|
 On 03/16/2012 at 09:30 AM by Esteban Cuevas See More From This User » |
In a previous blog, I said that my New Year Resolution was to overcome my fear of Horror movies and Survival Horror games. Since then, I've watched Child's Play and then got lazy but I now I've got a couple of movies lined up to watch and see if I can get through them. On the game front, however, it hasn't gone so well.
I tried to play Condemned: Criminal Origins but I became too scared to finish the second level. I got through the first somewhat easy but it all fell apart in level 2. Since then, I haven't tried to conquer this fear so I'm looking for some help for a game plan as to how to conquer my fear.
What I'm thinking of doing is setting up a list of steps and work my way towards scarier and scarier games. This may take a while but I've also decided that I don't need to complete the games, only reach a point where I'm relatively at ease playing them for a considerable amount of time. Maybe an hour or two.
I've made my own list and it's rather long but that's on purpose. I'm expecting this list to change and be increased and decreased and for some titles to be added and deleted. So here it is:
The only thing that will be constant is the last game. On the movie front, The Exorcist is the final step. On the games front, Silent Hill 2 is the final step. Everything is up for debate. Some games I didn't put on the list because I don't have the console or something else preventing me from getting the game. I'll try to get each game by renting or borrowing or (last resort) emulation.
Some steps have multiple games and that's due to that step being a major one due to me already knowing I'm scared of that series of games (Resident Evil, Dead Space) or sometimes just not knowing which is less scary. Remember: the point isn't necessarily for me to complete the games. Just to reach a point wher I can play it in a relaxed state.
Whether or not, I complete the game will depend on if I like it. Example: I've heard good things about Resident Evil 4 so it's likely I'll enjoy it (if I can relax) but I'll probably not finish Clock Tower, as the reviews for those games haven't been too kind.
So thoughts? I'd really like to have some opinions and get some help with this. Because of my fear, I'm depriving myself of some really good games. I'd also like to hear from anyone who might have already conquered their fear and have some first hand experience.
To be clear: I'm not looking for the best games in the genre but the scariest. Quality isn't a concern as long as the game is functional. So Amy would be out. These games are listed in what I think is an order from least scary to most scary. Unless I'm wrong. That's what you guys are for. So come on! Help a gamer out!
I'm a broken record... Eternal Darkness.
I didn't think your fear was that bad until I started reading some of your recent tweets. It's like I want to laugh, and yet send a message of confort at the same time. It's a good thing we don't work in the same physical space because otherwise I would have scared the crap out of you just so that you could get used to it.
I really don't think I could handle Eternal Darkness right now. That's why that game is later in the list.
I'm not sure if Deadly Premonition needs to be on the list lol. You should play Deadly P, but not for scares. I laughed everytime I played it, but I'm a horror junkie. The enemies make stupid noises, the combat is simple, it's not dark or haunting like Condemned trust me. The characters and story are amazing and silly, the music is absurd. The combat and gameplay is terrible in every way, but I think the story and characters will keep you going. It's just funny and super interesting because of how odd it is.
All the other games are great choices. Fear is the only game I ever had a nightmare about, Alma terrifies me, if you're easily scared than those games will fuck you up. I love being scared and getting the adrenaline rush and terror, and Fear really hit a sweet spot for me. There are scare sequences built into the design and they can be so terrifying that I'd have dreams about the sequences after a playsession. The games have really fun combat sequences, it's a legit shooter, but it breaks up the pacing and gives you scare sequences built in. It's the definition of action horror. The Fear games have incredible sound design, ambience, and atmosphere. It's super creepy.
For combat, Dead Space is one of the most intense games I've ever played. The design is very simple, monsters jump out of closets and in theory it's no different than Doom 3, but Dead Space just accomplished it more than Doom ever did. The stress nearly killed me playing Dead Space the first time.
No joke Esteban I think any Fatal Frame needs to be at the bottom of the list. I've had Fatal Frame 2 since the Xbox days and I haven't beat it. Scariest game I've ever played, I love horror but I can't deal with Fatal Frame, it just taxes my brain and my psyche too much. It's way more intense than any Silent Hill I've ever played. Horror is completely subjective, some people are terrified by ghosts, some people laugh at them. Some people prefer a big dope with a chainsaw, some people think they're stupid. Games like Doom and Resident Evil will be easier for you if you like being able to just grab a gun and blast anything you're scared of. In games like Fear, Silent Hill, and more than anything, Fatal Frame, you won't be able to just shoot your problems away and laugh at them.
Start with Doom, Resident Evil, and maybe Deadly Premonition. And just remember to take breaks often if it stresses you out too much. When I play Fear games I literally only play checkpoint to checkpoint. By the time I get to the next checkpoint I'm already tired and strung out off the scares and action. Some games will tax your brain more than others, for me horror games tax me a great deal so I take them at a slow pace. If you play a level or experience a sequence it just really tears you apart, take a break and do something else, and come back in a few minutes to get a fresh start. Let the adrenaline subside, and let your brain experience the next section in a more fresh and calmed state. There's no shame in taking it really slow. It took me weeks to beat Fear 2.
I know the Fatal Frame series is suppose to be really scary. That's why it's towards the bottom of the list. I didn't put it at the bottom because I'm afraid of other things more than ghosts. I mean those things in Silent Hill. I don't even know what the hell they are. Famous story: I started Silent Hill 3 and the first monster that came at me scared me so much, I paused, exit out of the game to the main menu and turned the game off in one quick motion in like five seconds.
I thought Deadly Premonition was really scary but I guess its more like corny horror? Maybe I'll move that up the list. F.E.A.R. I've tried before and it's more action based to me but the horror elements did start to get to me, which is why I stopped. Alma is a bit creepy but I don't actually know how that game scares you so I don't know what's supposed to be creepy about her.
I actually bought Dead Space because it looked so cool to me but then I started playing it and I got through a few creatures but was then too terrified to go on. I own Doom 3 on Steam but I got too scared to go on after some time. That's basically a FPS though so it shouldn't be too bad.
Thanks a lot for the advice. You helped a lot. I think I'll move up Resident Evil as well. Would you say that Dino Crisis is a good place to start though? Or should it be something else? Is Dino Crisis scarier than Doom 3, Resident Evil and Deadly Premonition?
I agree with Michael117. Fatal Frame is far more terrifying than Silent Hill. It's not even that it's ghosts vs. monsters, Fatal Frame is just amazingly good at catching you off guard. I'm not one that's scared by much, but my first time with Fatal Frame 1 really threw me for a loop because it caught me so many times.
In that game, you're already in this creepy abandoned building in the middle of the woods and just when everything seems normal, you'll come back down a hallway you've been down before and all of a sudden you'll see a ghost girl hanging from the rafters on a noose. It's nuts and also unscripted, so you have no idea it's coming. As you progress through the game (which is loosely based on a true story) you'll read about all this messed up stuff that happened there and it really brings the whole experience to life.
Mechanically Fatal Frame 2 is a much better game, but I don't know that it's quite as scary as the first. The third sits somewhere between both, but I'll never forget the first - it's the only game to ever scare me.
I know people talk about how scary Amnesia is all the time, but I just found it really annoying and incredibly boring. You can barely see anything and you're constantly worrying about having enough oil to actually be able to see anything at all, it just gets really annoying. Since most of the time nothing is going on, it's always really obvious when a monster encounter is coming, which really destroys the effect.
Last thing - I see you have Parasite Eve on there. I never realized that was considered horror, but if you're creeped out by it to some degree, you should move it closer to the top, because I don't remember it having any random scares or anything like that.
Okay. How about I move Fatal Frame to second to last and move the rest up one? And I'll switch Parasite Eve and Condemned?
What scares you? Monsters, supernatural phenomenon, serial killers? It's different for everyone. Because of my religious upbringing, stuff involving demon possession is what terrifies me. The Exorcist and the Paranormal Activity movies mess me up. But monsters don't bother me. I can go through Dead Space with no problem. As far as my suggestion, the Resident Evil remake for Gamecube. RE was my first exposure to horror, period. It's a good one to start with.
I'm mostly afraid of serial killers because that's real. It's not unfathomable for someone to surprise you and come at you with a knife. Creatures and monsters freak me out too but ones that I know what they are don't as much. So werewolves, zombies, vampires, those are all less scary. Whatever the hell those things are in Silent Hill freak me out.
I don't have a religious upbringing per se so demon stuff isn't as bad but The Exorcist is the reason I'm afraid of all of this in the first place. I saw it when I was four and it basically screwed up horror movies and by extension, games.
I've noticed jump scares really get me. Also, atmosphere. Usually, I stop watching or playing something scary because I'm so tense and on edge, I can't go on. Nothing has actually even happened.
Example: While playing Condemned, what was frequently going through my mind is, "It's too dark. I can't see anything. Is there something around the corner? There could be. Is there something behind me? I don't like it here. WHAT WAS THAT NOISE!?"
I guess usually terrify myself because of the unknown and from thinking too much.
I was at work today thinking about plugging back my GameCube with the intention to play Luigi's Mansion again, and then I realized that it might be the perfect game for Esteban to start with in his survival-horror list.
LOL! I never even thought of that game.
Hmm. So jump scares get you, and so does creepy atmosphere. I hate to say it, Esteban, but this may be a lost cause. You know what I'd do? Watch Evil Dead 1 and 2. Those are horror movies, but they have a lot of camp to them. Maybe when you see something that's scary but also kinda funny it will help you deal with more serious stuff.
Well, I started Dino Crisis and I've only been scared once. It was when this big ass T-Rex busted through a window and I had to shoot his mouth. Other than that, I haven't been scared or on edge. Then again, I liked dinosaurs as a kid.
Comments