Hopefully this is an appropriate place for this, but I noticed that the four houses in the game all have distinct connections to genres of horror media over time. I'm not sure of this is more of a theory or an observation, but it seems to be intentional. I suspect that I am neither the first, nor the only person to have picked up on this, but I still hope that more people who may be interested in this concept can find it.
House Dimitrescu: Though the name may possibly have connections to the goddess Demeter, the style of story seems to have connections to gothic horror novels, taking place in an old gothic castle. This section of the game could also draw direct comparison to Bram Stoker's 1897 "Dracula," both of which center their early stories around a protagonist being stalked around a castle by a vampiric host with three female accomplices in pursuit. The vampire and blood-drinking imagery is hard to miss in this section, leading to the association between this segment and the genre.
House Beneviento: I must admit that this one was the hardest to place. The dolls draw a connection to the Victorian time period, while the house could perhaps be more modern, its architecture likely from the late 19th or early 20th century. (Perhaps someone more studied in architecture can assist me with this) My initial connection was to the advancing field of medicine, perhaps especially around WWI, as many of the procedures performed during this time were particularly horrific. (The scar on the face of the house's namesake could also suggest a medical connection) Unfortunately, I am unaware of how much contemporary medical horror which was created during this time, but this area could also be based on the horror of lived experiences, such as the loss of a limb or a child due to an underdeveloped medical field. Though, suggestions as to possible other connections would also be appreciated.
House Moreau: Although a connection to the novel, "The Island of Dr. Moreau", I feel that this section has a strong connection to Lovecraft and other inspired works. Although this section does somewhat lack the aspect of "cosmic horror," the aesthetic of horror based on the ocean, in slime and rot, is absolutely present. I feel that the connection between this section of the game and its inspiration may be the most direct.
House Hisenberg: This section would appear to be most directly connected to slasher films of the late 20th century. Although perhaps less seen in the house's master, the setting could draw parallels to many such works in the genre, as well as other similar but adjacent pieces of media, such as the "Saw" franchise. Although an industrial setting could potentially have connections, to the industrial revolution, the more modern design of the factory's interior (as well as the the tank hulls resting outside, suggesting a postwar inspiration) seems to imply that it is the most modern of the four settings. The concept of augmenting and reanimating corpses with machinery and weapons is also a common trope in similar films.
This theory/observation is likely still incomplete, but I hope that some of these ideas may be inspiring or interesting to others.
House Dimitrescu: Though the name may possibly have connections to the goddess Demeter, the style of story seems to have connections to gothic horror novels, taking place in an old gothic castle. This section of the game could also draw direct comparison to Bram Stoker's 1897 "Dracula," both of which center their early stories around a protagonist being stalked around a castle by a vampiric host with three female accomplices in pursuit. The vampire and blood-drinking imagery is hard to miss in this section, leading to the association between this segment and the genre.
House Beneviento: I must admit that this one was the hardest to place. The dolls draw a connection to the Victorian time period, while the house could perhaps be more modern, its architecture likely from the late 19th or early 20th century. (Perhaps someone more studied in architecture can assist me with this) My initial connection was to the advancing field of medicine, perhaps especially around WWI, as many of the procedures performed during this time were particularly horrific. (The scar on the face of the house's namesake could also suggest a medical connection) Unfortunately, I am unaware of how much contemporary medical horror which was created during this time, but this area could also be based on the horror of lived experiences, such as the loss of a limb or a child due to an underdeveloped medical field. Though, suggestions as to possible other connections would also be appreciated.
House Moreau: Although a connection to the novel, "The Island of Dr. Moreau", I feel that this section has a strong connection to Lovecraft and other inspired works. Although this section does somewhat lack the aspect of "cosmic horror," the aesthetic of horror based on the ocean, in slime and rot, is absolutely present. I feel that the connection between this section of the game and its inspiration may be the most direct.
House Hisenberg: This section would appear to be most directly connected to slasher films of the late 20th century. Although perhaps less seen in the house's master, the setting could draw parallels to many such works in the genre, as well as other similar but adjacent pieces of media, such as the "Saw" franchise. Although an industrial setting could potentially have connections, to the industrial revolution, the more modern design of the factory's interior (as well as the the tank hulls resting outside, suggesting a postwar inspiration) seems to imply that it is the most modern of the four settings. The concept of augmenting and reanimating corpses with machinery and weapons is also a common trope in similar films.
This theory/observation is likely still incomplete, but I hope that some of these ideas may be inspiring or interesting to others.
