Continuing
our look at the history of horror games; we now look at horror gaming in the 21st
century.
Within the short span of a decade, horror games have changed
dramatically. Some horror fans consider the 2000s the death of horror gaming,
due to the rise of action-horror. I however think there is room for crossover
and co-existence, but that is a topic for another post. After the jump is part two of the
history of horror gaming.
2000s
Silent Hill 2(2001, multi)
Two years after the first entry in the franchise, Konami released Silent Hill 2. Silent Hill 2 is an indirect sequel to the first game, the only
similarity being the town, starring James Sunderland as he journeys to the town
of Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his late wife. The game featured
reworked mechanics, making the previous game’s tank controls more
user-friendly (Giant Bomb, 2012). Another new feature was separate difficulty levels for combat
and puzzles, balancing out gameplay for newer players. Along with these
interesting features, the fog that disguised the poor draw distance of Silent Hill was used kept in the sequel
and used as a plot device. Having successfully implemented thought-provoking
storytelling into a game with Silent Hill,
developers Konami (or to be more specific Team Silent) improved on this by
crafting an emotionally-charged narrative for Silent Hill 2. The trials of James as he traveled through the town
matched his subconscious struggle with himself and made for an exciting and
terrifying game.
Resident Evil 4(2005, multi)
After two sequels and countless spin-offs, Capcom creates Resident Evil 4, a game which drastically departs from the series it is part of so much that it creates an entirely new subgenre, but is still grounded in the mechanics which make up the previous games. Resident Evil 4 is extremely fast-paced compared to the previous games, with the main character's slow walk replaced with a frantic run, and shambling zombies replaced with quick and clever possessed villagers who will use anything they can to kill the player (Casamassina, 2005; Giant Bomb, 2012). Movement is still confined to tank controls, but is much smoother than the previous games (Casamassina, 2005). Resident Evil 4 also adds quick-time events, in which players must enter a button combination in order to survive a scene (Casamassina, 2005; Giant Bomb, 2012). The game retains horror elements while proving that action-oriented gameplay does not remove the ability to scare players.
After two sequels and countless spin-offs, Capcom creates Resident Evil 4, a game which drastically departs from the series it is part of so much that it creates an entirely new subgenre, but is still grounded in the mechanics which make up the previous games. Resident Evil 4 is extremely fast-paced compared to the previous games, with the main character's slow walk replaced with a frantic run, and shambling zombies replaced with quick and clever possessed villagers who will use anything they can to kill the player (Casamassina, 2005; Giant Bomb, 2012). Movement is still confined to tank controls, but is much smoother than the previous games (Casamassina, 2005). Resident Evil 4 also adds quick-time events, in which players must enter a button combination in order to survive a scene (Casamassina, 2005; Giant Bomb, 2012). The game retains horror elements while proving that action-oriented gameplay does not remove the ability to scare players.
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the
Earth (2005, multi)
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (pronounced k’thulu) is a first-person adventure game based around the work of H.P. Lovecraft and is by far the best translation of his work onto a visual medium. Players are a private investigator whom travels to the coastal town of Innsmouth, Maine to look into a missing person. The game uses atmosphere effectively to create a sense of omnipresent evil lurking in the shadows. Most of the game is spent searching locations in the town for clues. Action scenes are scattered throughout the game, but only becomes the main focus near the climax of the game. One of the unique features of Dark Corners of the Earth was a sanity meter that would rise when the player views a horrific sight, looks down from a high location, or views statues of various Lovecraftian creatures. This mechanic works well with gameplay to portray something so frightening that the human mind cannot even think about it without going insane (Alhazred, 2006; Giant Bomb 2012).
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (pronounced k’thulu) is a first-person adventure game based around the work of H.P. Lovecraft and is by far the best translation of his work onto a visual medium. Players are a private investigator whom travels to the coastal town of Innsmouth, Maine to look into a missing person. The game uses atmosphere effectively to create a sense of omnipresent evil lurking in the shadows. Most of the game is spent searching locations in the town for clues. Action scenes are scattered throughout the game, but only becomes the main focus near the climax of the game. One of the unique features of Dark Corners of the Earth was a sanity meter that would rise when the player views a horrific sight, looks down from a high location, or views statues of various Lovecraftian creatures. This mechanic works well with gameplay to portray something so frightening that the human mind cannot even think about it without going insane (Alhazred, 2006; Giant Bomb 2012).
Dead Rising (2006, Xbox360)
Players, as photojournalist Frank West (“He’s covered wars you know?”), must uncover a conspiracy within the zombie-filled Williamette Mall, evade being captured by a mysterious cult, rescue any survivors, and survive long enough for a helicopter pilot to return for him three days later…all while wearing a dress (Giant Bomb, 2012)? Capcom, who created the survival-horror subgenre a decade earlier with Resident Evil have given horror one of its first parody games. Dead Rising takes several obvious cues from filmmaker George Romero, who is credited with creating the modern zombie movie and directed horror classic Dawn of the Dead. Gameplay consists of traveling the mall, snapping pictures and completing various missions (Giant Bomb, 2012; Giant Bomb, 2012; Onyett, 2006). The mall contains numerous shops where the player can pick up different weapons, health items, vehicles, and clothing. The game also contains a character leveling system based on points players receive for completing tasks, rescuing survivors, or taking pictures. The game begins with Frank very under-powered, making the beginning very tense. However, once the player learns their way around the mall and reach a certain level, the thousands of zombies soon become a source of slapstick humor, even though the game take a serious, yet b-movie, tone (Giant Bomb, 2012; Giant Bomb, 2012; Onyett, 2006).
Players, as photojournalist Frank West (“He’s covered wars you know?”), must uncover a conspiracy within the zombie-filled Williamette Mall, evade being captured by a mysterious cult, rescue any survivors, and survive long enough for a helicopter pilot to return for him three days later…all while wearing a dress (Giant Bomb, 2012)? Capcom, who created the survival-horror subgenre a decade earlier with Resident Evil have given horror one of its first parody games. Dead Rising takes several obvious cues from filmmaker George Romero, who is credited with creating the modern zombie movie and directed horror classic Dawn of the Dead. Gameplay consists of traveling the mall, snapping pictures and completing various missions (Giant Bomb, 2012; Giant Bomb, 2012; Onyett, 2006). The mall contains numerous shops where the player can pick up different weapons, health items, vehicles, and clothing. The game also contains a character leveling system based on points players receive for completing tasks, rescuing survivors, or taking pictures. The game begins with Frank very under-powered, making the beginning very tense. However, once the player learns their way around the mall and reach a certain level, the thousands of zombies soon become a source of slapstick humor, even though the game take a serious, yet b-movie, tone (Giant Bomb, 2012; Giant Bomb, 2012; Onyett, 2006).
Cursed Mountain (2009, Wii)
After
his brother goes missing, a mountain climber sets out to the Himalayas in
search of him (Casamassina, 2009; Gamespot). While this premise is nothing new, Cursed Mountain’s presentation and controls are what sets it apart
from previous horror games. The game takes place on a haunted mountain and
draws heavily from Buddhism, as most enemies the player faces are actually
spirits trapped in bardo, a sort of limbo between the life and death (Casamassina, 2009; Gamespot). To combat
these enemies, players must first stun the spirits and then perform a motion
using the Wii motion controls in order to release this spirit (Casamassina, 2009; Gamespot). Along with
cursed spirits, the player must also battle the elements as they climb the
mountain in search of their lost brother (Casamassina, 2009; Gamespot). In this search, exploration is key,
and motion controls are implemented well. As one of the first examples of
motion-controlled horror, Cursed Mountain
is successful (Casamassina, 2009; Gamespot).
Games of Note
- Extermination (2001, PS2) (Giant Bomb, 2012)
- The Thing (2002, multi) (Giant Bomb, 2012)
- Manhunt (2003, multi) (IGN, 2012)
- Siren (2004, PS2) (IGN, 2012)
- Condemned (2005, Xbox360) (IGN, 2012)
- Penumbra (2007, PC) (IGN, 2012)
Present
(2010s)
Alan
Wake (2010, multi)
Alan Wake, developed by Finnish studio Remedy, is an interesting game because it successfully blended action gameplay with a thought-provoking narrative usually found in slower-paced horror titles. Players take control of famous horror novelist Alan Wake who is arrives in the town of Bright Falls with his wife for a vacation before he begins work on his next book (Onyett, 2010). Soon after they arrive, his wife goes missing and Alan’s search leads him down a surreal and frightening path as his novels come to life, including one that he has not yet written (Onyett, 2010). Gameplay consists of equal parts exploration and action, with light playing an important role in combat. The game is separated into ’episodes’ and the entire game plays out like a television series. Remedy has drawn on people such as David Lynch and Stephen King to create a very Western horror tale, but their most successful feat was making an action-horror title that emphasizes story.
Alan Wake, developed by Finnish studio Remedy, is an interesting game because it successfully blended action gameplay with a thought-provoking narrative usually found in slower-paced horror titles. Players take control of famous horror novelist Alan Wake who is arrives in the town of Bright Falls with his wife for a vacation before he begins work on his next book (Onyett, 2010). Soon after they arrive, his wife goes missing and Alan’s search leads him down a surreal and frightening path as his novels come to life, including one that he has not yet written (Onyett, 2010). Gameplay consists of equal parts exploration and action, with light playing an important role in combat. The game is separated into ’episodes’ and the entire game plays out like a television series. Remedy has drawn on people such as David Lynch and Stephen King to create a very Western horror tale, but their most successful feat was making an action-horror title that emphasizes story.
Rise of Nightmares (2011, Kinect)
Rise of Nightmares takes a step back in terms of storytelling in order to focus on translating a first-person horror experience into the controller-free environment of the Kinect add-on for Xbox360 (Devires, 2011; Giant Bomb). The game attempts to successfully merge full-body motion controls with a b-movie horror experience (Devires, 2011; Giant Bomb). The game relies on contextual gestures for various actions, but also contains an optional auto-walk feature to help guide the player through the creepy Romanian castle (Devires, 2011; Giant Bomb). All in all, Rise of nightmares is another example of motion-controlled horror gaming, this time ditching the controller entirely (Devires, 2011; Giant Bomb).
Games of Note
- Amnesia: the dark decent (2010, PC) (IGN, 2012)
- Deadly Premonition (2010, Xbox360) (IGN, 2012)
- Metro 2033 (2010, multi) (IGN, 2012)
- Dead Island (2011, multi) (IGN, 2012)
- Catherine (2011, multi) (IGN, 2012)
- End Night (2012, iPad) (IGN, 2012)
As
you can tell, horror gaming extends well into today, with games on almost every
major platform on the market (including idevices and cell phones). Even with
this large amount, some horror titles are never released, which is the topic of
another discussion. Hopefully this gives you an idea of what exists and what to
expect.
References
Alhazred,
A. (2006, April 26). Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth [Game Review].
Retrieved From: http://pc.ign.com/articles/703/703445p1.html
Casamassina,
M. (2009, August 27). Cursed Mountain [Game Review] Retrieved From: http://wii.ign.com/articles/101/1019344p1.html
Casamassina,
M. (2005, January 7). Resident Evil 4 [Game Review]. Retrieved From: http://cube.ign.com/articles/577/577841p1.html
Cursed
Mountain Review by Gamespot [Video Review] Retrieved From: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOPYCFcOv28
Devires,
J. (2011, September 7). Rise of Nightmares Review [Game Review]. Retrieved
From: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/119/1192775p1.html
Giant
Bomb. (2012). Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth [Game Page]. Retrieved
From: http://www.giantbomb.com/call-of-cthulhu-dark-corners-of-the-earth/61-18678/
Giant
Bomb. (2012). Dead Rising [Game Page]. Retrieved From: http://www.giantbomb.com/dead-rising/61-8720/
Giant
Bomb. (2012). Extermination [Game Page]. Retrieved From: http://www.giantbomb.com/extermination/61-18159/
Giant
Bomb. (2012). Frank West [Character Page]. Retrieved From: http://www.giantbomb.com/frank-west/94-715/
Giant
Bomb. (2012). Resident Evil 4 [Game Page]. Retrieved From: http://www.giantbomb.com/resident-evil-4/61-1578/
Giant
Bomb. (2012). Silent Hill 2 [Game Page]. Retrieved From: http://www.giantbomb.com/silent-hill-2/61-10780/
Giant
Bomb. (2012). The Thing [Game Page]. Retrieved From: http://www.giantbomb.com/the-thing/61-500/
IGN
(2012). Catherine [Game Info]. Retrieved From: http://xbox360.ign.com/objects/083/083916.html
IGN.
(2012). Amnesia: The Dark Decent [Game Info]. Retrieved From: http://pc.ign.com/objects/142/14284573.html
IGN.
(2012). Condemned: Criminal Origins [Game Info]. Retrieved From: http://xbox360.ign.com/objects/728/728997.html
IGN.
(2012). Dead Island [Game Info]. Retrieved From: http://xbox360.ign.com/objects/955/955540.html
IGN.
(2012). Deadly Premonition [Game Info]. Retrieved From: http://xbox360.ign.com/objects/761/761567.html
IGN.
(2012). End Night [Game Info]. Retrieved From: http://wireless.ign.com/objects/128/128346.html
IGN.
(2012). Manhunt [Game Info]. Retrieved From: http://ps2.ign.com/objects/549/549938.html
IGN.
(2012). Metro 2033 [Game Info]. Retrieved From: http://xbox360.ign.com/objects/039/039148.html
IGN.
(2012). Penumbra: Overture [Game Info]. Retrieved From: http://pc.ign.com/objects/850/850111.html
IGN.
(2012). Siren [Game Info]. Retrieved From: http://ps2.ign.com/objects/552/552511.html
Onyet,
C. (2012, May 4). Alan Wake Review [Game Review]. Retrieved From: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/108/1087706p1.html
Onyett,
C. (2006, August 7). Dead Rising Review [Game Review]. Retrieved From: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/723/723910p1.html
Quick
Look: Rise of Nightmares [Video Preview]. Retrieved From: http://www.giantbomb.com/quick-look-rise-of-nightmares/17-4842/
No comments:
Post a Comment