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I'm writing something that requires me knowing a little bit about video game, especially the horror kinds. The last time I played was back when Mario Brothers were new... So yeah, I know they've come a long way since then. I've been watching a bunch of playthroughs on YT and it seems to me that all they do is going around finding different clues while waiting for something to jump out at them. Is that really all there is to them? Please enlighten me, lol. And, if anyone knows anything about VR games, fill me in, please.
Describing them as you have is a bit like describing reading as just sitting looking at letters.
Horror games are like horror movies, except you play an active role and have added agency in that you can control the proceedings.. Which adds a layer of vulnerability and tension.
Vr is genuinely frightening tbh. Just walking into a shed at the beginning of Resident evil 7...shit!!
I'm writing something that requires me knowing a little bit about video game, especially the horror kinds. The last time I played was back when Mario Brothers were new... So yeah, I know they've come a long way since then. I've been watching a bunch of playthroughs on YT and it seems to me that all they do is going around finding different clues while waiting for something to jump out at them. Is that really all there is to them? Please enlighten me, lol. And, if anyone knows anything about VR games, fill me in, please.
I never got into horror games, or movies, for that matter. But, I will tell you this: what has been said is right. It's not enough to be told what the experience is like, you have to experience it for yourself.
Now, to an extent, what you've found in those YouTube videos is accurate. Horror games are like horror movies. It is something you can pump out cheaply and throw a few jump scares into, but those are usually the smaller, indie companies, not the AAA companies with the budgets and talent to make larger narratives.
VR games, for the most part, are still in their infancy, so they fit more into the jump scare-only category. There are some that are higher quality, but it's a limited selection thus far.
I don't like the horror games either. Jump scares only work once and then it seems cheap. The game I gave in my link is the only VR game I've ever looked forward to playing.
VR is definitely the future, I just wish it was way better than it currently is. I've been waiting for decent VR for nearly 30 years now - always thinking, it's just around the corner.
Okay, appreciate the input. It's not like I'm against video games. In fact, one reason I stay away from them is that I can easily get hooked and play 24hrs straight. I do not want that at this time in my life.
I guess my real question was poorly framed, what are the aims of these games? Mystery, finding clues? Find a way out? Shoot 'em up type monster games where you try to survive? I guess that's what I'm looking for.
It really depends on what type of game. Shooters the objective is usually get through all the levels and kill the final boss. Horror shooters are more likely to have some mystery/investigating elements but the ultimate objective is usually to defeat the final boss.
Haven't played much VR or puzzle solving horror, from what I've seen the goal might be something like collect all the clues to solve the mystery.
If it's survival horror, the goal is often just to survive as long as possible.
Since you're talking about horrors, there are some excellent third-person role-playing games and first-person shooters that combine intense action with a strong story. The purpose is to test your skills while engaging you with story, so the ending is doubly rewarding since you get to finish the story.
Other horror type games are more like mysteries full of jump scares and anxiety-inducing music. Those tend to rely even more on story, and will often employ cinematic cut-scenes or triggered in-game events to add to the tension.
Some horror in games come from their setting and horrific events happening that aren't even explained. You're as much in the dark as the character, and your only reward is going through this fascinating world until your character survives but you still don't get any answers. (Inside does this really well and the ending is oh so satisfying.)
I'm pretty well versed in games, I've been a gamer most of my life and try to keep up with the new stuff coming out. Let me know if you need help with your project.
Usually a combination of survival and uncovering a mystery.
Survival horror is probably the most interesting. Your character is usually dropped into a situation massively unprepared, with limited or even no resources at all and you have to find ammo and food and such to try to survive against tough opposition whilst also uncovering the truth about something.
There are games where you have to solve puzzles. Games where you have to hide from enemies whilst solving puzzles, games where you are trying to stop yourself going insane, games where you just have to kill everything, games where you have to take photographs of ghosts, games where you are being chased and must escape... And a combination of all of the above.
Survival horror is probably the most interesting. Your character is usually dropped into a situation massively unprepared, with limited or even no resources at all and you have to find ammo and food and such to try to survive against tough opposition whilst also uncovering the truth about something.
Yeah, I don't have time to play anything these days, but I used to love the open world/sandbox/survival stuff.
I just finished the Resident Evil 2 remake. Absolutely superb. Probably the best in the series (that I've played). Good balance between the atmospheric survival horror of the original games and the no-holds-barred action of the later ones (say RE4 on).
Jump scares every now and then. It's Resident Evil, so there's gonna be a few. But they're generally sparse and strategically placed.
This one in particular felt like it capitalized on the survival horror angle the best out of the series. The zombies are slow, but they're not that slow and can take a lot of punishment. You're definitely taking a risk combating them. You need to be a good shot, or you could easily get killed, if not waste a ton of bullets you might need later and not be able to recover. Sometimes the best choice is to leave zombies alone and just move around them when you go through certain areas. All this to say there's a pretty well-thought-out strategic element to the gameplay that's consistent throughout (which is amped up following the introduction of Mr. X, big ass dude who follows you around everywhere you go; just hearing his footsteps somewhere off in the building can be pretty chilling).
I do love me some horror video games. Scariest game I've ever played is in fact not horror but stealth: Thief: The Dark Project. I consider the first two games in the series the best video games of all time. Also enjoy Clive Barker's Undying (first-person shooter with a horror plot), Silent Hill, Resident Evil obviously, and others.
That said, watching other people play video games can be very boring. You really have to get in there. Occasionally, I'll enjoy such videos as a simple spectator, but I'll generally watch them for walkthroughs when I'm stuck in a particular game.