SHINAN'S PROFILE

post=85876

I'm probably one of those few that really like all the build-up messages in the Resident Evils (and the obvious all-time favorite is the "itchy"-diary).

And if you have even a MODICUM of writing ability, you can probably do MUCH better with this stuff than Resident Evil/Silent Hill did.

But still the Itchy Tasty is the most awesome ever since you can both laugh at it because it's stupid and feel a bit uncomfortable because of what it's actually saying.

I'm not sure what the topic is about really. I like 2d platformers that use 3d graphics. Especially nowadays when 3d graphics actually look good. It can also add some neat graphical things that would be hard to do in 2d without increasing the animation workload by a huge amount.

On the other hand if the topic is about the simplicity of playing those old platformers (which part of it apparently is) I don't think graphics have anything to do with the play style. A third person action game could be just as "jump in and play" as any platformer. The thing is of course that it doesn't happen these days. It started with loading screens (all those "2 seconds and you're in"-games were cartridges) and nowadays it's fifteen splash pages advertising everything from graphics cards to shoes.

And all of them bloody useless. I mean I like Guitar Hero as a casual game. But I hate the fact that in order to play a track you'll first have to skip at least seven splash screens before getting to an actual menu. But I don't think that's going to change any time soon. At least PC-users have the option of renaming the movie files to skip the intros :)

And if someone has a Wii and the Wii Guitar Heros (no one) then we should show those Rock Band buggers and their "more powerful" machines...

In horror the things I've always liked the most is stuff like messages from "the people from before". Diaries are a good example. I'm probably one of those few that really like all the build-up messages in the Resident Evils (and the obvious all-time favorite is the "itchy"-diary).

Having things that generally creep people out is a good idea too. Plingplong music (music box and carousel music), loudly ticking clocks. floorboard creaking. Hell even silence. Ghosts tend to be good too.

If you've played Vampire Bloodlines that game has a couple of places with freaky scary stuff that doesn't involve a lot of blood. It just has people appearing and disappearing in the distance. Newspaper clips. Things falling down suddenly and all that good stuff.

Of course in the end you'll have to have some sort of payoff to all the suspense. No point building up all that if it's for nothing, but again it doesn't have to be gory. It can be an exorcism of a ghost in a whirl of gratitude and old pains and all that good stuff.

Mysterious things happening is usually the best way to freak someone out. It can be as simple as walking down a corridor you've walked down plenty times and SUDDENLY A PAINTING IS GONE! (and it's hanging in a different room! And then the lights go out and you hear a crash and when you turn on the lights you see a pool of blood on the floor but you go and check it out and it is dried out blood that has been there for ages! Just take cues from the classic ghost stories :)

I release two non-game related things. Except of course that they were originally based on a tabletop RPG I worked on some time ago.

Zombies in Space Teaser #2 (With English Subtitles! I finally got them to work)

Suprise attack - Special effects extravaganza!