Forest set horror games?
- Thread starter blackcherry
- Start date
Recommended Videos
Well, I've been living in a cave for a couple of years, but the gameplay videos of the about-to-be-released Alan Wake showed some forest horror action. Now that I'm out of my cave, and you guys have had like a whole year to play with Alan Wake (A.Wake, I just got it!), what are your thoughts?
Oh, Left 4 Dead Blood Harvest opening in the forest, on versus mode, spray some bullets up to the right at the rise you can see from the start, in that clump of trees. There's nearly always a Boomer hiding up there. They spawn just behind it and it looks like such a good hiding spot.
Oh, Left 4 Dead Blood Harvest opening in the forest, on versus mode, spray some bullets up to the right at the rise you can see from the start, in that clump of trees. There's nearly always a Boomer hiding up there. They spawn just behind it and it looks like such a good hiding spot.
Hmm the Fatal Frame bits sound closest to what I have been thinking of (and the black forest bits, good idea!). Whats the actual game about and how does it play? I'm aware it exists and is a survival horror game, but thats about it.
To be honest, when it comes to things like this, I would find it a lot more scary if you had the expectation of something bad happening, rather than gribblies constantly ambushing you. Much like the first time I played a resi game (remake) I was so shocked at the spare scattering of ammo and just how easily you could die (played through on normal mode the first time, made me feel like a god of gaming and made resi 4, even on hardest difficulty, seem really easy) along with the idea of encountering those bloody dogs again, and I'm sure anyone who has played that section can back me up, that the 'idea' of something bad happening scared me a lot more than anything else.
Lighting, sound and the atmosphere would play a lot into this. The ultimate goal I would feel in a game like this, would be to make people fear going to certain places, or if a day/night system was implemented, make the player fear the setting of the sun.
To be honest, when it comes to things like this, I would find it a lot more scary if you had the expectation of something bad happening, rather than gribblies constantly ambushing you. Much like the first time I played a resi game (remake) I was so shocked at the spare scattering of ammo and just how easily you could die (played through on normal mode the first time, made me feel like a god of gaming and made resi 4, even on hardest difficulty, seem really easy) along with the idea of encountering those bloody dogs again, and I'm sure anyone who has played that section can back me up, that the 'idea' of something bad happening scared me a lot more than anything else.
Lighting, sound and the atmosphere would play a lot into this. The ultimate goal I would feel in a game like this, would be to make people fear going to certain places, or if a day/night system was implemented, make the player fear the setting of the sun.
I like the blood harvest campaign in L4D for the forrest sections; while the game is mostly a funshooter the forest can get scary when zombis just charge at you because you ran past them.
About the hardware issue: I played a bit of Lineage 2 (rp-freeshard) and it has an area called forrest of the dead. While an mmorpg is never scary (maybe im wrong on this, haven'd played many others) the setting is very well done and without lag or to much cartoon style to loose its seriousnes. With state of the art hardware and an engine like an mmorpg there could be a nice Forrest of Horror. I mean who neads perfect graphics when the animalistic fear gets your adrenalin up so you can hear your own heartbeat just to realise it was only a squirel in a tree and the real monster might be anywhere...probably right behind you
About the hardware issue: I played a bit of Lineage 2 (rp-freeshard) and it has an area called forrest of the dead. While an mmorpg is never scary (maybe im wrong on this, haven'd played many others) the setting is very well done and without lag or to much cartoon style to loose its seriousnes. With state of the art hardware and an engine like an mmorpg there could be a nice Forrest of Horror. I mean who neads perfect graphics when the animalistic fear gets your adrenalin up so you can hear your own heartbeat just to realise it was only a squirel in a tree and the real monster might be anywhere...probably right behind you
Oblivion, with your monitor turned off? No background music either, all monster and ambient sounds set to max?
The idea of an open world forest at night does sound very good and menacing for a horror game (houses, cities and cold research labs are man-made and thus a bit too safe and familiar to arouse any serious anxieties) but they would have to make sure they get both of the following down right:
1. Navigating the dark would have to be done right. A flashlight sounds like the obvious way around that but many recent games that include the device have this weird obsession with making the battery life of the things about 30 seconds. A better system of encouraging the player to go without a times would be to allow the characters eyes to ajust to the dark (so they can just about see hazards in darkness but don't have a bright lighting marking where they are).
2. The forest of Doom would have to have 'safe zones' where the player can save progress/heal/try to call for help that easily 'look safer' than everywhere else. Not only would this help to keep the difficulty at a reasonable level but it would also keep the oppressive darkness and atmosphere from becoming too much (there's being scared/frightened in the enjoyable sense and then there's the disturbing moments that result in people waking up screaming in the night...not so good).
1. Navigating the dark would have to be done right. A flashlight sounds like the obvious way around that but many recent games that include the device have this weird obsession with making the battery life of the things about 30 seconds. A better system of encouraging the player to go without a times would be to allow the characters eyes to ajust to the dark (so they can just about see hazards in darkness but don't have a bright lighting marking where they are).
2. The forest of Doom would have to have 'safe zones' where the player can save progress/heal/try to call for help that easily 'look safer' than everywhere else. Not only would this help to keep the difficulty at a reasonable level but it would also keep the oppressive darkness and atmosphere from becoming too much (there's being scared/frightened in the enjoyable sense and then there's the disturbing moments that result in people waking up screaming in the night...not so good).
I agree with those points Iron Mal. Very good ones. Myself. I would make flash lights a rare commodity, but once you get then they last a while like in real life. The rest of the lighting is from moon light and thats it. For safe zones, perhaps cabins or settlements that are always lit (or maybe you have to get the generator going). Make players feel relieved but not entirely safe when they see some hint of civilisation.
Really? I find it hard to believe that, just because from experience, even in a really engrossing scary game you can always detach yourself at any point. Perhaps, like the origional resi games that weren't high on gore, it should get a 18 for 'mature themes'.
I can see it now. The company advises you do not play this game in the dark. I can also see people not finding this scary and decrying it heavily as over inflated nonsense. Most likely Yatzee, unfortunately.
I can see it now. The company advises you do not play this game in the dark. I can also see people not finding this scary and decrying it heavily as over inflated nonsense. Most likely Yatzee, unfortunately.
I can add something to that. After you get to the clearing you pass out. Upon awaking you continue on as you said. Throughout the game you black out on numerous occasions. Waking up and finding more bodies every time. You continue to explore the Black Forest, trying to solve the mystery and find civilization. One night, you find a small settlement, only a few people and a couple of buildings. You stay there the night and when you wake up you find the walls of the room splattered with blood. Every one in the village is dead and you swear you see something run into the forest as you explore. You could also set up traps around the forest to catch animals that you could eat to give you energy and morale.ygetoff said:
In the end you find out you are the monster. That may be a little cliched but imagine fighting yourself as an ending battle. To stop yourself from killing you had to do things, like smash your head against a tree to hurt yourself.
