Clive Thompson: Video Games Do Scary Better Than Horror Films
At this point, we are all used to the mainstream media using video games as a scapegoat for anything they can think of. So, it was with much trepidation that I checked out this video on ABC News about horror video games. Much to my delight and surprise, it was treated very fairly. Tech journalist Clive Thompson waxes rhapsodic about horror video games and mentions Silent Hill, BioShock as great games in the genre. (I was a little amazed that Resident Evil wasn't mentioned although there are some clips of RE4. Strange...) He even goes so far as to say that video games do horror better than horror movies.
When you're being scared in a video game, you are voluntarily putting yourself in a really really difficult and scary situation and you've got a bit of control over it. And I actually think that's why video games are the better vehicle for modern horror than a movie because that added element of control gives extra weight to what happens.
Being a dyed in the wool horror movie/game freak and derider of most modern "torture porn" horror films, this report was music to my ears. Thanks to ABC News and Clive Thompson for such a positive report.
Scary Video Games: Clive Thompson on why its good to be afraid of a game.
Fruit Brute
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 25 June 2008
· Comments (2)
Other stuff like this: abc news, clive thompson, horror, scary, video games
While I completely agree (Hollywood knows what's sick, not what's scary), it's sad that no one mentions the Fatal Frame series. As much as I love Silent Hill for all it's atmosphere, it never made me feel tense. The Fatal Frame games? Now that's "OMG! I can't play this in the dark alone" terrifying!
Derailing question for Fruit Brute and other commenters: What's you're favorite scare in a game?
Even though I disliked most of the game, my favorite came from Silent Hill 4. The "tunnel scare" was easily one of the most unsettling events in a game I've ever played. I won't spoiled it, but what you see is the last thing you would expect.
I'm going for two moments in this.
1.) Hunk bursts through a wall, and gives chase across a heliport thing, scared me to death, first time I've ever turned a game off straight away [Resi 2], you see it on CCTV then moments later BAM right at you.
2.) The freaking Licker, I hate that thing, and still do [Resi 2]
Oh, evidently this conclusively proves Resi 2 is the scariest game I've ever played.
Still games make me jump/tense me up more than any film ever has.
I agree with the control part, knowing you have direct input into the characters movements and actions is way worse, Resident Evil terrified me in a way Dawn of the dead didn't at that age. Still System Shock 2 still gets the job done.
Got to say though, best tension builder is Silent Hill 2, the opening scene where you run down the foggy path for absolutely ages, and it gets denser, and denser, and denser.