Why Aren't Horror Games like 'Resident Evil' Scary Anymore?

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SchizoFrog

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It's the same reason that 'scary' movies aren't scary any more. They follow a set pattern and concentrate or the gore/graphics factor rather than a good scary. The original Silent Hill and Resident Evil games had great story lines, backed up by good graphics, not great graphics backed up by a vague reason for why you are constantly blasting something's head off.
 

DRosencraft

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Quarkzquarkz and SchizoFrog hit the main two points. First, we've had a period where there have been A LOT of horror games and movies. The same thing happened back when the original Halloween movies came out. Everyone started making them and then the general public became desensitized and turned away from horror for a bit.

Second, because of the prospect that the genre would tail off, the makers have tried to find a way to keep the train rolling. That has resulted in more focus on the thrill aspects (gore) rather than real fear.

I would also add that the reality of some motifs have been demystified. Zombies were never the most terrifying of the classic monsters, so they've been re-imagined as not "supernatural" in the classic sense, but more like mutations caused by humans. Nevertheless they have been done to death of late, further making it seem like every possible story has been done. Then you have the "glinting" of vampires thanks to the likes of Twilight.

It's a matter of perspective. If you've watched tons and tons of horror movies, played horror games, etc., you have a much deeper knowledge and experience with the genre than most people. It's obvious you'll start to feel that the genre's hit a wall or stopped innovating. It's the same way that as people get older they start complaining about how new pop music is terrible and start citing pop songs from their time.
 

shin0bi272

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Theyre not really horror games they're action/horror games. Horror games are based around the spooky factor of the game and its story while action/horror games are based around the fun of killing the spooky thing.
 

icepick314

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I don't think you can get used to truly "scary" game...

I went back to my old Xbox and played Fatal Frame 1 and 2 few months back and that game is STILL scary...

it's the setting and sound that makes scary game REALLY scary...

there's difference between "scary" and "surprise"...most "scary" games today are all about stuff coming out of small nooks and crannies to "surprise" you but you don't really get "scary"...

I wasn't really terrified of Dead Space 1 or 2 like I did with Fatal Frame...I'm gonna try Amnesia next because I hear that's pretty "scary" game...
 

spookyman

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Last scary game I played was Doom 3.

Part of it was good speakers, dark room and environmental sound. I love being jumped by zombies and demons or the light goes out on you.

Modern games dont do that anymore.
 

GNCD

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@Quarkzquarkz

We are not that desentisized. It is just that we are given too much power in most horror games. Ample supply of ammo, powerful weapons and almost Chuck Norris level of hand to hand combat. Most horror games today are really action games with horror elements. Gives us more RE1 style of horror. Hell, give us more Amensia style of games. If they want action horror games then they only need to look at Dead Space 3: Awakened. That DLC should have been what the main game was.
 

MajinCry

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I never liked these modern horror games. Just dark corners with scream-o's? That's just jumpy, not horrifying.

The only game that has ever unnerved me, is Eternal Darkness. That's on the level of other-wordly freaky; the good kind. None of this "RRRAAAAHHHH!" jumpy-nonsense.
 

seoguy

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I think it will get progressively harder to make scarier games because nothing is "new" anymore. 20 years ago, the original Doom was scary when you played it late at night -- today, it's just a bunch of pixels.
 

mauller07

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i dont feel anything for the characters in most of these apparently scary games, too many of them are just action games with a thin horror wrapper.

only game i really felt for was penumbra, now that was good, especially when you have people watching someone else play, is such a good spectator game.
 
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