Poll: Can dated graphics make games scarier?
- Thread starter Soviet Heavy
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I want to say no.
It seems like new games just lost the art of making horror and moved to straight up gore or just having shit pop out at you. Having stuff jump up or literally appear out of nowhere isn't horror it's just startling the player. You could do it in almost any game.
But older games, the first RE (and the remake!), silent hill, AvP, etc. They all knew how to create tension, how to keep the player on edge. In resident evil just seeing a zombie was scary because they were difficult to deal with. Yes, the game had it's moments with jump scared (I bet everyone remembers the hallway with the windows that you've gone down a dozen times before and suddenly SMASH!!) but it also knew how to create a horrific atmosphere.
It seems like new games just lost the art of making horror and moved to straight up gore or just having shit pop out at you. Having stuff jump up or literally appear out of nowhere isn't horror it's just startling the player. You could do it in almost any game.
But older games, the first RE (and the remake!), silent hill, AvP, etc. They all knew how to create tension, how to keep the player on edge. In resident evil just seeing a zombie was scary because they were difficult to deal with. Yes, the game had it's moments with jump scared (I bet everyone remembers the hallway with the windows that you've gone down a dozen times before and suddenly SMASH!!) but it also knew how to create a horrific atmosphere.
It's not because of the graphics. It's because developers are becoming lazy. Nowadays they think shiny graphics make the game. If you want to make a good horror game atmosphere is the key, not the graphics. They didn't focus on the atmosphere in new AvP. Most developers don't give the atmosphere enough credit. Which is just wrong. Resident Evil 4 was scary IMO because of the atmosphere and creepy sounds, and Resident Evil 5 was a joke. It was a shooter with shiny graphics.
Remember the Skirmish mode in first AvP? That was scary!
Remember the Skirmish mode in first AvP? That was scary!
I saw a video (if you search scariest games its there somewhere) that said the reason decreased resolution causes this is that you have to employ more imagination
Depends on how old the graphics are. I don't think anything from early to mid 90's can be scary in terms of looks, everything is a bunch of boxes. Hah. The atmosphere is a whole other story, even Doom had some eerie levels.
As for OP, you're being unfair. You've shown a profile of the new alien, and 2 images of attacking "old' aliens (Heh, I remember playing that game back in 2000 or so)
The situations are completely different. Your older alien images show them in a way that enforces the viewer to consider them a threat, especially when said viewers are familiar with the general story and the way most video games look and work. The new alien is just a static profile.
So, uh, it's a bit unfair there. And the new alien looks better.
As for OP, you're being unfair. You've shown a profile of the new alien, and 2 images of attacking "old' aliens (Heh, I remember playing that game back in 2000 or so)
The situations are completely different. Your older alien images show them in a way that enforces the viewer to consider them a threat, especially when said viewers are familiar with the general story and the way most video games look and work. The new alien is just a static profile.
So, uh, it's a bit unfair there. And the new alien looks better.
I am in the middle of playing system shock 2 and I must say, with better graphics it would probably not be better.
The scariest thing is that the monsters look so strange and even the people look grotesque in their own way. It just adds to the creepiness, especially when you don't know whats an enemy and what's part of the ship
The scariest thing is that the monsters look so strange and even the people look grotesque in their own way. It just adds to the creepiness, especially when you don't know whats an enemy and what's part of the ship
No, I personally see graphics being an important part of making a game scary. If I see a game model with 200 polys, I'm a lot less likely to be scared due to a lack of realism.
However, I don't ever get scared in games so I'm not an authority.
However, I don't ever get scared in games so I'm not an authority.
I found the first F.E.A.R game pretty scary and atmospheric, but the sequels less so
So maybe your right there, but then again I believe if done right a game with great graphics can scare the pants off anyone. Case and Point, Dead Space! Never have I been scared so much by pixels on a screen
So maybe your right there, but then again I believe if done right a game with great graphics can scare the pants off anyone. Case and Point, Dead Space! Never have I been scared so much by pixels on a screen
The first FEAR was made with cutting edge tech in mind, and was a flagship of PC superiority. The sequels, were abhorrent, and didn't have nearly as much technical wonder. The field of view was skewed and the memory usage was slashed away to make it a console game. I actually got dizzy and cross-eyed trying to play it on PC. The overall design of the sequel was just ridiculously bad in comparison. The whole atmosphere was static and underwhelming.Martster said:
Not being a PC fanboy here, that's just literally how it is with FEAR 1 & 2.
Definitely.
Games such as the first three Resident Evils, Silent Hill (as mentioned by others) and especially System Shock 2 are outdated but more terrifying than most new graphically dazzling releases.
Games such as the first three Resident Evils, Silent Hill (as mentioned by others) and especially System Shock 2 are outdated but more terrifying than most new graphically dazzling releases.
I suppose it depends - taking Silent Hill as an example, the creatures in the latter games, such as 2 and 3, are far scarier than the monsters in the first game. On the other hand, the monsters in the N64 Turok games scared the crap out of me - far more than the newer Turok game.