Zachary Horvath

The Valhalla Murders is easily one of my favorite Nordic noir series, and while it begins as an eerie thriller, it transforms into full blown horror in a way that many shows of this type fail to achieve. The character development is incredibly impressive (especially for a limited series), and the cinematography is hauntingly beautiful and stark. The pacing is another area where the show shines, and lastly, the way in which evil is addressed is possibly what impressed me the most. If you’re interested in true crime like me, you’ve likely found yourself frustrated by the way fictional murderers are often portrayed like a comic book super villains in shows like Hannibal or movies like Seven, The Collector or Saw…With the evil genius slaughtering hundreds of victims within their labyrinthine warehouses decked out with torture contraptions engineered to maim and mutilate in a variety of ways, motivated only by the singular urge to play ‘cat and mouse’ with the police. I find these villains shallow and boring (not to mention unrealistic). The true psychopathic criminals are so much more disturbing; the chameleons who play the role of a seemingly normal citizen, but are internally consumed with perverted and violent fantasies which spill into reality. I mention all this because The Valhalla Murders manages to avoid one of the most annoying clichés of other serial killer movies and shows, and it really pays off if you are looking for something truly chilling.

I really didn’t think I’d like this game, but I’m super happy I gave it a chance, as it’s really, insanely good on so many levels. I haven’t felt this type of investment in a video game since I started playing Bloodborne or Dark Souls (which are Very different). Persona 5 feels incredibly nostalgic, it’s made me remember why I loved anime when I was a kid, which is funny because the reason I put off playing this game for so long was because I was worried it would be another cliché anime style RPG. The truth is that if you can get through the first hour, the game becomes oddly interesting, and you don’t need to be a fan of anime to enjoy the experience. To keep this short I’ll end on what I like most about this game; Persona 5 is admirable-it’s ultimately a game about how important the connections we make in life are in forming our identities and values-which feels particularly relevant with being in lockdown the last year and feeling so isolated. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys rpg’s of any kind, it’s a great game with a wonderful story, engaging combat and it is very long, so you definitely get your money’s worth!