Author Topic: Do i have buals of steel or are horror games just stuff? (Read 3690 times)

Tonkka� · June 30, 2014, 12:22:42 AM

Here's a list of some "supposed" "horror games" i've played

Dead Space - Not scary at all

Amnesia The Dark Descent - It's really scary until you figure out the pattern, which you figure out quickly. Every time you complete a puzzle, the monster appears and after the spooky ass music stops playing, he's gone

Outlast - The AI is so stupid it's funny. It ruins the experience, and in most cases this game is trying to scare you with gore and stitched faces which become really mundane after 20 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIdZtXlED9A

Here's some footage of me playing Outlast and being bored.
No commentary though, I'd probably sound like a hibernating bear if i had done that.

Bottom line is, have horror games ever been truly scary from beginning to end? The problem with all horror games so far seems to be the fact that they're so predictable. Your only fear is to get lynched by some monster or murdered, but the appearances of those murderers are easy to predict. A long hallway with a door in the end? A murderer is probably going to be right behind you. An open room with lots of places to hide behind? Sounds like a murderer is going to be there too. Generic room with no hiding spots? No murderers there, but a stuff ton of jump scares and "interesting flash backs to your characters paaaast". Then there's loving Outlast which outright gives you the hint "Close doors behind you to slow down your pursuers" right before a murderer is about to appear.

Ad Bot · Advertisement

TabboHotel · June 30, 2014, 12:24:30 AM

I haven't encountered an actually scary game in my life. At worst they startle me once, I think "wow that looks really goofy," and then I just proceed through the game like any other.

Tonkka� · June 30, 2014, 12:26:40 AM

A lot of people on Reddit seem to be super scared by Dead Space. Sometime I'd mention that those games aren't scary at all, but then i get hated for lying.

There's also the Boys of Silence from Bioshock Infinite. Redditors say its the scariest loving thing ever, even though it wasn't scary at all. Just don't walk trough the white light. Spookyyyy!

Bahamut · June 30, 2014, 12:30:35 AM

Sometimes the occasional jump scares get me but there isn't a game that I've played that I can call a "scary game", if that makes sense...
Dead Space was one of those games I thought was going to be way too scary, and after playing it at first it was pretty startling but you get used to being on edge that it's not scary anymore. Still very fun, I still really enjoy it tho.

Tonkka� · June 30, 2014, 12:37:09 AM

I didn't like Dead Space much at all. You move like a tank and especially on PC controlling Isaac is terrible. There's also the awful mouse acceleration.

superslayer · June 30, 2014, 12:40:15 AM

Honestly, I find amnesia's atmosphere to be the most daunting thing about it. The ambient sounds keep you wondering. With dead space, its an action horror, so it's not going to be as scary as a survival horror. Never played outlast, so i'll take your word for that one.

Some horror games that i would highly recommend are:

Resident evil 1/2/3. Because you can never tell what's going to be in the next room, and its a survival horror, meaning fear comes mostly from the threat of running out of ammo or health. And you have to be careful saving, because you need ink ribbons to save at save stations.

imscared http://gamejolt.com/games/other/imscared-a-pixelated-nightmare/10058/ is a free indie horror game that's pretty good. It might not be up to your level, but its worth a try if its free.

Silent hill series - just....no need to explain this one. These, next to resident evil, are the best survival horror games ever made. You can say horror games are never good if you haven't played these.

I see you: another free indie horror game http://gamejolt.com/games/other/i-see-you/13843/

among some others that i'm not gonna go hunt for links are

among the sleep: a horror game where you play as a baby. genius.

condemned: criminal origins.

and alan wake.

Cybersix · June 30, 2014, 12:47:22 AM

Dead Space is full of jump scares which aren't scary, they're startling.

Tonkka� · June 30, 2014, 12:49:50 AM

Quote from: superslayer on June 30, 2014, 12:40:15 AM

Honestly, I find amnesia's atmosphere to be the most daunting thing about it. The ambient sounds keep you wondering. With dead space, its an action horror, so it's not going to be as scary as a survival horror. Never played outlast, so i'll take your word for that one.

Some horror games that i would highly recommend are:

Resident evil 1/2/3. Because you can never tell what's going to be in the next room, and its a survival horror, meaning fear comes mostly from the threat of running out of ammo or health. And you have to be careful saving, because you need ink ribbons to save at save stations.

imscared http://gamejolt.com/games/other/imscared-a-pixelated-nightmare/10058/ is a free indie horror game that's pretty good. It might not be up to your level, but its worth a try if its free.

Silent hill series - just....no need to explain this one. These, next to resident evil, are the best survival horror games ever made. You can say horror games are never good if you haven't played these.

I see you: another free indie horror game http://gamejolt.com/games/other/i-see-you/13843/

among some others that i'm not gonna go hunt for links are

among the sleep: a horror game where you play as a baby. genius.

condemned: criminal origins.

and alan wake.

I've played Imscared and Alan Wake. Imscared was stupid and Alan Wake was just lame. It shows you when enemies are coming, cause you know, lets not let this game be any scary, right?

From my impression, Silent Hill games are extremely annoying puzzle games with combat, horror and terrible dialog in them. I played 2 with my brother after seeing how much Yahtzee kept tongue bathing it, and it turned out to be dull.

superslayer · June 30, 2014, 12:55:28 AM

Quote from: Tonkka� on June 30, 2014, 12:49:50 AM

I've played Imscared and Alan Wake. Imscared was stupid and Alan Wake was just lame. It shows you when enemies are coming, cause you know, lets not let this game be any scary, right?

From my impression, Silent Hill games are extremely annoying puzzle games with combat, horror and terrible dialog in them. I played 2 with my brother after seeing how much Yahtzee kept tongue bathing it, and it turned out to be dull.

Well, yea Alan wake was kinda lame. And you have to be able to look past the low res graphics in imscared, but if silent hill was dull to you, then i guess you just can't play and enjoy horror games. I feel a little sorry for you. You should at least try some of the original resident evil games

Yosher · June 30, 2014, 01:01:22 AM

Most horror games consist of cheap jump scares that you will get used to after it happens once. That's all the "horror" you're going to find.

superslayer · June 30, 2014, 01:03:36 AM

Quote from: Yosher on June 30, 2014, 01:01:22 AM

Most horror games consist of cheap jump scares that you will get used to after it happens once. That's all the "horror" you're going to find.

modern horror* classic horror games use atmosphere, and survival horror uses the fear of being left exposed without a way to fight so you have to hide.

Messes · June 30, 2014, 01:06:55 AM

I used to play these and they scared me. But it's been a whiiiile. Worth checking out also made by same developers as Amnesia.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/22120/

http://store.steampowered.com/app/22180/

Tonkka� · June 30, 2014, 01:16:12 AM

Quote from: Yosher on June 30, 2014, 01:01:22 AM

Most horror games consist of cheap jump scares that you will get used to after it happens once. That's all the "horror" you're going to find.

From looking at people much older than me, they seem to get super scared while playing those games.

TabboHotel · June 30, 2014, 01:25:21 AM

Survival horror isn't scary because of resource scarcity, it's just annoying and, at worst, a moderately worrying situation of "I guess I should have upgraded the Magnum earlier."

superslayer · June 30, 2014, 01:32:41 AM

Quote from: TabboHotel on June 30, 2014, 01:25:21 AM

Survival horror isn't scary because of resource scarcity, it's just annoying and, at worst, a moderately worrying situation of "I guess I should have upgraded the Magnum earlier."

I'm talking classic survival horror. no upgrading, just making sure to conserve ammo and health.

then again everyone games differently, some people just don't like survival horror, maybe they don't like the puzzles or something

(speaking of which, resident evil has a crap ton of them, and a ton of back tracking)