It’s New Year’s Eve 1999 in Tokyo. While the rabble are waiting for the big ball to drop, we’re in a metropolis-sized bomb shelter running away from a bejorted beast.

Hellnight (known as Dark Messiah in Japan) is a 1998 horror game for the PlayStation 1. A masterclass in sense of place, Hellnight and its implacable stalker paved the way for genre darlings Amnesia the Dark Descent and Alien: Isolation over a decade earlier.

Thanks to EnemyPirin for the NURV logo.

Enjoyed this? Consider leaving a tip at https://ko-fi.com/nurvuss . All donations will go directly into making this channel bigger and better with more timely releases.

Watch nurvuss stream on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays at https://www.twitch.tv/nurvuss

Follow nurvuss on BlueSky at https://bsky.app/profile/nurvuss.bsky.social

00:00 Intro – Pursuit Horror
10:32 – Prologue: The Sewers
18:30 – Cultural context
23:59 – Act 1
39:39 – Act 2
59:29 – Act 3
1:08:50 – Character Hallucinations
1:17:34 – The Altar (endgame)
1:22:50 – Endings
1:25:52 – Conclusion

Sources:
オウムアニメ　超越世界110 (Aum Shinrikyo propaganda anime)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v2hH547DGhVk

KViz x Inkar Interview Series
https://www.kviz.jp/architectural_visualization/2105_inkarinc_episode2/

Sans Soleil, Chris Marker 1983

Tokyo Sonata (Trailer), Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2008
https://www.youtube.com/watch?vvCLcAo-HpuA

Sound FX:
/”Bell, Counter, A.wav/” by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org

/”Bubble bursting/popping sound/” by PixaBay https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/bubble-bursting-popping-14423/

Games Referenced:
3D Monster Maze
Aka Manto
Alien: Isolation
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Clock Tower
Clock Tower 2: The Struggle Within
D
Day Seven
DeSpiria
Hellnight
Hunt the Wumpus
Nun Massacre
Outlast 2
Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 6
The Ring: Terror’s Realm
Silent Hill Downpour
Silent Hill Book of Memories

Take the opportunity to connect and share this video with your friends and family if you find it useful.