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[encephalon]

Whether it's debating it's place in the horror genre or whether it was ever scary to begin with, the Resident Evil games have always been dismissed as only offering so called "jump scares" - things jumping out at you, sudden noises, etc to make you jump in turn. But having played those games extensively, at least up to the point when they were still horror games, I'm left wondering ... what is wrong with jump scares, especially in the way they're handled in the RE series?

I can see where jump scares can probably go wrong. Playing the original Silent Hill, although the series is generally proposed as the antithesis to RE, I've noted several jump scares, from a corpse fallout out of a locker after a false start with another, the sound of crashing glass in various rooms in the hospital, etc. These might make you jump, but they're not necessarily a threat and unless you turn your radio off nothing really threatening seems to jump out at you either.

But when playing Resident Evil, typically the types of things that jump out at you are the enemies themselves. Sure, sometimes the threat isn't that big. Dogs jumping out of windows or zombie hands through the makeshift barricades over windows in the precinct. But other times, like when you hear the Nemesis theme and you know that he could suddenly jump out at any moment catching you off guard and forcing you to make a run for it ... is it not delivering on the atmosphere and enhancing the sense of dread? When I play REmake and know that there's that one zombie left unburned, knowing it will probably leap out at me the next time I run through the hallway is enough to fill me with that sense too. The fear that something could catch you off guard in a dangerous situation seems like something that capitalizes on our basic instincts. And personally, if a horror game fills me with dread, it's enough for me to consider the game to be doing something right.

Edit: What do you think about jump scares and the notion that they could be use to complement or enhance atmosphere or the overall sense of dread that a horror game should try to achieve?

 

[MormaPope]

Getting spooked is usually fun most of the time. Jump scares during cutscenes are pretty lazy though, jump scares done seamlessly during gameplay aren't.

 

[Goon Boon]

The laziest was Dead Rising 2's ending. It just had a zombie pop up right before it cut to black, but not near any of the characters or anything, just in front of the camera like a screamer.

 

[bsp]

It's lazy, and lazy things are usually considered cheap.

Replace that zombie with a cute, fat cat and it'll still scare the shit out of you. Has nothing to do with the content -- could be literally any object that pops out.

 

[Betty]

Because they're not terribly difficult to achieve and you get really annoyed at yourself for getting a fright.

 

[RangerX]

Its because creating a atmosphere that is consistantly scary is far more cerebral and much harder to achieve for game designers. The feeling stays with you. See Silent Hill 2. Jump scares are ok but I want to feel fear that makes me afraid to turn off the lights and bores its way into my mind.

 

[Thickstone]

I think that being cheap does not entail that they aren't effective.

Personally, I love jump scares and the Dead Space games get me everytime with this stuff

Many might call them cheap because it is a rather easy way to scare people. Or in other words, its much much easier than creating suspense via lore, setting, story, characters or much more subliminal methods that require actual knowledge of how suspense works. Compare a majority of encounters from Dead Space with Fatal Frame and you might see what I'm getting at.

 

[Teggy]

Probably because they are short-lived. There are a lot of good jump scares in games like F.E.A.R., Resident Evil, but after they happen you tend to laugh them off. The devs got you good, but the game as a whole isn't that scary.

The overwhelming sense of dread that I felt when playing games like Silent Hill 1/2 or Dead Space 1 was much more effective as "horror". Doesn't mean those other games aren't good, but planning a good jump scare isn't as hard as making you physically/mentally scared to play a game.

 

[Makoto Yuki]

It's scary for the moment, but doesn't last. Real horror gnaw at the back of your mind creating a sense of dread and despair.

 

[fader]

When Silent Hill did a jump scare they also gave you this uncomfortable feeling that seethe through you for a while by putting you in a situation you wanted to escape from. Thats what true horror does, it puts you in a situation and makes you feel like you have no control over it. people consider jump scares cheap because they are usually badly done with a friendly conversation happening right after it (e.g if Barry comes out of no where and gives you a quick scare). They don't put a jump scare then toss you in a uncomfortable situation so the point and the use of the jump scare is considered "Cheap" and useless.

 

[PKrockin]

The laziest was Dead Rising 2's ending. It just had a zombie pop up right before it cut to black, but not near any of the characters or anything, just in front of the camera like a screamer.

Assuming it's like the first game, I saw it more as a tongue in cheek take on zombies than a serious attempt at horror.

 

[Derrick01]

It's easy as hell to scare someone by jumping out at them from a corner or through a window. It's a lazy and amateurish way to induce fear.

It's a lot harder to create an atmosphere of such tension that you feel like every step could be your last. So afraid that you could see something half a mile away and it would scare the shit out of you as much as the cheap jump scare would.

 

[Stumpokapow]

What do you think the word "cheap" means in this context?

 

[inky]

Many things can startle you, but generating a sense of dread, in which you are afraid of even going forward or looking behind you is harder to achieve. It takes understanding of what makes something "scary" and much more intelligence to bring them to a game successfully. That is why people call them cheap.

A jump scare might work every single time, but at some point you are more annoyed by it than truly terrified and it takes significantly less effort to implement.

 

[Azar]

In film--and I guess in games, to a lesser extent--jump scares are cheap because they often rely on the "frame" of the movie to hide the scare. As viewers, we can only see into a portion of the film world, but the characters within that world can see much more. So when something jump in from the side of the screen, it's surprising to us, because we can't see outside of the frame, but the character in the film world shouldn't be taken by surprise in the same way.

This only applies to some jump scares, obviously, but that's one way they can be cheap. Good horror and suspense is all about the build up of tension; the chase sequences with Verdugo in RE4 are probably my favorite example of tension and jump scares being combined effectively.

 

[fader]

Because they're not terribly difficult to achieve and you get really annoyed at yourself for getting a fright.

see and thats the problem. yes i did flinch while watching it but i was over it in like 3 seconds. I did not get a feeling of fear and I felt no real desire to get comfortable because comfort automatically came seconds after.

 

[ichtyander]

There's a lot of badly placed scares in films and games where you can pretty much anticipate when the scare's going to happen and I think that can totally kill the effect. So there's a saturation of that kind of thing.

Also, I'd say jump scares are generally cheap because they make an easy and quick way of making you jump, if you're not immune to it already, hence a lot of the times there's not much effort put into it.

The sense of dread Nemesis creates is a different thing. As you said, he can jump at you at any moment but the game conditions you to remember he's a very real threat, that he can come out unexpectedly and the anticipation makes the experience much scarier. He basically creates chaos in a somewhat controlled environment where you get used to the zombies but this guy's just a wild card.

That's why I think Silent Hill does a better job at being a horror game, because even if it doesn't deliver jump scares all the time, the terror and dread are always present.

 

[Visualante2]

They aren't bad. But it's how frequently they are relied upon. If you look at Dead Space for instance. They make use of it several times, ramping it up by having you jumped from behind while an enemy is attacking you from the front.

One of the smart things about Gone Home is that it used to device sparingly and it did so with care. Knowing what you were doing and probably what you were thinking. Then it cast it aside and moved onto other ideas. Similarly Resident Evil 4 had the scene with the kitchen appliances. It was effective and the game moved on.

 

[goldenboy]

Because they're not terribly difficult to achieve and you get really annoyed at yourself for getting a fright.

alright this got me good hahaha

topic: They're easy to pull off (mods and indie games use them very often), easy to implement, don't require a lot of thought and people don't like them because you get bored of them quickly -> you reach diminished returns very fast

 

[Chettlar]

I think they're only bad if relied upon.

Really every mechanic for making something scary or funny or whatever is cheap if relied upon. Unfortunately I think jump scares/monsters in the closet/etc. are really easy to rely, so we see them more often, thus the assumption that they are by nature cheap.

 

[Ambient80]

I think they have a good place in games, especially ones that have a really scary atmosphere throughout. The problem for me comes with replay value. I know exactly where the jump scares will be, making them completely useless, whereas an atmospheric fear can still be present even if I already know what's going on.

 

[Veldin]

Because being startled is something human beings don't have any control over. Anyone can couple a shocking image with a really loud noise and make someone jump. It's an instinctual reaction.

It's "cheap" because it usually doesn't require as much thought as building tension and a genuinely scary atmosphere.

 

[ichtyander]

They aren't bad. But it's how frequently they are relied upon. If you look at Dead Space for instance. They make use of it several times, ramping it up by having you jumped from behind while an enemy is attacking you from the front.

One of the smart things about Gone Home is that it used to device sparingly and it did so with care. Knowing what you were doing and probably what you were thinking. Then it cast it aside and moved onto other ideas. Similarly Resident Evil 4 had the scene with the kitchen appliances. It was effective and the game moved on.

Good god that hallway with the red light at the end. I didn't know anything about Gone Home so I wasn't sure if there were any scares. Just saw that light, said nope, went back and explored other parts of the house.

 

[Kiriku]

The most important thing is context and build-up to the point of the jump scare.
If you have a scary context (a backstory) with a build-up (music changing, creepy sound effects, things moving in the shadows etc etc), it sets so much deeper, at least for me.
If it lacks the proper context and build-up it's like having a joke you're really bad at telling to other people.

 

[szaromir]

Condemned 1 pulled off its few jump scare moments perfectly, I don't remember anyone complaining about it? There's nothing wrong with them if they're used scarcely.

 

[Intheflorsh]

Maintaining the mood and atmosphere necessary for a truly good jump scare is a challenge for most games. When it's done right, jump scares can be sublime.

 

[Calamari41]

What do you think the word "cheap" means in this context?

I take it to mean easy; gained or achieved through little effort.

 

[NewGame]

Dead Space is a great example of cheap jump scares. I remember various sections where you can see a hallway with air vents and I already knew stuff was going to pop out, or corpses on the floor that I knew would reanimate the moment I got close. Things aren't scary when they're predictable.

A good jump scare might be the prison door knock in Silent Hill 2 because it's completely unexpected and the only thing that made noise at that section. Other great jumpscares that come to mind are from Metroid, Super Metroids 'Chozo Statue' room was quite an amazing jump scare that comes completely from the left field.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

Oven Man is a good example of a good jump scare.

 

[leng jai]

It's called cheap because it's not actually "scary" in the sense of the word. It's scary like a random loud noise is scary. It's like making a quiet game and then periodically inserting random extremely loud noises and calling it a horror game.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

Because it's not scary, it's just BOO, DID YOU GET SCARED
If I heard a loud noise right now I'd probably flinch, regardless of whether it was my dog, a gunshot or a ghost.

 

[L Thammy]

Surprise and tension aren't the same thing.
The Arise series is a pretty good example of horrible jumpscares.

 

[encephalon]

I'm going to try to respond as best I can.

It's lazy, and lazy things are usually considered cheap.

Replace that zombie with a cute, fat cat and it'll still scare the shit out of you. Has nothing to do with the content -- could be literally any object that pops out.

Probably because they are short-lived. There are a lot of good jump scares in games like F.E.A.R., Resident Evil, but after they happen you tend to laugh them off. The devs got you good, but the game as a whole isn't that scary.

The overwhelming sense of dread that I felt when playing games like Silent Hill 1/2 or Dead Space 1 was much more effective as "horror". Doesn't mean those other games aren't good, but planning a good jump scare isn't as hard as making you physically/mentally scared to play a game.

It's scary for the moment, but doesn't last. Real horror gnaw at the back of your mind creating a sense of dread and despair.

It's easy as hell to scare someone by jumping out at them from a corner or through a window. It's a lazy and amateurish way to induce fear.

It's a lot harder to create an atmosphere of such tension that you feel like every step could be your last. So afraid that you could see something half a mile away and it would scare the shit out of you as much as the cheap jump scare would.

My argument is that jump scares in RE are not always momentary occurrences. They generally put you in a situation where you're forced to deal with a threat thereafter. When a licker bursts through a window and you left, say, the cord for the shutters on the table. You're probably going to want to deal with it later. Whether it's dogs, zombies, lickers, hunters, etc. unless you take them out immediately in reaction to the scare ... they're still there for you to deal with.

Second, with a threat like the Nemesis, it's certainly not over the first time. The sense of dread and the jump scares go hand in hand. I've played RE3 countless times, but replaying again recently that music still makes me nervous knowing that he could simply jump down and run after me at any moment. Even if I'm aware of the scripted times when he appears.

I guess part of what I'm getting at is that it doesn't have to be atmosphere vs. things jumping out at you. Both can work very well together.

 

[Jonnax]

It doesn't last. A minute after that jump scare shocks you thinking back on it won't be so scary.

In my opinion the best kind of horror is the kind that lingers. Where the fear becomes not the actual scare but the subtext behind it.

 

[Koyuga]

Because its not scary, just startling.

 

[BRocknRolla]

There's a difference between being "scared" and "startled." Jump scares tend to be the latter. Everyone can be startled; it's a natural human response to a sudden and unexpected stimulus that you haven't had proper time to react to. You don't have to work for it, you just have to set up the scenario. Doesn't mean it doesn't elicit a reaction, but is it really the best reaction you could have gone for?

Being "scared" is a deeper, more complex set of emotions. Part of it may be a worry of being "startled," but it's also about about your engaging darker parts of your imagination, about triggering a feeling of something being dangerous or wrong, and about feeling like you aren't in control. Those don't always go well with being startled, but ultimately create a much more intense experience, particularly when paired with jump scares. However, building those feelings is difficult. It takes a lot more than just a door that needs to be opened or a poorly lit room, hence why the jump scare is considered "cheap."

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

Oven Man is a good example of a good jump scare.

Or when you turn around in Bioshock and suddenly...

The moment was reprised to great effect in Infinite as well.


On the general topic, people call it cheap because it's very easy to startle someone, creating the physiological response of fear. I think those people want their horror games to create a pervasive sense of dread, which takes a lot more craftsmanship than a sudden noise or motion.

 

[notBald]

The best jump frights I've gotten from Half-life 1. It's funny how a head-crab can send you into a complete panic and make you cause far more damage to yourself than the crab would ever had.

Games like Resident Evil 1 and Doom 3 gets it wrong IMO. It was easy to guess when and where the frights would come. I would often stop and think 'there's the hidden trigger, so where will the monster jump out'. SOD breaking. But this was in large part because the games used these frights pretty often. You soon come to expect them and start looking for them.

 

[Grizzo]

I don't know, I feel like they added a real sense of scare in Resident Evil Rebirth, what with zombies kicking down doors and making every single room or hallways potentially dangerous.

But yeah, cheap scare in quirky commercials or viral videos are dumb, imo.

 

[ViciousDS]

The first dead space freaked me out that even with infinite health and ammo I still felt like I was doomed. But cheap jump scares I'm over in about 5 seconds.

The first dead space will never be played alone ever as long as I live.....fuck that game.

 

[Calamari41]

The Darkness That Lurks In Our Minds

Silent Heaven

Black Fairy

Music like this kicking in on a dark corridor in Silent Hill 2 is infinitely more scary than a zombie jumping at you screaming BOO. It paralyzes you and makes you too afraid to move on, and not because you're cringing while waiting for something to jump out at you. It's because you are transported to the world on your TV and are afraid of what you might find if you keep going on.

 

[encephalon]

I take it to mean easy; gained or achieved through little effort.

This, although I guess I'm also asking why they're considered to be weak attempts at delivering horror.

Funnily enough, the best thing about jump scares are not the jump scares themselves.
I think the key to using jump scares effectively is to make sure the player feels tension between the jump scares, not to make the jump scares the focus themselves. Build up tension and suspense by establishing the possibility of a jump scare through atmosphere and sound design and play with the players expectations at the right times. Make them feel overwhelmed and powerless through playing mind-games, make them feel that they're not in control like they are in most games. That and keep the player on edge by using it very sparingly at the right moments (Not just enemy jump scares. Maybe a loud noise in the distance, a pipe bursting, Someone banging on the door of the room you're in et cetera). They're easier to pull off than creating fear through gameplay and atmosphere (et cetera) alone, but they're a useful tool for devs. As always it's about how you use it, not whether it's inherently bad design or not.

I think Jim had a decent video on this subject, though I find his points to occasionally be flawed and overly simplified. Dead Space is an example of how you shouldn't use it (barrage the juggernaut of a player with stupid amounts of repetitive jump scares is not good design):
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/6461-Scare-Tactics

Yes, yes this is exactly what I'm trying to get at.

 

[Ithil]

Because grabbing someone by the ear and screaming in it every five minutes is weak as hell. Jump scares have their place, but there should be extremely few and far between, and placed perfectly.

If a jump scare is your primary way of "scaring" the player in a horror game, you have failed at making it horror. You have succeeded at shouting "BOO" a lot. That goes for movies, too. I think of say, Alien, which has perhaps three jump scares in the whole film. The biggest jump scare happens late in the movie, in the air vents, and it's one of the best moments of the film as a result. The rest of the "horror" comes from tension and an unsettling atmosphere that leaves you extra susceptible to the very few jump scares, making them that much better.

 

[UnrealEck]

Too easy. I think an unnerving atmosphere created by level, art, character and sound design as well as well written story and dialogue are more impressive and interesting. They also stick with you longer.

 

[abstract alien]

Oven Man is a good example of a good jump scare.

Are you referring to that hand that came out in the original Silent Hill? Yeah, that one got me too. That damn big green guy coming through the wall in Resident Evil 2 got me, as well as Nemesis in the police station in RE3. That one nearly killed me.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

Frequency cheapens them.

The most rattled i've ever been playing any game was the

Spoiler

__bathtub___

in Eternal Darkness. There were no jump scares to that point and none for the rest of the game.

It shook me so bad I had to stop playing for 15 minutes to grab my composure. Jump scares can be very effective if not relied upon.

 

[Cannon Goose]

Oven Man is a good example of a good jump scare.

I remember the first time I encountered Oven Man I was out of range of his grab, so he just stumbled out of the oven and then fell down. It was more funny than scary to be honest.

Those fucking gross faces that flash on the entire screen near the beginning of FEAR nearly got me to stop playing the game.

 

[thepotatoman]

Even if jump scares were somehow difficult to accomplish, I think they just aren't interesting or fun anyway. A successful jump scare just makes me feel frustrated and annoyed at the designers for the unpleasant moment, and takes me out of the world and story and into thinking about the designers and wondering if they'll try it again, while a cerebral scare leaves me thinking about things I don't usually think about along side a consistent buzz of adrenaline, intriguing me to learn more while also not fully wanting to.

Maybe others do find jump scares fun, but I don't really understand it.

 

[jaaz]

Because what's really scary is creating an atmosphere of what you can't see, what you think you saw, or the unthinkable. A jump "scare" does a good job in startling you but that does not equal true fear. And so putting it in a game is cheap because you don't have to create the atmosphere of true fear.

 

[misterhektik]

YMS made a good point about how cheesy jump scares would be in The Walking Dead. Being selective about use of sound and score, and having it be effective, is much more challenging than throwing in a cheesy jump scare to force the audience to be scared. Instead of using narrative, setting, and tone to get a reaction from the viewer, you forgo that, and instead use load noises to force these emotions, rather than naturally evoking them. That is why it's cheap.