Prior to video games existed the idea of horror. Like film and literature before it, games have tried to emulate the same panic and fear-inducing concepts of its brethren. It's safe to say that for the most part that they have failed. Games have essentially devolved from creating tension and real suspense in favor of grotesque abominations and cheap thrills.
I may be merely generalizing, but there hasn’t truly been a genuine horror experience in video games. There have been bits and pieces of a more grandiose idea but nothing beyond that. Here are five suggestions I have for developers to create realistic horror in video games.
5. Good Controls
So let me get this straight — I’m a government agent trained in all manners of fighting techniques, except I am limited to the movements of a Lego brick. How cool is that? Back in old school Resident Evil this concept was used to usher in the feeling of tension through limited movement. Today this is known as poor control mechanics. Giving players free control of their character means focusing less on the “tension” of controlling like garbage and more on creating real horror. Go figure.
4. Inferential Fear
Fear is something that occurs organically in our minds. As such, every aspect of your experience should be just that, organic. I don’t need grotesque imagery or nightmarish halls of the infernal to scare me. All it takes is for you to simply walk up and steal the small sense of security I have. Show the player how real the fear in your world is to the fear that exists in real life. All children are afraid of the dark, as unorthodox or as illogical as that may seem. Yet since we were little, we knew we were never alone in the darkness.
3. Death
The idea of failure in games is what makes games less emotionally thrilling. By nature, games are designed in a way that warrants multiple playthroughs. That doesn’t mean demeaning the overall experience however. It has become paramount to arm the player with godlike powers, thus dispelling the instantaneous illusion of fear. The player must be shown immediately what death and failure means, and in an overall sense the negative aspect that death represents . That is to say, you should not be cheap or overall weak in your game design. Rather, invest your time to make your player helpless against the idea of fear.
Article comments
1 - Asator
Personally, I find it hard by all forms of media to be scared. I think what makes me like older horror games (Resident Evil etc.) is the fact the the atmosphere is truly dark. As you said, restrictions in movement were what made those particular games thrilling, but I loved the puzzle elements along with the scarcity of ammo. I miss survival horror games that actually forced you to be resourcful, giving an aspect of well.. survival. Opposed to the action shoot em up that Resident Evil is today.
If they brought back the bad controls just to bring back the dark atmosphere of RE, it would be a fair trade to me. The camera angles made it a cinematic experience for me, not knowing what lurks around the corner.
Freedom of control make things less scary, for me at least :)