In 2008, game company Namco Bandai decided to update and reimagine their horror-themed video game Splatterhouse (originally released in 1988) for the PlayStation and Xbox platforms. The gameplay was extremely gory, as suggested by the title, but Splatterhouse also featured compelling storytelling sequences known as cinematics or cutscenes between levels. I animated some of those sequences at Brain Zoo, the studio responsible for all the cinematics in production. Fortunately, the cinematics leaned more toward a horror movie style without the fighting and gore present in the gameplay.

I was pleased to be assigned to the ending sequence, where I worked under the supervision of Harry Walton and director Mo Davoudian. In this part of the story, the main character, Rick, was conversing (internally) with the "Terror Mask" that had possessed his body and transformed him into a hulking monster. The internal conflict felt very psychological, evidenced by Rick's ultimate attempt to tear off the mask to break free from the evil persona. After Rick's girlfriend, Jennifer, awoke from a spell of possession, they shared a tender "beauty and the beast" moment, which was particularly significant given the size difference between the characters. These scenarios provided a wonderful range of acting opportunities for me to animate!

We faced some limitations due to tight deadlines and the fact that the models were only game-quality assets; however, everything looked great once the Brain Zoo crew completed the effects, lighting, and rendering, which gave the entire project a mysterious and haunting look.