Poll: Can dated graphics make games scarier?

[Soviet Heavy]

Can graphics from older games actually make the game scarier than if it was released with today's standards?

I bring this up because the shiny aliens in the new Aliens vs Predator aren't scary at all, while the old school ones from the first two games are pants wettingly terrifying.
Here's an example.
I feel that this.

Spoiler

Is nowhere near as scary as this.

Spoiler

What do you think? Can old school graphics lead a game to actually be more scary than a new title?

 

[Jamieson 90]

To be honest with those examples I think you are right.

 

[MrPokeylope]

Having attempted to play silent hill for the first time a few weeks ago I'll have to say no. I gave up after about 20 mins, granted that was partially because of the awful controls.

As for those 2 pics...neither are remotely scary

 

[Chicaine]

I think its because when those graphics were the standard we were younger and easier to scare, now we've matured and the graphics are better we still look back on those games with nostalgia

 

[squidbuddy99]

I think that the newer Silent Hill games have monsters that have defined shapes and pdiscernable body parts. The older, boxier models of the Play Station or PS2 give the creatures a sense of disorder and clumsy violence. Plus the textures are naturally rough which looks eerie.

 

[Skobvs]

The only thing scary is those graphics... jks..

Seriously though, yeah it can sometimes. Especially in your examples. The aliens just glisten in the shadows so you can really expect them unlike its older counterparts.

 

[Protocol Droid]

Most of the time I don't think it's about the graphics per se, but about the fact that, with better graphics, comes the need of the developers to show every little pixel of their creations, leaving nothing to the imagination. Consequently, the game throws subtlety out of the window, and that is a huge setback for a horror game.

Imo, most older horror games would be scarier if done with today's engines, but keeping the same art direction and overall style.

 

[King Kupofried]

Yes D: Because I'm afraid of Lego people.

I think your examples aren't very good for comparing though. One badly shot screen capture that looks like it was taken at complete randomly in the middle of a cutscene.
Compared to two shots in the middle of gameplay, the second of which only looks like it might be more frightening because of the lighting, which is hardly to be accounted for due to the dated graphics since you can't even see them.

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[wolf thing]

intresting. it is something iv notice. it could be because it looks less real there for less relatible and scaryer.

 

[Lazarus Long]

Silent Hill is a popular example, it seems. What always scared me about SH was the atmosphere, and the buildup of tension. I remember a red plastic phone ringing in the school (I think) scaring me into dropping the controller, while the monsters were just, well, monsters.
I suspect the same applies to AvP. I played the hell out of 2, but I haven't bothered to look into the new one. AvP2 (as a Marine, at least) built tension like nobody's business. There were no enemies in that first level IIRC, but I must have burned through half a clip jumping at shadows and motion tracker pings. I get the impression that modern games have traded that skillfully built tension for spectacle, bombast, and flashy whiz-bang graphics.

 

[JdaS]

Can't say you have the best example. Like Yahtzee put it, the terror in AvP is more effective when nothing is actually happening. When you get jumped it's more about the panicky shooting which works regardless of graphics. That's my opinion on that anyway.

To answer your question, yes. In certain games I can see how that might hold true.

 

[4484448444844484]

Definitely yes.
There are some really scary mods for Half-Life 1 mods out there; specifically Paranoia, Afraid of Monsters DC and Mistake -1.

 

[Z(ombie)fan]

Can graphics from older games actually make the game scarier than if it was released with today's standards?

I bring this up because the shiny aliens in the new Aliens vs Predator aren't scary at all, while the old school ones from the first two games are pants wettingly terrifying.
Here's an example.
I feel that this.

Spoiler

Is nowhere near as scary as this.

Spoiler

What do you think? Can old school graphics lead a game to actually be more scary than a new title?

in those examples YES. also, system shock 2 wouldnt be the horror fest it is with modern graphics. new textures are ok but I played it with a mod for the models and... nyeehhh.

also Survival Crisis Z is overwhelming and frantically scary at times. while the graphics have nothing to do with it, it IS more impressive with such minimalistic graphics. so yeah.

OOOH: playstation doom. HORRIFYING at times. it happens to be the graphically weakest version of an already weak game. (well, by todays standards. I find them nice.)

Also BLOOD. I played blood 2 and while they honestly are practically the same, I found blood 1 to be scarier. yea, blood 2 was more enjoyable because it was more modern and I could just rampage without clunky controls. (even MODIFIED the controls were clunky to me in blood 1 in blood 2 then ran supersmooth with a bit control selection). but blood 1 was fucking terrifying. you play as a superbadass undead cowboy OH SHIT it was still fucking scary. scariest game EVER now that I think of it. not even system shock 2 was this bad...

with outdated-for-1997 graphics, this is damn impressive. and personally, I think it improvs the games immensely.

*ARRGH! nostalgia attack! why ddid you have to make this thread?*

 

[The Night Shade]

Depends on the game but i totally agree with you,older graphics can be more scary

 

[TheDuckbunny]

I've always felt this was true as there's a bigger disconnect with older games. They're not as accessible as the newer titles which make them feel more strange and weird.
I've got this with alot of older games, even those that aren't really supposed to be scary.

 

[The Hairminator]

I think so, just look at the silent hill series. At least the first 2 ones. The third one actually has decent graphics.

 

[mexicola]

I played original Silent Hill fairly recently and it was still more scary then most new "horror" games. Now I don't think dated graphics make it more scary, it's more like good horror games can be scary despite their age.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

From those examples, I think the answer is obvious.[footnote]yes[/footnote]

Pointless footnote is pointless!