Horror game tolerance

I've never found a game that's truly scary for me. Amnesia was too predictable; Silent Hill 1 and 2 are not scary, they're good games, but not scary ones; Silent Hill 3 is fucked up, but in a way that lets me way more interested in what is going to happen than in a way that makes me say "OH GOD! PLEASE STOP!". Resident Evil was almost there but i hate jump-scares. It just makes me angry. Seriously, it makes me so mad, that it just ruins the mood.

Quite a bit, I imagine. I'm not exactly an emotionally expressive person, so I imagine it'd take a helluva lot to scare me in a video game.

I don't understand people getting scared by Dead Space. Great game, but not really that scary. I suppose compared to most action games, sure, but it's not that scary of a horror game. Silent Hill games are the only ones that really scare me. They just get under my skin in a really interesting (and horrifying) way.

the dead space games were pretty scary but I forced myself to finish due to after hours i got numb to the effects and just enjoyed it.. i cant even get more then 1 hour into amnesia.

I haven't played Amnesia (I bought it off steam but I have nothing that can run it) but so far no horror game I've played this gen as scared me as much as the Silent Hill PS2 games did or even the Resident Evil Remake.

Silent Hill is the only series that has scared me, particularly SH 4. It got to the point where I would have to take breaks, to mentally recover from the freakyness.

@SlasherMan: I knew someone would drag that out :V

I know there are a few in Eternal Darkness, but they are few and far between. Which makes them more powerful.

The Resident Evil remake is still the game that's scared me most. It would get to the point where I would dread opening a new door, and when you go back to previous "safe" areas only to find HUNTERS...oh lawd.

If they would remake the remake in HD, I would give Capcom all my dollars, but releasing in HD wouldn't really work as it's all prerendered backgrounds, and would probably look like trash without being completely re-rendered.

I love horror games, they have be some of the hardest games to pull off successfully; it's so easy to break tension and lose the scariness, so when a game can really pull through with the scares it's something to take note of.

@Melvargh said:

The Resident Evil remake is still the game that's scared me most. It would get to the point where I would dread opening a new door, and when you go back to previous "safe" areas only to find HUNTERS...oh lawd.

If they would remake the remake in HD, I would give Capcom all my dollars, but releasing in HD wouldn't really work as it's all prerendered backgrounds, and would probably look like trash without being completely re-rendered.

I love horror games, they have be some of the hardest games to pull off successfully; it's so easy to break tension and lose the scariness, so when a game can really pull through with the scares it's something to take note of.

The part where that coffin is hanging and each item you get releases part of the chain that holds it up, and the text says something like "true evil will be unleashed".

I was like WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE IN THERE. It wasn't that bad, but the dread was the worst part about that.

I've attempted playing Amnesia, but couldn't get too far. Freaked me the fuck out.

@Hailinel said:

It really depends on the game. The Fatal Frame series and the better Silent Hill games scare the piss out of me, but I found Dead Space boring and couldn't bring myself to play it very much at all.

Basically. The horror-genre is one of hard swings for me. The best of them have some of the most finely crafted and memorable experiences of the medium, but anything less is dull and forgettable.

My tolerance for horror games is dependent upon how stressful their game-play is. I can take Silent Hill 3 for about an hour tops, but I could probably play 2 from start to finish given enough free time. My first time through System Shock 2 was also pretty damn rough, but awesome.

The only horror game to truly make me physically exhausted with tension is Amnesia, and one unscripted moment in Penumbra: Black Plague. (I'm not trying to sound "tough", I just watch, read, and generally partake in so much horror that I'm desensitized to most of the tactics they use) If someone manages to make a game much scarier than that, I may finally find my limit.

Everyone talks about the invisible water creature chase, but for me the scariest bits were the prison (again an unscripted moment that made me leap right out of my chair) and that damn painting. The only times I ever had to "NOPE" my way out of a game and take a breather.

I'm about an hour into Amnesia, don't see what the big deal is. I found Bioshock scarier than this.

Horror games? Dude, I panicked when I saw that first goblin in the Oblivion tutorial.

@Humanoid said:

I'm about an hour into Amnesia, don't see what the big deal is. I found Bioshock scarier than this.

The first hour or so is just setup. Keep going.

You got scared in Dead Space 2? Well... that's good! I love Dead Space 2, but unlike the first, it has less (to no) scary aspects. The intensity is very different.

I just realize I've never played a horror game unless you count Dead Space and Code Veronica. I kind of want to try the Silent Hill HD Collection, but that seems to be a buggy mess. I guess I'd be better tracking down 2 and 3 on the PS2.

Amnesia = NOPE

@ShaggE said:

@Humanoid said:

I'm about an hour into Amnesia, don't see what the big deal is. I found Bioshock scarier than this.

The first hour or so is just setup. Keep going.

It sure is taking its sweet time building the suspense, but yeah, I'll continue playing it.

@Humanoid: Goddammit, I can't even look at a *picture* of Charlie Day without giggling. I can't even remember the context behind that one, but still I laugh.

@ShaggE said:

@Humanoid: Goddammit, I can't even look at a *picture* of Charlie Day without giggling. I can't even remember the context behind that one, but still I laugh.

You mean like this?

@Humanoid: Ho...ly... shit...

Tell me that's from Sunny. I haven't watched the last season and a half yet (I like to marathon most of my favorite shows), so I'm out of the loop.

@ShaggE said:

@Humanoid: Ho...ly... shit...

Tell me that's from Sunny. I haven't watched the last season and a half yet (I like to marathon most of my favorite shows), so I'm out of the loop.

We're actually at the same point then. This is from season 3 I think, not sure. It's the episode where Mac and Charlie find out that the Dennis and Deandras grandfather was a Nazi.

@Humanoid: I looked it up, and it's from season 1. That'd explain why I don't remember it, as I only watched the first season once a long time ago. I prefer 2 onwards.

I don't play a whole lot of horror games, but I figure that as long as there's someone there with me, I think I'll be able to tough out just about anything.

can't play without a friend. Not even bioshock or doom 3.

@ShaggE:

I, too, was also freaked out by the prison. It was really easy to loop around a lot. Was it the part where the CREATURE warped in under lights that flicked on and off?

@seannao said:

@ShaggE:

I, too, was also freaked out by the prison. It was really easy to loop around a lot. Was it the part where the CREATURE warped in under lights that flicked on and off?

Nah, what happened was I heard some steps and decided to barricade myself in a cell... I placed a bunch of items against the door, turned around, and got a faceful of monster standing there a foot away. In a movie that would have been hokey, but in a game? Damn.

I'm still not sure if that was scripted or not, or why the creature didn't attack until I had turned around (I know he's only supposed to aggro if you look at him for too long, but I figured sheer proximity would override that), but I was shaken for a good while after that.

Big horror genre fan of many things (games/books/films) so the things that most people label as horror I'm so used to seeing though will often get affected by ye olde jump scares. The games I'd label as horrific tend to get tagged as cute by most people :P.

@ShaggE said:

@Humanoid: I looked it up, and it's from season 1. That'd explain why I don't remember it, as I only watched the first season once a long time ago. I prefer 2 onwards.

Well I'm a little bit further into it. God there's just something about not being able to kill this monster and I'm guessing I can't outrun it either.

@Breadfan said:

I've attempted playing Amnesia, but couldn't get too far. Freaked me the fuck out.

Same. I got about an hour in and had to put it down. After all this horror game talk though I think I will try it again.

@Humanoid said:

@ShaggE said:

@Humanoid: I looked it up, and it's from season 1. That'd explain why I don't remember it, as I only watched the first season once a long time ago. I prefer 2 onwards.

Well I'm a little bit further into it. God there's just something about not being able to kill this monster and I'm guessing I can't outrun it either.

In a good or bad way? (and nope, all you can do is hide)

Been playing through silent hill hd collection and it's fine if it is the middle of the day with the window open and sound playing through my stereo and my girlfriend in the room on her laptop. But alone, at night, or any time with headphones on? Gaaaah! Same goes with most horror titles although the silent hill games can be particularly... Oppressive.

Also had a hard time making it through the adventure game "the lost crown" for similar reasons

@justinsimonin said:

Been playing through silent hill hd collection and it's fine if it is the middle of the day with the window open and sound playing through my stereo and my girlfriend in the room on her laptop. But alone, at night, or any time with headphones on? Gaaaah! Same goes with most horror titles although the silent hill games can be particularly... Oppressive. Also had a hard time making it through the adventure game "the lost crown" for similar reasons

Oh, lord! I've actually played The Lost Crown, surprisingly. It's a damn long game, and one that I didn't find particularly scary, unfortunately. I will admit to appreciating the game for its effort, though.

I remember that one mission in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines that had me sweating bullets. I've been hearing a lot of good word on Amnesia but I can't even touch any Silent Hill games so I don't think I can handle it.

I love horror games. Unfortunately, my imagination is way too wild to handle a lot of them. I get immersed really easily.

The main component of making a game scary for me is sound design. Better heard, not seen, and all that. It helps that I pretty much game exclusively with headphones on.

Penumbra and Amnesia fucked me up bad, as did Condemned (that fucking farmhouse level, shiiiiiiiit). I appreciate the Silent Hill series but I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't even be able to finish those.

@ShaggE said:

@Humanoid said:

@ShaggE said:

@Humanoid: I looked it up, and it's from season 1. That'd explain why I don't remember it, as I only watched the first season once a long time ago. I prefer 2 onwards.

Well I'm a little bit further into it. God there's just something about not being able to kill this monster and I'm guessing I can't outrun it either.

In a good or bad way? (and nope, all you can do is hide)

Scary way. :(

dead space has taken me two years to get to the end of. I love it but I am a complete pussy with scary games, I just cant handle them at all.

Is Amnesia THAT scary?

Probably sounds lame to you guys but I don't get scared of video games unless it involves teens or something. I thougt Dead Space was alright, didn't scare me.

Currently I've been playing the PSP game Corpse Party. I strictly play this game around 3 or 4 am. Its when I'm the most tired and also vunerable. I also play with me high quality headphones because I need to hear everything. Now this game doesn't make me go crazy but it creeps me out sometimes. I wish it was in 3D tho because the enviroment would look pretty creepy if you'd ask me.

When I'm tense and anxious whilst playing a video game I just don't enjoy it, I think the GB crew said it best. Its worse for horror video games as opposed to movie because you are the one who has to push things forward, you have to see what's behind that next door. When done right this can make for an incredibly effective means of creating terror but it isn't (for me at least) a particularly enjoyable thing. That being said I played a substantial amount of Dead Space 2 and didn't find it scary at all.

I don't get all that scared by them but I've always enjoyed them, I think because when I was younger they were much scarier. Though I stopped liking them after Deadspace because I felt like it was a lot of backing up and shooting as opposed to scary, and I can't seem to get over that part of them.

I grew majorly desensitized to horror games after playing The Suffering and watching lots of horror movies at a young age. That said, Amnesia got me good, good enough for me to just straight quit out and have to think about what happened for 20 minutes. I still haven't went back to that game...