Your favorite way games react to how people play

[Psub Xero]

I was talking to a friend a couple of weeks ago and we got on to the subject of games messing with peoples' heads based on how they play. Neither of us could think of one concrete example of things they actually did. Can anyone remember how surivial horror games react to the player and/or otherwise mess with their heads? Examples from survival horror games would be much appreciated but other ones would be great too.

 

[OliverTwist72]

Psycho Mantis! Stupid...espn or whatever

 

[Shanked_Salt]

Psycho Mantis! Stupid...espn or whatever

Was thinking the same thing. Having to unplug controllers and switch them around was unique and somewhat hilerious but also became a total pain!

Hmm there's alot of gaming moments that tried to mess with ones head to varying degree's of success.

I can recall in Resident Evil 5 there's a bit where one of your allies gets mind controlled and attacks you but you cannot kill here so can't attack back. More annoying than pyhsco though...

I'm sure there are many gaming moments where you hallucinate or "dream" wierd stuff - half life, System Shock 2 ect

Eternal Darkness was great with messing with ones perception. You would literally freak out in game and see stuff that wasn't real. You would regain sanity by slaughering enemies. Great stuff!

 

[Irridium]

Eternal Darkness.

It would fuck with you by saying your saves are corrupt. There's other examples, but that one sticks with me the most. Seriously, the game freaked me the hell out.

Also, New Vegas. I love how people comment and react to what you do in the world. Also Alpha Protocal and The Witcher.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

I remember being impressed when the commander told me off for going in the women's restroom in Deus Ex.

 

[Easton Dark]

I remember being impressed when the commander told me off for going in the women's restroom in Deus Ex.

I was more surprised than impressed that someone would record the voice and code that into the game.

At first I mean.

Afterwards I was impressed with the detail.

 

[V3KT0R]

Batman: Arkham Asylum REALLY messes with you.
In the beginning of the game, you see the Joker strapped to like this thing they're taking him into Arkham Asylum on, with Batman and all the good guys following.

Here's the thing:
Later on in the game, at one point your screen goes all glitchy-weird, like it would go if you were to suddenly take out a game disc/cartridge back in the day. So you're like "Fuck, are you serious!?", then it RELOADS the whole game to the INTRO CUTSCENE.

At this point, you REALLY start swearing, because you didn't even like save or anything.
Instead of saying "Press O button" or "Press B button" to skip cutscene, it says "Press J button".

Then, the part where the Joker is being taken in is shown, except the Joker is free, you're controlling him, walking slowly, and BATMAN is the one in the little restraining device.
It goes to Batman's first person view, and then the Joker shoots you in the face with a Pistol.

You know how in Game Over screens, there are little Help Messages, or hints? Example: "Use this move to dodge this enemy easily." "This is more effective against this" A lot of games these days have that.

What the help hint says is, I'm not making this up: "Use the Middle Stick to Dodge Joker's gunfire."

You're like WTF!? and you wake up in a graveyard.

It's... you need to play Arkham Asylum if you haven't already.

 

[dogmachines]

Batman: Arkham Asylum REALLY messes with you.
In the beginning of the game, you see the Joker strapped to like this thing they're taking him into Arkham Asylum on, with Batman and all the good guys following.

Here's the thing:
Later on in the game, at one point your screen goes all glitchy-weird, like it would go if you were to suddenly take out a game disc/cartridge back in the day. So you're like "Fuck, are you serious!?", then it RELOADS the whole game to the INTRO CUTSCENE.

At this point, you REALLY start swearing, because you didn't even like save or anything.
Instead of saying "Press O button" or "Press B button" to skip cutscene, it says "Press J button".

Then, the part where the Joker is being taken in is shown, except the Joker is free, you're controlling him, walking slowly, and BATMAN is the one in the little restraining device.
It goes to Batman's first person view, and then the Joker shoots you in the face with a Pistol.

You know how in Game Over screens, there are little Help Messages, or hints? Example: "Use this move to dodge this enemy easily." "This is more effective against this" A lot of games these days have that.

What the help hint says is, I'm not making this up: "Use the Middle Stick to Dodge Joker's gunfire."

You're like WTF!? and you wake up in a graveyard.

It's... you need to play Arkham Asylum if you haven't already.

That part was so confusing at first. It manages to screw with the fourth wall while still maintaining the immersion, so it scores huge in my book.

I think open ended games do this a lot, since they have to react to the player's actions or they lack immersion. Horror games do it more as well. Even little things, like predicting what the player will do or baiting them into doing it. FEAR will put a health upgrade down a dark alley, and sometimes something happens. Other times it won't, so you can't predict when something will happen. In FEAR 2 you can trigger a comment from a squadmate at the start of the game by jumping in a fountain or shooting cars, but it doesn't go much beyond that. There really aren't any huge examples, probably because to implement it would mean sinking lots of time into things that may not be found on multiple playthroughs. Then again, this is part of what makes games like Fallout awesome.

 

[Shanked_Salt]

I also remember in The Darkness there was some twisted stuff that transported you around the place depending where you tread, particuarly in the hell stages. But linear so maybe doesn't count.

 

[Riobux]

I'd say Eternal Darkness and Metal Gear Solid's Psycho Mantis boss both do it in your face, but Silent Hill 2 can fuck with heads due to the confusion of what is real and what isn't.

 

[EHKOS]

I liked how Spiderman Shattered Dimensions tried to freak me out by making me think I was playing Batman AA. They seriously ripped off the scarecrow bit shamelessly....I find myself unable to type at the moment.

 

[Brutal Peanut]

Batman: Arkham Asylum REALLY messes with you.
In the beginning of the game, you see the Joker strapped to like this thing they're taking him into Arkham Asylum on, with Batman and all the good guys following.

Here's the thing:
Later on in the game, at one point your screen goes all glitchy-weird, like it would go if you were to suddenly take out a game disc/cartridge back in the day. So you're like "Fuck, are you serious!?", then it RELOADS the whole game to the INTRO CUTSCENE.

At this point, you REALLY start swearing, because you didn't even like save or anything.
Instead of saying "Press O button" or "Press B button" to skip cutscene, it says "Press J button".

Then, the part where the Joker is being taken in is shown, except the Joker is free, you're controlling him, walking slowly, and BATMAN is the one in the little restraining device.
It goes to Batman's first person view, and then the Joker shoots you in the face with a Pistol.

You know how in Game Over screens, there are little Help Messages, or hints? Example: "Use this move to dodge this enemy easily." "This is more effective against this" A lot of games these days have that.

What the help hint says is, I'm not making this up: "Use the Middle Stick to Dodge Joker's gunfire."

You're like WTF!? and you wake up in a graveyard.

It's... you need to play Arkham Asylum if you haven't already.

This, all this.

Personally, each Scarecrow encounter really messed with me. Because it doesn't start how you'd expect it to. Especially the hallway. All of a sudden you think everything is perfectly fine walking down a corridor, and next, you are entering hell. I seriously enjoyed their Scarecrow. (And as always when Batman Arkham Asylum is mentioned, freakin' kudos to Mark Hamill.)

 

[Easton Dark]

I remember being impressed when the commander told me off for going in the women's restroom in Deus Ex.

I was more surprised than impressed that someone would record the voice and code that into the game.

At first I mean.

Afterwards I was impressed with the detail.

This is also in ME2, when you walk into the restroom of the opposite sex.

Well I'll be able to see that for myself in a few minutes

 

[Geo Da Sponge]

Batman: Arkham Asylum REALLY messes with you.
*Snip*

You know what annoyed me? I saw through that bit right away because of my knowledge of the fourth wall breaking scenes in Eternal Darkness, a game which I haven't actually played but just heard about on the internet.

 

[rhyno435]

Batman: Arkham Asylum REALLY messes with you.

*snip*

Yeah, that was awesome. My friend told me about the glitch part, so I didn't freak out like I would have it it had been a surprise. I don't remember it saying "Press the J Button", but I guess I was too distracted by the sky. Instead of the bat symbol, it is an upside-down bat symbol with eyes, that looks like an evil grin.

Man that game was awesome.

 

[Crimson King]

Silent Hill 2's multitude of endings as well as Silent Hill 3's handful of endings.