Support NeoGAF

[RadioHeadAche]

Silent Hill 3 for incredible visual and sound design. However, I've played several levels of Alien Resurrection and it is one of the scariest games I've ever played.

 

[Jawmuncher]

Personally i'd consider both RE4 and RE5 action games.
I guess I can work with horror-action as well.
The only difference between them I feel is that RE4 did have more of a atmosphere that was scary then RE5 did.

Anyway aside from that my favorite Survival Horror game will still go to either
Resident Evil or REmake

REmake if you want a more serious tone and Resident Evil if you want a little camp with your scares.

(I say this even though RE3 is my favorite, since honestly that games was already pushing the action feel especially if you played on beginner)

 

[Yoshi]

Eternal Darkness on the Gamecube.

Spoiler

May the rats eat your eyes!

I'm surprised it took this long for this gem to be mentioned. I think it's one of the best playing horror games especially from this period. It took Resident Evil 4 for games to adapt a good playability (and not constantly jumping cameras and therefore horrible controls) but many games lost their horror aspects in this process.

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?

Yes, although it uses quite uncommon ways to produce the effect. I think it's great and the insanity meter is genius, just don't read up too much for this game as it could easily spoil your experience.


Despite Eternal Darkness I can really recommend Resident Evil Revelations (imo the best playing Resident Evil and the only one playing well that has proper horror atmosphere) and the Wii version of Fatal Frame 2 (it features better graphics than the original and has a behind-the-shoulders-camera which really makes it more fun to play). As for Fatal Frame 2 I have to criticize the extremely slow pace though, so gameplay-wise I prefer ED and Resi Rev, which don't make you move at the pace of a snail. Also Eternal Darkness is the only one of those three that features puzzles.

 

[Jawmuncher]

I feel bad that I didn't mention Dino Crisis in my orginal post.
Especially considering it's my avatar, I gotta say that game is pretty scary considering it involves dinosaurs.

Nothin more terrifying than hearing raptor clicks, and having low ammo to deal with it.
Thank God for the laser barriers which saved my ass more than once.

 

[eXistor]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R and Amnesia.

Both these games succeed in making the player feel weak and helpless (Amnesia especially). In STALKER, recources are hard to come by, armor hardly helps and guns for the most part, suck. Exploration is key. Nightime is also the stuff of nightmares in that it's actually dark. There's nothing like traversing the countryside in the middle of a lightning storm looking for a friendly place to stay. It's just a very dense and atmospheric game.

Amnesia understands true fear. You can't fight, just hide. It's a testament to this game that I still don't really know what the monsters in the game look like because I was too scared to look during the game. Sad to see the boxart from the retail version just flat-out ruins it for you.

I feel bad that I didn't mention Dino Crisis in my orginal post.

I just got Dino Crisis 1 and 2 last week. Maybe I'll pop them in tonight.

 

[Raonak]

I wouldn't really call RE4 survival horror.
More action horror.

 

[Neff]

There's really only one choice.

Even the REmake, sublime as it is, cannot compete.

 

[Double_Helix]

I agree with the original resident evil for ps1

but, amnesia is a great game aswell.

check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpO_gQfsCfU

 

[Double_Helix]

The developers of scratches put out a playable demo of there latest title, Asylum.

Check it out here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYbE2l9zCCk

 

[News Bot]

There's really only one choice.

Even the REmake, sublime as it is, cannot compete.

I find REmake superior because it was much less blatant in what it ripped off. The original BH1 basically an amalgamation of Sweet Home, Alone In The Dark and Dr. Hauzer. The latter of which never gets credited despite a lot of the puzzles in BH1 coming directly from it.

That's not to say BH1 isn't fucking brilliant though, but its remake is superior in virtually every way.

 

[dralla]

The original RE titles are my favorite, 1,2,3,CV,Zero..all of them. I prefer them to RE4 which is a great game in its own right

 

[Neff]

I find REmake superior because it was much less blatant in what it ripped off. The original BH1 basically an amalgamation of Sweet Home, Alone In The Dark and Dr. Hauzer. The latter of which never gets credited despite a lot of the puzzles in BH1 coming directly from it.

That's not to say BH1 isn't fucking brilliant though, but its remake is superior in virtually every way.

I like the REmake a lot, it's a superb game. But the stilted, sluggish movement, more streamlined environment, and lack of humour (one way or another, the first game is very funny), place it second to the original for me.

 

[kodecraft]

Most will say RE4 is survival-action not survival-horror.

For more typical survival-horror, I think Silent Hill 2 or System Shock 2 is the highpoint of the genre and those two will never be topped.

It is survival-action-horror which I am perfectly ok with.

 

[old manatee]

What about Call of Cthulhu guys? That game had quite interesting survival elements.

The first half of that game was incredibly atmospheric. Kind of goes to shit after that.

 

[KennyLinder]

There was a game on PS2 by a French developer called Obscure, and that was quite cool. I think it was set in a school, and you played as different pupils.

 

[Double_Helix]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPwE3Mqapac

 

[TRHolmes(y)]

The first half of that game was incredibly atmospheric. Kind of goes to shit after that.

Once you get a gun, just turn the game off. Then it's pretty good

 

[Imbarkus]

There was a game on PS2 by a French developer called Obscure, and that was quite cool. I think it was set in a school, and you played as different pupils.

Yeah. Has co-op too.

There was a sequel for ps2 and wii.

 

[old manatee]

Manhunt was ridiculously creepy. It reverses the power dynamic of most horror games, but the feeling of being a methodical serial killer is disturbing in a way that is almost worse than being the victim in other games.

 

[Imbarkus]

Manhunt was ridiculously creepy. It reverses the power dynamic of most horror games, but the feeling of being a methodical serial killer is disturbing in a way that is almost worse than being the victim in other games.

True. Somehow muted in the sequel, even the AO version I bought.

 

[Baron Doggystyle von Woof]

Silent Hill 1 and 2 scared me like a little kid. So yeah I choose them.

Gotta try Amnesia.

 

[Hindle]

I'd say L4D is survival horror, it depends on what difficulty you play it on. Expert? get used to constantly watching your back and only just suriving.