it was written perfectly.

NetGalley, Kathryn McLeer

About Christopher Carton

Chris Carton is a pop culture fan, with a major love for movies and video games. He’s been playing since birth, finding a passion for games in the Amiga and Commodore 64 systems. When he’s not writing about games and movies, he loves playing and watching them, drumming and spending time with his family. He was born in Galway but now lives in Cork. 

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