Comments on: How to save survival horror http://www.infinitelives.net/2008/10/01/how-to-save-survival-horror/ Exploring the value of games-as-iconography in art, literature, and popular culture Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:22:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Infinite Lives » No, but seriously, what makes a horror game scary? http://www.infinitelives.net/2008/10/01/how-to-save-survival-horror/comment-page-1/#comment-945 Infinite Lives » No, but seriously, what makes a horror game scary? Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:50:55 +0000 http://www.infinitelives.net/?p=522#comment-945 [...] Talamasca concludes that true horror “rarely exists in video games: the player is almost never truly helpless.” I think I agree, except that I’ve gone a step further and specified that true horror is almost always unfair. [...] [...] Talamasca concludes that true horror “rarely exists in video games: the player is almost never truly helpless.” I think I agree, except that I’ve gone a step further and specified that true horror is almost always unfair. [...]

]]> By: Kevin Bunch http://www.infinitelives.net/2008/10/01/how-to-save-survival-horror/comment-page-1/#comment-800 Kevin Bunch Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:40:42 +0000 http://www.infinitelives.net/?p=522#comment-800 Must comment: At our recent "horror game night" we ran Clock Tower, on PS1. And wow! Despite the fact that the game has aged terribly visually, and the voice acting is mid-90s atrocious, the game gets across the fear factor for the very reasons you mentioned. You can't FIGHT Scissorman; he can only be stunned, and hid away from. It was a blast watching my friend playing the game freak out because Scissorman was breaking into his hiding place, and he worried his character was too scared to fight him off. I'm not really going anywhere with this, only confirming that I think you've hit the nail on the head. Freaky events can only go so far. I admit, though, there's a certain fear factor in Dead Rising, when you're still a low level, weak, and have to battle through a zombie horde. But I think that's a different sort of fear, entirely. Must comment: At our recent “horror game night” we ran Clock Tower, on PS1. And wow! Despite the fact that the game has aged terribly visually, and the voice acting is mid-90s atrocious, the game gets across the fear factor for the very reasons you mentioned. You can’t FIGHT Scissorman; he can only be stunned, and hid away from. It was a blast watching my friend playing the game freak out because Scissorman was breaking into his hiding place, and he worried his character was too scared to fight him off.

I’m not really going anywhere with this, only confirming that I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. Freaky events can only go so far.

I admit, though, there’s a certain fear factor in Dead Rising, when you’re still a low level, weak, and have to battle through a zombie horde. But I think that’s a different sort of fear, entirely.

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