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[HAL_Laboratory]

Definitely excited to check out Amnesia, based on the responses. Sounds awesome. I want to youtube it after work... anyone have good vids to suggest?

edit: also damn, ya'll are making me wanna play REmake again lol

 

[Sylver]

Original psx Silent Hill.

 

[revolverjgw]

Not when there's enough camp to fill yellowstone. Kinda invalidates the horror.

No it doesn't. Some of the best horror movies are campy as all get out.

 

[Sadist]

Resident Evil Remake

Eternal Darkness Sanity's Requiem

And I just finished the Wii version of Project Zero II (Fatal Frame II)

 

[pantsmith]

Silent Hill 1 and 2 offer the best one-two punch of quintessential survival horror you'll find anywhere.

Of the two, Silent Hill is the "better" survival horror game, but Silent Hill 2 is the better experience (especially in the story department).

System Shock 2 is another perfectly rounded experience, if you dont have the means with which to play a (Team Silent) Silent Hill game.

 

[Parakeetman]

Original psx Silent Hill.

Spoiler

Skinless children with knives ahoy!

 

[Teknoman]

Is Eternal Darkness actually survival horror/scary? I still havent played the game, but I keep hearing about how its really creepy/messes with your mind?

 

[KageMaru]

did you ever stop to think that it's maybe not scary to you because you've played it for 200 hours? lol, I've played amnesia multiple times so it must not be survival horror.

IMO it has more to do with a person's threshold for fear. RE4 didn't phase me at all the first time I played it but Condemned will still freak me out when played in the dark with the sound turned up.

 

[Dascu]

Is Eternal Darkness actually survival horror/scary? I still havent played the game, but I keep hearing about how its really creepy/messes with your mind?

The game play style is very similar to Silent Hill or Resident Evil, with deeper (and better) combat. It's got a good dark atmosphere, some jump-scares and a story about evil gods and monsters and ghosts (like Lovecraft).

Whether it's actually scary... Eh. It varies from level to level. Kind of like Siren actually.

 

[bloodydrake]

, I'm not sure why player penalty = horror in people's minds.

Isn't that pretty much the main distinction of Japanese survival horror? Seems almost all hardcore JSH games all are very punitive..those that prefer that style usually find games that don't punish you lack tension

 

[Speedymanic]

Siren Blood Curse

One and done.

Some might not agree, but I thought Condemned 1 was a pretty decent survival horror game.

 

[Sylver]

Spoiler

Skinless children with knives ahoy!

I was so much f*cked by them XD

 

[daxter01]

Silent Hill 2
Fatal Frame II
Amnesia

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

My main problem with Eternal Darkness was all the 4th wall breaking. I thought the stuff like "Ooh, we're going to pretend to delete all your saves!" was more funny than scary since it broke the immersion.

 

[Parakeetman]

Its weird how they turned em into skinless wolverine dwarf things in the "censored" version.

 

[aparisi2274]

What about Alan Wake??

I've heard people classify that as a Survival-Horror Game. Do you agree? I thought it was a great game, but it seems more like a supernatural thriller than a Survival Horror....

 

[Spieler Eins]

REmake. Still holds up incredibly well.
Amnesia was pretty cool, but the lack of a map was annoying in later parts of the game and it became quite easy to see through the enemies after some time. At one point, I just started letting myself get killed so I would respawn at a checkpoint closer to my goal, lol...

RE4 however is plagued with way too many superannoying action packed segments and it killed the series forever. Also, I consider survival horror to be a subgenre of (Action) Adventure. RE4 is a straightforward shooter.
I really hate the awkward contrast in that game. For example, at first you encounter an intense boss in the castle cellar, which really felt like the right step for horror games. Next thing you know, a minute after that you're throwing golems into lava like it was goddamn Lord of the Rings and participate in a ridiculous Indiana Jones Temple of Doom themepark. I love that game. But then, I must also hate it. :/

 

[Green Wiggly]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl, especially moded, can be quite scary in the night. Much like the DAY Z mod for ArmA it focuses on survival in the wild which can be just as scary as some of the more confined experience in the classic japanese horror game.

Been playing a lot of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. lately with the 2009 complete mod and it is stunning. Great sense of immersion that heightens the tension of the game's survival aspect.

Also, +1 for Eternal Darkness.

 

[Jackben]

CTRL+F 'Lone Survivor' no results found.

For shame GAF.

Watch a trailer here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtt0ZezljHk

Via Wikipedia:

Lone Survivor is a post-apocalyptic survival horror game with retro-styled 2D graphics. Players control an isolated, surgical mask-wearing survivor of an infection which has turned the world's population into aggressive, shambling mutants. With limited food and an increasingly fragile mental state caused by his isolation, the player character must be guided outside his apartment in order to look for other survivors. There are no indications that any others survived the apocalypse, bar a note which encourages the player to locate a party of survivors on the other side of the apartment building.

The player character's apparent hallucinations provide directions for the player. When exploring the game world the player will discover items, keys and food. Two-way mirrors found in the game world are used to teleport back to the survivor's apartment. Items can be combined in order to solve puzzles. Players possess a flashlight with which to navigate the game world, using the flashlight drains batteries, replacements can be found by scavenging.

Throughout the game, references are made to the survivor's state of mind. It is possible to have discussions with a toy cat, strange characters such as a man with a box on his head are encountered. Rooms may change appearance upon being revisited, making a wrong turn may result in a strange scene. It becomes difficult to interpret what is real to the survivor and what is hallucination. The player's interactions with the game's world and inhabitants result in different endings upon completion of the game. These interactions are shown during the game's end credits, emphasizing how the player received that particular ending. A single playthrough of the game can last between three and eight hours.

It's up there with the indie greats like Amnesia and it's got the best soundtrack of any horror game I've ever played. The story and atmosphere are also top-notch. I've gotten only one ending so far and I'm gearing up to replay it. There are a lot of impressions as to the meaning of it all and I really enjoy the gameplay aspects just on their own. Everyone should check it out. The gameplay is really great as it combines a lot of survival staples (supply management, sneaking > attacking, multiple pathes and decisions). I wish there was an iOS or Vita/DS version as it would be the perfect fit for that format.

Everyone owes it to themselves to at least check it out. You can get it via Steam and other digital distribution outlets. It's available standalone and has also been appearing on a lot of the Humble Indie bundles.

 

[Cramoss]

REmake, SH2, and Amnesia.

Oops, forgot Fatal Frame 2.

 

[Speedymanic]

What about Alan Wake??

I've heard people classify that as a Survival-Horror Game. Do you agree? I thought it was a great game, but it seems more like a supernatural thriller than a Survival Horror....

Yeah, it's a supernatural thriller in my opinion too.

it does have some great survival sections though, which is nice considering the genuine lack of survival horror games on the market.

 

[Frankenstrat]

Quite honestly it's the scariest game ever made. Nothing out there even comes close.

SCP: Containment Breach and that Slenderman game say hello.

 

[Navidson REC]

Definitely excited to check out Amnesia, based on the responses. Sounds awesome. I want to youtube it after work... anyone have good vids to suggest?

edit: also damn, ya'll are making me wanna play REmake again lol

I wouldn't watch any videos before playing it yourself. While it is highly entertaining to watch them, it can also be really spoilerish.

I decided to experience the whole game on my own before watching any videos and wasn't disappointed. Such a great, unnerving experience.
That said, I still haven't finished Justine due to the death penalty. I have tried it twice so far and died near the end each time. I simply don't have the time right now to start it all over again.

What about Alan Wake??

I've heard people classify that as a Survival-Horror Game. Do you agree? I thought it was a great game, but it seems more like a supernatural thriller than a Survival Horror....

I'd definitely say that parts of it can be very survival-horror-ish. I'm a huge fan of the franchise and enjoy all of its facets, and there is much more to it than those elements. To me, anyway.
But walking all alone through those deep woods with limited resources (or even none!) was genuinely scary to me. The excellent sound design did its part, too. Same goes for Amnesia, by the way.

SCP: Containment Breach and that Slenderman game say hello.

I should seriously try that one out. I really liked the trailer but the actual Slenderman looked ridiculous. I mean, couldn't they at least stretch him a little bit or something?

 

[BadAss2961]

Well this is certainly the most unsettling. Amnesia had my hand shaking on the mouse a few times. What a weird feeling... SIREN Blood Curse looked scary as well, but I only played the demo.

My favorite survival horror is probably RE2, but i'm not much on the genre.

 

[Uthred]

Surprised to see so few mentioned of Eternal Darkness, it was a great game with an engaging and disturbing storyline and really novel sanity mechanics (that could occasionally fall flat but were pretty freaky a lot of the time - assuming you had no idea they existed going in). Interested to see all the recommendations for Siren, bought it years ago when it was on sale on the PSN, must actually get aound to trying it.

 

[meta4]

Even ignoring that, though, I'm not sure why player penalty = horror in people's minds. Amnesia puts you in a deeply fucked up world that is just drenched in morbidity. That's what's horror about it. Not your heart racing because you might get killed. I can get that in a game of Arma 2 and nobody's calling that horror.

How can the fear of being killed/dying not be an important element in horror?

 

[Nizz]

See a lot of love for Silent Hill 2 here. I'd love to play through it but the only way for me would be the HD Collection recently released and that didn't turn out so well. :/

I wish Amnesia could be ported to PSN/LIVE, I'd love to try that game out. I agree with others who have mentioned Condemned. Playing that game with a good sound system/headphones is a creepy experience. Two words:department store.

I also think Dead Space is a good survival horror/action game. That game brought me to a level of tense that I hadn't felt in a long time.

Kinda wish I still had a backwards compatible PS3 instead of a slim. Lot of PS2 survival horror choices I never played through.

 

[Jackben]

How can the fear of being killed/dying not be an important element in horror?

It depends on how it is handled.

If every game containing some kind of perma-death or hardcore option counted as Horror the genre would be a lot bigger.

Fear of death does not = horror.

It's often a contributing element but isn't a defining one.

 

[Sylver]

Its weird how they turned em into skinless wolverine dwarf things in the "censored" version.

I didn't even known they censored them at some point, I still can hear the "cri-cri" sound they made when you meet them on my nightmares :_( XDXD.

I can't believe I missed to mention Rule of Rose, my fav survival of all time and one of my top ten games.

shame on me,

 

[daebo]

Condemned: Criminal Origins & Silent Hill 2

I came to post these two games.

Silent Hill 2 has the honor of being the only game that scared me enough at one point to actually scream...

I stopped playing Condemned in the mall with the mannequins (I played this late at night, lights off, surround sound. scared crap out of me).

 

[Terry Crews]

Not sure if you guys have played this one yet, it is getting some exposure on YouTube with some popular Partners. Its a pretty scary game to say the least. But not all time.

 

[Risk Breaker]

I agree with Siren Blood Curse. Not the very best, but it definitely deserves more love.

 

[Aostia]

Eternal Darkness.

 

[meta4]

It depends on how it is handled.

If every game containing some kind of perma-death or hardcore option counted as Horror the genre would be a lot bigger.

Fear of death does not = horror.

It's often a contributing element but isn't a defining one.

I agree. One can fear death even in a normal TPS/FPS. That is what I meant. All I am saying is It is not a sufficient condition but to a certain extent a necessary one. Maybe its different for different people but to me horror games should propagate the feeling of uneasiness, that something is not right and that I as a player could be in danger in this environment. And fear of death will generally play an important part in creating that uneasy feeling. Whether the dev creates it through jump scares or just creates it through disturbing imagery fear of death is a must IMO...

 

[reson8or]

Siren Blood Curse

I found Siren:Blood Curse genuinely creepy, very very tense, great game. Made by former Silent Hill dude, iirc.

 

[Futurevoid]

Silent Hill 2. Unquestionably for me. My favorite game of all time...period.

 

[meta4]

Oh man I so wish this series got back to what made it special. Listening to this still gives me goosebumps. Sigh.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=5KU7NJ6_Ack#t=132s

One of the greatest games ever made....

 

[TTP]

Siren. Absolutely.

 

[Atomski]

why not just call them horror games with action elements?

Because neither are scary?

Specially Deadspace.. you are so powerful in that game.

 

[Westraid]

In reply to my previous post, my friend wasn't being a wuss.
Slender is really, really scary.

 

[plagiarize]

Because neither are scary?

Specially Deadspace.. you are so powerful in that game.

many people disagree. i think any game which TRIES to be scary can be classed as horror. we don't say a film isn't a comedy if the jokes aren't funny.

 

[Dog Problems]

7 years after release, I have FINALLY finished RE4 on 'Pro'. I played through the Wii and PS3 HD versions (only normal mode for the former) and I just have to say the game has aged quite gracefully and I'm convinced it is one of the best survival horror games ever.

That said, as much as I do love that universe, it's time to move on. Does it get any better than RE4? Does anyone have any must play suggestions for this genre?

I don't even consider Resident Evil 4 a survivor horror game. It's an action game with some horror elements thrown in. Not once did I ever feel scared or even creeped out.

Anywa, my vote goes to Amnesia. It's the only one that has scared me so badly that I haven't been able to finish it.

 

[Atomski]

many people disagree. i think any game which TRIES to be scary can be classed as horror. we don't say a film isn't a comedy if the jokes aren't funny.

Class it however you want.. it is still as scary as a any other 3rd person shooter these days.

If Gears of War was considered Horror would you be alright with that?

 

[Persona7]

Silent Hill 3. Or Silent Hill 2.


Nothing else even comes close or compares, or ever will.

 

[bengraven]

I was just thinking the other day how awesome Silent Hill could be if it stuck to it's roots yet was done by the Condemned team.

 

[Yuterald]

There are no other answers besides these two.

 

[Sohter.Nura]

Does it get any better than RE4? Does anyone have any must play suggestions for this genre?

No, doesn't really get better than RE4. Unfortunately RE4 is the pinnacle of the genre, and 7 years in it still hasn't been topped. It's also I think one of the few games that has managed to blend the action with the horror really well. Most games go one way more than others.

Must plays...

Survival-Horror Oriented:

Silent Hill 2 & 3.
Fatal Frame series
Siren
Amnesia the Dark Descent

Action-Horror Oriented:

Dead Space 1 & 2
RE 5 (Re5 is more like the butt of the joke, though...)
Condemned
The Darkness

I guess?

 

[Atomski]

Also don't think its been mentioned but multiplayer wise.. Dayz is one of the best survival horror games ever.

 

[MikeOxbig]

This.

 

[MikeOxbig]

Siren Blood Curse

Best horror game this generation, for sure.