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The horror... the horror... games of 2014.

Lifeless, it's a game not a movie. Plus CoD infused endorphins don't mix well either. I'm saying I don't buy it from a public demo. Some people hate silent hill, so?

It's a video games valves, killing monsters, repeat... Camera zoomed game mechanics wouldn't help either. We have 20+ indie horror games that do that in FP perspective.

I say these perspectives are complete bias. Wait until it launches. Forget saying "ouch".
 
Riposte said:
Well, it is a comeback mechanic from failing to avoid being grabbed (on higher difficulties, it isn't much of one). On one hand, it may be more likely because now there's a bunch of enemies who pounce on you from far away. On the other, you have counter, dodge, and all the around more mobility (in addition to good ol' shotgun blasts) to stop yourself from being grabbed.

EDIT: So in a sense, the more "wiggle the sticks" means something to you, the worse you are at the game.
Click to expand...

"You'll smash the buttons and wiggle the sticks" it's not a core mechanic of RE, it is a mechanic of the newer or current inferior REs though.
As a fan of old survival horror games like galerians, Dino Crisis, Clock tower and all the likes, i feel that the only games that come close to a modern adaptation of the concept this past gen are Siren and The Last of US.

On topic, i'm very exited for SOMA, it looks awesome. Also, there are way to many games like Amnesia, trends i guess...
 
Messofanego said:
Oh yeah, DreadOut demo had me legit shook. Fuck that shit.

j2zEKGmJ6HlsH.jpg
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I thought it was a bit bland, especially once the monster start coming out.

I still have faith in the project though!
 
Holy shit, several of those games look awesome. I knew I wanted Alien: Isolation, but I had never heard of some of those indie ones.
 
These look pretty decent. I was always too much of a pussy to get into horror games, so Amnesia was my first one (lights out, headphones, all alone I figured was best). I enjoyed it a lot, and I wouldn't mind seeing some actual horror games like it in the future.

Also, has there ever been a horror game that deals with the fear of the deep ocean that is done effectively? I'd like to see something like that as a horror game. The stuff that lurks down there is absolutely terrifying.
 
Polygon has a longer description of the boxman sequence from The Evil Within. It actually sounds kinda interesting

In the demo, the player quickly pulled out a shotgun and blasted the Keeper with the weapon until the creature's body shuddered, collapsed and the safe's door popped open and a blood poured out in thick rivulets.

Running through the dungeon, Castellano picked up some gear from different rooms including a flashlight and what appeared to be gears. The gears, I was told later, can be used to craft ammo for certain weapons. In this case, the player created special bolts for a crossbow that can freeze enemies in an explosion of ice.

Later, we see the weapon in action as Castellano shoots the Keeper with a bolt, freezing him solid and allowing him to blast away at the creature until it collapses.

The Keeper's ability to respawn isn't just used to allow the creature to return to antagonize Castellano over and over again. In one scene, the detective manages to slip away from the creature and finds himself on the other side of a cage from the Keeper.

Undaunted, the Keeper grabbed his the barbed safe on his neck and slowly started to pull it forward, struggling to rend the tendons that attached it to his body until finally it popped loose, releasing a stream of blood and seemingly killing the Keeper. But the gouts of blood that poured from the safe door oozed through the cell bars and then into another nearby safe, growing a new giant body and attacking Castellano.

As Castellano ran from the creature he stepped on a trap, barbed wire shoot from the device, wrapping like steel vines around his leg. After freeing himself, the detective managed to open a vault door and escape through it, closing the door behind him. As the door swung shut on the view of the Keeper, you could see the creature pulling at his head, trying to wrest it free from his neck. The sound of a head popping loose could be clearly heard through the door. Castellano ran, rounded a corner only to discover a safe laying on the ground. As he approached it, it popped off the ground, strands of barbed wire shooting out and grabbing Castellano's face. The safe slammed against the detectives head, barbed wire wrapping around the head until he manages to pull it loose. When the safe fell to the ground, it grew a body and the Keeper gave chase.

Where the first demo looked almost like a standard shooter with zombies and a couple of twists, the second demo was a startling take on horror with a surprising macabre twist.
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http://www.polygon.com/2014/4/11/5606228/the-evil-within-demo-pax-east

It seems like a lot of the fears for the game seem to center around that first demo which sounds like it plays out from a typical sequences from "horror" games since the release of RE4. I'm not particularly liking the descriptions i'm hearing of it because Mikami gave the impression that saving ammo was going to be important like it once was in horror game. But it just seems like you're pumping magazines into enemies during that section.
 
I wouldn't mind if the guys behind Silent Hill Downpour get another go on a next gen SH, if they can improve a lot.

I have some hopes for Alien Isolation if only because I'm a fan of the franchise.
Still have to finish Outlast, but many of the current horror games seem to fall into the same line of giving your scares via the first person perspective, not a bad thing by itself but many of those games look the same somehow.



However, the horror game I want most is a new Siren by Project Siren. They are the people with the highest chance of producing something that can be mentioned among Silent Hill 2 etc.
I still can't believe they didn't follow up with a proper sequel on PS3 with the same engine etc. (did they really do Blood Curse just to test episodic content?!).
I won't give up hope!
 
SolidusDave said:
I wouldn't mind if the guys behind Silent Hill Downpour get another go on a next gen SH, if they can improve a lot.

I have some hopes for Alien Isolation if only because I'm a fan of the franchise.
Still have to finish Outlast, but many of the current horror games seem to fall into the same line of giving your scares via the first person perspective, not a bad thing by itself but many of those games look the same somehow.



However, the horror game I want most is a new Siren by Project Siren. They are the people with the highest chance of producing something that can be mentioned among Silent Hill 2 etc.
I still can't believe they didn't follow up with a proper sequel on PS3 with the same engine etc. (did they really do Blood Curse just to test episodic content?!).
I won't give up hope!
Click to expand...
Oh man!, a new horror game by them would be glorious. Maybe after Gravity Rush 2?
 
SolidusDave said:
However, the horror game I want most is a new Siren by Project Siren. They are the people with the highest chance of producing something that can be mentioned among Silent Hill 2 etc.
I still can't believe they didn't follow up with a proper sequel on PS3 with the same engine etc. (did they really do Blood Curse just to test episodic content?!).
I won't give up hope!
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that they were planning to do a sequel. One of Sony's divisions even had an art contest where the winners Shibito would be included in the next game. But Sony let Toyama make his dream game, which was Gravity Rush. With that said, he has said that he wants to make another horror game

3. — "It's a staple, but I'd like to make an adventure epic in a vast imaginary world. User communication is becoming a standard feature, but I'd like to have people having fun sharing their experiences of what they felt or saw rather than just items or parameters. That, or something you can clear in a few hours, like a first person supernatural nightmare experience."
Click to expand...

http://kotaku.com/5990489/japanese-developers-weigh-in-on-the-ps4
 
SolidusDave said:
I wouldn't mind if the guys behind Silent Hill Downpour get another go on a next gen SH, if they can improve a lot.

I have some hopes for Alien Isolation if only because I'm a fan of the franchise.
Still have to finish Outlast, but many of the current horror games seem to fall into the same line of giving your scares via the first person perspective, not a bad thing by itself but many of those games look the same somehow.



However, the horror game I want most is a new Siren by Project Siren. They are the people with the highest chance of producing something that can be mentioned among Silent Hill 2 etc.
I still can't believe they didn't follow up with a proper sequel on PS3 with the same engine etc. (did they really do Blood Curse just to test episodic content?!).
I won't give up hope!
Click to expand...

I wonder if the team even still exists? Man the first 2 siren games were great. Ok looking up info seems that they renamed themselves to team gravity? So if thats the case means these are the guys working on Gravity Rush 2 then, which means if there was going to be another siren game by them wouldnt be out till GR2 is done.
 
Christ, I'm getting very sensitive since having a kid... I couldn't even finish the preview of Among the Sleep. Kept imagining my daughter in that situation and it was just horrifying.
 
Keihart said:
"You'll smash the buttons and wiggle the sticks" it's not a core mechanic of RE, it is a mechanic of the newer or current inferior REs though.
As a fan of old survival horror games like galerians, Dino Crisis, Clock tower and all the likes, i feel that the only games that come close to a modern adaptation of the concept this past gen are Siren and The Last of US.
Click to expand...

Resident Evil's had stick-shaking since RE2.

Also, ZombiU is much, much closer to classic RE than TLoU. Play it.
 
SolidSnakex said:
I'm pretty sure that they were planning to do a sequel. One of Sony's divisions even had an art contest where the winners Shibito would be included in the next game. But Sony let Toyama make his dream game, which was Gravity Rush. With that said, he has said that he wants to make another horror game
http://kotaku.com/5990489/japanese-developers-weigh-in-on-the-ps4
Click to expand...

Well I guess it's best that Sony allows them to make the game they want to do, but it's unfortunate that it's something so completely different (and I'm not a fan of handhelds).

I bet Blood Curse was pretty profitable (online sales, short with re-used content, variable price structure, very small team).

Parakeetman said:
I wonder if the team even still exists? Man the first 2 siren games were great. Ok looking up info seems that they renamed themselves to team gravity? So if thats the case means these are the guys working on Gravity Rush 2 then, which means if there was going to be another siren game by them wouldnt be out till GR2 is done.
Click to expand...

The name change is discouraging :/
And yeah, I didn't think about GR2, so it will take quite a long time even if they decide to do another Siren.

Siren 2003 PlayStation 2
Forbidden Siren 2 2006 PlayStation 2
Siren: Blood Curse 2008 PlayStation 3
Gravity Rush 2012 PlayStation Vita
Gravity Rush 2 TBA PlayStation Vita
Click to expand...

So it's been longer since the last Siren game came out than the total timeframe in which these games were released, ouch :(
 
TheRedSnifit said:
Resident Evil's had stick-shaking since RE2.

Also, ZombiU is much, much closer to classic RE than TLoU. Play it.
Click to expand...

I REALLY don't remember the stick shaking on RE2, it was a long time ago.
I'm playing ZombieU rigth now, while i find it quite dull, my little 7 year old brother it's having a blast with it and he couldn't bother to finish Mario World 3d, he really loves zombies in games tho.
 
Northeastmonk said:
Lifeless, it's a game not a movie. Plus CoD infused endorphins don't mix well either. I'm saying I don't buy it from a public demo. Some people hate silent hill, so?

It's a video games valves, killing monsters, repeat... Camera zoomed game mechanics wouldn't help either. We have 20+ indie horror games that do that in FP perspective.

I say these perspectives are complete bias. Wait until it launches. Forget saying "ouch".
Click to expand...

Yeah, and you don't sound biased at all with this.
 
Damn, that's an awesome lineup of games on the way... love seeing this genre revitalized after the disappointing turn Resident Evil took.
 
Omega Rex said:
Dying Light isn't a horror game. the AI is dumb as shit, on one of the IGN videos the guy is free running on top of zombies.

Zombies =/= horror

The whole point of being a horror game is the tension and vulnerability. With a lot of these games that you would prefer, the combat takes away those two aspects and just relies on cheap scare tactics.
Click to expand...

Um, no?

The whole point of horror is to be faced with something repulsive and frightening.

Tension and vulnerability have nothing to do with this, and it's an emotion you could convey in things like Half-Life or a sports game if you wanted to.

You're describing terror.
 
SolidSnakex said:
Polygon has a longer description of the boxman sequence from The Evil Within. It actually sounds kinda interesting



http://www.polygon.com/2014/4/11/5606228/the-evil-within-demo-pax-east

It seems like a lot of the fears for the game seem to center around that first demo which sounds like it plays out from a typical sequences from "horror" games since the release of RE4. I'm not particularly liking the descriptions i'm hearing of it because Mikami gave the impression that saving ammo was going to be important like it once was in horror game. But it just seems like you're pumping magazines into enemies during that section.
Click to expand...

That sounds alot better, just hoping it was a bad demo then =/
 
Boomstick (Coffee Crazy) said:
These look pretty decent. I was always too much of a pussy to get into horror games, so Amnesia was my first one (lights out, headphones, all alone I figured was best). I enjoyed it a lot, and I wouldn't mind seeing some actual horror games like it in the future.

Also, has there ever been a horror game that deals with the fear of the deep ocean that is done effectively? I'd like to see something like that as a horror game. The stuff that lurks down there is absolutely terrifying.
Click to expand...

Deep sea horror is something I think still needs a lot of exploring. However, SOMA seems to be just that, so we'll have to see how it does.

There's several horror games that take place underwater, but I feel they don't use their underwater setting to the fullest. For example, Deep Fear is a game set entirely underwater, but I don't think it deals with any of the real horrors or strange creatures in the sea.

However, there are a few games to scratch the itch. Cold Fear isn't under the sea, but has some pretty good oceanic moments on a ship (and later on an oil platform) which are worth checking out if you want sea-faring horror. There's also certain segments in games that recall water fear well. One example I can think of is a section in Dino Crisis 2 where you're in an underwater facility that's flooded and these underwater dinosaurs come out from the dark crevices of the deep.

Still, I feel underwater is woefully underplayed in the horror genre. I think that exploring more of the actual creepiest underwater enemies and the somewhat isolated, serene, but creepy setting could do a lot.

This topic may be relevant to your interest.

SolidusDave said:
I wouldn't mind if the guys behind Silent Hill Downpour get another go on a next gen SH, if they can improve a lot.

I have some hopes for Alien Isolation if only because I'm a fan of the franchise.
Still have to finish Outlast, but many of the current horror games seem to fall into the same line of giving your scares via the first person perspective, not a bad thing by itself but many of those games look the same somehow.



However, the horror game I want most is a new Siren by Project Siren. They are the people with the highest chance of producing something that can be mentioned among Silent Hill 2 etc.
I still can't believe they didn't follow up with a proper sequel on PS3 with the same engine etc. (did they really do Blood Curse just to test episodic content?!).
I won't give up hope!
Click to expand...

I am going to hate typing this response, because I have to break your heart twice.

The developers behind Downpour actually have disbanded, they couldn't afford to keep their company afloat after the release of Downpour. A shame, as I feel if they had a second swing at it they could have made an amazing game, or just another attempt at the horror genre in general.

On Siren, the director recently said he'd be fully interested in making a new horror game (not said if he meant Siren or a new series), but he and his team right now don't have the budget for it.
 
Played the newest build of Neverending Nightmares, man that constant dread in the soundscape is so good. Might put up a playthrough of it. Some new enemies and stealth gameplay.

Boomstick (Coffee Crazy) said:
These look pretty decent. I was always too much of a pussy to get into horror games, so Amnesia was my first one (lights out, headphones, all alone I figured was best). I enjoyed it a lot, and I wouldn't mind seeing some actual horror games like it in the future.

Also, has there ever been a horror game that deals with the fear of the deep ocean that is done effectively? I'd like to see something like that as a horror game. The stuff that lurks down there is absolutely terrifying.
Click to expand...

There was an audio-only game called Deep Sea (video) that required wearing a special mask, was only shown at conventions years ago by Robin Arnott. SOMA, presuming will tap into that since it's all based underwater.
 
I'm so happy to see how many of those games are coming to PC. I very recently got back into PC gaming so maybe I just didn't notice before, but was it always so common for PC to get ports of so many games?
 
I really don't have the nerve for horror games, but I'm really excited for Among The Sleep.

Original idea and developed by Norwegians, can't beat that ;)
 
Still having high hopes for TEW, more combat and less hiding in closets is how I prefer it, actually.
Though I sure hope they add some animations of the character being scared or surprised. Even in the trailers, him not even caring about weird shit happening around seems jarring and visibly hurts the immersion, and the demo impressions confirm that.

Keihart said:
"You'll smash the buttons and wiggle the sticks" it's not a core mechanic of RE, it is a mechanic of the newer or current inferior REs though.
Click to expand...

I don't remember about RE1 and RE2 (I think there was some mashing/wiggling to escape a grab), but RE3 had you mash buttons to stand up after being knocked down to the ground and punished you for not mashing hard enough. To be honest, I always found that one more frustrating than ANY QTE in RE6.
 
DocSeuss said:
Um, no?

The whole point of horror is to be faced with something repulsive and frightening.

Tension and vulnerability have nothing to do with this, and it's an emotion you could convey in things like Half-Life or a sports game if you wanted to.

You're describing terror.
Click to expand...

What you're describing might be "horror" from a dictionary perspective, but that does not accurately describe the horror genre of gaming. The horror genre grew out of Japanese horror films which, contrary to western horror films, are about tension and extreme fear. The psychology of fear. There is some gore as well, but it's not the primary factor.

Look at Fatal Frame, one of the best examples of the horror genre. You're alone in a haunted village with vengeful ghosts, and all you have is a camera. Most of the time you're walking through empty rooms. It's about fear, tension, vulnerability. Night of the Living Dead started the modern zombie thing, but it wasn't about gore, it was a metaphor for all the social conflict going on in the late 60s. This idea of repulsion, or fright from hideous monsters, is a modern western invention. But the idea of a monster, the fear of it, is much more powerful than its visage.

I mean we can debate all day about the difference, and what is horror and what is not, but traditional horror games are about the feeling of powerlessness and the psychology of that fear. Some modern games have tried to focus on shock value and gore porn in the mold of the Evil Dead films, and that's fine if you're into that, but I don't think it's entirely accurate to put those kinds of games under the same genre.
 
eyeball_kid said:
What you're describing might be "horror" from a dictionary perspective, but that does not accurately describe the horror genre of gaming. The horror genre grew out of Japanese horror films which, contrary to western horror films, are about tension and extreme fear. The psychology of fear. There is some gore as well, but it's not the primary factor.

Look at Fatal Frame, one of the best examples of the horror genre. You're alone in a haunted village with vengeful ghosts, and all you have is a camera. Most of the time you're walking through empty rooms. It's about fear, tension, vulnerability. Night of the Living Dead started the modern zombie thing, but it wasn't about gore, it was a metaphor for all the social conflict going on in the late 60s. This idea of repulsion, or fright from hideous monsters, is a modern western invention. But the idea of a monster, the fear of it, is much more powerful than its visage.

I mean we can debate all day about the difference, and what is horror and what is not, but traditional horror games are about the feeling of powerlessness and the psychology of that fear. Some modern games have tried to focus on shock value and gore porn in the mold of the Evil Dead films, and that's fine if you're into that, but I don't think it's entirely accurate to put those kinds of games under the same genre.
Click to expand...

What? The horror genre of gaming is the same as it is in film. Different philosophies exist to reach the same conclusion: scaring the hell out of people.

What is gore porn?

Mikami gets credit for damn near starting the "survival" horror genre and his games had obvious western influences (moreso than Alone in the Dark). RE and Sweet Home both were of the haunted house variety that were popular here...and they were focused on gore...
 
Hype for Evil Within dropping drastically, but I now know that there are more than 1 or 2 "horror" games coming out in 2014, so that's pretty awesome.
 
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