Screenshot of the gameplay found in Frictional Game’s creepy hit, Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Wake,” there is this loss of the horror feeling coming from survival horror games. Survival horror games have too many actions or focus too much on audio and graphic. These can take away the attention from other elements that truly scare us, such as the twisting plot and the eerie atmosphere. One example is “Resident Evil 5.” While it wasn’t that bad, critics argue that it wasn’t as frightening as the previous versions of “Resident Evil.” The graphics and the action scenes in the game were fine, but, still, the game doesn’t live up to its name. It has lost the gripping scariness that was prominent in the past generations of survival horror games. However, survival horror games did not stop growing, as there has been a rise of indie horror gaming that has
attracted a lot of attention. PC games such as “Slender” and “Amnesia: The Dark Descent” claimed their fame through word-of-mouth and reviews from trusted fellow gamers across the net. The games share similarities of overflowing darkness and the feeling of helplessness. For example, in “Amnesia: The Dark Descent,” the character has little equipment which makes him almost defenseless. The only thing he can do when he encounters a monster is to hide or run. The setting of “Amnesia: The Dark Descent is horrifying; imagine being trapped in a very dark castle alone and knowing that you cannot defend yourself against the monsters you encounter. These elements actually add the feeling of uncertainty and the long-lost excitement of survival horror games.
It should be noted that the graphic quality in the indie game isn’t as good as other survival horror games on the market. Glitches often occur and occasionally affect the game play. Nevertheless, the experience from the game could leave you astounded and the “jumps” don’t leave you disappointed. It seems that survival horror games have been revived through indie games. Will there be another golden era of survival horror games? Not necessarily, but considering the success of indie horror games, the genre could certainly make a comeback. photo sources: http://www.cdn.actiontrip.com/images/reviews/ amnesiathedarkdescent3.jpg http://selectstartgames.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/residentevil-5-20070726113942790.jpg
Vol. XXVII, Issue 2
23