As someone who is quite interested in the video game studies, particularly when related with the gothic genre and with the victorian/neo-victorian setting, I was expecting it to go in deeper in the analysis of each game, perhaps compare games and even present some more conclusions with regards to the gothic genre within video games.
Nonetheless, it was still a really informative introductory compilation of diferent gothic video games.

DNF. The style wasn't for me, but it is an amazing project thar other readers should give a chance to. I'm amazed with the level of detail and the simple language, but the reading was not what I expected. This doesn't mean it's bad, however!

I received an ebook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This was a fun, but short, read. I'm Gen X and grew up with arcade games, Atari, Nintendo, Playstation and CD ROM games, so I was quite interested to read about Gothic video game history and gameplay. It was nice to see old favourites revisited, like Ghosts 'n Goblins and the Castlevania series (especially Symphony of the Night) with lots of cool information about each game's development, gameplay, and legacy. I definitely could have done with a few more examples, but I possibly would never be satisfied no matter how long the book was. Lots of good screengrabs of gameplay, with plenty of information for old and new gamers alike.

Alongside books and films, video games have shaped my childhood and now my early adulthood. Plus video games and one of my favourite genres, I had to read this Christopher Carton's book.

The History of the Gothic Video Game is a quite good reference book for anyone who enjoys video games that incorporate the Gothic into their designs and the history behind them. The Castlevania chapter was incredibly interesting as the franchise played a large part in my teen years. I also liked how Carton incorporates screenshots of the games he covers as it not only shows the Gothic atmosphere but also the evolution of gaming over the years.

However, I would have liked it to have gone a bit more in-depth with the details of how Gothic literature, architecture, setting, etc. inspired the designs and script of the games, with further references to their inspirations or how they link to other genres and evolve the franchises included in the book. This was a book that may benefited from being a bit longer, but was by no means a letdown.

Overall, The History of the Gothic Video Game was an interesting reference book and one I suggest gamers look into if they enjoy games emersed in the Gothic.

Thank you, NetGalley and Pen & Sword for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love playing video games and this has been an interest since childhood so I was excited to read this book and delve into the gothic video game and explore the incredible darkness.

I enjoyed this exploration of gothic video games, although it didn't feel to me as if it was organised like a history of the genre, more a history of the difference franchises within the genre. Many of them I had heard of, but I was surprised how few I had actually played (basically just Baldur's Gate, Dishonoured, Thief and Darkest Dungeon!) and some of the ones I expected to feature (eg Silent Hill) were only mentioned as an aside when talking about other games. I think I expected there to be more games mentioned, and perhaps less detail about some of the ones that were. I enjoyed the book and it has given me some ideas for new games to check out.

All in all, a reasonably good reference guide and introduction to games that fall under the gothic genre conventions. Each entry is a short blurb with accompanying screenshots to give the reader a better idea about the various games.

Unfortunately, I was hoping for a deeper analysis of how each game falls into—or plays within—what we understand of the gothic genre. If you have a reasonable grounding of popular games since the release of the NES, there's not a tonne to learn. This is easily a better introduction to gothic video games than a comprehensive history.

The History of the Gothic Video Game by Christopher Carton is a stunning journey through the genre that gave us pure art, fear, an extensive puzzle solving ability and a resistance to jump-scares, well, almost.

Castlevania, Devil My Cry, The Alice Series, Bayonetta to Dnte's Inferno. Whether you reminisce about 16 bit or revel in 3d and hi-res, this book is a fantastic journey through the evolution of the Gothic Video Game. The chronological nature of each category makes it into ideal reference material for after you have indulged in all of the dark and dastardly delights within!

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I loved that MediEvil was featured in this book! I still have the PS1 disc! I absolutely loved this game and although not as dark as other titles featured in this book, I was so glad it received an honourable mention! Ee that made me smile!

Shortly thereafter turned into an eek moment when I remembered Haunting Ground "shudder" - in a good way! If you play a game to be terrified, a la Silent Hill, Resident Evil, (Contemporary games such as Lethal Company even), then seeing Haunting Ground in this book will have this effect and I was thrilled! I was also delighted to see Resident Evil Village as it has one of my favourite Game Noir characters of all time, Lady Dimitrescu)

The writing style is informative and engaging, very well researched and a great reference book for any ardent Gamer, especially those who have grown up alongside the genre and those who want to delve deeper into the grass roots of Gothic Video Games, especially wen taking into account the section on the impact of video games. This book would also be a perfect research source for any potential game developers coming into the industry

Absolutely brilliant and a great read

Thank you to Netgalley, Pen & Sword | White Owl and the author Christopher Carton for this stunning ARC! My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own