A Celebration of design, the scary kind.

Einhanderc7

Einhanderc7

Vat dipped, grown and still oozing with perfection
In another thread some of us got to talking about game design that is directly related to the horror genre. What scary games do you enjoy and why? What makes them unnerving to you? How do you think the design incorporated into the game play made the experience more enjoyable?

Off hand what do you think could be done to improve the game play of the horror genre?
 
Not a scary game per se, but I loved the underground sections of Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl. Especially X18, I think. Super tense because in the beginning nothing actually happens even though you expect there to be monsters.
Also, this should be in General Gaming, I think.
 
Good catch Hass, Completely forgot we had this channel derp.

X18 was good, the unknown of the area coupled with the anomalous nature of the zone really made this one tickle the nerves. I really enjoyed the way Stalker incorporated the anomalies so that they can be traversed around but if the player wasn't careful they could easily get caught up into one.
 
I prefer horror games with the PC's back story being as mundane and underpowered as possible.
(Harry mason was a novelist)
As opposed to a capable character (cop, secret agent, soldier, etc). Also when it comes to enemy design I believe it's best to have your monster look disturbing (but not disgusting). Disturbing goes a long way to induce fear as opposed to conventional scary stuff. (Jump scares, creepy kid etc.)
 
I'm indifferent to the PC's background. Sure you can have what ever you like but I find it better when you take someone who should be able to control a situation and prevent them from acting in that capacity would be even more horrifying.

Imagine if you will a grizzled veteran of mulitple conflicts brought to his knees by the unknown and the maddening. Then we begin to break into the lovecraftian eldritch horrors of the unknown and the mystifying beauty and horror that it encroaches.

I haven't encounter a game that could pull of that kind of scenario yet, the closest being the original doom.
 
Doomguy has held his shit for three games now. And I think the silent hill games and the first dead space pull off that feeling of hopelessness you're talking about and barely being able to hold you're own. (Although DS was easy it felt hopeless, because there were few survivors and they were insane). Also the way it shows you how the necromorphs reproduce, and the sheer abundance of them.
 
The early resident evil games did a fine job of horror, even if it was a bit convoluted.
 
Re 3 was my favorite. But the one that did horror best was REmake hands down. Lisa Trevor was a fine addition to re 1.

Her wail sends chills up my spine every time.

Have a listen:
 
Einhanderc7 said:
I could really go for a Jill Sandwich right about now. oh, Barry you scamp.
Click to expand...

They sorta fixed that line in REmake... Sorta.


Anyway, I don't think american horror games utilize the unknown enough. The unknown can work really well by itself... And you can even throw in a cheap jumpscare if you feel like it:
 
I think what would be great for a horror game is if it implemented unfolding game mechanics. A dark room is a great example of an unfolding game if your curious how those play.

Imagine a game that starts out relatively simple and safe and over time through continued play devolves into something much more sinister than the player initially thought it would be. The lulling into the false sense of security and the slow incline into madness would be unrelenting with its psychological momentum building up.

While the transition would be slow the build up and tension of the game would easily do a majority of the work if presented in a well written manner. Throw in a good amount of obstacles or "horror" elements and tada.

Not all horror needs to scream in your face, sometimes the strongest fear comes from the unknown and unrelenting.
 
Haven't played a horror game in a while. The most times the hair on my back stood up was when i played F.E.A.R:



It's a fast paced game with fast scares. There were these very fast invisable enemies that i did not see coming or even knew about, when they started digging their claws in my back and that made almost shit myself. That moment would be just horrible in VR...

The other kind of game that does not involve constant scares is Silent Hill 2, it just created this surreal and dreadful (in a good way) atmosphere that pulled on me constantly. That feeling kind of reminds me of nightmares i used to have.

m89Es.jpg


Stalker was interesting because most of the time it played like a non horror shooter, but then you suddenly have to start going to these super creepy labs, so it kind of catches you off guard in a way.

I also kind of like the scarier levels in VTMB, not because they are as intense as the other mentioned games, but because it has this tasteful backround of vampires and it plays out kind of like an old 50' horror movie.

 
Penumbra: Overture
Penumbra: Black Plague
SOMA
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
Alien Isolation
System Shock
Resident Evil remasters
The first Dead Space sort of
Stasis
Duskers (Haven't played this one but it looks interesting)
Outlast (a bit heavy on the jump scares but overall decent)

These games play out like science fiction movies or X-files episodes. That's how horror games should be.

Horror requires subtlety and as Yahtzee stated AAA studios no longer do subtlety. Alien Isolation was a rare exception.
Hassknecht said:
Not a scary game per se, but I loved the underground sections of Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl. Especially X18, I think. Super tense because in the beginning nothing actually happens even though you expect there to be monsters.
Also, this should be in General Gaming, I think.
Click to expand...
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series is great because the atmosphere is so rich that even standing outside of a building in the middle of nowhere fills the player with dread. There are places in that game you are too scared to go into just by looking at them with the background ambience/sound.
 
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Kuon. That's the only one I've played as far as I remember. I like it when horror is inspired, or directly taken from classic horror, and mythology.
 
I don't get why people keep harping on the jump scares in Outlast, yeah it had some, just like 'any' horror game out there (even Silent Hill got jump scares). The reason I love Outlast is the rest of the time. Like when you first get thrown through a window and have to navigate through the first floor? It was extremely unnerving and stressful for me to walk around, not knowing when or what would pop out and the game drew it out too, it didn't just go "boom, another enemy", you actually had to walk around quite a bit before the big fucker started to roam the halls.

And once you got down to the boiler room? I've never been so panicked in my entire life. Low on battery, dark environment, a fast psycho that is hunting me while I'm desperately trying to look for some button to press so I can get the fuck out of there. I felt sick to my stomach with dread after that. Constantly being hunted in a location I know nothing about but which the enemy knows everything about.

Outlast is the first game since Silent Hill 2 that's managed to actually fill me with pure dread.
 
Did anyone play the evil within? That game felt like a modernised return to classic survival horror. Id recommend it. It was directed by shinji mikami so it's definitely at least worth renting.
 
Einhanderc7 said:
I think what would be great for a horror game is if it implemented unfolding game mechanics. A dark room is a great example of an unfolding game if your curious how those play.

Imagine a game that starts out relatively simple and safe and over time through continued play devolves into something much more sinister than the player initially thought it would be. The lulling into the false sense of security and the slow incline into madness would be unrelenting with its psychological momentum building up.

While the transition would be slow the build up and tension of the game would easily do a majority of the work if presented in a well written manner. Throw in a good amount of obstacles or "horror" elements and tada.

Not all horror needs to scream in your face, sometimes the strongest fear comes from the unknown and unrelenting.
Click to expand...

I believe you just described the save room in SH 4. It starts off as a sanctuary. But I eventually was afraid to save my game:



 
That's not what I'm getting at as the in game mechanics are established before hand. An unfolding game introduces the player to new game mechanics as they play the game. Typically they begin with a very simple introduction with a single mechanic, then eventually "unfold" presenting a whole different game and mechanics.
 
That sound like an interesting concept. Has that been done to the extent you're talking about before?
 
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