I've been following this title for going on a year and a half, to the point where I'm wondering exactly why I was interested in it in the first place. Sure, it's a survival horror title that appears to have a somewhat intriguing story but by all accounts appears to be an otherwise tepid and uninspired game. And after spending half an hour with it today, I'm inclined to agree with them. I'm not even close to the survival horror guru that Mr. Riley is, but even I can recognize the staple 'BOO!' moments, lackluster translation work, predictably illogical puzzles and ominous music that are indicative of a derivative experience.

I'd say it's a shame, but it's not really. I have more than enough horror-oriented material to soothe me over this month: I'm trekking through Obscure with a friend, and it's proving to be an adequately amusing experience, and the first Silent Hill is just waiting for a free Saturday.

Obviously I'm searching out the horror out of the spirit of October, All Hallows Eve and all, but a good chunk of what's compelled me to pick up a few has been that the crisp, cool air of the season remind me of survival horror (especially Silent Hill). However, fall also evokes a yearning for some good racing a la Burnout. Of course, both of these franchises had a release last fall (September to be exact) but it's also something about the world they exist in. Burnout 3's vivid rural climates felt a bit nippy, that I was racing in this brisk climate that mimicked Septembers. And Silent Hill 4's brown and subdued color palette definitely recalls fall.

But what about other seasons? Winter habitually gets me hankering for a nice, long Japanese RPG although I'm having a difficult time recalling the last RPG that had me trekking through snow. Perhaps it's the reliability in knowing that you can settle in with the game for a week straight without having to worry about reaching the end.

Spring piques my interest in shoot 'em ups and fighters, although the whys there are probably a bit harder to pinpoint. Summer? Sadly summer seems to just stir up bitterness. Maybe no game nails the feeling of lazily accomplishing nothing while melting into your furniture, or perhaps it's because summer is typically a rather lackluster release season.

But this season is fall, so I'm off to send Kuon right back where it came from so I can finally get to Silent Hill 1.