Jan 4, 2017 06:57 AM
(This post was last modified: Jan 4, 2017 08:34 AM by Effexion.)
With so many games being released and at such a fast rate we find ourselves with an abundance of horror titles adorning the shelves of our game stores worldwide. It would be a great gaming world where one could say all these titles were the cause of a change of trousers, a few sleepless nights or petrification, but sadly this is not a gaming world in which we dwell. So many horror titles promise us the scare of a lifetime yet fail to induce even the slightest creeping of the flesh or cause us to nervously stalk around the next corner in sheer dread of what my lay ahead of us. So, what exactly is it that makes a game scary? What is it that inspires the fear we crave in to our very hearts? Let’s break it down and take a look.
Graphics and Audio, Maybe?
Granted, a finely detailed world would go a long way to create a creepy atmosphere in a game, just as a HD ghoul, monster or ghost would be a lot scarier than their 8-bit counterparts. That being said, we only need to take examples like the early Silent Hill games and the likes of Crimson Butterfly: Project Zero (which to this day are still available to purchase on sites like G2A and G2Play) and compare them with later-generation Silent Hills and Resident Evil offerings to realize that graphics are far from the key to a truly scary game.
Earlier games of the genre were the very definition of fear and they mastered this without fancy graphics or high frame-rates. So, that being said, while graphics can go a long way to make a game a real over-the-shoulder-peeper, they aren’t exactly the be all and end all.
The same can be said for audio. Sound effects have come a long way since the days of yore. With creatures in the older games sounding like their noises are being played in to a microphone from a Dictaphone and musical scores akin to retro Nokia ringtones, classic games still managed to deliver scares-a-plenty over the much more sophisticated audio of the games of today.
Jump Scares?
Whilst jump scares are great for a quick burst of the coveted “ARRRGHHHH-Factor” (patent pending) it feels that game developers have come to rely on them in a bid to scare the pants off us. The consequence to this is games full to the brim of monsters jumping out from every available corner, leading the player to become immune to their ways as they come to expect the inevitable. I feel the real approach to jump scares was perfectly executed in the later-day title, Outlast, where early in the game you are forced to walk past a semi-comatose lunatic in a wheelchair. You can feel the anticipation building up inside you as you approach, your mind is geared up for a scare and as you nervously walk past....absolutely nothing happens. The game cleverly guides you past this entity a number of times until you are lulled in to a false sense of security. And then it happens, and when it does, it works an absolute dream.
Conclusion
In conclusion it can be said that graphics, audio or jump scares don’t define a true horror game. In fact, it’s a perfect blend of everything that can send players hiding behind their couches. Graphics aren’t a must, but can go a long way in creating a more realistic world and therefore adding to atmosphere and immersion. The same is said for jump scares where overuse can dilute the effect causing the player to become quickly bored or suspecting. What a game truly needs is the perfect balance and a skilled team able to build up suspense that succeeds in hanging over the player from beginning to end. Sure, a scare a minute can be pretty effective for about 5 minutes, but that constant sense of foreboding is what truly creates a masterpiece.
Graphics and Audio, Maybe?
Granted, a finely detailed world would go a long way to create a creepy atmosphere in a game, just as a HD ghoul, monster or ghost would be a lot scarier than their 8-bit counterparts. That being said, we only need to take examples like the early Silent Hill games and the likes of Crimson Butterfly: Project Zero (which to this day are still available to purchase on sites like G2A and G2Play) and compare them with later-generation Silent Hills and Resident Evil offerings to realize that graphics are far from the key to a truly scary game.
Earlier games of the genre were the very definition of fear and they mastered this without fancy graphics or high frame-rates. So, that being said, while graphics can go a long way to make a game a real over-the-shoulder-peeper, they aren’t exactly the be all and end all.
The same can be said for audio. Sound effects have come a long way since the days of yore. With creatures in the older games sounding like their noises are being played in to a microphone from a Dictaphone and musical scores akin to retro Nokia ringtones, classic games still managed to deliver scares-a-plenty over the much more sophisticated audio of the games of today.
Jump Scares?
Whilst jump scares are great for a quick burst of the coveted “ARRRGHHHH-Factor” (patent pending) it feels that game developers have come to rely on them in a bid to scare the pants off us. The consequence to this is games full to the brim of monsters jumping out from every available corner, leading the player to become immune to their ways as they come to expect the inevitable. I feel the real approach to jump scares was perfectly executed in the later-day title, Outlast, where early in the game you are forced to walk past a semi-comatose lunatic in a wheelchair. You can feel the anticipation building up inside you as you approach, your mind is geared up for a scare and as you nervously walk past....absolutely nothing happens. The game cleverly guides you past this entity a number of times until you are lulled in to a false sense of security. And then it happens, and when it does, it works an absolute dream.
Conclusion
In conclusion it can be said that graphics, audio or jump scares don’t define a true horror game. In fact, it’s a perfect blend of everything that can send players hiding behind their couches. Graphics aren’t a must, but can go a long way in creating a more realistic world and therefore adding to atmosphere and immersion. The same is said for jump scares where overuse can dilute the effect causing the player to become quickly bored or suspecting. What a game truly needs is the perfect balance and a skilled team able to build up suspense that succeeds in hanging over the player from beginning to end. Sure, a scare a minute can be pretty effective for about 5 minutes, but that constant sense of foreboding is what truly creates a masterpiece.
Resident Writer for MyGamer.Com and Horrify.Net
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