Poll: Horror for Horrorphobes

[Bek359]

I personally hate slasher-style horror, because it's not so much fright as nausea and disgust that you get from those kinds of things. My kind of horror is the Half-Life (especially 1) type, or Lovecraftian sorts of stuff. Part of the reason that I liked the Vaermina and Hackdirt quests in Oblivion. I don't like serial-killer horror AT ALL, you will never get me into a Saw movie or Hostel, but yeah, the kind of stuff I detailed above is the kind of stuff I can tolerate/like from horror.

 

[DarthFennec]

I personally hate slasher-style horror, because it's not so much fright as nausea and disgust that you get from those kinds of things. My kind of horror is the Half-Life (especially 1) type, or Lovecraftian sorts of stuff. Part of the reason that I liked the Vaermina and Hackdirt quests in Oblivion. I don't like serial-killer horror AT ALL, you will never get me into a Saw movie or Hostel, but yeah, the kind of stuff I detailed above is the kind of stuff I can tolerate/like from horror.

Someone got me to see Hostel and I though it was one of the stupidest movies I've ever seen. Stuff like that isn't scary, it's just disgusting. So I agree with you. But I never thought of Half-Life as being scary ... I don't remember any scary parts in HL1.

 

[Bek359]

I personally hate slasher-style horror, because it's not so much fright as nausea and disgust that you get from those kinds of things. My kind of horror is the Half-Life (especially 1) type, or Lovecraftian sorts of stuff. Part of the reason that I liked the Vaermina and Hackdirt quests in Oblivion. I don't like serial-killer horror AT ALL, you will never get me into a Saw movie or Hostel, but yeah, the kind of stuff I detailed above is the kind of stuff I can tolerate/like from horror.

Someone got me to see Hostel and I though it was one of the stupidest movies I've ever seen. Stuff like that isn't scary, it's just disgusting. So I agree with you. But I never thought of Half-Life as being scary ... I don't remember any scary parts in HL1.

It's not so much the actual gameplay as it is the whole situation, when you think about it. You're trapped in a facility with legions of eldritch creatures beaming in, some hunting and devouring the survivors, some mutating them into the zombies we've all come to know, some of them even implanting themself into the earth and making it their own, like the Tentacles in the rocket propulsion test chamber. At the same time, the military is coming in, at first, you think to save you, but then you realize that they want you to die just as much as the aliens do. So you're trapped between a rock and a hard place, just hoping that the marines will kill off the aliens so that you can sneak out alive... and then you hear that the aliens are overrunning the soldiers' positions, and gaining footholds in the outside world, and you know that the world won't ever be the same. Yes, you can go through the game without thinking about any of that, and just blasting away at things, but if you do, you're kind of missing part of the point of the game.

 

[DarthFennec]

I personally hate slasher-style horror, because it's not so much fright as nausea and disgust that you get from those kinds of things. My kind of horror is the Half-Life (especially 1) type, or Lovecraftian sorts of stuff. Part of the reason that I liked the Vaermina and Hackdirt quests in Oblivion. I don't like serial-killer horror AT ALL, you will never get me into a Saw movie or Hostel, but yeah, the kind of stuff I detailed above is the kind of stuff I can tolerate/like from horror.

Someone got me to see Hostel and I though it was one of the stupidest movies I've ever seen. Stuff like that isn't scary, it's just disgusting. So I agree with you. But I never thought of Half-Life as being scary ... I don't remember any scary parts in HL1.

It's not so much the actual gameplay as it is the whole situation, when you think about it. You're trapped in a facility with legions of eldritch creatures beaming in, some hunting and devouring the survivors, some mutating them into the zombies we've all come to know, some of them even implanting themself into the earth and making it their own, like the Tentacles in the rocket propulsion test chamber. At the same time, the military is coming in, at first, you think to save you, but then you realize that they want you to die just as much as the aliens do. So you're trapped between a rock and a hard place, just hoping that the marines will kill off the aliens so that you can sneak out alive... and then you hear that the aliens are overrunning the soldiers' positions, and gaining footholds in the outside world, and you know that the world won't ever be the same. Yes, you can go through the game without thinking about any of that, and just blasting away at things, but if you do, you're kind of missing part of the point of the game.

Huh. I never thought about that. I understood the storyline and what was going on, I'm not generally one to play a game just to blow stuff up, but I never thought of it as horror, because I never found it to be scary. They could make an effective horror out of that kind of situation, but I don't think that's what Valve did. I don't know, I just find it laughable that anyone would be scared of Half-Life, it's a great game and all, but there's no fear.

 

[meepop]

In my opinion, Silent Hill 2 is one of the best games ever. Therefore, I'm constantly reccomending it to people. What I've noticed recently is there are a lot of people out there who I know would appreciate this game, if only they could play it. If you don't like getting scared shitless, and if that happens really easily, it might be a little difficult to experience and enjoy a horror game. While I've never had this problem with games, I'm easily scared by horror movies, and so I know where these people are coming from. But I also know that for some media, especially Silent Hill, there are many facets to appreciate besides simply the horror aspect, and if one were to enjoy these facets, they would need to get around the horror aspect somehow. So I wondered, what could a horrorphobe do that would make it easier to play horror and appreciate it, without the problematic weeks of nightmares and such? The trick, I found, is to not let yourself be sucked into the game. If the game could be played and observed without sucking people in, it becomes much less scary. The trick is to create a comfortable atmosphere which is more or less opposite to that of the game. So I've compiled a list of things that I've found that should help with this.

Play in a room that's well lit by sunlight.
This one's obvious. Darkness is usually part of the atmosphere of a horror game. It's much less easy to be scared during the day than during the night.

Turn the sound down.
Lots of people don't know this for some reason, but 80% to 90% of fear in a game or movie is expressed through the sound or music. So turn it down, or off completely. You may want to listen to your own music in the background too.

Use a smaller or harder-to-see TV.
This one doesn't normally help as much as most of the other ones, but it does help. I've found that watching a horror film in a youtube window instead of fullscreen helps me, and this isn't much different. If the screen gets in the way of drawing you in, that's a plus. Just make sure it's not too annoying.

Take frequent breaks.
Silent Hill style fear, especially, builds up over time. Go get something to eat, or take a walk, or whatever, then come back to the game.

Play with someone else.
If you're easily scared, do not play by yourself. Have someone else there to focus on, preferrably someone who isn't scared by these kinds of things, and preferrably a good friend who understands and agrees with what you're trying to do. Converse and joke with them about the game, while you play. Laugh at how stupid the monsters look, talk about the storyline, joke about how the physics doesn't make sense, whatever. But having someone else there makes it much less scary.

So that's my list, it's helped some of my friends so I expect it might help some of you too. Feedback is always welcome. Cheers.

Most of this makes sense, except the sound thing. If you play a game like Killing Floor or Left 4 Dead, (not the best horror games but stay with me here), you're startled by what appears because you may not have heard it coming. Everything else makes sense, but one thing I discovered about horror games to disarm them is to play music based on what kind of horror. If it's Killing Floor horror where it's more on environment, play your favorite music with the sounds of the game slightly tuned down, but not entirely drowned out. You'll psych yourself up and get adrenaline going for the fight. I agree with everything else, because I suffer the same sort of fate. I'm handling it better, but still...

 

[Bek359]

Huh. I never thought about that. I understood the storyline and what was going on, I'm not generally one to play a game just to blow stuff up, but I never thought of it as horror, because I never found it to be scary. They could make an effective horror out of that kind of situation, but I don't think that's what Valve did. I don't know, I just find it laughable that anyone would be scared of Half-Life, it's a great game and all, but there's no fear.

Well, it isn't actually a true horror game. It's a sci-fi game with some horror elements sprinkled throughout. And it isn't so much horror as paranoia in most parts, especially in Half-Life 2. Is there a poison heabcrab/zombie behind that corner, just waiting to jump me? Or maybe a hopper mine? And so forth. But the setting is pretty ripe with Fridge Horror, to use a TvTropes expression. And I also very much like the cyberpunk elements of the series, especially the Combine architecture, as seen in the Citadel. Very Blade Runner-esque, except even more inhospitable, and now I've gone completely off the OT. Oh, well.

 

[IxionIndustries]

I've stopped getting scared by movies/games/shows/candlejack and more. All I get now are jump scares.

Pffft... Candlejack is an utter wu

Meemetic content aside, another tip, play with friends. After the first douchebag moves of going "BOO!" are done, it helps to be around people.

 

[Pearwood]

I did love the game but I have to say I don't know why Silent Hill 2 is getting so much praise. I did love it but I certainly wouldn't say it's the one of the best horror games ever, it had 2 big flaws. Firstly it didn't have the freedom to explore that I loved so much about SH1, admittedly that got worse in SH3 but SH3 made up for that slightly by avoiding my second complaint, that it just wasn't that scary. Pyramid Head (PH) was but apart from two times he got a cutscene announcing that he was going to turn up and one of those times the game dropped a major hint that he was around. Nothing blows the atmosphere quite like losing control of the character, if that happens you're not going through the game tense because you know if something major will happen the cutscene alarm will ring. The scariest part was when PH turned up completely unannounced when you were off your guard, you just heard footsteps behind you and suddenly there he was. But that's still just one moment and one moment doesn't make a whole game. The pendulum monsters from SH3 though, god they were chilling.

Anyway that wasn't directly related to your point, just wanted point out my criticisms of SH2. Yahtzee did make a good point that putting a human face on the evil takes away from it but I disagree with that, to me the idea that Silent Hill doesn't exist and is just Alessa's desire to punish people who deserve it combined with her nightmare world is a good backstory compared to "this place is shit". In case anyone is wondering, SH2 is my second favourite between 3 and 4.

To answer your points I think that horror games will creep you out at first, as you play you'll get less creeped out very quickly. Your solutions, especially getting an obscured tv, would really take away from the experience of it and if you do get into horrors without getting scared you'd probably regret "wasting" your first experience of a game especially if you really enjoy it.

Apologies if I come across as annoying criticising a game that's so well loved.

 

[arsenicCatnip]

How about this one: Don't play Fatal Frame at night. I had the lights on, but it was still at night. I couldn't get to sleep that night or the next without a lamp on. I love horror, but Fatal Frame was... too scary. Maybe because the only thing I'm scared of is ghosts. I can do zombies, vampires, serial killers, the insane, or anything else that's supposed to be scary. The only thing that gets me is ghosts... that, paired with the fact that the only way to do real damage is to let the ghosts get right up next to you is the equation for keeping me up at night.

I agree with you here.

Also, pick carefully when it comes to choosing a person to have with you while playing. My roommate finds it insanely amusing when I'm playing Fatal Frame 2 in the dark with her beside me, and she leans in and whispers "Sister..." in my ear... or grabs my shoulder mid-ghost-battle. I'm not terribly easy to scare when it comes to horror games, but I do jump easily. Especially when immersed.

 

[Pearwood]

Oh god yeah, if you sit next to the wrong (or right, for some) person you will get "Are you leaving me again?" whispered in your ear during that game. Still I strongly recommend Fatal Frame to anyone with an interest in horror, even if you're horror-phobic I think on its own it can act as immersion therapy.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Horror movies aren't scary anymore. Now it's all about blood and "Big american titties"(Reference)

I only get jump scares thats it

what movies ever actually scared you?

the only movie to actually ever ever ever to get in my head, was jeepers creepers 1/2, which was because the town/bus part was ridiculously close to what had happened as of the recent time (my team used to travel on the bus alot in that same manner), otherwise jump scares and laughter is usually what follows most horror movies i have ever seen.


OT: game tend to give me a decent scare, (which is because i play them opposite of what you said originally) and i play games to relax and enjoy, not to be scared out of my mind (which i respect whoever wants to and dont let me stop you from enjoying them)

so i dont enjoy horror games because i dont want to play them.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Horror movies aren't scary anymore. Now it's all about blood and "Big american titties"(Reference)

I only get jump scares thats it

what movies ever actually scared you?

the only movie to actually ever ever ever to get in my head, was jeepers creepers 1/2, which was because the town/bus part was ridiculously close to what had happened as of the recent time (my team used to travel on the bus alot in that same manner), otherwise jump scares and laughter is usually what follows most horror movies i have ever seen.


OT: game tend to give me a decent scare, (which is because i play them opposite of what you said originally) and i play games to relax and enjoy, not to be scared out of my mind (which i respect whoever wants to and dont let me stop you from enjoying them)

so i dont enjoy horror games because i dont want to play them.

To tell you the truth I laughed hysterically during halloween 2 when the cops daughter dies and he goes "Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee"
and unfortunately there is no youtube video I can embed

haha oh i must see this now

there are quite a few moments in older scary movies that are supposed to be scary..but i end up laughing out loud

in the original nightmare on elm street i think it is..he is walking down an alley that is too big for him to touch with both arms, so he turns his body lengh into his arm length and he becoms a midget with super long arms and i just lol'd for a good minute or two at it

 

[Antiparticle]

Yep. I do things like that when I play scary games, such as with Alan Wake which I'm playing at the moment. Yeah, I'm a wussie, so sue me.

 

[Shock and Awe]

If you are taking steps to not get scarred, that kind of defeats the purpose; doesn't it?

 

[DarthFennec]

I did love the game but I have to say I don't know why Silent Hill 2 is getting so much praise. I did love it but I certainly wouldn't say it's the one of the best horror games ever, it had 2 big flaws. Firstly it didn't have the freedom to explore that I loved so much about SH1, admittedly that got worse in SH3 but SH3 made up for that slightly by avoiding my second complaint, that it just wasn't that scary. Pyramid Head (PH) was but apart from two times he got a cutscene announcing that he was going to turn up and one of those times the game dropped a major hint that he was around. Nothing blows the atmosphere quite like losing control of the character, if that happens you're not going through the game tense because you know if something major will happen the cutscene alarm will ring. The scariest part was when PH turned up completely unannounced when you were off your guard, you just heard footsteps behind you and suddenly there he was. But that's still just one moment and one moment doesn't make a whole game. The pendulum monsters from SH3 though, god they were chilling.

I agree with most of that, and yes, SH3 was scarier. I like 2 better for 2 reasons. First, I can't stand the cult from 1 and 3. That's my personal opinion, and I'm sticking to it. Secondly, Silent Hill 2 is one of the only games I've ever played that I can write almost endless literary analyses on. I like seeing deep meanings and all kinds of symbolism in any art form, but there's not many games you can do that with, and SH2 is a powerhouse for it. Again, that's my opinion, but those are the reasons I think 2 is better than 3. Not much better mind you, the first 4 are some of the best games I've ever played, I love them all for their own special reasons ^_^