gaming Phasing Out Horror Games?

[Fire_Fly 499]

It seems like horror games are slowly but steadily going extinct as the gaming world expands. I'm starting to lose interest in all my favorite horror game franchises, because the 'horror' element is vanishing from them. For example, I liked the Silent Hill games because they were genuinely scary, and not in a temporary shock-value way. Now, with games like Silent Hill: Downpour, and Homecoming, the element of fear is gone, and the series is becoming more focused on puzzles and collectibles than anything else.

 

Resident Evil is another favorite series of mine, because the games were scary in a creative and universal way, but ever since Resident Evil 5, the series has gone from great survival/horror games to simply survival games. There's just no apparent effort to be scary anymore.

 

What does everyone think? Is the concept of a decent horror game dying, or are there still games out there keeping the idea alive?

[Jadefire 2,797]

The Condemned series was some of the most frightening video games I've ever played, and the first Dead Space was kinda scary (I haven't played the second one). I think the concept of horror games still have life in it, it's just the long-running franchises are losing some of their luster.

Edited June 18, 2012 by Jadefizoid

[spas-ticShotty 3,584]

Amnesia has been making it sorta popular lately

[Skullbuster 1,906]

The Condemned series was some of the most frightening video games I've ever played, and the first Dead Space was kinda scary (I haven't played the second one). I think the concept of horror games still have life in it, it's just the long-running franchises are losing some of their luster.

 

the first condemned wasnt that scary to me,

[SrFrog 927]

There will always be games out there that will cater to the horror enthusiast but the problem is many of those old horror series just didn't have that pulling power they once had. Thus the need to evolve, and in that process we ended up with shooter/survival games that don't have that certain factor anymore.

[Fire_Fly 499]

The Condemned series was some of the most frightening video games I've ever played, and the first Dead Space was kinda scary (I haven't played the second one). I think the concept of horror games still have life in it, it's just the long-running franchises are losing some of their luster.

 

I like the Condemned series, but it doesn't have too many installments, and there hasn't been a new one in a while (as far as I know). But you've got a point there. Maybe the secret to a scary game series is brevity, unless you've got developers dedicated to keeping things scary in new ways.

 

I've played through Dead Space 2, and it's not really all that scary. On the other hand, I do love the gameplay and storyline, and the creativity makes up for it.

[Victoria and Co. 782]

There's a new Amnesia coming out.

Amnesia: Machine for Pugs

I mean Pigs.

I mean Snakes.

 

Anyway, I'm sure it's just a phase, like all games, books, movies, etc. the popularity and quality of such works differ from time-to-time.

[Bohtty 1,775]

It seems like horror games are slowly but steadily going extinct as the gaming world expands. I'm starting to lose interest in all my favorite horror game franchises, because the 'horror' element is vanishing from them. For example, I liked the Silent Hill games because they were genuinely scary, and not in a temporary shock-value way. Now, with games like Silent Hill: Downpour, and Homecoming, the element of fear is gone, and the series is becoming more focused on puzzles and collectibles than anything else.

 

Resident Evil is another favorite series of mine, because the games were scary in a creative and universal way, but ever since Resident Evil 5, the series has gone from great survival/horror games to simply survival games. There's just no apparent effort to be scary anymore.

 

What does everyone think? Is the concept of a decent horror game dying, or are there still games out there keeping the idea alive?

 

This is a complicated and sad topic.

Here's the thing. Most people don't enjoy being scared in their games. As a result they are making them less scary to sell more. True horror has become niche. There will still be people that make true horror games, but there will be less companies making them. As an economics says, as the demand lowers, so too does the supply.

 

It's just like niche hard core MMOs like Ultima and Darkfall. More people want games like WoW then those that actually take true skill and time to play. Society as a whole is becoming impatient, but that's another topic.

 

Essentially, horror games will not die out completely because there will always be people like you who want them. Your just going to have to look harder. Try indie game communities.

[Jokuc 8,174]

Well atleast Amnesia is more pure horror. I don't think it's dying, I think it is changing.

[AngelofDeath 259]

The only horror game series i've played is the F.E.A.R. series. I'm not exactly gonna say its really horror based...but to some it might be

[Snowflake 88]

 

Most games now don't get too scary, as most have said. In my opinion, it's because people complain. (for example: parents who buy their kids M rated horror games and then bitch when their kids are afraid) but that's an opinion. Their are some indie games out there that are decently scary ( as Bohtty said) but If you want scary, go buy a ps2, because that's where all the scares are. Most games that are actually scary are ps2 or computer based. A personal fav being The Fatal Frame series. (ps2, Xbox, and now (god help us all) Wii and 3DS)

If I may also say something off topic, I'm sick of damn Nintendo ruining my good games by making them over. >_<

Edited June 18, 2012 by Snowflake

[AngelofDeath 259]

I couldn't agree more about that last part with the Nintendo. But on topic i'm actually surprised no one has said anything about....what was it....the Doom series. Never played it myself but I always heard it was scary.

[Nah 3,182]

Its simple, people aren't that scared of things anymore, many of those games would scare you a decade ago and won't let you sleep for weeks.

 

Then again, the video game industry is losing creativity. Like the movie industry and the music industry.

[Fire_Fly 499]

Its simple, people aren't that scared of things anymore, many of those games would scare you a decade ago and won't let you sleep for weeks.

 

Then again, the video game industry is losing creativity. Like the movie industry and the music industry.

 

I don't know whether or not people are becoming less easily-scared. After all, shock value still works pretty well on most people, and it's heavily used in movies; but I agree that the gaming industry is becoming less creative. The gaming world is being taken over by First-Person Shooters and online play, and people are forgetting all about things like storyline, horror, and imagination.

[GrooveBroove 680]

I just wanna put this out there but if RE4 was "scary" than we were playing a different game.

RE4 had more atmosphere to it, while yes RE5 was indeed much more action focused throughout.

Though for me I've enjoyed all the RE's thus far mainly because it was the stories and characters that got me hooked rather than the gameplay.

 

Aside from that. I can understand where you're coming from though.

Games have indeed shifted there scares, even stuff like Dead Space isn't actually scary.

I feel the biggest reason is because going onwards no developer is sure how to make something horrifying while still making it playable from all the masses. Its sad they think that way but they are a business.

 

As for Silent Hill I think the biggest issue there is Team Silent left, and these western devs aren't doing a good job catching the tone from the earlier games. It looks like a lot of scares are going to have to rely on the indie or smaller dev teams, who can make exactly what they want with no creative restraints.

 

Though I think sooner or later the balance might shift again to allow horror games to grow again.

While it's good that more people play games today, at the same time the influx of people playing is why we see so many FPS and such rather than the unique titles of or the ones that want to take the risk.

[Fire_Fly 499]

I just wanna put this out there but if RE4 was "scary" than we were playing a different game.

RE4 had more atmosphere to it, while yes RE5 was indeed much more action focused throughout.

Though for me I've enjoyed all the RE's thus far mainly because it was the stories and characters that got me hooked rather than the gameplay.

 

Aside from that. I can understand where you're coming from though.

Games have indeed shifted there scares, even stuff like Dead Space isn't actually scary.

I feel the biggest reason is because going onwards no developer is sure how to make something horrifying while still making it playable from all the masses. Its sad they think that way but they are a business.

 

As for Silent Hill I think the biggest issue there is Team Silent left, and these western devs aren't doing a good job catching the tone from the earlier games. It looks like a lot of scares are going to have to rely on the indie or smaller dev teams, who can make exactly what they want with no creative restraints.

 

Though I think sooner or later the balance might shift again to allow horror games to grow again.

While it's good that more people play games today, at the same time the influx of people playing is why we see so many FPS and such rather than the unique titles of or the ones that want to take the risk.

 

True, Resident Evil 4 wasn't objectively scary, but it did have a sense of dark surprise and urgency that was synonymous to the Resident Evil name, until RE 5 came along.

 

I notice a lot of developers try to appeal to an audience outside their original target group, and that might be what's edging out the concept of horror games. Their attempts to reach a larger audience cause them to change the basis of a game entirely, even if it's part of a consistent series. In extreme cases, they'll change it until it's barely recognizable as a game in that series. It's possible that they continue to suddenly change a game's direction because it seems to work so well at drawing in profit.

[Discordian 6,015]

There's more to horror than scaring the player. To me, horror is equally horror as long as it's a horrifying experience for the character. Movies like Deep Rising weren't scary in the least but it's still horror, games like Resident Evil 4, Eternal Darkness or Bioshock are a lot less scary for the player than games like Silent Hill and RE1 but they are still horror because of their atmosphere on top of gore. I don't care what anyone says: Gore is still a part of horror, even if it's excessive, as long as it's used in a way to make someone want to throw up or feel disgusted at whatever did it instead of just being a way to make action look more realistic or "actiony"

 

I firmly believe horror doesn't necessarily have anything to do with scaring the player/viewer because there's far more elements to it than just doing that. "It's not scary, it's not horror" is a silly thought process.

[The Awesome One 1,315]

It was just a phase. I don't know much about the gaming world since I'm still living in the 2005 era when it comes to games but I'm pretty sure the new Kinect dancing games are the replacement for the horror genre.

 

Also, with today's graphics, people will be scared shitless and will run out of money because they'll need new pants every few minutes.

Edited June 18, 2012 by The Awesome Egg

[spas-ticShotty 3,584]

Its simple, people aren't that scared of things anymore, many of those games would scare you a decade ago and won't let you sleep for weeks.

 

Then again, the video game industry is losing creativity. Like the movie industry and the music industry.

 

We've run out of idea's

[Nah 3,182]

We've run out of idea's

 

Well then

 

[Strafe 594]

I want a horror game where, if you die, you have to start the game all over again--think about it--it would scare people shitless. But, then again, it would never happen in this era of gaming.

[Discordian 6,015]

I want a horror game where, if you die, you have to start the game all over again--think about it--it would scare people shitless. But, then again, it would never happen in this era of gaming.

 

That was one of the reasons the old Resident Evil games sucked, because of their over-the-top difficulty that was intended to "scare" the player into getting better. It was a BS mechanic more than anything.

[Fire_Fly 499]

There's more to horror than scaring the player. To me, horror is equally horror as long as it's a horrifying experience for the character. Movies like Deep Rising weren't scary in the least but it's still horror, games like Resident Evil 4, Eternal Darkness or Bioshock are a lot less scary for the player than games like Silent Hill and RE1 but they are still horror because of their atmosphere on top of gore. I don't care what anyone says: Gore is still a part of horror, even if it's excessive, as long as it's used in a way to make someone want to throw up or feel disgusted at whatever did it instead of just being a way to make action look more realistic or "actiony"

 

I firmly believe horror doesn't necessarily have anything to do with scaring the player/viewer because there's far more elements to it than just doing that. "It's not scary, it's not horror" is a silly thought process.

 

I agree that horror games aren't all focused on a "player scare" factor, but I still think it should be worked in at least somewhere. There are games intended for the horror genre, but fail to live up to the expectations of that genre, so the gaming world slaps another label on it in an attempt to compensate. For example, Resident Evil's transition from "Horror", to "Horror/Survival" after the incorporation of all the extra action and dynamic interactive cutscenes.

[Strafe 594]

the old Resident Evil games sucked

 

[Discordian 6,015]

Gotta take into consideration that not everyone is scared the same. Some people aren't scared at all by some games like Bioshock, I was scared shitless through 90% of the game. lol

 

 

I meant gameplay-wise, not overall. I like the games well enough but their gameplay was horrible.