So much of horror is what you DON''T see. It''s very hard to do this in games, because you cheat the player, and they hate that. Resevil was a tradeoff... control for the experience.
Scaring the player
The problem with the eyes-in-the-shadows bit is that the player will quickly cease to be frightened by it if the game doesn''t make good on it''s promise. If there acutally ARE things in the shadows... things that can kill you, then...
So much of horror is what you DON''T see. It''s very hard to do this in games, because you cheat the player, and they hate that. Resevil was a tradeoff... control for the experience.
So much of horror is what you DON''T see. It''s very hard to do this in games, because you cheat the player, and they hate that. Resevil was a tradeoff... control for the experience.
There are like three established rules in horror film / fiction
(I can only remember two).
1. The chracters have to be sympathetic (or at the least the audience can relate to them).
2. The "horror" has to be an established fear, or create a new fear in the audience. (Psychological Pressure points).
Also from S.King that th3re are two aspects to horror ie. the real fear that it is exploiting, and the gross out "shock" aspects. Too much of the latter and it can often turn into comedy (but used subtly it can add to the effect).
Of course with games we have more aspects to deal with ie. Saving, relating to the character that they are controlling Mario, or being their own character Doom, etc.
I don''t think that we have investigated psychological pressure points very much in games.. leaving it at the trivial level of "aarghh! my character is being eaten" or worse "Dave, is being attacked let''s reload".
(I can only remember two).
1. The chracters have to be sympathetic (or at the least the audience can relate to them).
2. The "horror" has to be an established fear, or create a new fear in the audience. (Psychological Pressure points).
Also from S.King that th3re are two aspects to horror ie. the real fear that it is exploiting, and the gross out "shock" aspects. Too much of the latter and it can often turn into comedy (but used subtly it can add to the effect).
Of course with games we have more aspects to deal with ie. Saving, relating to the character that they are controlling Mario, or being their own character Doom, etc.
I don''t think that we have investigated psychological pressure points very much in games.. leaving it at the trivial level of "aarghh! my character is being eaten" or worse "Dave, is being attacked let''s reload".
If you want to make a game scary, make one part where there is some kind of zombies/monsters walking around making grunting noises, then make it so the screen is all black, and every 5 seconds the player gets to see what is happening for 2 seconds, then it goes back to black. Also to add to it, make it so when a zombie/monster is very near them, it makes a very loud grunting noise.
So...in the player''s perspective...
You''re walking around in an office building, all alone. You see a staircase leading upwards, you walk up it and as you reach the top, the lights go out and suddenly you hear all these grunting noises coming from everywhere. You start shooting like crazy trying to kill everything! Every 5 seconds the lights turn back on for only 2 seconds. So one time, your in the dark and suddenly you hear this very loud grunting noise right beside you, then the lights turn back on and their is abotu 5 zombies surrounding you.
Pretty scary huh?
So...in the player''s perspective...
You''re walking around in an office building, all alone. You see a staircase leading upwards, you walk up it and as you reach the top, the lights go out and suddenly you hear all these grunting noises coming from everywhere. You start shooting like crazy trying to kill everything! Every 5 seconds the lights turn back on for only 2 seconds. So one time, your in the dark and suddenly you hear this very loud grunting noise right beside you, then the lights turn back on and their is abotu 5 zombies surrounding you.
Pretty scary huh?
I think the best way to scare someone is not thru arts or music or anything physical. But to have him "think" he is in a bad position. like:
"Whats going on, there are no enemies around here."
Fear is a figment of your imagination. Leave it to the players imagination to get the player to be scared. Imagination is the cake. Visual and sound effects are the frosting and cherry that adds the pizaz.
Ferrett
www.shogunmod.com
Its your time to choose.
"Whats going on, there are no enemies around here."
Fear is a figment of your imagination. Leave it to the players imagination to get the player to be scared. Imagination is the cake. Visual and sound effects are the frosting and cherry that adds the pizaz.
Ferrett
www.shogunmod.com
Its your time to choose.
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