Horror / Survival Horror games

[Hzurr]

So, I have a problem.

I don't like horror/scary movies. I honestly don't see why some people enjoy getting the pants scared off of them, but hey, to each his (or her) own. But they definitely aren't my cup of tea.

However, now we have horror/ survival horror video games (and some of these games are very good), which has started giving me issues.

3 games come in mind when I bring up this subject:
Resident Evil 4
Eternal Darkness, Sanity's requiem
Killer 7

I forced myself to play though RE4, but at the time I was still in College, and had a roommate, and time to play during the day. And the stupid game still scared me. I remember once I was walking to class, and a maintenance guy started up a chainsaw to trim a tree, and I just about jumped out of my skin, because at that point I was used to that sound signaling my death in a horrible, horrible way.

That being said, I loved RE4, and think it's a fantastic game.

However, now I'm living by myself, and the only time I have a chance to play video games is late at night. This does not bode well.

I'm trying to progress through both Eternal Darkness (based on the Cthulhu mythos, where your character gets progressively crazier and the game gets creepy accordingly), as well as Killer 7, which is a fantastically atmospheric game, but where the enemies are invisible, and can only be detected by a creepy, creepy laugh. Seriously, this laugh terrifies me (the Joker could take lessons on creepy laughs from these guys).

The consequence of all this, is that I can't force myself to play these games for more than an hour or so at a time, before I get so creeped out I can't stand to play anymore, even though I'm having fun.

So, for those of you out there who also have an aversion to the horror genre, and are (apparently) pansies like I am, what thoughts do you have for successfully progressing through a game that makes you look over your shoulder every 90 seconds in paranoia?

(Ironically enough, even though I'm a wimp when it comes to video games and movies, I very rarely get scared of real life things. Except for babies in the womb, because it reminds me of that scene from the first Alien movie)

[Crispy Dave]

I used to be terrified of anything scary but I seem to have outgrew it. I will still not "start" playing a game when its dark and once I ealise it is dark I will stop playing. But I think that is because I am used to how I used to be afraid of it.

[Pie Guy]

Keep the lights on, play in the back room with only one entryway, and for goodness sake, don't let someone sneak up on you!

[Illiterate Scribe]

Flashlights off guys, there's a witch in the next post!

[Myatar_Panwar]

BOO

http://www.hlfallout.net/images/content/t_image_36259.jpg

I'm not really finding RE4 all that scary, but I just picked up Dead Space today, and damn. This is a scary game. It uses sound, little sounds like cans being kicked around, etc, to really mess with the player. Overall I'm really liking it so far.

And what are you guys talking about? The enjoyment of scary games comes from the adrenaline pumping fear. To only play in the day/ with lots of lights on just defeats the purpose.

[chiasaur11]

Keep a baseball bat nearby.

Helps with zombie based fears.

[shadowxknight]

Now, TC, if you told me this in real life I would laugh and question your masculinity before helping you. But since you have the bravery to post this on the internet I will simply give you a few friendly advice.

1. Bring in another TV and turn it on. The noise it makes should be efficient enough to distract you from the game's scariness.
2. Play while under covers/blankets. I know this sounds stupid, but it's kinda like when you were little and you pulled the blanket over your head to keep the monsters out.
3. Keep a weapon nearby that you can hit scary stuff with.

Like someone else said in a previous post, the POINT of horror survival games is for the adrenaline rush. No point in playing them if you don't enjoy it.

[Altima]

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines

The only way I can play the Haunted Hotel is during the day with Weird Al playing on my radio. Definitely the scariest moment of the game, which has several other rather creepy moments.

On the other hand, it's hilarious in other instances. Ever had an insane vampire arguing with a stop sign? How about with the television--who answers back?

"Police are following several leads to an explosion that occured at a local [such and such]. Though no arrests have been made, police believe that the one responsible is you. Later this evening, famous actor of the..."

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I can't stand survival horror or horror in games at all. I refuse to finish BioShock because it scares me so.

[purple gelatinous cube o' Doom]

Personally, I love them, as the RE franchise are my favorite games, and the sole reason I went out and got a Gamecube. The first time I played through Re 2 on 64 (in the dark down in my basement of course), was quite possibly a frighteningly good gaming experience. AS for Sanity's Requiem, I don't think it's scary as much as it is confusing/disturbing in those parts where the sanity comes into play. The first few times it's much more disorienting than anything else.

[Zen Monkey]

The hotel in Bloodlines was well-done, especially when you consider how little danger there is to your actual regenerating super-character and see that the fear is intended for the player instead. Hallucinations, lighting tricks, and little plot clues were all done effectively.

Resident Evil (especially 4) is more about action and startle-factor than horror in my opinion. For me, the horror champ is Silent Hill 2. It offers a better sense of dread and isolation, and the vulnerability (and sympathetic nature) of your character genuinely gives you moments where you do not want to proceed into certain unknown areas (some of the apartments, the old prison, some hospital rooms, etc) because the 'blood and rust' world is not a good place to be.

In the end, alot of gamers say that finishing the game actually helps. If you watch the monsters die by your own hand and the end credits roll, it gives a better sense of closure on the matter. But then, that may not work for everyone.

[Hzurr]

Now, TC, if you told me this in real life I would laugh and question your masculinity before helping you.


Heh, which is why I chose to stick with the internet, where I shall interact with people I will never come into contact to in real life.




AS for Sanity's Requiem, I don't think it's scary as much as it is confusing/disturbing in those parts where the sanity comes into play. The first few times it's much more disorienting than anything else.
You're actually right about this, the more I play the game, the more I'm used to it and it doesn't bother me. It just threw me for a bit when I walked into a room, and the walls were bleeding and I didn't have a head. Now, it makes me laugh.

[Neo]

Anyone tried Dark Corners of the Earth?

It's gotta be up there somewhere, being chased around a strange town by mobs of deranged mutant cultists. Not to mention you don't have any weapons until half way through the game.

[Cespenar]

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines

The only way I can play the Haunted Hotel is during the day with Weird Al playing on my radio. Definitely the scariest moment of the game, which has several other rather creepy moments.

Heh, I remember playing it in the heat of August, my body probably lost several litres of extra water that day.

[Inhuman Bot]

Neo: Yeah, I've played it. It's a rare survival game that makes me somewhat scared, not saying "ewww, how many gallons of blood is on that wall?".

'course it was ruined when I found a paper-thing lattice to hide behind, with the cultists on the other side, not seeing me.

I had the shotgun.

Innsmouth cultist: HE'S OVER HERE!
*BOOM*
Innsmouth cultist: I think I heard something.
*BOOM*
Innsmouth cultist: Where is he?
*boom*
Etc.

It got scary after that, but that part was still soooo funny...

[Callos_DeTerran]

Heh, which is why I chose to stick with the internet, where I shall interact with people I will never come into contact to in real life.

That's what you think. You have odd choice in desktop backgrounds by the way.

In any case I would advise AGAINST covering your head in some manner, never worked for me. I'd always imagine that whatever I thought was coming for me was sneaking up on me AS I cowered and the reason I wouldn't be able to escape/fight back would be because I didn't see it coming.

That said, Dark Corners of the Earth will really screw with you. Like when Big C messes with you...or the game tells you to die.

I also liked Dead Space a lot too, but at a certain point (up until a great ending in my mind) it became the standard Survival with some healthy servings of jump-scares but not quite real fear. Again..until the ending.

[Phase]

BOO

http://www.hlfallout.net/images/content/t_image_36259.jpg

Damn you! I'm programmed to become alert when I see witches!

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

Anyone tried Dark Corners of the Earth?

It's gotta be up there somewhere, being chased around a strange town by mobs of deranged mutant cultists. Not to mention you don't have any weapons until half way through the game.

Just started it the other day, actually. It seems to have a nice atmosphere to it. Definately creepy and I'm intrigued to see where it goes.

Fatal Frame is my favorite.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I'd say the scariest game I've ever played would be BioShock, which I have yet to finish, but it wasn't the kind of scary I anticipated. It wasn't the gnawing, constant fear that I believe you're supposed to get when you play a game like this, but rather the sudden panicky rush you get when you're ambushed. It was more bursts of the latter kind of fear each time a major fight broke out, rather than the more insidious former.

As for scary finished games, I've only really watched my brother play games like that, and for that it'd have to be a tie between The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and the PoP: Sands of Time trilogy. The Shadow Temple in Ocarina of Time was definately scary, but the whole of Majora's Mask had a creepy, ethereal feel to it that gave me chills. It was tame enough that I could watch and even play it, but just creepy enough to make me tingle. The Prince of Persia series had a similar feel, especially with the sense of loneliness that you often had, but I was more frightened by the tense jumps and tricky platforming than the sand monsters themselves. The Dahaka was pretty scary, don't get me wrong, but it was more because of the tense chase scene that occured whenever it showed up that scared me, rather than the Dahaka itself.

[Bergett]

Ahhh RE4 good times.... I remember being scared the S*** out of that game... then I shot the monster in the face with a shotgun. It's strange cause of that game I was not afraid of Bioshock in the slightest... strange...

By the way in Bioshock the scariest parts are in the first half after that you're good.

My favorite moment:

I was in the place where you first meet the Houdini splicers I was grabbing some stuff off a pedestal that was up against the wall... I looked up and saw a shadow I slowly pulled out my shotgun....

[Parvum]

Things like Bioshock can... lose their fear at times. Such games simply make you too much of a godly protagonist, all you need is a badass moment to realize it. Or a less badass moment, like trying to walk down an enemy swarmed hall to get to an objective... about seven times because the spawnavitainvincichamber is right around the corner. (I'd say that Killer7 became less scary after a Kevin massacre or realizing "hey- I'm dual wielding handheld grenade launchers! What am I scared of?", if I didn't leave in a confused haze after half a bloody skull was complaining about kids not having respect for their elders. Weird.)

[UncleWolf]

The best horror game I've ever played was one of the original Alien games on PS. I once played it at 3 am. Never going to do it again.

[Fri]

My friend once went into a hospital for playing fatal frame.

I think there's a lesson or moral on it, but I doubt it's 'You can't listen too much Weird Al Yankovich.'

[factotum]

The question that occurs to me is: why are you playing this genre if you don't like them? There are thousands of games out there that AREN'T survival horror games, and I'm willing to bet a few of them might even be ones you'd like playing (and which wouldn't scare the willies out of you while doing so).

[Tichrondrius]

RE4 was the least scary of the RE games. Play RE0. XD RE4 is a great game though, my favorite of the series in fact. The scariness of a game is inversely proportional to the coolness of the main character. Leon was too cool for it to be scary.

Eternal Darkness was pretty good. Scary at times... but it had a pretty good plot and kept me playing. MAY THE RATS EAT YOUR EYES.

Vampire was good too, although the only really scary part was Ocean House. There were other parts, when you first decide to investigate this hand guy and you keep finding bloodier and bloodier rooms... that are creepy, but not so much scary.

I couldn't finish Bioshock. Think I say my first spider guy and said screw this. The normal goons were scaring me.

[Pie Guy]

The thing about the spider guys though, is that you can one-hit kill them eventually.

You know, I'm suprised, I wasn't scared by Bioshock at all. Dead Space, Now that's freaky.

[Tichrondrius]

Yeah, I heard about the too powerful for your own good stories after I sold the game. Wouldn't have helped much, I still would have had to go though a lot of fearing to turn the next corner first.

If only Bioshock guy had been throwing out quips and being awesome every cut scene...

[LurkerInPlayground]

Resident Evil 4 is scary?

What? That game was hard to take seriously. I don't even think it took itself seriously. The plot gets so silly and B-movie pulpy that at that point, I was just in it to shoot things and upgrade my weapons.

Eternal Darkness was kind of cool but I feel the sanity system is over-hyped. Partly because I knew what to expect, but also because I later discovered a spell that allowed you to restore your sanity meter to full. Lame. Also, magic is crazy effective in that game.


Bioshock was all about setting. You get to explore a derelict underwater city designed around a sort of art-deco aesthetic and learn bits about its history through its many sections? Way cool. But only rarely creepy. The environment really isn't enough to make me tense about scrounging around. It's a friggin' underwater city. It's way too cute to be scary.

(That, and I learned that you could pit Big Daddies against one another using a plasmid power. You control a Big Daddy, and provoke another Big Daddy. Your Daddy "defends" you against the Daddy you just provoked. You injure the "enemy" Daddy enough so that your Daddy wins and harvest his Little Sister. You eventually lose control of you Daddy and wait for him to pull a Little Sister. . .mind you, he was weak from his last fight. . .)

It's difficult to explain why I like horror games, since they very rarely actually "scare" me. I'm jaded like that. Usually, they might make me feel paranoid or tense and that's only provided that they lay on the atmosphere thickly and consistently.

Ideally, there are cool moments that are truly unsettling. I am referring to horror, not cheap adrenaline frights. The kind of subtle sense of bizarre "wrongness" and "moral terror" that gels within the context of the setting is achieved only rarely. Although, to be honest, trying to escape the Innsmouth citizens in the Call of Cthulhu game was noteworthy because you simply had no weapons.

I tend to approach survival horror games for the mystery and drama that spices up the plain horror. I also freaking love Lovecraftian tropes, and often simply games just to see those in action.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I have an online friend who lives over in Britain. She says Fatal Frame 2 (called Project Zero across the pond), is the single-best game in existence.

[LurkerInPlayground]

Also, nobody mentioned the Silent Hill franchise yet. This is simply a sin if you're discussing survival horror games.

[Timberwolf]

*Shakes walking stick*

All you young pups talking about RE and Bioshock and Silent Hill...

It makes me appreciate being old enough to have played System Shock 2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Shock_2) (the forerunner to Bioshock and, I'm afraid, infinitely scarier). Now that game kept me up at night. Firstly because it's so damn good and secondly... well, it's so damn scary.

Bioshock, the modern attempt, wasn't that scary because through it all, your enemy was, when all's said and done, human. It's within the scope of human evil. System Shock, the main villain is S.H.O.D.A.N (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHODAN), the insane ass A.I. that G.L.A.D.o.S wants to be when she grows up. She nearly becomes a god with your at first unwitting and then unwilling help.; Then there's XERXES, the other mental A.I. that you must fight (S.H.O.D.A.N manipulates you into it). He's nowhere near as bad as S.H.O.D.A.N but he also has his moments.

Still, nothing quite compares to that moment of sheer impending doom when, early game, that shotgun you just picked up breaks when about 500 zombies are shuffling towards you from all directions.

[potatocubed]

Dark Corners of the Earth terrified me to the point where I couldn't play it any more. :smallredface:

I've never been hugely frightened during any of the Resident Evil games, and Silent Hill didn't really do it for me either (although hearing radio static has never been quite the same...).

Fatal Frame/Project Zero is scary as hell. As is Alien vs. Predator 2, in which the fact that you're a badass marine laden down with high-tech weapons really doesn't help you one little bit. :smalleek:

EDIT: Also, Ravenholme. At least the first time. Once you know what to expect it loses a lot of its edge.

[LurkerInPlayground]

*Shakes walking stick*

All you young pups talking about RE and Bioshock and Silent Hill...

It makes me appreciate being old enough to have played System Shock 2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Shock_2) (the forerunner to Bioshock and, I'm afraid, infinitely scarier). Now that game kept me up at night. Firstly because it's so damn good and secondly... well, it's so damn scary.

Bioshock, the modern attempt, wasn't that scary because through it all, your enemy was, when all's said and done, human. It's within the scope of human evil. System Shock, the main villain is S.H.O.D.A.N (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHODAN), the insane ass A.I. that G.L.A.D.o.S wants to be when she grows up. She nearly becomes a god with your at first unwitting and then unwilling help.; Then there's XERXES, the other mental A.I. that you must fight (S.H.O.D.A.N manipulates you into it). He's nowhere near as bad as S.H.O.D.A.N but he also has his moments.

Still, nothing quite compares to that moment of sheer impending doom when, early game, that shotgun you just picked up breaks when about 500 zombies are shuffling towards you from all directions.
Believe it or not, I did play System Shock 2. And I don't see why having a computer AI as an enemy is any scarier than a human one. It could be argued there's more potential for horror with a human antagonist because the evil is closer-to-home. Easier to relate to. Which was sort of the whole point of Bioshock's attempt at body horror and the clavicade of unethical social experiments.

In any case, I was still not impressed. I was not the leastways frightened and really just enjoyed the System Shock 2 as a fun shooter-RPG hybrid.

Besides, I find the abilities of computer A.I.'s to be kind of overblown and overplayed. GLADoS was really closer to a caricature of the "insane artificial intelligence."

And SHODAN, I didn't really buy for a moment, since she makes breakthrough scientific achievements with what amounts to a bunch of household utensils. Oh yes, and tries to remake reality itself with a FTL drive.

This is written off as "computer AI's are always geniuses and are always centrally integrated with our most potent technological tools!" Yeah . . . right.

I did enjoy the themes that pointed to her overall hubris and how her creations seem to turn against her though. That was fun.

[Jimp]

Dark Corners of the earth and Penumbra both made me stop playing out of terror.
That'll teach me for playing in the dark, late at night with surround sound.
:smalleek:

[Tichrondrius]

I love System Shock 2. SHODAN is an amazing villain. The Many were scarier though.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

I have an online friend who lives over in Britain. She says Fatal Frame 2 (called Project Zero across the pond), is the single-best game in existence.

She made be right.

[Egiam]

Also, Ravenholme. At least the first time. Once you know what to expect it loses a lot of its edge.

Seriously. For those of you who don't know, that is a section in Half-Life 2. The sound effects were amazing, from the howl of a far-off zombie-squid-thing to the rustle and caws of a raven, that was great.

[Bergett]

That was one of my favorite parts in the whole game.
It freaks you out the first time.
Or me anywhoo

[LurkerInPlayground]

That was one of my favorite parts in the whole game.
It freaks you out the first time.
Or me anywhoo
My initial impression went more like:
"Cool! I can shoot those buzzsaw discs with the gravity gun and cut zombies in half!"

[Arbitrarity]

I, however, spent a few minutes looking carefully at that... thing in the middle of the zombie body. Is that... a mouth? Ribs?

[Bergett]

My initial impression went more like:
"Cool! I can shoot those buzzsaw discs with the gravity gun and cut zombies in half!"

Nice.


I, however, spent a few minutes looking carefully at that... thing in the middle of the zombie body. Is that... a mouth? Ribs?

I think it's a ribs... cause the mouth is covered up by the headcrab...

[ErgoBibamus]

I'm so glad somebody mentioned the Marine missions in Aliens Vs. Predator 2. Far and away the scariest gaming experiences for me. And do you know why? It isn't the setting, though that was very creepy. It wasn't the scariness of the Aliens, although they were very frightening. It was the motion detector that marines are given to "help" them locate trouble.
Unlike other systems that give you a mini-map or heads-up display, this little baby gave you two things: there is something moving out there, it's getting closer.
That's it. No direction, no details on elevation, no highlighting.
As a piece of military hardware it was total crap. As a tool for inducing and sustaining terror in the player it was genius! As soon as you heard that sucker start beeping your first thought was "Holy crap, RUN!"

[Neithan]

I'm going to play Silent Hill 2 with a friend when he's back in town. I think if I'd try it alone, I wouldn't get much furthern then when the radio first starts crackling. :smallbiggrin:


Seriously. For those of you who don't know, that is a section in Half-Life 2. The sound effects were amazing, from the howl of a far-off zombie-squid-thing to the rustle and caws of a raven, that was great.

Many people agree, that this level is awsomely designed and simply great. But most of them also think, that they rather not go through it again when they replay the game. :smallbiggrin:


Yeah, Ravenholm sucks. But in a good way. I don't feel the need to play through it again, though. Bad memories all around. But in a good way.