Poll: Old games = scarier?

[Trumpkin]

I was thinking about this mainly as I played X-com terror from the deep. I realised that I still crap myself whenever I see certain baddies lurking around in the darkness, and then noticed that I never find myself becoming scared by the nasties modern games. I think that it has something to do with the simpler graphics, with all the pixels visible a lot more is added to the imagination. Once all the demons and aliens are presented to us in totally realistic 3D, it seems to lose all it's scariness. What do you think?

 

[Embright]

The problem I have with older games is that if they are horror games I simply can't take them realistically anymore and have a problem immersing in them simply because of dated graphics.

Monsters seem more hilarious the more dated their graphics are. I have this trouble with movies too.

 

[Dragon_of_red]

Monsters seem more hilarious the more dated their graphics are. I have this trouble with movies too.

I love that, its awesome.

I find that what you say is true, the old games used to be creepier, but now that we have good graphics, the beasts become more, disturbing. Which is scary all the same.

 

[banthesun]

Old games are hard-scary, but good graphics still makes things scarier

 

[Artemis923]

The problem I have with older games is that if they are horror games I simply can't take them realistically anymore and have a problem immersing in them simply because of dated graphics.

Monsters seem more hilarious the more dated their graphics are. I have this trouble with movies too.

I played Resident Evil 1 for the PS1 recently...and the first zombie you see looks more like a clown than a zombie.

Maybe he was a zombie-clown. XD

 

[Trumpkin]

A clombie? 8]

 

[Syphonz]

well compare Silent Hill 1 to Silent Hill Homecoming..... There's a good reference for my answer.

 

[elricik]

I don't think they do, in fact I have yet to be scared by any next-gen game yet. Silent Hill 2 still scares the crap out of me. I've played both condemns, both FEARs, and Dead Space. I mean sure they sometimes made me jump but I could still play them in alone in my room at nights, but not Silent Hill 2. I have yet to play Silent Hill Homecoming because I hear it is utter crap. In fact someone recommend me a next-gen horror game that will actually scare the player with something other than the cheap thrill.

 

[zauxz]

Well you see, when the graphics were very simple, developers had to come up with other ways to scare us. Psychological fear was theyr main weapon.

But now, when theyr wildest fantasies can be moddeled in 3d, the games became less scarry. Most horror games theese days are about ugly, deformed montsters, trying to kill you. Seeing a man with 7 legs and 3 heads isnt scarry. Its disturbing at best.

 

[lostclause]

If we're talking graphic then no. I've played silent hill 1 and SS2 and was thankful they didn't have batter graphics or I'd never touched my computer again. Similar with bioshock, the first time I fought a big daddy, or even before then I was scared of them. Graphics help but psychology is important too.

 

[KDBTV]

Just look at silent Hill 1!

 

[Haydyn]

Looking back, Doom has some scary 2D baddies. Graphics make it look real ie: boring. Colored bumps stacked on top of eachother that have sprites rather than animations are scary.

 

[Russian_Assassin]

I don't know why, but old graphics scared the shit out of me. Maybe because the games were actually HARDER, as opposed to this mainstream bullshit- NO! I shall not rant! Anyways, be it out of nostalgia, or maybe because I was a kid back then, but I'm gonna say that Yes, old graphics were scary and all that these new age super ultra megadeth graphics are doing is startle. I played a flash point'n'click game once and it really scared the shit out of me, more than any of this recent wishy washy horror has. Seriously, no game has really scared me in the last 2 years or so. The same goes for movies. Hell I was more scared when reading the creepy stories thread!

On a side note, what would you people consider scary? Not trying to high jack the thread, just curious about other people's believes.

 

[nipsen]

...Well.. played Xcom again a while back - I still physically jumped a couple of times. I think.. Bloodlines and Resident Evil 4 were the last games I played that I didn't suspect were targeted at 12 year old murderous psychopaths. You know - cuddly and nice (and no tits, obviously) - but with grotesque and aimless happy- murder from start to finish dominating the entire game.

I really don't think it has anything to do with graphics, though. Do you see Activision publish something like Bloodlines now? ...well, I suppose they almost didn't, anyway..

 

[Xyphon]

Games don't really scare me that much anymore....... probably because each concept of horror has been done to death by now.

 

[Jandau]

Old games are scarier because the industry standard for "scary" has been reduced to a random mix of body parts that pops out from the floor/ceiling and yells "BOOO!" (yes Dead Space, I'm looking at you)...

 

[Woem]

The problem I have with older games is that if they are horror games I simply can't take them realistically anymore and have a problem immersing in them simply because of dated graphics.

Monsters seem more hilarious the more dated their graphics are. I have this trouble with movies too.

Remember that when those older games first came out, their graphics weren't dated. For instance the original Aline In The Dark series from the 1990's would now be considered outdated but I still consider them to be the most scary games ever made.

 

[broitman]

new games can be just as scary as old games it just depends how they're made, I was equally frightened my first time hearing and fighting a big daddy as I was when I first encountered sinistar.

BEWARE I HUNGER, DESTROY, I AM SINISTAR RRAARRGGH!