What scares you in a horror game?

Willir said:
From personal experience, I found playing Alien Isolation really topped it for me in regards to the atmosphere and sound
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That was another really intense game, when i played though that i used to play it about 10 at night with surround headphones, when the mrs was in bed lol
 
jump scares, or being powerless to fight said scary enemies.

gimme blood guts and inhuman levels of gore any day but pidgeon smacking into a window? nope.....

perfect example is to compare the falmer from skyrim to the creatures from theif; both blind creatures that live in complete darkness and will freak the hell out if they hear you. wheras in skyrim they're just not scary because bitch please i'm dragonborn and imma shove this greatsword where the sun wouldn't shine if there was any sun down here.

other thing tends to get me is anything paranormal, for example subnautica is full of beasties that pop up out of the darkness and deliver much owning to a mostly defenceless character but that just doesnt scare me as much as a ghost.

the worst one i think is jump scares, not just because i have possibly the most insane unconcious reaction to them (i literally leave my seat and my legs swear they arent involved), but because tbh i think they're kind of a cheap form of horror, it takes real art and genius to make something scary whilst having it in full view.

oh, also any horror game or film where there is no reason or justification given as to why the character wont TURN ON THE DAMN LIGHTS :mad:
 
I like creepy, disturbing audiowork and suffocating atmospheres. The best games so far that have nailed that are the Silent Hill series and its cancelled successor P.T. (thanks, Konami). Also, Project Zero/Fatal Frame.
 
I find that a game has to try very hard to scare me because I find it quite hard to be immersed. However, when things get very stressful or action packed (in terms of gameplay and character actions) that heightens the fear element - so if I'm being very challenged and the atmosphere changes or jump scares are introduced I'll respond far more to those fears. The Fatal Frame series on the PS2 did this for me as you're powerless and slow, plus the atmosphere and plot is incredibly spooky, and the ghosts and sound effects are incredibly evocative. However, Amnesia The Dark Descent did nothing for me as I never really felt any pressure or sense of jeopardy. There were also one or two jump scares in the F.E.A.R expansions that had me jumping out of my seat. Jump scares are great but shouldn't ever be over-used else they lose their impact for me.

I've never played a VR game but I'd imagine they'd heighten these elements.
 
A good point that was brought up in the amnesia game commentary was giving the player a feeling of safety for brief moments so that the scary parts stand out more. If the entire game is set out being all scary the player becomes accustomed to it. You could play that through with the commentary on, it has a nice insight on why they made the game the way they did.
I think it's more than just being scary, but adding stress to the player, like people have said, limited ammo or resources. Atmospheric noise, moments like "did I just see something or am I seeing things.". Making people worry what COULD be there, will be better than anything that actually appears.
 
In a game it's the sound and lighting which make it scary. That is what made System Shock 2 so creepy without using cheap jump scares.
 
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ic1male said:
Try playing it on a hardest difficulty. You won't have the resources to become overpowered then. :p
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Not sure if it unlocks a mode after completion but I played on Hard as the devs suggested that's how it was intended? I'm referring to the flame thrower mainly. Just ruined what made it great imo. That and the game really over stayed it's welcome length wise, but that's another story :D
 
There's Nightmare mode which is the hardest where you won't have as much flamethrower fuel and the alien will resist it a bit more. He'll just stand there and not run away so easily whilst you waste precious fuel. :p
 
ic1male said:
There's Nightmare mode which is the hardest where you won't have as much flamethrower fuel and the alien will resist it a bit more. He'll just stand there and not run away so easily whilst you waste precious fuel. :p
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Oh neat that must have unlocked after the first play through Then! I'll take your word for it, thanks for the info! It's not one I can see myself revisiting at the moment
 
I would say a "lack" of scares... Where you know there's something there but you never quite see "it" properly, so every time you go round a corner you expect it to jump out on you but it never does... IMO once you've seen "it" it loses some of the fear, whereas when all you have is a shadow in the dark, a glimpse of movement etc. your imagination makes it much worse
 
Haggisman said:
I would say a "lack" of scares... Where you know there's something there but you never quite see "it" properly, so every time you go round a corner you expect it to jump out on you but it never does... IMO once you've seen "it" it loses some of the fear, whereas when all you have is a shadow in the dark, a glimpse of movement etc. your imagination makes it much worse
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Right okay, I see where your coming from, almost like the anticipation and tension as you are waiting for something to scare you? I think I know the feeling, certain horror games do this and certainly gets your heart racing sometimes. Resident Evil 7 done this for me.
 
Haggisman said:
Yeah, that's it, while you're waiting for the jump, the tension builds and builds - once you've been "jumped", it releases some of that
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Some horror games really do know how to keep you on the razers edge. Little Nightmares is a good example of this, your waiting for a hand or something to pop out and grab you, but it doesn't happen, sometimes the design of the game makes you think something is about to happen, maybe its the sound that gives off that sense of fear or the paranoia of knowing anything can happen in a horror game.

I remember as a kid, playing Resident Evil, if I was getting chased by a dog/zombie/lickers I would turn straight back around again and find the Typewriter Save room and stay in there until I was ready to continue, I think the sense of relief and safety works in a safe zone but most modern horror games put you in the centre of the 'nightmare'.
 
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