Idle Musing on the Horror Genre

[Wheaties-Of-Doom]

Prologue: I've been thinking a lot on the horror genre (In part because a lot of "Let's Play"s have been focusing on people screaming into a microphone over slender man, but mainly thanks to a recent episode of Doctor Who). So here are my thoughts. Perhaps we could have a pseudo-intellectual discussion on the matter?

There is a subtle difference between something that is truly Horrifying and that which is referred to as a jump-scare. You see, in the moments leading up to a jump-scare, there is the opposite of action - a void, if you will. The empty space unnerves us. Something must, eventually fill it. That's what makes a jump-scare, well, a scare. We don't know when or how that void will be filled. It could happen at any moment and, when it does, it is always unexpected.

But now it's done. The tension, the unease, is lifted. The suspense is dead; there is nothing horrifying about that.

Horror, though, Horror does the opposite. There is no void, not at first. Horror takes that ease, that filled space, and makes a hole in it. True horror takes what we know and says, "Where if there is a flaw? What if what you thought was there really isn't?" It doesn't fill a void, it MAKES one. The void follows us. We want as human beings, we NEED, for it to be filled. For the jigsaw to fit. For it to be made whole.

And when it isn't, we are Horrified.

 

[Krynn72]

I'm certainly no expert on the genre because most of the time I can't bring myself to even play horror games. Lately I've been wanting to play them though, simply because so many games lack a tangible atmosphere, and certain horror games seem to be excelling in that field. Historically I've been too much of a pussy to play very much of any scary game so its hard for me to identify what exactly causes me to be so scared. Even back in the days of the original Thief game. I loved the game play of that game, and would play the first missions over and over and over, but as soon as I got to the spooky undead shit I'd be scared shitless and just start over.

Other games, like FEAR for instance, I could play no problem. A quick jump was nothing to me, and if the game was fun otherwise I'd keep on playing unafraid. But most jump-scare games are not fun otherwise, so I often would not beat or play them either, though it was out of boredom not freight.

I played PT on the PS4 when it came out not too long ago, and it was an odd mix of both. It had great atmosphere until you realized what you were actually doing was "grinding" in a horror game. It had a couple of jump scares too, which got me good, but once the atmosphere of the game was broken, the illusion was broken and I started disliking it, and subsequently got bored of trying to figure it out.

That's the key to a good horror game I think, the atmosphere needs to upkeep the suspension of disbelief. Some people of course are more or less inclined to stay in that suspension, and I think developers have a very tough job on their hands trying to develop an atmosphere that keeps people sucked into the mindset of "someone actually there" while not making any slip-ups that break the illusion. The jump-scare games suck usually because if that's all they have going for it then the mechanic itself becomes illusion breaking. In PT I lost interest when I had to keep grinding away until I accidentally stumbled on the answer to the puzzle, and when I realized that there were no clues to hint at what you're supposed to do, the realization of that mechanic interrupted my sensation of fear, thus permanently ruining the atmosphere. Other games, like Outlast and Amnesia seem to have navigated that like better with mechanics easy enough to figure out without having to stop and think "what did the developer want me to do here" and thereby never reminded you that you were playing a game. It doesn't even have to be puzzles though, STALKER for instance scared the piss out of me as a shooter, because I never lost immersion (also I downloaded mods to make night time pitch black sometimes and that really added to the feeling of actually being alone in a dangerous environment).

In other genres, immersion isn't as important, but in horror games, its paramount.

 

[Wheaties-Of-Doom]

I agree, atmosphere and immersion are key aspects. I suppose in a round about way, I'm saying misuse of jump-scares can break the immersion. Everything falls downhill from the climax (stop giggling), and nothing is quite as climactic as "BIG SCARY THING IN YOUR FACE".

 

[Lolcomputer]

I agree that the creating a void, which we feel anxiety and uncertainty, can be very powerfull. However, this is not what singularly creates a good horror game. You can not create a void, and use it through the whole game without anything happening.

If nothing happens, then the game or level ends anti-climactic. Or worse, the player predicts mid through the game that nothing will ever happen, hence breaking the uncertainty and anxiety. For something to truly be horrific, you need to give the player a tension of unpredictability. You don't know when, how or what is going to happen, but the fact that you know that something is going to happen, keeps you on your toes. This, in my opinion, creates a horror game.

Then there are different ways to release this tension. Jumpscares are propably the most fast and effective way to release tension, but it also becomes very predictive if used several times. It's also very cheap, because it depends on you being suprised, not actually scared. Jumpscares completely ignores the use of anxiety, and only uses the tension to scare you.

In Amnesia for an example, they released the tension with a monster that is released in the level. By not knowing where the monster will go, they use uncertainty to create anxiety. While they do this, they release the tension. It can also be builded up again, and used in a different level and in a different circumcision. It's a great way to feel you uncomfatable in strange unexplored areas.

Anyways, I'm not an expert at all. But I have played a great deal of horror games, so I felt like I was a bit qualified to talk about this.

 

[Wheaties-Of-Doom]

Nice point. A good horror doesn't just make a void, but builds around it. The more you show should emphases that which the audience does not know. Person-Vs-Unknown and all that.

I think it's similar same problem that crops up with cut-scenes. It's fine to use them, but you can't sprinkle them willy-nilly just 'cuse it makes everything seem official. You cannot build a game solely with cut-scenes and you cannot make horror with a few simple jump-scares.

 

[Larry Brent]

Emotionally it is quite different being scared of sth. because of an instantaneous "shocking" event or a sustaining "horrorific" period of time. Measured in degree of released adrenaline, I would say it is quite contrary. While the former is high at first and it is decreasing later, the later is low at first and is rising up later. For me real horror is not exclusively build up of shocking events but there have to be some constantly emerging horrific suspense.

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

game need to stop going with the dumbshit "lel insanity and hallucinations because I'm CRAY CRAY" shit and do actual horror like P.T./Silent Hills, that one teaser demo was scarier than anything I've played in the last decade, tense as hell and just weird and uncomfortable all around

no one even bring up Amnesia to me, that shit is literally one of the most bandwagoned games I've ever seen in terms of it being 'scary'

Outlast gets an exemption because it was actually enjoyable and didn't rely on any stupid bullshit regarding your character's mental state to make it tense or scary, it was just discomforting and creepy where it needed to be, though I will say I'm getting really tired of first person driven horror

bottom line: make me uncomfortable, make me get chills, make me actually feel hesitant or outright refuse to go on until I make myself move forward, don't pretend stealth missions with a horror theme and shock scares/INSANITY are supposed to be scary jesus

 

[Sidedraft]

Man I hate all the jump scares in movies too, It's just such a cheat. Wheaties, Watch this video. I think you will like it. It's about horror movies but I think it's very applicable to horror video games. Be warned, Offensive language/themes are in video.

I imagine that there will definitely be some jump scares in the game but this silent hills concept trailer seems promising

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

also: there's one game coming out that's been remade after being announced years ago that is basically Serial Killer Slasher Flick: the Game, called Until Dawn, and you decide whether or not everyone or no one survives depending how horror savvy you think you are

as long as it doesn't turn out like a shitty David Cage movie I.E. Heavy Rain or Beyond: Two Souls and has actual gameplay I think it could shake things up

 

[Sidedraft]

I'd also like to bring up Metro: last light as kind of an interesting twist on the horror genre discussion. Hear me out on this one, I realize metro isn't really a horror game as much as a stealth shooter of sorts but while playing some very interesting feels occurred to me. While sneaking around in the dark, I felt like I was in a horror game but instead of being that freaked out person who would instantly swivel 360 around at the faintest noise as I nervously clutched my shotgun, I was the the hunter stalking the prey in the shadows and accidentally making noises then smiling how it freaked out my prey.
Now I realize that the point of stealth games is to hide in the shadows and not be seen, but I feel like metro did an absolutely amazing job of making me feel like I was actually a monster in a horror game and if those ai I killed where actually human controlled they would be freaking out looking behind there shoulder constantly as if they were in slenderman. Doing a stealthy kill then hiding in assassins creed made me feel like an agent, a 16th century James bond if you will, but metro made feel like slender himself.

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

Metro 2033 and Last Light are survival horrors tho, almost completely through and through when you're not experiencing some of the more intense moments, even when you get to firefights considering how much resource management you have to do, provided you don't play it on the patched-in Spartan difficulty easy modes they made for people who can't handle the real experience

play it on Ranger Hardcore, you will cry blood