As scary as some games are, how can we make them better.
(Don't do the obvious, like play at midnight)
(Don't do the obvious, like play at midnight)
How to make playing games scarrier?
- Thread starter sirdanrhodes
- Start date
Turn off all the lights, turn up the surround sound, turn your cell phone on vibrate (so when it rings it scares the obligatory defecation from you) and make sure you play it alone. At least that's how I'll be playing Dead Space.
It takes two to tango with the following suggestion:
Game designer: Create a game with atmospheric and superb sound design
At home Gamer: Own a good surround sound home theater system.
Lights off, etc....that sort of stuff.
Less focus on killing mounds of monsters with ease, and concentrate on handfuls of singular,difficult encounters with interesting beasties. (although, this doesn't easily lend itself to multiple play throughs)
Game designer: Create a game with atmospheric and superb sound design
At home Gamer: Own a good surround sound home theater system.
Lights off, etc....that sort of stuff.
Less focus on killing mounds of monsters with ease, and concentrate on handfuls of singular,difficult encounters with interesting beasties. (although, this doesn't easily lend itself to multiple play throughs)
Play alone. Not just alone in the sense that your in your room, and your mom or something is downstairs. It's got be an empty house. Obviously the lights should be off, and you should play after the sun goes down. Leave a couple window's open, and your door unlocked. That way, you'll know that anything you think is out there, WILL be able to get in.
all of the above+be paranoid, however you accomplish this.
have a friend who knows your playing a scary game and can "enhance" the experience, perhaps with the occasional rustling of bushes in your backyard, or a scream outside, or knocking on windows then hiding before you can see them. that might be effective, but modern horrory horror games really arent that bad. just playing them alone in a dark room is good enough, or keeping your eyes fixed to the screen with noise cancelling headphones in a dark room.
have a friend who knows your playing a scary game and can "enhance" the experience, perhaps with the occasional rustling of bushes in your backyard, or a scream outside, or knocking on windows then hiding before you can see them. that might be effective, but modern horrory horror games really arent that bad. just playing them alone in a dark room is good enough, or keeping your eyes fixed to the screen with noise cancelling headphones in a dark room.
Breathe irregularly and drink lots (not necessarily alcoholic). It gets a feeling of discomfort, and really heightens the atmosphere of tenseness.
Turning brightness down on your monitor sometimes has a better effect than turning the lights off, though that helps too. To me, most "horror" games arent scary. Resident Evil4 was a pretty good game but it never scared me. Same thing with all 3 Halos, even whent hey were tyring so hard with the flood. Half-Life 2 Episode One did a good job, and that is mostly due to Valve's perpetual talent of genuine atmosphere. Also I think it helps when the character knows nothing, as in Half Life, and not an omniscent view like in the Halo games.
Completely agree. One word... 'They'. As a pre-teen, that part of Majora's Mask freaked me out. (Now it just frustrates me, but that's another story)Slycne post=9.73508.797876 said:
wait the halo series and resident evil 4 were supposed to be horror games? you can tell resident evil 4 tried, and their writing/atmosphere department just wasnt competent, but halo tried to be a horror game? i think your trying to trick me here so i look like an idiot.
Take mushrooms beforehand. Only jokes. Don't sue me if you do.
I agree with Harhol. Play with headphones, especially a decent pair (Sennheiser etc)
I agree with Harhol. Play with headphones, especially a decent pair (Sennheiser etc)