Scared to play horror games...

[akahoovy]

Oh man, how did I forget to mention F.E.A.R.! That game has moments that to this day, even when I know each little Alma event, that makes my skin crawl and my eyes water, lol! That's a very creepy game to play in the dark with headphones.

On that note, I recall another game that did a great job of having me on edge in the dark with headphones. That was Aliens vs Predator 2 from 2001. The marine campaign that plays out a lot like the Aliens movie was fantastic, at the time. That game didn't age as gracefully as FEAR.

Deadspace 1 and 2 never made me anxious like the first two I mentioned, but they were very good. I never played 3.

I've never played STALKER either. Am I in for a good time?

 

[Zak_]

We have a cat and she can't even be in the same room with the cat while the light's off.

Has the cat shown murderous tendencies in the past?

 

[lilrayray69]

I can play most any horror game where you have a weapon. I don't like the ones like Amnesia where the whole idea is to run and hide. It's not just that I find them too scary, I don't find them as fun either.

One of my favorite horror games by far is Condemned: Criminal Origins. The second was fairly good too, I especially remember a part where you're chased by a bear through a house . I always wished they'd make a 3rd one but I don't think it will happen.

 

[Artorias]

Oh man, how did I forget to mention F.E.A.R.! That game has moments that to this day, even when I know each little Alma event, that makes my skin crawl and my eyes water, lol! That's a very creepy game to play in the dark with headphones.

On that note, I recall another game that did a great job of having me on edge in the dark with headphones. That was Aliens vs Predator 2 from 2001. The marine campaign that plays out a lot like the Aliens movie was fantastic, at the time. That game didn't age as gracefully as FEAR.

Deadspace 1 and 2 never made me anxious like the first two I mentioned, but they were very good. I never played 3.

I've never played STALKER either. Am I in for a good time?

Yeah FEAR really had some of the best atmosphere, the events like you say were really unnerving, I just couldn't wait to get out of them. To this day I still have not played either of the expansions though when I own them. I don't want to taint my impression from the great experience that FEAR was.

 

[Geosurface]

I'm playing F.E.A.R. now. I think I'm further than I've been in the past... I never played more than a little ways into it and that was some time ago. I'm just on the second level.

But yea, man this game is freaky. If I want to play it I basically have to deal with permanently having chills the entire time I'm playing, and being on edge the entire time. At least so far.

I can do it, but it's unpleasant. I want to keep at it though.

 

[Sable]

lol @ the big jessies in this thread.

 

[StinkyPinky]

The ONLY game that has ever made me scared was playing as the marine in Aliens v Predator and hearing that "blip blip blip" get louder and quicker.

I love horror movies but I don't think any one has really scared me since I was a kid.

 

[Geosurface]

Interestingly, horror films don't have much power to scare me anymore. Sometimes they do, but it's rare. The Shining always could.

But games still can.

 

[Sulaco]

I've never understood the deal with FEAR.

I bought it on release day (in 2005?) and finished it within a few days. Make no mistake, I think it was an excellent game and FPS (stellar AI, shootouts, and arguably the best graphical effects for the time), and a spooky atmosphere. But scary it was not.

Part of that came from the realizing a few hours in that

Spoiler

the Alma sequences are basically just cutscenes, and your only real physical danger really throughout the game are the generic special forces guys with guns. Guys with guns aren't scary. Sure, Alma popping up when you turn around or walking down a hallway can make you "jump", but that's not a scare any more than my neighbor running into my house and yelling "Boo!" behind me when I'm playing.
I just hated how the Alma sequences always felt so forced, and how I knew after about the 3rd or 4th "vision" that I wasn't in any danger except by squads of guys with machine guns

Also, a side note, but a critical piece of any good scary game is the sound design. More than any other genre, probably. Scary games with great sound design/music/atmosphere effects are overpowering. If you're playing a scary game with the lights on and you STILL can't take, try turning the sound way down. I guarantee that will help.

 

[Geosurface]

I've never understood the deal with FEAR.

I find it freaky because of the atmosphere and the little girl being creepy. They do a good job of creating that sense of dread I think.

What game would you say has scared you the most?

 

[sandorski]

I've never understood the deal with FEAR.

I bought it on release day (in 2005?) and finished it within a few days. Make no mistake, I think it was an excellent game and FPS (stellar AI, shootouts, and arguably the best graphical effects for the time), and a spooky atmosphere. But scary it was not.

Part of that came from the realizing a few hours in that

Spoiler

the Alma sequences are basically just cutscenes, and your only real physical danger really throughout the game are the generic special forces guys with guns. Guys with guns aren't scary. Sure, Alma popping up when you turn around or walking down a hallway can make you "jump", but that's not a scare any more than my neighbor running into my house and yelling "Boo!" behind me when I'm playing.
I just hated how the Alma sequences always felt so forced, and how I knew after about the 3rd or 4th "vision" that I wasn't in any danger except by squads of guys with machine guns

Also, a side note, but a critical piece of any good scary game is the sound design. More than any other genre, probably. Scary games with great sound design/music/atmosphere effects are overpowering. If you're playing a scary game with the lights on and you STILL can't take, try turning the sound way down. I guarantee that will help.

Good points. There's also the huge lull in the middle with no Alma sightings. Despite those weaknesses, I still find it one of scariest ever.

 

[Annisman*]

Me and some friends are going to be having an 'outlast night'. Basically we gather around the htpc in the living room late at night and play through it with the lights out. If you get too freaked out, pass the controller to the next man up !

 

[thejunglegod]

I've played fear and enjoyed it. But Amnesia had me almost pissing. It's all the teeth chattering, bugs on screen , the atmosphere, an antagonist whom you should never look at. Crazy. Left it after 30mins of gameplay. Had the same creepy feeling with Penumbra. Couldn't continue further there as well.

 

[Dankk]

FEAR is a great game, but I've never classified it as a horror game. To me it's a first-person-shooter with a creepy atmosphere and some jump scares tacked on. I remember it being a little unnerving when I played it, but nothing extreme.

I definitely don't put FEAR in the same class as Amnesia or Penumbra. If someone asks me for a good horror game, I typically suggest those two. If someone asks me for a good first-person-shooter though then I will recommend FEAR.

 

[sze5003]

Outlast is crazy scary. It's free on ps4 this month. My friend is almost done with it. He almost had quite a few heart attacks. I haven't played it yet.

 

[tidy]

.

 

[sze5003]

Started playing outlast on ps4. Got to the part I need to turn on the generators and I keep dying. Made me jump a few times in my seat. Definately a creepy game for sure. I liked condemned 1 and 2 more because you could at least fight back.

Dead space wasn't bad either.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

I have always hated scary movies/games.

I hate scary movies because they are just murder porn these days. Scary games just freak me out too much.

I have quite a few in my steam backlog but will likely never be played. To this day I have to force myself to even get through ravenholm in half life 2.

 

[futurefields]

Resident Evil on Gamecube is probably my scariest game of all time.

 

[Tweak155]

I love scary stuff. I just know it's fake. I think the people who actually consider what happens a real possibility is what makes it too scary. I've never had that problem though.

 

[Geosurface]

I've been struggling to get through F.E.A.R.

I was trying to think what it was about it which freaks me out so much more than say, Doom 3, Dead Space 1 and 2... Metro games, etc.

I think it's a few things:

1.) The use of sound and music - all freaky games do this but I feel like F.E.A.R. hit upon a particular formula that works very well on me.

2.) The little girl thing freaks me out. I was freaked out by The Ring too.

3.) With Doom 3 for instance, which is of a similar vintage and graphical quality as F.E.A.R., you basically know what the threats are. There are the zombified humans, there are the various demons... and most of the game goes by with the sources of fear being the raw, physical power to kill you that these monsters have. You're well armed, you're effective, and they can all be shot and dispatched.

F.E.A.R. on the other hand does so much with these ghostly apparitions and poltergeist type stuff. It keeps me on edge because Alma and these other manifestations cannot be shot, cannot be stopped, cannot be fought. They're totally unpredictable and could happen at any time. They also vary a lot and are never the same twice, and when they come, all you can do is just ride it out.

I think that is what freaks me out the most.

 

[Zanovar]

F.E.A.R is for the pussies,Deadpace 1 and 2 is where its at*winks*.seriously fear?wtf.

 

[Geosurface]

F.E.A.R is for the pussies,Deadpace 1 and 2 is where its at*winks*.

It's strange because although Dead Space 1 and 2 certainly freaked me out and had a very scary atmosphere, music, etc... I was able to keep trucking through them with no breaks any different from a non-scary game. For some reason F.E.A.R. gets to me more.

 

[akahoovy]

F.E.A.R. on the other hand does so much with these ghostly apparitions and poltergeist type stuff. It keeps me on edge because Alma and these other manifestations cannot be shot, cannot be stopped, cannot be fought. They're totally unpredictable and could happen at any time. They also vary a lot and are never the same twice, and when they come, all you can do is just ride it out.

I think that is what freaks me out the most.

FEAR spoiler:

Despite how Sulaco feels about her,

Spoiler

Alma can kill you at some points.

 

[Dankk]

It's strange because although Dead Space 1 and 2 certainly freaked me out and had a very scary atmosphere, music, etc... I was able to keep trucking through them with no breaks any different from a non-scary game. For some reason F.E.A.R. gets to me more.

I can understand why. Dead Space is a one-trick pony. It's not very scary because it desensitizes you really fast... at least, that's why I didn't like it. After you see the millionth necromporph bursting out of the millionth metal vent for the millionth time, it's just not interesting anymore. They take the same jump scare and use it over and over like they're hitting you over the head with a frying pan. I never had the desire to finish Dead Space because of this.

Resident Evil on Gamecube is probably my scariest game of all time.

The Resident Evil Remake for Gamecube is indeed a gem of a game. Too bad it's Gamecube-only, more people definitely need to experience it.