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TIGSource ForumsPlayerGamesIs the Horror genre making a comeback?
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Author Topic: Is the Horror genre making a comeback?  (Read 4617 times)
Moth
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« Reply #20 on: August 24, 2015, 05:54:19 PM »

Fnaf is surely the most pure horror game out there, it's all about the dread of anticipation and the ambiguousness of fear fuel by lore, it deserve way more praise that what appear at the surface.

Not only that, it totally eschews most paradigms of typical horror games- neither a first person flashlight game nor a fixed camera tank control game. I think that alone is pretty cool. It's very understated in the extremity of its content too, hardly any blood or gore at all, even less so than many horror games once considered to be psychological horror.

Jump scares exist but they are not the horror, it's all in the anticipation, like you said. The jump scares are like a punch in the face that punishes you for making a mistake, just there to give a looming penalty to fucking up.

FNAF is a really well made game.
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« Reply #21 on: August 24, 2015, 05:57:19 PM »

isnt fnarf just night trap basically?

i mean it's kinda neat that he managed to take the concept of a game like night trap which is almost universally considered to be utter shit and turn it into something actually good (apparently, not played fnaf or night trap).
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gimymblert
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« Reply #22 on: August 24, 2015, 06:42:41 PM »

I haven't play night trap at all

I recommend fnaf though, it's very tight, it's not scary it's dreadful

I also noticed how much lore is actually import in drawing you into horror, first experience is less "dreadful" as you only see weird kids stuff, but then as you notice discrepancy that hint at bigger narrative, and are reward with smart way into the narrative (phone guy, paycheck, dates, articles on walls, the design of the animatronic) that keep you in constant guessing just like the gameplay itself, and where nothing is clearly spells out, is realy what make the atmosphere, a constant uneasiness and uncertainty. You are also totally and completely vulnerable, you can't really move, you can't escape, it's totally out of your control (ie wait until it's 6h am), that add a lot into making you vulnerable. The game literally makes you complicit to your fear in a way other game don't, you are unsafe period, no power scaling, no way to run or even hide, it's as pure as it can get, it keeps you guessing and sudden realization about the lire as hint are introduce can actually distract you and leave you open, which help the lore sipping even stronger with the experience, actually understanding some of the things only makes it scarier when you realize the implication. It's really an excellent exercise in atmosphere building. Horror game generally don't make me flinch at all, not even the one you might consider the best, but I remember that moment when I laid in the bed and my door was left open into darkness, dread! lol

70 of wat is said about blood borne in relation to survival horror in this video applies to FNAF (30% is about the action) https://youtu.be/tb4n4jwTDUM?list=PLlRceUcRZcK0E1Id3NHchFaxikvCvAVQe&t=74

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« Reply #23 on: August 24, 2015, 06:51:03 PM »

i don't really see bloodborne as a horror game tho. it's a game that uses "dark" themes but i don't really find it scary.
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gimymblert
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« Reply #24 on: August 24, 2015, 06:52:54 PM »

I refer to the argument use in the video, it's spot on
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« Reply #25 on: August 24, 2015, 06:57:15 PM »

Quote
Horror game generally don't make me flinch at all, not even the one you might consider the best, but I remember that moment when I laid in the bed and my door was left open into darkness, dread! lol

horror games make me flinch a lot lol. they also make me feel like shit playing them (which is why i dont play em often). btw i basically dont consider bloodborne to be horror bc it doensn't make me feel awful, thats what it comes down to. so yeah, not playing fnorf. sorry.
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gimymblert
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« Reply #26 on: August 24, 2015, 07:05:50 PM »

another analaysis of PT that highlight elements that share similarity with fnaf
https://youtu.be/K-85jO6nRNQ?t=319

From a design stand point
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battlerager
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« Reply #27 on: August 25, 2015, 02:39:21 AM »

i don't really see bloodborne as a horror game tho. it's a game that uses "dark" themes but i don't really find it scary.
I do, I stopped playing when I reached ... I think it's the unseen village, with the giant things on walls and towers everywhere. Amygdalas, I think? Ughhhh....
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« Reply #28 on: August 25, 2015, 04:34:02 AM »

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I totally agree with you, though I magically enjoyed every lame part of it.

I have to agree with you on that one.
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« Reply #29 on: August 25, 2015, 05:22:16 AM »

i don't really see bloodborne as a horror game tho. it's a game that uses "dark" themes but i don't really find it scary.
I do, I stopped playing when I reached ... I think it's the unseen village, with the giant things on walls and towers everywhere. Amygdalas, I think? Ughhhh....

hmm idk, even tho the game has bizarre creatures trying to kill you and is mysterious/trippy, in the end you can still beat the shit/grapejuice blood out of most of these bizarre creatures and even become a lovecraftian ELDER GOD yourself as one of the endings. if it's really a horror game it's about conquering your fears.

also the souls games' particular combination of player submission and player freedom is imo not really comparable to the "survival horror" paradigm which is mainly geared towards making the player feel weak
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Moth
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« Reply #30 on: August 25, 2015, 10:54:13 AM »

isnt fnarf just night trap basically?

yeah I was actually going to mention night trap in the post and point out how it's rad he made a really good game out of a similar concept as a terrible one, but I thought I was getting away from the point/flailing around in fnaf praise too much lol.

silbereisen have you considered watching youtubers play through FNAF to check the game out? I mean lots of youtubers are obnoxious but if you can find one that you don't mind they can actually be pretty fun to watch. also it would probably not stress you out or make you feel bad like personally playing a horror game would
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gimymblert
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« Reply #31 on: August 25, 2015, 05:50:24 PM »

well I'm sorry but even watching it stress me, try kid react though

however a cold watch will make you miss all the subtleties that are already overflowing just from the settings
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« Reply #32 on: August 25, 2015, 06:51:55 PM »

I think horror will truly catch on again in the "mainstream" when developers begin to understand what exactly horror is. As I've read, [survival] horror is about dis-empowerment. You [the protagonist] are in a precarious situation and desperately need to find a way out without experiencing a painful death beforehand. Limited resources, imminent danger, creepy scenarios, problem solving. It isn't entirely about blood, gore, guts, and guns.

True horror is a psychological experience. E.g. http://www.gamesradar.com/ways-horror-games-use-psychology-scare-crap-out-us/

It's not exactly terrifying to be surrounded by the walking dead when you have a http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BFG in your pocket, imho

I watched the movie Fallen exactly one time (it truly psyched me out; especially when I hear "Time Is on My Side" now Shocked). That is horror at its best.
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« Reply #33 on: August 26, 2015, 01:21:03 PM »

I had my girlfriend try FNAF on the weekend. She lost the first night without even batting an eye at the rabbit jumpscare. But then on her second try, she reached night 2, and got the bunny to stare at us through the right wall, managed to make it near the end, and then the fox comes out and she screams in absolute panic (tbf I was really tense during her playthrough and and got scared from the jumpscare too). I think its a fantastic game.
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« Reply #34 on: August 26, 2015, 01:41:06 PM »

The problem with horror games - especially indie horror games - is that they're less and less relying on atmosphere, good storytelling and "fridge horror" and each day more in jump scares and random dark hallways.
And you can get a jumpscare from a toaster if you're not paying attention.

I get it. Visceral fear is easy to emulate and cheap to develop. Dark hallways and stuff popping at the screen are surefire ways to provoke hormonal fear responses on most people. But that is all.
But if that is all there is, you get a game that gives you absolutely 0 payoff and you can play any "clone" around to get the exact same response - and there are A LOT of them.
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« Reply #35 on: August 26, 2015, 01:43:06 PM »

FNAF has some fun backstory you have to aseemble from yourself somewhat. Unreliable narrators dont help.

That said, I enjoy Path of Exile "figure out the lore" bits better
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« Reply #36 on: August 26, 2015, 02:28:28 PM »

The genius thing in the fnaf narrative is how things that seem to match up actually don't when you pay attention, phone guy is talking to you, the event related are at the same date that the night shift, etc ... it really add up to the experience by keeping a feeling of unease and uncertainty about what really happen and it only got better with sequel. I mean isn't fear induced paranoia based on seeing things when there is none, questioning the reality of things, the thing is that certainty never come even though there is wealth of hint and clues, it keeps you guessing, the lore and mechanics are totally just the same things, and the atari 2600 game just emphasize that with their lack of details!
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DXimenes
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« Reply #37 on: August 26, 2015, 03:35:55 PM »

@GIMBERT I've only played the first FNAF for an hour or so (the mechanics kind of bored me), but asking an honest question:
Does it justify 4 sequels and a movie or is it just "milking the cow" too hard?
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gimymblert
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« Reply #38 on: August 26, 2015, 03:49:00 PM »

Well the game don't last long,it is very short, it is very like a telltale game in which new elements are brought to the plot with increasing clarity without losing it's uncertainty (small question aren't answered "clearly" as to what are the real identity of protagonist or which event is what), 4 is (officially announced) the last one (although a "dlc" is planned).

You don't need to like the game although, but I think the game didn't stole its merit and is worth studying.
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Moth
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« Reply #39 on: August 26, 2015, 04:40:57 PM »

@GIMBERT I've only played the first FNAF for an hour or so (the mechanics kind of bored me), but asking an honest question:
Does it justify 4 sequels and a movie or is it just "milking the cow" too hard?

I wouldn't say it's milking the cow because the sequels mutate the gameplay a respectable amount. The games don't completely rehash the same formula over and over again, if that's what you thought they did. The second game is a lot more fast and furious than the first, for example, turning the formula on its head by removing the locking doors mechanic, among other changes. Each one also heaps onto the rich lore which is great for the people who love the story.

If someone dug the style of the games I'd say each sequel is a worthy purchase for them. I don't think the target audience is really being particularly taken advantage of or anything (I really like everything each game has added to the formula, I'm happy with my purchases and I'm excited for the movie).

This topic sure took a fnaf tangent but it's practically the face of horror in video games right now so I think it's acceptable to a degree Tongue
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