Scary games have always been very popular. In the 1990s and early 2000s, many well-known developers tried to launch their own horror franchise, and although today they are rare in the AAA segment, “horror films” continue to come out with enviable regularity. There have been many examples of quality titles throughout the history of video games, but only a few of them have truly shaped the face of the genre. Cybersport.ru offers a look at ten games that have had the greatest impact on the horror genre.
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3D Monster Maze (1982)
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Japanese RPG based on the horror movie of the same name. Five heroes find themselves in a cursed mansion, where they find themselves locked by a vengeful ghost threatening unfortunate death.
The game, released on the NES / Famicom, anticipated most of the techniques and approaches that will be used in horror movies of the future. Unlike many games of its time, Sweet Home stood out from the general background with a deep elaboration of the narrative, which was presented through notes, objects and interior details. In addition, riddles appeared in it, which later became a distinctive feature of the genre. Sweet Home was a huge influence on many horror films that followed. Among other things, the Resident Evil series owes its appearance to her – even the animation of opening doors first appeared in the 1989 game. And this despite the fact that the game never came out in the West due to provocative topics like the murder of children.
Alone in the Dark (1992)
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Capcom originally wanted to create a remake of Sweet Home, but was unable to re-obtain the rights to the film. In this regard, the studio decided to create a new franchise, partly based on existing developments. The damn mansion came from Sweet Home, the camera from Alone in the Dark, and the atmosphere borrowed from category B horror movies. The result is a game that gave rise to the term survival horror and became a cult classic that is still fun to play today.
In 1998, cases of cannibalism increased in the vicinity of Raccoon City, and a special police squad was sent to investigate. After the disappearance of the first group, the second was sent, but due to the helicopter crash and the attack of aggressive dogs, the operatives were locked in an abandoned mansion that hides many secrets.
Today, the original Resident Evil is considered one of the most influential games in history: thanks to it a renewed interest in zombies in movies and games, it became one of the first action games with an “adult” rating of 17+, and most tropes like puzzles and limited inventory though and appeared before Resident Evil, but gained popularity thanks to it.
Silent Hill 2 (2001)
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A little-known horror in Russia, the events of which unfold at once in several time periods. The title is a GameCube exclusive and one of the first 17+ rated games on Nintendo consoles.
A cross-cutting plot that runs throughout the game tells the story of Alexander Roivas, whose grandfather was recently brutally murdered. In search of the reasons for the murder, she decides to investigate the mansion of a deceased relative, where she finds a secret room with a “Volume of Eternal Darkness” covered in human skin. It contains the stories of the distant ancestors of the Roivas clan, who faced otherworldly phenomena.
The main feature of the game is the system of reason, which greatly affects the gameplay. Characters take damage not only for physical health, but also for mental health. This leads to unexpected consequences: flies can start to “crawl” across the screen, it can “fly out” to VIDEO mode, as on old TVs, or “delete” saves. In addition, the camera can be located under Dutch angle, the character can “die” when moving to a new room, and the environment can change its appearance. Similar details were later borrowed by many video game developers, but few managed to achieve the same variety and level of detail.
Resident Evil 4 (2005)
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Following the Penumbra trilogy that quietly passed by the mass player, the Frictional Games studio released Amnesia: The Dark Descent, which became an unexpected hit. The formula has changed little in comparison with previous games: the user still controls a helpless character who is forced to hide from opponents, unable to give them back.
A similar approach was first used in the little-known Korean horror game White Day (which received a remake in 2015), but it was the first Amnesia that allowed the concept to sparkle. This is largely due to the growing popularity of let-plays: for example, the famous Felix PewDiePie Chelberg rose largely thanks to the video passage of the game. And the formula “helpless character against monsters” was later borrowed by Outlast, Observer and Soma, developed by the same Frictional Games. Today stealth horror games have lost some of their relevance, but new items in the genre continue to appear with enviable regularity.
It is worth noting the fact that due to Amnesia, most modern horror games have abandoned the third-person camera: thanks to the “out of the eye” perspective, it is much easier for the player to associate himself with a character that works for immersion.
Slender: The Eight Pages (2012)
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The infamous teaser for the canceled Silent Hills was released over five years ago, but still has an impact on the genre. In it, the player again takes on the role of a nameless and helpless protagonist, who finds himself in a strange spatial loop in his own house. Getting out of there is very difficult.
P.T., despite the fact that this is only a demo, has spawned a whole subgenre of horror. In them, almost nothing threatens the player, but the atmosphere is actively pumped up due to small (and not so) changes in the environment and various details that occur in the background. Gamers are still hoping for Kojima’s return to the franchise, and enthusiasts are creating remakes and games with a similar vibe. Examples of the latter include Layers of Fear, Visage, and Allison Road. Many agree that Resident Evil 7 also relied on Kojima’s creation, but the game’s creators say that development began long before P.T.
Bonus: Dead by Daylight
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