Horror games are scarier when the protagonist is a girl?

[00slash00]

no. women can swing an axe or fire\a gun with the same proficiency as a man can.

 

[Mikejames]

I'm opposite. The idea that the down was indifferent to me and just let me wallow in my broken psyche was very depressing (Silent Hill 2 made me cry quite a bit, actually), but I didn't find it especially scary.

In 3, I had the sense that the town actually wanted me dead, which made me actually feel a real threat. Now there was more enemies, there was blood pouring from the walls, there were people dying everywhere (not sure if for real, but that poor, poor shopkeeper...), and Silent Hill had actually leaked out and attacked the city you lived in specifically to get you. So I never thought it was "fight to the head demon and kill it" as much as I thought "OH GOD WHY HELP WHAT DID I DO AAAAUGH!"

This is why Silent Hill 4 is the scariest in my opinion: Because the town is following the lead of a man who's out to get you specifically. Best of both worlds.

The depressive tone was part of it, SH2 felt hopeless and things grew progressively worse. James couldn't trust or aid anyone, including himself, whereas most of the horrors that Heather sees feel like a facade of the town. Still scary, but more like you're caught in an illusion then actually stumbling through the aftermath of some horrible event.
So in a sense, I thought SH2's version of the town felt stronger. Samael could be brought down with a handgun, while Pyramid Head could never be killed through your physical means.

Horror will always be subjective I suppose.
Can't deny that I loved The Room's premise, but sadly I thought the execution was all over the place. (No pun intended..)

 

[Saladfork]

I suppose I'd be less inclined to think a woman might stand a chance against some crazzy demon-thing if she tried to fight it than a man would, if only because they tend to be smaller and weaker on average.

The effect would probably be lost with most writers though, cause they'd feel the need to show how not-sexist they are by having her kick everything's ass or something.

I kind of get the impression in most games that a large part of what makes woman characters different from the men is the writer's percieved need to wave the not-sexist flag.

 

[TehCookie]

Yeah, if I want to be immerse myself in a game the character has to be like me which means the same gender. Otherwise I have a slight distance where I'm a character immersed in the story.

 

[TrevHead]

As Tehcookie states I prefer to play my own gender, but the guy must be a weak guy or an average joe not a space marine.

So horror media with women lead is scarier because they're more fragile, etc? Ellen Ripley tends to disagree.

Ripley is a interesting character as she has been different things in each of the movies, from average Jane in Alien and in the sequel a Space marine and a mother to Newt. To strong women been prayed upon by men in Aliens 3 to Outright bad ass with acid blood in 4 (although 4 did give her a glimmer of vulnerability when she encounters her clone.)