Mothmen 1966 Preview: Horror Evolved?
The Leonids are astonishing meteor showers tied to the comet Tempel-Tuttle, which has an orbital cycle of roughly 33 years. The meteor shower of 1966, in particular, is widely known to be one of the most remarkable occurrences in history. Imagine being around to experience such a phenomenon; whether that means in middle America at that time or just alive for that matter. How about potentially being able to experience this once in a lifetime event with the person you believe may truly be the one? In my brief time with a unique brand of visual novel, LCB Game Studio gave me the opportunity to experience what that particular night may have been like with that special someone. But unlike what I’d imagine most folks may have experienced 55 years ago, my figurative night involved the lingering, cold weight of an ever-present dread resting on my shoulders.
Mothmen 1966 is the first of three ‘Pixel Pulps’, a new “genre” of sorts LCB defines as “a visual novel featuring a fusion of exceptional writing and stunning illustration, inspired by mid-20th century pulp fiction and 80s home computer graphics.” This piece of pulp fiction has you following Lee, a college student and history buff attempting to take his partner on the most sublime date; a trip to the perfect spot away from the crowds to witness the 1966 meteor showers. But as the game’s title implies, it would seem the lovely couple runs into a night that is quite supernatural.
What is immediately apparent upon diving into the alternative-fictional world LCB has crafted is the visual language established in their Pixel Pulp definition. The game oozes post-modern 80s retro vibes cascaded within early PC pixel art that is exclusively represented in cool black, green, and blue tones. The personality of the game shines from the get-go thanks to the presentational elements alone. While it is nostalgic of a cliche 80s aesthetic, it’s unlike anything I have ever truly experienced in modern gaming. It's a classic case of “this looks like how I remember it looking,” but in fact, it's miles ahead of reality. This vibe is brought to life even further thanks to decade-faithful synthwave loops drenched in raw, glitched-out distorted timbre. Not to mention, when particular events occur, that distortion is amplified in the best way imaginable striking pure terror down your spine. Every aural element immediately grounds you into this world; both in the decade it presents to you, as well as the unsettling nature of this particular night.
The other half of the Pixel Pulp fusion is “exceptional writing,” and while I’ve only scratched the surface of the narrative, I can’t help but applaud the initial set-up LCB has established. It feels like an authentic home-grown horror tale; particularly one centered around a cryptid like Mothman. If I may spiral into a personal experience for a moment - I grew up around the tales of Buckout Road; an urban legend about albino cannibals lurking in the deep, dark woods surrounding a single, unlit road in the next city over from where I grew up. Mothmen 1966 carries a similar sensation; how an urban legend is carried on through word of mouth not told by a writer, but by an innocent bystander. Using Lee as a device to preserve home-grown authenticity works brilliantly. And not to mention, LCB stays true to the most important aspect when it comes to good horror - they are clearly having fun with it.
Now here is where I must admit that visual novels are traditionally not my cup of tea. With Mothmen 1966, this isn’t the case. Mothmen 1966 not only kept me utterly engaged throughout the demo, but had me begging for more once I was brought back to the menu. This is absolutely due in part to the authentic feel of the writing and the presentation overall, but that can only go so far for me personally until I’m wishing I was just watching a film. The gameplay truly surprised me. Where I expected to simply click through dialog to consume a narrative at my own pace, I was introduced to other unexpected elements to uphold a high level of engagement. Dialog choice helps you connect with Lee on a more grounded level. Using multiple options to delay the next beat helps build tension in scenes. And most exhilarating, somewhat intricate puzzles can put your survival instincts to the test. Based on my choices, it seems as if I could have totally avoided this segment altogether without ever knowing it was possible. But instead I was faced with a terrifying scenario. The thought that this moment of pure terror could have been avoided if I made a better, smarter choice is fascinating. Going into the full game, the potential branching paths ahead will not only keep me on my toes, but have me truly consider the consequences of the actions I may face before making a decision. This is intelligent horror mechanically built into the gameplay, and honestly, that’s pretty astonishing in my opinion.
Mothmen 1966 may be heavily leaning into a post-modern cliche 80s aesthetic, but feels inherently fresh in the horror space. With exceptions, of course, the genre is riddled with jump scare-reliant tropes and overly-complicated attempts at being the next Kojima. But what LCB has built thus far feels as if it is a brand new direction of what interactive horror can be. To reiterate, horror built into gameplay mechanics in this more simplistic fashion is thrilling. If my 15 minutes with LCB’s first Pixel Pulp is any indication of what to expect from the final product, Mothmen 1966 may very well be the start of an exciting future for indie horror moving forward.
Previewed by Mike Towndrow