VizionEck

Gaming => Gaming Community => Topic started by: Legend on Oct 08, 2019, 11:30 PM

Title: Horror games are dumb
Post by: Legend on Oct 08, 2019, 11:30 PM


Along with this video, I've thought a fair amount about how most horror games are just "difficult" games. They almost always boil down to the player being vulnerable in the world. In Gears for example they make the player feel strong, but in Outlast they make the player feel weak. Almost all of the horror imo boils down to player death which is dumb.

My two favorite horror games are P.T. and MGSV. Both treat horror in a completely different way. In P.T., you don't die and the game doesn't reset but it nails the horror. Every time you turn that corner, you fear the unknown. In MGSV, there are two main horror moments. The first is when you are investigating a mad science lab. It isn't a fear of Snake dying, but a fear of discovering what the experiments are for. The second and really powerful moment involves your own squadmates going insane. Avoiding spoilers, the fear is like emerging from a bunker after the apocalypse. The damage has already been done and there is nothing you can do about it.

What are your thoughts?
Title: Re: Horror games are dumb
Post by: BananaKing on Oct 09, 2019, 06:35 PM
Until dawn did fear amazing. Yes you were vulnerable, but you had choices, which had consequences. And those consequences are what you feared. I don't  like horror games much tbh though. I feel the order did it well at times.
Title: Re: Horror games are dumb
Post by: the-pi-guy on Oct 20, 2019, 07:58 PM
I didn't really think people considered mgsv to be horror.

Bloodborne is an interesting example though.  (I'll be back).
Title: Re: Horror games are dumb
Post by: Legend on Oct 20, 2019, 10:51 PM
I didn't really think people considered mgsv to be horror.

Bloodborne is an interesting example though.  (I'll be back).
MGSV isn't a horror game outside of just a couple missions.

I wonder if Death Stranding will have major horror moments as well.
Title: Re: Horror games are dumb
Post by: darkknightkryta on Oct 20, 2019, 11:49 PM
MGSV isn't a horror game outside of just a couple missions.

I wonder if Death Stranding will have major horror moments as well.
I remember seeing a preview where they likened it to a horror.  You're alone in the empty vastness, and then night time comes.
Title: Re: Horror games are dumb
Post by: the-pi-guy on Oct 21, 2019, 12:06 AM
So while there's definitely an element in Bloodborne where you could argue the game makes you feel weak, but frankly if you get good at the game, it doesn't.  It's the opposite.  
The real horror in the game is the concept.  
If you get through the game and put together the pieces:
Spoiler for Bloodborne:
<br>The whole game is about the fear of the unknown. &nbsp;<br><br>As the player gains knowledge they are able to see these terrible things, and if they lose their knowledge, they start to become less aware of the monsters that are out there. &nbsp;<br>&nbsp;This is exemplified by the endings. &nbsp;The bad ending in the game is where the player continues on in their life losing all the knowledge about the world. &nbsp;<br><br><br>The great part of this game is the subtlety. The player only learns about these things if they seek out the knowledge themselves. <br>
Title: Re: Horror games are dumb
Post by: Xevross on Oct 23, 2019, 07:26 PM
Some are very dumb. The ones that do it well are the ones that don't just rely on jump scares. I think the basement section in TLOU is the most terrified I've been in a game, it was done so well.
Title: Re: Horror games are dumb
Post by: Dr. Pezus on Oct 23, 2019, 08:10 PM
Some are very dumb. The ones that do it well are the ones that don't just rely on jump scares. I think the basement section in TLOU is the most terrified I've been in a game, it was done so well.
Until Dawn and that part.

I was also scared playing dead space 1  :'(