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We’re going to be participating in Extra Life this year! Or at least, Joey and I are, joined by our friends Zack and Issuna. It will have been several years since I last participated in the charity marathon, and this year will see four of us gathered in meat space for what we’ve dubbed StruggleMania. On Saturday, November 5th, we’ll be aiming to start around 8am Eastern time to play games for twenty-four hours straight. Some of the titles we’ll be including are Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Doom ‘93 co-op, Mario Party: Superstars, and more. The action will take place over on Joey’s Twitch channel, so be sure to follow and look out for the start of StruggleMania. As usual, also be sure to donate as all proceeds go to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Halloween is always quite the interesting season, and one that I’ve always enjoyed without necessarily loving. For various reasons I’m a far greater fan of Christmas, but it’s a holiday that is far less effectively represented and celebrated in pop culture media. Yes, networks like Hallmark and Lifetime regularly pack their schedules with all-too-similar made-for-television “movies” for the season, but there aren’t a lot of flicks that succeed in celebrating the holiday while acting as a solid, stand-alone piece of cinema. Such media may as well not even exist in the world of video games, save something like Batman: Arkham Origins coincidentally taking place during Christmas time.

October is more or less an excuse for me to indulge in some of my favorite games or cinema that have nothing to do with the holiday, but are adjacent enough to horror to fit the Halloween theme. Traditionally this has meant rewatching Alien, John Carpenter’s The Thing, and The Predator, but I was in the mood for something different this time around. I don’t know if you would call it a discovery, but it’s certainly a confirmation that my interest is far more in sci-fi creature features than traditional horror. Moreover, I’m far more open to horror in regards to video games, but primarily if I have a means of defending myself.

Which, I suppose, indicates a lack of desire for “true” horror. In film, I actively avoid cheap jump scares, but I also avoid copious amounts of gore. In video games, gore is no problem, but the inability to defend myself is a problem. As a result, I lean more towards action-horror.

There’s no real point to this, aside from discoveries and observations towards my tastes and preferences. “True” horror games are, I think, far more interesting to watch be played than play myself.

That said, looks like I’ll be playing P.T. for the first time during StruggleMania, so be sure to tune in and check it out.

Any horror films or games you gravitate towards during the month of October? Feel free to leave a comment below or send us an e-mail with your opinions.

Opening theme music by Fallen Prophecy.