Horror Games: Why We Play Them

[haaxist]

Okay, so what are the benefits you can gain from horror games? What keepe you crawling back to you scary games night after night, until you're too scared to turn off the light?" What makes people horde their copies of Silent Hill like priceless artifacts? What makes people buy the new horror games at ridiculous prices just so they can play them? And why do people like roller coasters? Now, I'm not stupid and actually can answer these questions myself, but I'm writing an ISU, and therefore it would help if I had some primary sources, since apparently I am not allowed to source myself.

 

[ALKATRAZACAZ]

We like to feel the rush of fear, the more intense the better.

 

[Jenova65]

Same reason people like thrill rides and scary movies it is a 'safe scare', iygwim?
Stems from not needing the fight or flight reflex in modern life therefore we 'need', a scare to kickstart that reflex a bit

 

[Hohenheim]

I'm 21, but I was still struggling to play the Resi 1 ReMake on the old 'cube when I was 16. I'v gotten better at it in the last few years, but I find that I'm very much driven by the story told in horror games, and the mystery involved, even if I get freaked out every now and again.

I also think that the adrenaline rush you gain from horror games is what drives some people on. Horror games are probably even more adrenaline pumping than most FPS games, atleast they are for me. A game such as FEAR really got my heart going, even though it was just the demo, at half three in the morning in a box room, on my own. Freaked me out, almost transforming me into a quivering wreck...but my heart was pounding like crazy. So I played it again, and again. Adrenaline is addictive.

With the rollercoasters, I don't think it's so much fear driven. You don't go back to things because you are scared of them (unless you are trying to rid yourself of the fear), you go back for the thrill of the ride. Same with the horror genre. If you played a game that instilled no emotion in you at all, you wouldn't go back to it. Atleast, I wouldn't.

What makes a good horror game? Hmmmmm...
I'm going to have to make reference to Resident Evil 5 here. Here is a game that is undoubtedly good and although the first though that comes to mind when someone mentions 'Resi'is horror, I just don't get that feeling in it. Why? There is no feeling of alienation, loneliness or dread. You are a big, muscley man who has a dislike for huge boulders and constanly has someone tagging along with you. That isn't a scary thought.

I guess that also answers the 'what don't you want in a Horror game?' question. I don't want to be cuddled and have my hand held. I want to feel alone. I wan't to feel like I have no hope. A sense of immense dread to overflow me, before being throw, head first, into an epic run for your life scene, no time to shoot, JUST RUUUUUN! That is adrenaline pumping right there.

I think the 'good or bad' question is very much opinionated. What I have just described there is my idea of a good horror game. A bad horror game is one that, well, fails to instill the feeling of horror, much like Resident Evil 5.

Hope that helps

I myself have a 10,000 word project that I should be doing right now...

:[

 

[Jenova65]

It is the same thing though, people go on thrill rides cos they get the adrenalin pumping in the way that a scary movie or game does, you know that your game isn't going to 'harm', you, but you still jump, same with rides (which actually potentially could harm you very badly) you go for the rush!

 

[haaxist]

So people want horror games that instill in them a sense of being alone, with an atmosphere that can cause "freak out" moments while also sophisticated enough to be creepy and claustrophobic enough that you are scared merely walking down the road. So I guess in a sense, Silent Hill is the closest thing to a "perfect" horror game. But even that isn't absolute, because not everybody likes the Silent Hill series. You're right, RE5 wasn't a very scary game for me. Partly because it felt like a rehash of RE4, but mostly because you can play it with a friend, and that takes the scare out of something if it pops up on your screen while you were intensly focused on your partners screen for some reason. But mostly because it feels like RE is turning into just another shooter. But isn't it true that the more you play a game, the less it frightens you since you have seen everything it has to throw at you? The only games I know of that don't really have that problem are the Fatal Frame games, since the enemies are random adn they throw new things in when you beat the game. But for most games, this doesn't happen. What keeps a game from feeling repetetive? Why do you continue riding a roller coaster you've already ridden 20 bajillion times before? (Yes, I know that's not an actual number. I don't care.)

 

[Orbot_Vectorman]

I like to see blood and gore, and then I like to look at zombies and say, "you my good sir, are a quite atrosious eater, and I will now blow you skull to next week, now good day"

 

[AddytheGreat]

I never really understood what people liked about Horror games. I find them scary and well... full of horror.
I dont like them.

 

[haaxist]

Yeah, it's not really a horror game if there's no blood and gore. I mean, it's not really scary if you're walking through a completely sanitary area and you're told that an unimaginable massacre occured there. Takes a rather big stretch of imagination.

I've heard that before, when people don't like playing horror games. Personally, I love them, but I can understand where you're coming from. I don't like RTS's and turn-based games, which is why I can't understand whenever somebody says "Final Fantasy is the best game evur!!" I just can't get into it. It's boring. I need my adrenaline going and pieces of things being flung everywhere as I blast them to pieces with my shotgun and magnum. Maybe tht's why RE5 appealed to me... It's not really horror, but it's fun anyways.

 

[Valksy]

For the same reason we ride rollercoasters - a jolt of adrenalin. I remember Silent Hill 2 scaring the bejesus out of me - although that was mostly the sense of menace and threat and the fear of what might be coming rather than fear over what actually happened. Anticipation of fear is almost sweeter (like, on a rollercoaster, that ride up the winch slope before the first drop).

People's concept of horror does vary though, so it is a difficult question to answer. In movie terms take a film like Drag Me to Hell - that was marketed as a scary film, I thought it was pretty funny (and being grossed out is not really the same as being horrified).

 

[Beero]

Horror games are quite different in some aspects than normal games, and are more about the experience you go through.
While most games will try to amuse you, a horror game tries to influence you while playing.
Part of the excitement of horrorgames comes from what we think. A combination of good story, good effects will make the game scary.

For the same reason we ride rollercoasters - a jolt of adrenalin.

And this should the effect

 

[Proteus214]

New topic. What exactly do you classify as a horror game? Is there certain criteria that have to be met? What differentiates a "good" and a "bad" horror game? What makes a horror game cliche? What do you never want to see in a horror game? And please, for the love of god, NO ONE SENTENCE ANSWERS. I am writing an academic paper. One sentence answers don't help me at all. And I will be sourcing this thread for my bibliography, so nothing too profane.

A horror game is a game that is designed to put the player in a state of unease by building tension through atmosphere, plot exposition, and the game character's actions. An effective horror game places you in a situation that will make you say, "Oh nonono, I am NOT going in there..." and yet, in order to advance, you have to face something that you may not want to face out of your instincts as a gamer or even as a human being.

A good horror game will be able to accomplish these things through atmosphere and gameplay alone. A good horror game will really draw you into the experience as you play. A bad horror game will rely on over the top violence and cheap scares (see Dead Space, no that I think Dead Space was that bad of a game, it just wasn't very good at horror).

The big cliche that I see way too often in horror games these days is the whole concept of some sort of plague that either turns people into zombies or some other sort of monstrosity. It can be an effective factor in creating those unsettling situations that I was referring to before where you may have to fight against someone that was your friend or something, but to me it's starting to feel a little overused.

Adding all of these factors up, it's about preserving the experience of being placed in a bad situation with only your wits to be able to find your way to safety. I don't like to see super powerful weapons in horror games, since suddenly things don't seem like threats anymore. In a good horror game, even the more simple enemies should be menacing to the player.

Hope that helped.

 

[end_boss]

I enjoy a good horror game because I enjoy horror movies. I also enjoy writing and making short horror films. My problem is that movies don't scare me. This isn't a criticism of the medium or style, but rather some sort of psychological inability on my part to connect to a movie enough to truly know and experience fear. I can be startled, because that's easy; just lots of loud, sudden noises. That's cheap. But actual fear? Not very likely.

But video games? Good god. A good horror game can frighten the bejeezus outta me. I never played the original PC game of Alone In The Dark while I was actually alone in the dark, because the game was freaky as all hell. Even The Colonel's Bequest wasn't an actual survival horror game, but when played on my old monochrome XT with bleep and bloop sounds, I've actually had moments where I would stare at the screen silently for two seconds... reach over... and turn the computer off. Given, I was much younger at that time, but keep in mind that even at that age, movies weren't scaring me very much.

Horror games tap into that lost emotion that movies don't provide me. If I could only choose one label for myself between "Gamer" and "Movie Guy," I'd probably have to go with "Movie Guy," because it's something I want to pursue as a career. But it's tragic that I cannot feel fear at a movie, because it's been an obvious handicap on me when I try to make horror flicks. LOL

 

[SomethingUnrelated]

It's for the thrills, the excitement, the impending doom, then relief as you realise you will survive, groan of despair when you die, and must begin anew...

 

[paasi]

I formally deny that any other series apart from Silent Hill is Horror.
Anything else is just zombie shooters or alien wankfests. Why? Atmosphere. Ambience. The omnipresent feeling that you are alone.
It is very psychological. Fear that is. Also it's a rarity.
Western countries don't have what it takes to make a frightening game or movie. For the good stuff, look to the east and see Japan.

 

[end_boss]

I formally deny that any other series apart from Silent Hill is Horror.
Anything else is just zombie shooters or alien wankfests. Why? Atmosphere. Ambience. The omnipresent feeling that you are alone.
It is very psychological. Fear that is. Also it's a rarity.
Western countries don't have what it takes to make a frightening game or movie. For the good stuff, look to the east and see Japan.

You should give Fatal Frame a go. I'm assuming you haven't yet, since I personally don't see any reason why you would not mention it if talking about great games for atmosphere and ambience, etc. If you have already played it and still disqualify it from your definition of horror, I'd be very interested to hear why you felt it failed at its goal.

 

[paasi]

I formally deny that any other series apart from Silent Hill is Horror.
Anything else is just zombie shooters or alien wankfests. Why? Atmosphere. Ambience. The omnipresent feeling that you are alone.
It is very psychological. Fear that is. Also it's a rarity.
Western countries don't have what it takes to make a frightening game or movie. For the good stuff, look to the east and see Japan.

You should give Fatal Frame a go. I'm assuming you haven't yet, since I personally don't see any reason why you would not mention it if talking about great games for atmosphere and ambience, etc. If you have already played it and still disqualify it from your definition of horror, I'd be very interested to hear why you felt it failed at its goal.

I have been told about it, but have not played it yet. Basically sounds nice and possibly even worth the praise. It sounds a bit silly though, from what i've heard, to take on ghosts and spirits with only a camera.
Bah, wiki says it's only for PS2, xbox and wiiwii. Pity, as I only support PC. Viva la PC gaming master race etc. I know it limits my spectrum, but THAT is the shame of Japanese game industry; Games made solely for console platforms and releases only within JP borders (fatal frame 4). Bastards. BASTARDS!

 

[haaxist]

I formally deny that any other series apart from Silent Hill is Horror.
Anything else is just zombie shooters or alien wankfests. Why? Atmosphere. Ambience. The omnipresent feeling that you are alone.
It is very psychological. Fear that is. Also it's a rarity.
Western countries don't have what it takes to make a frightening game or movie. For the good stuff, look to the east and see Japan.

You should give Fatal Frame a go. I'm assuming you haven't yet, since I personally don't see any reason why you would not mention it if talking about great games for atmosphere and ambience, etc. If you have already played it and still disqualify it from your definition of horror, I'd be very interested to hear why you felt it failed at its goal.

I have been told about it, but have not played it yet. Basically sounds nice and possibly even worth the praise. It sounds a bit silly though, from what i've heard, to take on ghosts and spirits with only a camera.
Bah, wiki says it's only for PS2, xbox and wiiwii. Pity, as I only support PC. Viva la PC gaming master race etc. I know it limits my spectrum, but THAT is the shame of Japanese game industry; Games made solely for console platforms and releases only within JP borders (fatal frame 4). Bastards. BASTARDS!

Yes, the Fatal Frame series is extremely good, for atmosphere, ambience, and even story. Combat can be a bit sketchy at times since most enemies can come at you through WALLS, but other than that, it's amazine. You won't get attacked by more than, say, 3 or 4 enemies at the most (I'm looking at you, Resident Evil), and it's always obvious when you get attacked. Speaking of Fatal Frame 4, yes, I'm pretty sure it's only for the Wii, and it's not getting released in North America, however I heard some pople are working on an english hack for it, so you can but it Japanese and instll the hack. The voices will all still be in japanse (to the best of my knowledge), but apparently all the books and stuff will be translated. It is too bad that there aren't many good games for PC, but if you just want a scary game, Doom 3 is pretty good. Not much story to speak of, and there's those mutations, but it has atmosphere.

 

[Xanadeas]

I play horror games because there's just something about that element that draws me to them. I hate being under stress yet I play many for the sheer suspense factor. "What's around that corner? Did I just hear a noise? OHGODOHGODITSGOINGTORIPMYFACEOFF!" That sort of thing... Something about it just makes me feel more... Awake, alive some how.

In order for a horror game to BE a horror game (for me) it HAS to actually be able to scare me. Not with cheap tricks and lots of gore but that can help (Ala Silent Hill) but by making me /fear/ what may be around that corner. Do I have enough health, ammo, and wits to survive what may leap out at me? Do I have the reaction time necessary to keep myself alive?

It has to be suspenseful. Don't give me an immediate good look at the thing I'm fighting. I don't WANT to know what it is just yet... I want it to build up to a point where it finally shows me... And I want to to scare the piss outta me.