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THOUGHTS ON: HORROR GAMES
Posts
Mortifere
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CloseWhat are you favs and dissapointments?
I liked the Silent Hill series, but this Shattered Memories game for the PSP is killing my enjoyment factor.
Also the Resident Evil series. As much as I like the gameplay of the next-gen Resident Evil games, I can't bear the fact that they delineated (with good reason I suppose) from their original formula that I wish it was called something other than Resident Evil.
Dead Space was awesome IMO. It had atmosphere, tension, and lots of jump-out moments which are always fun in movies and games. Plus, the game play was fun and unique.
Echo Night (PS2) - It was as original as I have seen for the genre, thought it is a sequel. It was one of the spookiest games I've played (course I HAD to play with the lights off and really get drawn into the game as I do with all horror anything). But it built a tension for survival, which, survival is hard for you should you come across any malicious spirits, seeing as you're not ghostbusters and you have nothing to defend you except running like mad. Which it itself is going to be hard to save you because you're in a space suit.
I liked the Silent Hill series, but this Shattered Memories game for the PSP is killing my enjoyment factor.
Also the Resident Evil series. As much as I like the gameplay of the next-gen Resident Evil games, I can't bear the fact that they delineated (with good reason I suppose) from their original formula that I wish it was called something other than Resident Evil.
Dead Space was awesome IMO. It had atmosphere, tension, and lots of jump-out moments which are always fun in movies and games. Plus, the game play was fun and unique.
Echo Night (PS2) - It was as original as I have seen for the genre, thought it is a sequel. It was one of the spookiest games I've played (course I HAD to play with the lights off and really get drawn into the game as I do with all horror anything). But it built a tension for survival, which, survival is hard for you should you come across any malicious spirits, seeing as you're not ghostbusters and you have nothing to defend you except running like mad. Which it itself is going to be hard to save you because you're in a space suit.
Haha, no kidding. I remember those days. I think I had started off with Doom 3: Ultimate or something like that. I was genuinely spooked, especially when those big meatball floating heads came out of nowhere lol.
Oh, also, I forgot to mention one of my favorite horrors is also Fatal Frame. I've only played the first one thus far but man that is a spooky game if you can get into it. And Clocktower 3 was pretty good too.
Oh, also, I forgot to mention one of my favorite horrors is also Fatal Frame. I've only played the first one thus far but man that is a spooky game if you can get into it. And Clocktower 3 was pretty good too.
Darken
3952
Dead Space was awesome IMO. It had atmosphere, tension, and lots of jump-out moments which are always fun in movies and games. Plus, the game play was fun and unique.
Dead Space was surprisingly scary, I guess it was the ingame world HUD that helped suspend disbelief. My only problem was near the end where you had to fight that boss in zero gravity. More like, zero horror because it was like some redwood employee was playing metroid or something and thought "WE NEED A POORLY DESIGNED BOSS FIGHT FOR THE SAKE OF HAVING ONE :D" I've heard good things about Dead Space Wii, however.
I agree with you Darken, but at least we can say the rest of the game made up for that oversight. I haven't played a tension heavy game like that in a while. Is there a sequel coming out? I know there was some kind of animated movie of sorts released.
As for the Wii version, I'm skeptical but giving it the benefit of the reviews lol.
As for the Wii version, I'm skeptical but giving it the benefit of the reviews lol.
Yeaster
6164
I hate being scared but I love scary games.
I'm playing Silent Hill 2 now, and I think its atmosphere is terrifyling. I don't play it often because it freaks me out, but whenever I do play it, I HAVE to know what's going to happen next.
I'm playing Silent Hill 2 now, and I think its atmosphere is terrifyling. I don't play it often because it freaks me out, but whenever I do play it, I HAVE to know what's going to happen next.
I completely agree about the RE series, I hate the way the series is going.
And Yeaster, Silent Hill 2 is the best of the bunch! Man, Pyramid Head was a party animal!
The Clock Towers were so-so to me...and Galerians....oh God.
And Yeaster, Silent Hill 2 is the best of the bunch! Man, Pyramid Head was a party animal!
The Clock Towers were so-so to me...and Galerians....oh God.
Silent Hill is probably my favourite of the Horror Games, as it's the one I've pretty much grown up on. 5 was different but I still enjoyed it, same with Origins.
I enjoy the RE series of games, 4 most of all as it's probably the best way that they could have gone with the game, not played 5, but from what I've heard it ain't as good. If anything all it needs is a way to move while aiming.
I enjoy the RE series of games, 4 most of all as it's probably the best way that they could have gone with the game, not played 5, but from what I've heard it ain't as good. If anything all it needs is a way to move while aiming.
Orig
44
Horror games are the only kind of videogame I can really enjoy anymore. That and point-and-click adventures, but even then half of those are scary.
Barrow Hill is one of the best. I beat it in one or two nights, I was so engrossed. Dark Fall, Dark Fall 2, Outcry, Scratches, and The Lost Crown are also very good. They're all point-and-clicks. Barrow Hill is really atmospheric, but near it end it kind of loses its spark. Scratches and The Lost Crown are probably the scariest. Oh, wait, and Sanitarium! I almost forgot that. Man, that's the best bar none. The other ones are great, but, man, Sanitarium just has a special place in my heart. It's soooo screwed up, right from the beginning. In fact I might have to play it again...
Everyone has already mentioned Silent Hill. Those're always great. Except 4 and Origins, they were just okay. I liked 3 the best because I like Heather.
Clock Tower 2: The Struggle Within is a godawful abomination and should be ignored, but Clock Tower was decent, and Clock Tower: The First Fear (the SNES one) is arguably the scariest game ever. There's just something ridiculously unsettling about the premise: Teen girls get adopted, the family they are taken into is insane, shit hits fan. I must have played it through every ending. Sooooo so good. Plus Jennifer looks like Jennifer Connelly from Phenomena, which Clock Tower was loosely inspired by. :D Clock Tower 3 was fun when you were getting chased around by crazies, but the combat was terrible. I haven't played Haunting Ground yet but always wanted to.
Galerians I played a little of. The combat was seriously flawed but I remember it being pretty scary.
Echo Night holds another special place in my heart. It's not very good, not even very scary, but it had a charm to it, and the gameplay was interesting. I own Beyond but haven't played it much.
The Gabriel Knight games, while not necessarily horror, can be pretty disturbing, and the first one was a marvel of storytelling. While the sequels weren't quite as good, they were still fun. And Gabriel and Grace are such endearing characters.
Fatal Frame is definitely freaky as fuck. I hear the third is actually the best, but I haven't played it because it's like $50 used. But the first, while extremely difficult, was interesting, I'd say Crimson Butterfly was much better.
Now, the game that blows everything else out of the water in terms of survival horror is one most get turned off by: Siren. It's the hardest game I have ever played. There are a few dumb gameplay designs (having to play every level twice was a turn off for sure), but nearly everything has it's purpose. The music is haunting, the story, though minimalistic, is pretty interesting, and the characters, despite weird Japo-British accents, are defined. It's told in non-linear levels, as in you could just start the game a few levels in already be near the finale. There are only about nine maps, but they change over time, and it's cool seeing that. The best part of the game, though, are the enemies. THEY DO NOT DIE. You can knock them down, but they come back up a minute later. And worst of all, each and every one of the characters is becoming just like them. It's the utter hopelessness that really gets to you. It's so fucked up. Some of the endings are just disturbing as hell. And the stealth is nerve-wracking. One level you play as a little girl stuck in a house with three shibito. Everyone has this ability where they can see through the eyes of shibito, and you have to rely on that to memorize their patterns in order to escape. It's friggin' scary! It isn't very fun; it's more rewarding than fun. Like, "Oh, thank CHRIST I made it through that level." I hear there's a PS3 remake. You should buy it. Here's a good article on the series.
There might be more I'm forgetting... Oh, Obscure! Now, imagine a cheesy horror movie like Final Destination, and imagine someone turning that into a videogame. That's what the Obscure games are like. They are not fun by any means by yourself, but, man, I played them with my brother and it was crazy fun. It was only kind of scary, but still one of the more fun survival horror games out there.
Barrow Hill is one of the best. I beat it in one or two nights, I was so engrossed. Dark Fall, Dark Fall 2, Outcry, Scratches, and The Lost Crown are also very good. They're all point-and-clicks. Barrow Hill is really atmospheric, but near it end it kind of loses its spark. Scratches and The Lost Crown are probably the scariest. Oh, wait, and Sanitarium! I almost forgot that. Man, that's the best bar none. The other ones are great, but, man, Sanitarium just has a special place in my heart. It's soooo screwed up, right from the beginning. In fact I might have to play it again...
Everyone has already mentioned Silent Hill. Those're always great. Except 4 and Origins, they were just okay. I liked 3 the best because I like Heather.
Clock Tower 2: The Struggle Within is a godawful abomination and should be ignored, but Clock Tower was decent, and Clock Tower: The First Fear (the SNES one) is arguably the scariest game ever. There's just something ridiculously unsettling about the premise: Teen girls get adopted, the family they are taken into is insane, shit hits fan. I must have played it through every ending. Sooooo so good. Plus Jennifer looks like Jennifer Connelly from Phenomena, which Clock Tower was loosely inspired by. :D Clock Tower 3 was fun when you were getting chased around by crazies, but the combat was terrible. I haven't played Haunting Ground yet but always wanted to.
Galerians I played a little of. The combat was seriously flawed but I remember it being pretty scary.
Echo Night holds another special place in my heart. It's not very good, not even very scary, but it had a charm to it, and the gameplay was interesting. I own Beyond but haven't played it much.
The Gabriel Knight games, while not necessarily horror, can be pretty disturbing, and the first one was a marvel of storytelling. While the sequels weren't quite as good, they were still fun. And Gabriel and Grace are such endearing characters.
Fatal Frame is definitely freaky as fuck. I hear the third is actually the best, but I haven't played it because it's like $50 used. But the first, while extremely difficult, was interesting, I'd say Crimson Butterfly was much better.
Now, the game that blows everything else out of the water in terms of survival horror is one most get turned off by: Siren. It's the hardest game I have ever played. There are a few dumb gameplay designs (having to play every level twice was a turn off for sure), but nearly everything has it's purpose. The music is haunting, the story, though minimalistic, is pretty interesting, and the characters, despite weird Japo-British accents, are defined. It's told in non-linear levels, as in you could just start the game a few levels in already be near the finale. There are only about nine maps, but they change over time, and it's cool seeing that. The best part of the game, though, are the enemies. THEY DO NOT DIE. You can knock them down, but they come back up a minute later. And worst of all, each and every one of the characters is becoming just like them. It's the utter hopelessness that really gets to you. It's so fucked up. Some of the endings are just disturbing as hell. And the stealth is nerve-wracking. One level you play as a little girl stuck in a house with three shibito. Everyone has this ability where they can see through the eyes of shibito, and you have to rely on that to memorize their patterns in order to escape. It's friggin' scary! It isn't very fun; it's more rewarding than fun. Like, "Oh, thank CHRIST I made it through that level." I hear there's a PS3 remake. You should buy it. Here's a good article on the series.
There might be more I'm forgetting... Oh, Obscure! Now, imagine a cheesy horror movie like Final Destination, and imagine someone turning that into a videogame. That's what the Obscure games are like. They are not fun by any means by yourself, but, man, I played them with my brother and it was crazy fun. It was only kind of scary, but still one of the more fun survival horror games out there.
Bravo Orig, you have good taste. I'll say, Siren was a good game despite it's almost Nintendo hard gameplay. I had rented it when it first came out and didn't beat it cause it was so hard, haven't played it since.
Sanitarium, what I played of it, was indeed an awesomely disturbing point-and-click game. I think I may still have one or two of the discs somewheres. Unfortunately I never got to finish it because I had lost the 3rd disc and couldn't find another copy in the local gamestop. Eventually I forgot about it altogether but now I want to look back into it as well. And if any of the other point-and-click horrors are anything like Sanitarium then I wouldn't mind playing those as well.
I may also look into the acclaimed Clock Tower game, seeing as it's the second or third time I've read that it's a good game. Thanks Orig, now I have more games to keep in mind when looking to add to my repertoire,.
Sanitarium, what I played of it, was indeed an awesomely disturbing point-and-click game. I think I may still have one or two of the discs somewheres. Unfortunately I never got to finish it because I had lost the 3rd disc and couldn't find another copy in the local gamestop. Eventually I forgot about it altogether but now I want to look back into it as well. And if any of the other point-and-click horrors are anything like Sanitarium then I wouldn't mind playing those as well.
I may also look into the acclaimed Clock Tower game, seeing as it's the second or third time I've read that it's a good game. Thanks Orig, now I have more games to keep in mind when looking to add to my repertoire,.
Shinan
4314
I'm actually not a big fan of being scared but I still love scary games. Resident Evil is one of my favorite series (though I haven't played 5. Not properly) and even though 4 changed the gameplay I didn't think the scariness went down all that much. I still panicked at the big monsters and I still was scared when I heard the chanting monks when I entered a new room.
Some of my favorite scary moments are actually in games that aren't primarily horror. It seems a lot of games have "scary bits" just like a lot of games have "stealth bits". I'm thinking of the Half-Life 2 bits. Ravenguard was slightly scary but the opening of HL2: Episode 1 had me crying in a corner.
Similarily there's also Vampire: Bloodlines which has nearly every single horror trope in it and many of them worked pretty well. The Haunted House oozed with atmosphere. The zombie house had me panicked. The sewer monsters had me scared (though mostly because I thought "Just these and then I'll go to bed" and it was 4am).
I've recently tried my hands at Bioshock and that game is also kinda scary (at least in the beginning). Though some of that is because the controls feel so wobbly I'm not sure if I hit anything when I shoot. But it is filled with scary atmosphere.
STALKER had also some sweet scary moments because of the game's gameplay. Wandering the swamps at night and then suddenly hearing some mutated monster coming from the high grass and not being quite sure. It had it's scary charm and the way the game is designed it's also something you could probably avoid if you wanted to.
I've never tried a Silent Hill game because I think they are just too scary for me. I generally don't look for scary games but I tend to enjoy the scary parts in the games I play.
Some of my favorite scary moments are actually in games that aren't primarily horror. It seems a lot of games have "scary bits" just like a lot of games have "stealth bits". I'm thinking of the Half-Life 2 bits. Ravenguard was slightly scary but the opening of HL2: Episode 1 had me crying in a corner.
Similarily there's also Vampire: Bloodlines which has nearly every single horror trope in it and many of them worked pretty well. The Haunted House oozed with atmosphere. The zombie house had me panicked. The sewer monsters had me scared (though mostly because I thought "Just these and then I'll go to bed" and it was 4am).
I've recently tried my hands at Bioshock and that game is also kinda scary (at least in the beginning). Though some of that is because the controls feel so wobbly I'm not sure if I hit anything when I shoot. But it is filled with scary atmosphere.
STALKER had also some sweet scary moments because of the game's gameplay. Wandering the swamps at night and then suddenly hearing some mutated monster coming from the high grass and not being quite sure. It had it's scary charm and the way the game is designed it's also something you could probably avoid if you wanted to.
I've never tried a Silent Hill game because I think they are just too scary for me. I generally don't look for scary games but I tend to enjoy the scary parts in the games I play.
Yeaster
6164
Resident Evil 4 was great, but I never found it scary in the least. For starters, I always had plenty of ammo and herbs (and I didn't hesitate to use either of them), so I always felt pretty safe.
Silent 2 on the other hand...I practically thank the lord every time I find bullets laying around.
Silent 2 on the other hand...I practically thank the lord every time I find bullets laying around.
@ Shinan:
I agree with you on STALKER. Even though the premise isn't horror, that game can be quite spooky plenty of times. For me, the sewers and dark underground laboratories were the scariest. When you're down there, even with night vision it's dark as hell, and it doesn't help when some of the mutant's are invisible. There was one lab in particular that the mutants can do all sorts of things like move objects without being there (like buckets and boxes and things being thrown at you randomly), I found that very eerie and spooky.
I agree with you on STALKER. Even though the premise isn't horror, that game can be quite spooky plenty of times. For me, the sewers and dark underground laboratories were the scariest. When you're down there, even with night vision it's dark as hell, and it doesn't help when some of the mutant's are invisible. There was one lab in particular that the mutants can do all sorts of things like move objects without being there (like buckets and boxes and things being thrown at you randomly), I found that very eerie and spooky.
Ah yes, forgot about that one Nickad. I didn't mention it cause I haven't beat the first one and I've only played the demo to FEAR 2. Which, in my opinion, was awesome in the horror aspect. At least in the demo section of the game. It was dark and you could barely make out the ghosts when they appeared.
I was always terrified when I played Doom 3.
The one section where you hear all these squishy walking noises, and hallucinate a ghost who talks about losing her baby... Another section where you keep hearing this horribly banging on this door, and when you open it it's just a wall of flesh, and an arm reaches out of it and slams the door closed again. The skeleton moving in the air duct, eyes appearing in the darkness... to say nothing of the flashlight or gun problem...
And then, reading about a mistake shipment of chainsaws coming to the base - OF ALL THING THINGS TO SHIP TO A HAUNTED MARS STATION!
The one section where you hear all these squishy walking noises, and hallucinate a ghost who talks about losing her baby... Another section where you keep hearing this horribly banging on this door, and when you open it it's just a wall of flesh, and an arm reaches out of it and slams the door closed again. The skeleton moving in the air duct, eyes appearing in the darkness... to say nothing of the flashlight or gun problem...
And then, reading about a mistake shipment of chainsaws coming to the base - OF ALL THING THINGS TO SHIP TO A HAUNTED MARS STATION!
post=124628
I was always terrified when I played Doom 3.
The one section where you hear all these squishy walking noises, and hallucinate a ghost who talks about losing her baby... Another section where you keep hearing this horribly banging on this door, and when you open it it's just a wall of flesh, and an arm reaches out of it and slams the door closed again. The skeleton moving in the air duct, eyes appearing in the darkness... to say nothing of the flashlight or gun problem...
And then, reading about a mistake shipment of chainsaws coming to the base - OF ALL THING THINGS TO SHIP TO A HAUNTED MARS STATION!
Really though, I'm easily terrified, but I love that feeling for some reason. I think people flock to these depressing, sickening, despair-riddled, horror fests because it gives you a very special feeling you can't get anywhere else. I guess that's why I watch all those monstrously depressing anime's as well :P
EDIT: DAMMIT I REALLY FAIL AT FORUMS TODAY. I am leaving, goodbye.
Orig
44
Alright, I'm replaying Dark Fall, and it is TENSE. I dunno how a game using static screens can be so nerve-wracking. Sounds are coming from all over the place, ghosts talk to you, phones are ringing when they shouldn't be, lights are turning off my by themselves, weird floating orbs pass through hallways. It's crazy. Can't believe I played this in like 6th grade.
I forgot to mention the Penumbra games. They control like an FPS, but they're adventure games through and through. The first one, Overture, is the best. It's mysterious, weird crazy shit is happening, and you cannot fight the enemies, you can only evade them. The sequel, Black Plague, starts out promising, but once the story gets to answering the questions asked in the first game they well, um, suck, and the game suffers as a result. Certain parts are really good (giant worms!!! And, oh man, when you're outside in the blizzard... And I'm not even gunna mention the fucked up shit that happens when you finally meet the one remaining survivor), but the majority of it... ugh. I'd say play it, but don't finish it. The story just gets worse and worse as you progress. The last one I wouldn't even bother with. It doesn't even have a story, just a conglomeration of kinesthetic puzzles, which to be honest aren't even that good.
Also, I just got Shivers, Shivers 2, and The Dark Eye. The Dark Eye is supposedly freaky as all hell, and the Shivers series is supposed to be pretty good too. I have I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, and I hear that's good too, but I'm having trouble getting it to work on my computer.
Oh, man, how could I forget! Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem was fantastic. I'm sure you've heard of the sanity effects and such. It's just good Lovecraftian horror. Some of the levels aren't as fun as others, and I wasn't a big fan of magic (why I can't remember), but all in all it was really friggin' scary.
Lastly, there's the Call of Cthulhu games. The first two, Shadow of the Comet and Prisoner of Ice, aren't very scary. Shadow of the Comet is the spookier of the two, but it's pretty dated. At least you get to see a videogame portrait of Jack Nicholson. Prisoner of Ice, in hindsight, probably wasn't a very good game. The graphics were awful, 3D characters against 2D backgrounds, and the plot was too sci-fi cliche to take too seriously.
But Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, there's a scary game. I love the whole thing, some people don't, but I can't think of a reason for anyone to hate the first few hours. You have no weapons and you're being attacked by an entire village. They're armed with guns and everything. It's straight out of a part of H.P. Lovecraft's Shadow Over Innsmouth, and despite the fact that you'll probably have to redo it ten-thousand and a half times, it'll be fun. You lose that anxiety-inducing fear once you get guns, but things are always messed up, and things always keep your hair on end. It's one of my favorite first person shooters. Although the ending was a bit of a letdown. :\
I forgot to mention the Penumbra games. They control like an FPS, but they're adventure games through and through. The first one, Overture, is the best. It's mysterious, weird crazy shit is happening, and you cannot fight the enemies, you can only evade them. The sequel, Black Plague, starts out promising, but once the story gets to answering the questions asked in the first game they well, um, suck, and the game suffers as a result. Certain parts are really good (giant worms!!! And, oh man, when you're outside in the blizzard... And I'm not even gunna mention the fucked up shit that happens when you finally meet the one remaining survivor), but the majority of it... ugh. I'd say play it, but don't finish it. The story just gets worse and worse as you progress. The last one I wouldn't even bother with. It doesn't even have a story, just a conglomeration of kinesthetic puzzles, which to be honest aren't even that good.
Also, I just got Shivers, Shivers 2, and The Dark Eye. The Dark Eye is supposedly freaky as all hell, and the Shivers series is supposed to be pretty good too. I have I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, and I hear that's good too, but I'm having trouble getting it to work on my computer.
Oh, man, how could I forget! Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem was fantastic. I'm sure you've heard of the sanity effects and such. It's just good Lovecraftian horror. Some of the levels aren't as fun as others, and I wasn't a big fan of magic (why I can't remember), but all in all it was really friggin' scary.
Lastly, there's the Call of Cthulhu games. The first two, Shadow of the Comet and Prisoner of Ice, aren't very scary. Shadow of the Comet is the spookier of the two, but it's pretty dated. At least you get to see a videogame portrait of Jack Nicholson. Prisoner of Ice, in hindsight, probably wasn't a very good game. The graphics were awful, 3D characters against 2D backgrounds, and the plot was too sci-fi cliche to take too seriously.
But Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, there's a scary game. I love the whole thing, some people don't, but I can't think of a reason for anyone to hate the first few hours. You have no weapons and you're being attacked by an entire village. They're armed with guns and everything. It's straight out of a part of H.P. Lovecraft's Shadow Over Innsmouth, and despite the fact that you'll probably have to redo it ten-thousand and a half times, it'll be fun. You lose that anxiety-inducing fear once you get guns, but things are always messed up, and things always keep your hair on end. It's one of my favorite first person shooters. Although the ending was a bit of a letdown. :\
@ Orig: Are all of these old school games that you can get on an emulator? Also, I have a request, at least for this thread. If you post all these new and intriguing games, include their platform in parenthesis. Example: Resident Evil (PS2). Anyways, I'm always up for new games, so I'd like to look for these you mentioned.
I played an RM game here called the Longing Ribbon, and it was surprisingly good. It's my first RM game and although it's taken me a while to figure out how not to die on the first encounter with enemies, the atmosphere and situations make for a spooky game. I was able to really get into and thought the sarcastic dialog choices were hilarious. I never thought an old school-styled graphics based game could be scary in any way. This game changed my mind and thus I'm looking forward to looking up some of your posted games Orig.
I played an RM game here called the Longing Ribbon, and it was surprisingly good. It's my first RM game and although it's taken me a while to figure out how not to die on the first encounter with enemies, the atmosphere and situations make for a spooky game. I was able to really get into and thought the sarcastic dialog choices were hilarious. I never thought an old school-styled graphics based game could be scary in any way. This game changed my mind and thus I'm looking forward to looking up some of your posted games Orig.
