In my opinion, would be to get rid of the flawed idea that the only one to create a scary atmosphere is through gore, creepy looking monsters, and over the top violence, and replace it with a more psychological type.
Sure, Silent Hill is meant to be a bit like this from what I hear, but it and Eternal Darkness (which is arguably just that bit closer to the concept) still rely on creepy monsters and flat out scaring the player rather than slowly making them lose their nerves and general sanity.
Why don't more games look at films like Jaws and Alien in this regard, where much of the film doesn't actually even show the threat/monster the protagonists are up against, and eventually builds up a rather creepy atmosphere by causing the viewer to constantly anticipate a scary moment?
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NothingIsScarier
In non horror games, I think the Zelda series Forest Temple was pretty much dead on here, outside of Master Quest (and even that's minimal), there are pretty much no blatantly 'scary' enemies to be found. Funny really, one huge level, with near completely emptiness and a somewhat creepy song, and not one Redead or Gibdo to be found, yet it arguably makes the Shadow Temple and Well seem a bit less creepy in comparison, both of which are crawling with the standard horror themed monsters.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=322V5rD6ko4[/media]
I've also thought a good 'horror' game could be based off those Doctor Who stories Stephen Moffat tends to write. I mean, look at stuff like Blink, or the Time of Angels, or Silence in the Library, or The Impossible Astronaut, and tell me some of the monsters wouldn't make good horror game enemies. There's a lot of potentially creepy stuff there, like monsters that can near instantly kill you because you're not currently looking at them/nothing is observing them (and can be brought to life through merely having images of them, or from someone's memories), creatures made of darkness that can reduce someone to a skeleton by them stepping in shadows and creatures who instantly disappear from your memories as soon as you stop looking at them, meaning that they can't be described.
Or the various other things, like those gas mask zombies, or that episode where water is the the substance through which a sort of zombie plague spreads.
Indeed, I'm surprised no one tried a game a bit like that, because I can guarantee it'd survive the test of time better than any B movie style game would, due to only needing simple special effects and limited graphics/technical power.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1cjNipPTL8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrMXwOkOMg0&feature=related
Thoughts?
Sure, Silent Hill is meant to be a bit like this from what I hear, but it and Eternal Darkness (which is arguably just that bit closer to the concept) still rely on creepy monsters and flat out scaring the player rather than slowly making them lose their nerves and general sanity.
Why don't more games look at films like Jaws and Alien in this regard, where much of the film doesn't actually even show the threat/monster the protagonists are up against, and eventually builds up a rather creepy atmosphere by causing the viewer to constantly anticipate a scary moment?
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NothingIsScarier
In non horror games, I think the Zelda series Forest Temple was pretty much dead on here, outside of Master Quest (and even that's minimal), there are pretty much no blatantly 'scary' enemies to be found. Funny really, one huge level, with near completely emptiness and a somewhat creepy song, and not one Redead or Gibdo to be found, yet it arguably makes the Shadow Temple and Well seem a bit less creepy in comparison, both of which are crawling with the standard horror themed monsters.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=322V5rD6ko4[/media]
I've also thought a good 'horror' game could be based off those Doctor Who stories Stephen Moffat tends to write. I mean, look at stuff like Blink, or the Time of Angels, or Silence in the Library, or The Impossible Astronaut, and tell me some of the monsters wouldn't make good horror game enemies. There's a lot of potentially creepy stuff there, like monsters that can near instantly kill you because you're not currently looking at them/nothing is observing them (and can be brought to life through merely having images of them, or from someone's memories), creatures made of darkness that can reduce someone to a skeleton by them stepping in shadows and creatures who instantly disappear from your memories as soon as you stop looking at them, meaning that they can't be described.
Or the various other things, like those gas mask zombies, or that episode where water is the the substance through which a sort of zombie plague spreads.
Indeed, I'm surprised no one tried a game a bit like that, because I can guarantee it'd survive the test of time better than any B movie style game would, due to only needing simple special effects and limited graphics/technical power.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1cjNipPTL8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrMXwOkOMg0&feature=related
Thoughts?
