Poll: Does a horror game need to be scary?

[Ironbat92]

With Dead Space 3 coming out, and having a more action focus, it started to make me thing. A lot of people say that not all games need to be fun, which made me think. Does a horror game(or horror show or movie) need to be scary to be called a horror game?

 

[thesilentman]

With Dead Space 3 coming out, and having a more action focus, it started to make me thing. A lot of people say that not all games need to be fun, which made me think. Does a horror game(or horror show or movie) need to be scary to be called a horror game?

?

Um, yes? Isn't that the entire point of horror games, being scary? Sure there's different shades of scary, but the freaking premise of horror is that it's scary.

 

[mohit9206]

well lets see. when i sit down to play a horror game or watch a horror movie, i expect it to scare me. and if it doesn't then am disappointed. its the same as watching an action movie or an action game. wouldn't you be disappointed if the action is barely present ? so yeah a horror game needs to be scary but it doesn't mean it can't have action or humor. as long as it scares me and atleast is creepy enough to make me think about it for some time then its a success.
so a horror game without the horror is like a body without a soul

 

[sethisjimmy]

Not really. Games can be in the horror genre and not be scary. I think of Catherine, the Castlevania series, Dead Rising, etc. Those sorts of games are rooted in horror elements, but not necessarily jump out of your pants scary.

 

[Tony2077]

horror has gone out the window for me other then jumping when something pops up when i wasn't expecting it. most of the time its either sci fi or fantasy elements now

 

[Lilani]

With Dead Space 3 coming out, and having a more action focus, it started to make me thing. A lot of people say that not all games need to be fun, which made me think. Does a horror game(or horror show or movie) need to be scary to be called a horror game?

Oh dear. There's a lot of muddling of concepts going on here.

First of all, the "games don't have to be fun" argument exists because "fun" isn't always the most accurate word to describe how you feel when playing a game. When Aeris dies in Final Fantasy VII, Square wasn't aiming for "fun." They were aiming for "emotionally moving." This applies to movies, as well. One would think one would be wanting to have "fun" when watching a movie, but I don't really find myself having "fun" when Dumbledore dies in Harry Potter, or when Mufasa dies in the Lion King.

The most accurate blanket word that can describe those moments is engaged. You are invested in what is going on in the movie or game at that moment. Having fun is one way to be engaged, but it's not the only way. That is what "games don't have to be fun." means.

Now, your horror question is another one entirely. Horror is a very specific genre. The most divisive thing about it is the idea that there are different types of horror. There's psychological horror like Amnesia: The Dark Descent, there are jump scares and the dread of facing impossible odds like L4D, and then there's a horror of a much more...abstract kind. For example, sethisjimmy pointed out Catherine. Catherine could be considered a "horror" game not because it gets your blood pumping, but because it's a nightmarish incarnation of how bad relationship problems can get. It's scary in that it's a scenario completely out of your control, and the stress it puts in the character is incredible.

The same thing could be said about Minecraft, in a way. Imagine--you start out in a world all by yourself with nothing to your name, and the other creatures in the world either don't do anything at all to help you, or are trying to kill you. And there isn't anything you can do it except find a way to survive. No matter how big of a monster you kill there is no way to "win," and you will never have true company. If that isn't terrifying, I don't know what is.

So it really depends on how you look at it, and what kind of horror you are talking about.

 

[NightmareExpress]

To the same extent that you would actually need puzzles for a puzzle game to be what it is.
"Horror" is meant to startle, unsettle and instill a sense of dread. If it's a "horror game", it would need to have those elements as a core foundation rather than little thematic bits of a section (think Ravenholm in Half-Life 2 or horror-themed levels in non-horror games).

If it doesn't fit the definition of horror in the second sentence there, it's at worst an action game with gore or at best a psychological thriller (which are awesome). To put a more concrete genre definition down, horror is something "that is intended to, or has the capacity to, frighten viewers". So the answer is just yes.

 

[Assassin Xaero]

A lot of people say that not all games need to be fun, which made me think.

Who the hell says that? That's ridiculous.

Why is that ridiculous? Gaming is not a mere childrens thing anymore, even though 'game' is used to describe this medium it is not only there to be fun but to engage which can result in fun, horror or whatever feeling the creator wants the player to get into.

If this site didn't play favorites, I'd make a really sarcastic (and probably rather mean) remark to that... But yeah, anyway, not all games need to be fun, but a game being fun is a childs thing? I'm sorry, but once you stop being a child you realize how much life sucks and then you are not allowed to have fun anymore? Or am I just misunderstanding what you said?

OT: No! Scary is relative and more of a reaction rather than a theme (which horror is). None of the Dead Space games were the least bit scary to me. I know a lot of people who were scared by non-horror games (example: Ravenholm in Half-Life 2). A non-game example would be Underworld (and other vampire, werewolf, etc. movies). Is it horror themed? Yes. Is it scary? No. Left 4 Dead is a horror game and there isn't even a hint of scary in it. Idiocracy is the scariest movie I've ever seen (because that seems to be the direction this world is going), yet it isn't a horror movie at all.

 

[SnakeCL]

Well, remember, "scariness" isn't really as objective as many people would like to think.

What one person might find scary, another might not. That's why I argue "scariness" isn't a prerequisite of the horror genre, because it assumes everyone is scared of the same things.

 

[DoPo]

Well, remember, "scariness" isn't really as objective as many people would like to think.

What one person might find scary, another might not. That's why I argue "scariness" isn't a prerequisite of the horror genre, because it assumes everyone is scared of the same things.

No, not everybody is afraid of the same things, and indeed some things may not scare some, while others would freak out, however, we are capable of recognising horror themes and intent. A dark hallway full of spiders and you're only armed with a flashlight (which is a minute away from running out of battery) is one thing, casually fighting dozens of giant spiders with oversized weapons and flashy abilities, where the spiders drop various quality and quantity of loot, isn't. Horror themes and invoking horror feeling is distinct from not doing it. One might not be scared but can recognise what horror is.

 

[sextus the crazy]

Not really. Games can be in the horror genre and not be scary. I think of Catherine, the Castlevania series, Dead Rising, etc. Those sorts of games are rooted in horror elements, but not necessarily jump out of your pants scary.

These games all have influences from horror games, but aren't horror games themselves. Hence why they aren't scary.

 

[Nouw]

No. A game doesn't need to be scary to be horrifying. It can be, well, horrifying. Take Spec Ops: The Line for example. Many moments in that game were very horrifying but I wasn't scared by any of it.

 

[Chester Rabbit]

I would like them to be, but if there can be 100's of movies that are called horror movies and yet are not scary in the least then I guess games can get away with it as well.

 

[someonehairy-ish]

Yes. For a start, saying that games need to be fun is stupid. Games need to be engaging. Silent Hill was not "fun".

Any game claiming to be a horror game that doesn't at least attempt to be scary has been advertised badly. Simple as that.

No. A game doesn't need to be scary to be horrifying. It can be, well, horrifying. Take Spec Ops: The Line for example. Many moments in that game were very horrifying but I wasn't scared by any of it.

But Spec Ops was marketed as a military game, not a horror game. And I have the feeling that you actually mean disturbing or harrowing when you say horrifying.

 

[josemlopes]

A lot of people say that not all games need to be fun, which made me think.

Who the hell says that? That's ridiculous.

Spec Ops The Line isnt as fun as most games and it is still better then most.

OT: I guess not, Alan Wake while not being exactly horror it does what it does without ever needing scary stuff, but I guess that everyone is kind of tired of an actual scary game just getting released after everyone forgot what year the last scary game came out.

The last one is still Amnesia and how long ago was that?

 

[ninjaRiv]

I supose you could argue that films like Evil Dead are horror comedy, despite the fact that they're not scary. But, then again, that's stupid. imo they're just comedies with horror elements.

An action horror like Dead Space needs to have scary stuff in it to justify calling itself a horror.

And saying that horror is subjective is all well and good but when a product markets itself as horror, it needs to be trying to scare its target audience. The makers of Arachnophobia weren't aiming their film at spider lovers.

Plenty of stuff has horror elements. The Thief games, for example. But they're not out to scare you and they don't claim to be horror games. Although, those games did scary better then certain horror franchises I can think of.

Also, it's kind of the point of the genre; to be scary. If it's not at all scary and still calls itself a horror then it's just a crappy horror. Or they have a crap marketing team who should have labeled it properly. Like comedy with horror elements.

 

[BathorysGraveland]

I've always considered horror to be based more on atmosphere than any scare factor. Take the old 80's horror classic, The Thing. Is it scary? No, not really. Does it have one hell of a tense and grim atmosphere, a hopeless vibe to it? Damn right it does, and it's all the better for it. Another good example are the first two (but mostly the first) Resident Evil games. Not really scary, but very atmospheric and dark. Struggling against all hope to survive in a very grim world. That's what I consider to be horror.

Cannibal Holocaust is another good example of a horror classic that isn't scary, but relies on atmosphere to ensure tension and hopelessness.

So in my opinion, no, a horror game (or film) does not require any scares, but the right horror atmosphere.

 

[Squilookle]

Left 4 Dead anyone?

No, horror games don't need to be scary. Not at all.

 

[Doopliss64]

No. Scary is subjective, but the common "horror tropes" can be used to identify as a horror game regardless. One person might not find Slender scary, but that doesn't make it not a horror game.

As another example, a bad horror game that isn't scary can still be classified as a horror game. I don't think many people find all those reboots of classic slasher films scary, but that's just because they suck, not because they're not horror.

So, one could say that being scary is a common trait in horror games, but it isn't a requirement. Similarly, non-horror games can have "scary" elements.

 

[ninjaRiv]

I've always considered horror to be based more on atmosphere than any scare factor. Take the old 80's horror classic, The Thing. Is it scary? No, not really. Does it have one hell of a tense and grim atmosphere, a hopeless vibe to it? Damn right it does, and it's all the better for it. Another good example are the first two (but mostly the first) Resident Evil games. Not really scary, but very atmospheric and dark. Struggling against all hope to survive in a very grim world. That's what I consider to be horror.

Cannibal Holocaust is another good example of a horror classic that isn't scary, but relies on atmosphere to ensure tension and hopelessness.

So in my opinion, no, a horror game (or film) does not require any scares, but the right horror atmosphere.

But that horror atmosphere is a big part of horror. It's a scary atmosphere.