AAAIIIEEEEEEE: Games Make Better Horror Than Movies

News Reader · Post by **News Reader** » August 29th, 2007, 7:01

AAAIIIEEEEEEE: Games Make Better Horror Than Movies

Movies used to be scary, but not anymore. Games, though...games are scary. That's the argument made by Wired's Clive Thompson, who's currently peeing his pants over BioShock:

...the best scary-game designers have quietly perfected the interplay of tension and release that makes for a truly cardiac horror experience. They have, in a sense, become even more faithful interpreters of the horror tradition movies than Hollywood directors.

Can't help but agree with the man. Maybe not on BioShock, for some reason I'm more disturbed than terrified by it, but games like AvP, AvP 2, Doom 3...had to play those with the lights on. And my blankie. Which I don't think I've had to do with a movie in the past, oh, 15-20 years.

Gore Is Less: Videogames Make Better Horror Than Hollywood [Wired]

Author: Luke Plunkett
Category: AAAIIIEEEEEEE Bioshock Clive Thompson
Publish Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2007 01:30:00 EDT
Read more...

Source: Kotaku

Post by **Dr. kitteny berk** » August 29th, 2007, 7:11

Speaks truth.

Especially for AvP.

spoodie · Post by **spoodie** » August 29th, 2007, 9:45

Agreed. These days it takes a lot for a horror film to effect me, but games is another matter. Even with a quicksave button to hammer on every couple of minutes I still creep around nervously in games like Bioshock and FEAR.

What games give you the fear?

Lateralus · Post by **Lateralus** » August 29th, 2007, 10:30

Bioshock hasn't exactly given me the fear, but I do think that the atmospheric part of it has been done very well indeed. F.E.A.R. also failed to properly scare me, insofaras I never actually jumped, but I did have the feeling of "gosh, this is rather well done and is probably should be a bit scary." Never played AvP.

Chickenz · Post by **Chickenz** » August 29th, 2007, 10:52

AVP is a pure heart stopping ARGH JEESUS CHRIST fest of a game. Play as the Marine if you dare and try not to cack yourself as your motion tracker blips uncontrollably.

FEAR was win but didn't install much fear, only time I jumped was when naked skeletor jumped out of the corridor filled with blood.

BIOSHOCK only made me jump once and that was when a houdini splicer appeared behind me when I was checking a box. Fucker didn't do anything, just stood there to suprise me.

Post by **FatherJack** » August 29th, 2007, 10:56

Bioshock made me jump twice, both when in the dentistry area, but like most games the same old monsters all the time lessens the effect dramatically. I didn't find the Big Daddies scary at all - probably because they don't always attack you, even when I accidentally enraged one with a stray wiggly line of electricity or the odd bee - I knew I could take them down pretty quickly.

Doom3 had one bit with a big pentagram on the floor, which was a bit creepy, some of the places in STALKER were a bit unnerving, but FEAR just kept pushing my creepout button over and over - but I admit I didn't have the patience to actually play it for very long, constantly having to redo sections and use the slomo and health constantly pissed me off rather quickly. Also with the constant scares in these, you kind of hardened yourself.

AvP as a marine, holding the proximity sensor let you relive exactly what it was like in the films, when it shows the aliens are on top of you, but you still can't see them. Again, though that game was quite badly flawed in other areas.

You can get a feeling of dread, although sometimes it's more akin to blind panic when playing games like Eve, where you have rather a lot to lose if you die - though I personally find this more way "excitement" than I actually want, causing me to play super-cautiously, and thus, less enjoyably.

The balance for me is a game that's entertaining all the way through, with the scares spaced out sufficiently so you're not expecting them. Not too much to lose, or redo - but your death shouldn't be cheapened, either.

HalfLife had a few scares that stand out, even though that wasn't its main focus. I still shiver thinking of tip-toeing around that big tap-tapping tentacle in the rocket bay, and can shamefacedly recall the utterly girly yelp I emitted when the cage holding the crossbow dropped me in the water with the big bitey fish.

Chickenz · Post by **Chickenz** » August 29th, 2007, 11:00

FatherJack wrote:The balance for me is a game that's entertaining all the way through, with the scares spaced out sufficiently so you're not expecting them. Not too much to lose, or redo - but your death shouldn't be cheapened, either.

QFT, this is why I can see Left4Dead being a massive hit with us lot!! Teamspack will be lol filled the week it comes out.

Post by **Grimmie** » August 29th, 2007, 11:08

M4niachicken wrote:BIOSHOCK only made me jump once and that was when a houdini splicer appeared behind me when I was checking a box. Fucker didn't do anything, just stood there to suprise me.

I got to that part yesterday.

spoodie · Post by **spoodie** » August 29th, 2007, 11:48

Bioshock hasn't made me jump yet. In the dentist's I was expecting someone to appear, due to the setup, so I was sort of ready but it was still very unnerving.

Now FJ mentioned STALKER I remember a couple of bits in it that made me jump and the whole atmosphere was as unnerving if not more so than Bioshock.

buzzmong · Post by **buzzmong** » August 29th, 2007, 11:50

Games are more scary because you're more involved.

It's quite simple really.

Films you just sit there and watch, you actually immerse yourself in a game.

Post by **ProfHawking** » August 29th, 2007, 12:09

buzzmong wrote:Games are more scary because you're more involved.

It's quite simple really.

Films you just sit there and watch, you actually immerse yourself in a game.

i shit my pants and pull weird faces all the time.

Even when playing games. boom boom

Post by **deject** » August 29th, 2007, 14:05

Have none of you guys played System Shock 2? WTF. That shit is still scary.

Post by **tandino** » August 29th, 2007, 14:12

deject wrote:Have none of you guys played System Shock 2? WTF. That shit is still scary.

Definitely. Worth a play through for those who like a scare.

Mr. Johnson · Post by **Mr. Johnson** » August 29th, 2007, 15:24

the only game that really made me feel uncomfortable, rather then scare me was silent hill 2. i remember the days when i was 15, freezing to death on my little room with the controller clutched in my numb hands, playing in the dark.

/emo

*remembers the piramide head/mannequin bit you see in the closet*

spoodie · Post by **spoodie** » August 29th, 2007, 15:36

Mr. Johnson wrote:*remembers the piramide head/mannequin bit you see in the closet*

I tried playing it recently (after seeing the film) and it was quite eerie. Although I got bored with all the searching you have to do, go back here to find a key then go there.

Mr. Johnson · Post by **Mr. Johnson** » August 29th, 2007, 15:48

spoodie wrote: I tried playing it recently (after seeing the film) and it was quite eerie. Although I got bored with all the searching you have to do, go back here to find a key then go there.

well, back in the days when all i had was my playstation 2, i could only afford one game every two months or so, and therefore had to pick someting that lasted. because of all the puzzle solving and searching, games like silent hill and resident evil where the best choice. and metal gear.

Post by **Roman Totale** » August 29th, 2007, 17:23

Horror films these days are shit - more obsessed with trying to put as much gore in as possible rather than go for genuinely unsettling scares. Then again I have to admit that the scariest film I've ever seen is Jaws, though that may be something to do with my fear/loathing of the sea.

Bioshock made me jump at one point. I was taking down a Big Daddy, already set the area up before attacking so there were lots of prox mines and trip wires, when suddenly a fucking spider slicer appeared from nowhere and tried to carve my face off. I jumped, and in doing so accidentally changed weapon to camera (handy thing to do mid-battle), then the slicer stepped on to a prox mine, leaving the Big Daddy a clear path between its drill point and my anus.

Still pwned it though, soft lumbering bastards that they are.

eion · Post by **eion** » August 29th, 2007, 17:33

Forget AvP, what about Freecell?

cheeseandham · Post by **cheeseandham** » August 29th, 2007, 19:36

Resident Evil 2 on the Playstation (One), that game played in the dark gave me the screaming heeby jeebies.
Doom 3 was scary, but almost too scary, I didn't like the whole "light or gun" thing.
AvP - hairy and fun...

nunoncastors · Post by **nunoncastors** » August 29th, 2007, 21:16

deject wrote:Have none of you guys played System Shock 2? WTF. That shit is still scary.

Werd.

Though I'm still bothered by the fact I found SHODAN to be a bit hot.