Survival Horror:Where has it gone? (video)

Happy Halloween!

I agree that Indie gaming is the next big thing in gaming. Sony understands this as well which is why they are working with indie developers for the next gen.

I don't feel that Slender or Amnesia has a right to be called survival horror. It could be horror, but not survival horror.

In order for it to be survival horror, I think it's always better if you have a clear form of self defense, ie a gun with ammo. If you can't defend yourself, there isn't that much surviving.

I say the survival horror genre has given way to a more action oriented and dynamic mode of game play. I would say that the glitz and glamor of modern firearms is responsible.

Pau Diaz wrote:

I would say that the glitz and glamor of modern firearms is responsible.

Hardly. If that were the case, the transformation would have come far sooner.

Vandal wrote:

I don't feel that Slender or Amnesia has a right to be called survival horror. It could be horror, but not survival horror.

In order for it to be survival horror, I think it's always better if you have a clear form of self defense, ie a gun with ammo. If you can't defend yourself, there isn't that much surviving.

Although Amnesia did not have a proper combat system, it's still survival horror due to how you try and stay alive. Slender...well it's inevitable death. And no matter what, it's a Horror Chase Simulator...with a single objective.

PWNERX wrote:

Vandal wrote:

I don't feel that Slender or Amnesia has a right to be called survival horror. It could be horror, but not survival horror.

In order for it to be survival horror, I think it's always better if you have a clear form of self defense, ie a gun with ammo. If you can't defend yourself, there isn't that much surviving.

Although Amnesia did not have a proper combat system, it's still survival horror due to how you try and stay alive. Slender...well it's inevitable death. And no matter what, it's a Horror Chase Simulator...with a single objective.

I concur on Amnesia being survival horror. You have to use your wits to survive. You don't necessarily have to be armed to call it surviving.

The Last of Us had some classic elements of Survival Horror (I know that the genre of this game IS survival horror but you know the term has changed over the years) that reminded me of old RE

Last of Us was way too easy for me to consider it even horror.

Mass Distraction wrote:

Last of Us was way too easy for me to consider it even horror.

indeed, especially if you've played Uncharted before. Now that I think about it..... TLOU doesn't have any horror in it

PAULSAMSON wrote:

Mass Distraction wrote:

Last of Us was way too easy for me to consider it even horror.

indeed, especially if you've played Uncharted before. Now that I think about it.....  TLOU doesn't have any horror in it

Yup. It's kind of like an Uncharted game where the awesome climbing is replaced with sub-par sneaking. It ain't no Metal Gear. Fun game, just not really what I was expecting.

Mass Distraction wrote:

PWNERX wrote:

Vandal wrote:

I don't feel that Slender or Amnesia has a right to be called survival horror. It could be horror, but not survival horror.

In order for it to be survival horror, I think it's always better if you have a clear form of self defense, ie a gun with ammo. If you can't defend yourself, there isn't that much surviving.

Although Amnesia did not have a proper combat system, it's still survival horror due to how you try and stay alive. Slender...well it's inevitable death. And no matter what, it's a Horror Chase Simulator...with a single objective.

I concur on Amnesia being survival horror. You have to use your wits to survive. You don't necessarily have to be armed to call it surviving.

True, you don't have to be armed to call it a survival horror, but I think if you can't defend yourself, it fails to be a survival game. If you have to resort to hiding or running it feels more like a horror game rather than a survival horror.

Vandal wrote:

Mass Distraction wrote:

PWNERX wrote:

Vandal wrote:

I don't feel that Slender or Amnesia has a right to be called survival horror. It could be horror, but not survival horror.

In order for it to be survival horror, I think it's always better if you have a clear form of self defense, ie a gun with ammo. If you can't defend yourself, there isn't that much surviving.

Although Amnesia did not have a proper combat system, it's still survival horror due to how you try and stay alive. Slender...well it's inevitable death. And no matter what, it's a Horror Chase Simulator...with a single objective.

I concur on Amnesia being survival horror. You have to use your wits to survive. You don't necessarily have to be armed to call it surviving.

True, you don't have to be armed to call it a survival horror, but I think if you can't defend yourself, it fails to be a survival game. If you have to resort to hiding or running it feels more like a horror game rather than a survival horror.

But even running and hiding is definitely surviving.

Mass Distraction wrote:

Vandal wrote:

Mass Distraction wrote:

PWNERX wrote:

Vandal wrote:

I don't feel that Slender or Amnesia has a right to be called survival horror. It could be horror, but not survival horror.

In order for it to be survival horror, I think it's always better if you have a clear form of self defense, ie a gun with ammo. If you can't defend yourself, there isn't that much surviving.

Although Amnesia did not have a proper combat system, it's still survival horror due to how you try and stay alive. Slender...well it's inevitable death. And no matter what, it's a Horror Chase Simulator...with a single objective.

I concur on Amnesia being survival horror. You have to use your wits to survive. You don't necessarily have to be armed to call it surviving.

True, you don't have to be armed to call it a survival horror, but I think if you can't defend yourself, it fails to be a survival game. If you have to resort to hiding or running it feels more like a horror game rather than a survival horror.

But even running and hiding is definitely surviving.

I'd have to argue against that. That would mean technically every game ever made is pretty much a survival game because your hero or heroine survives to the end. First person shooters are just shooting out to live by the end of the level, adventure games are just surviving the harsh landscapes and mind bending puzzles. I don't see what's wrong with just calling Amnesia a Horror game, I think a survival horror game has to have several things; it must have a clear form of self defense, in Amnesia I'm sure everyone at least tried to swing something at the monster to no avail. Your form of self defense is limited and makes you think twice about freely using it. In Dead Space, you wonder if it was good idea to blast the necromorph on the floor rather than stomping on it until it's nothing but a pile of meat. Your health or condition is imparative, you have to be mindful of the damage you take in a survival horror and distribute your healing items accordingly, otherwise, one hit kills are sort of just a thing that happens in the game, it takes away from the survival element.

I think that the aspects of survival horror are just a few: scarse ammo (and little to no methods of killing enemies besides a knife ) narrow places, creepy music, creepy enemies, little chance of saving, NO CHECKPOINTS, and a shit load of difficulty settings

Vandal wrote:

Mass Distraction wrote:

Vandal wrote:

Mass Distraction wrote:

PWNERX wrote:

Vandal wrote:

I don't feel that Slender or Amnesia has a right to be called survival horror. It could be horror, but not survival horror.

In order for it to be survival horror, I think it's always better if you have a clear form of self defense, ie a gun with ammo. If you can't defend yourself, there isn't that much surviving.

Although Amnesia did not have a proper combat system, it's still survival horror due to how you try and stay alive. Slender...well it's inevitable death. And no matter what, it's a Horror Chase Simulator...with a single objective.

I concur on Amnesia being survival horror. You have to use your wits to survive. You don't necessarily have to be armed to call it surviving.

True, you don't have to be armed to call it a survival horror, but I think if you can't defend yourself, it fails to be a survival game. If you have to resort to hiding or running it feels more like a horror game rather than a survival horror.

But even running and hiding is definitely surviving.

I'd have to argue against that. That would mean technically every game ever made is pretty much a survival game because your hero or heroine survives to the end. First person shooters are just shooting out to live by the end of the level, adventure games are just surviving the harsh landscapes and mind bending puzzles. I don't see what's wrong with just calling Amnesia a Horror game, I think a survival horror game has to have several things; it must have a clear form of self defense, in Amnesia I'm sure everyone at least tried to swing something at the monster to no avail. Your form of self defense is limited and makes you think twice about freely using it. In Dead Space, you wonder if it was good idea to blast the necromorph on the floor rather than stomping on it until it's nothing but a pile of meat. Your health or condition is imparative, you have to be mindful of the damage you take in a survival horror and distribute your healing items accordingly, otherwise, one hit kills are sort of just a thing that happens in the game, it takes away from the survival element.

You point being? "Adventure game" is a very broad genre, so is "action", yet not all games that could fit these categories are labeled as such. Also, I am not saying the character "only survives". I am saying you survive the game by using your wits, not your weapons. Amnesia doesn't have one hit kills, although the likeliness of death is more than present when a monster sees you. There are healing items for both your mental and physical health and you can, in fact, survive the assault of one of the monsters if you are quick, know your way around and use your health items wisely. Hard but not impossible.

That all being said, I'm not at all against just calling Amnesia "horror". I'm just saying that it does indeed have the ingredients to be called a survival horror game.

I suppose. I just don't immediately think of it when someone mentions survival horror. But I guess that's just me.

Yeah for me survival horror in the classic sense of the word has to do with a steep difficulty, good management of the resources available to you. Limited resources available to you. Of course it has to be scary/creepy. The music as subtle as it may seem should be creepy and lend it'self to the atmosphere. Actually being able to fight in some capacity is a must. Like Shinji Mikami said in a interview about The Evil Within. Loosely quoting but he said something along the lines of. Having a scary enemy and then blowing it's head off is survival horror. I have to agree lol. Nothing like barely getting out alive with that last bullet blasting a zombies head apart as you limp away wondering "CRAP... i need ammo, i hope nothing else attacks me until i find a clip!"

EQOAnostalgia wrote:

i hope nothing else attacks me until i find a clip!"

[/OCD rage]

Ghost Leader wrote:

EQOAnostalgia wrote:

i hope nothing else attacks me until i find a clip!"

[/OCD rage]

Then in RE1 Handgun Ammunition...

FFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

PWNERX wrote:

Ghost Leader wrote:

EQOAnostalgia wrote:

i hope nothing else attacks me until i find a clip!"

[/OCD rage]

Then in RE1 Handgun Ammunition...

FFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

That Hyperspace Arsenal working out for you yet?

Ghost Leader wrote:

EQOAnostalgia wrote:

i hope nothing else attacks me until i find a clip!"

[/OCD rage]

Details details.

PAULSAMSON wrote:

I think that the aspects of survival horror are just a few: scarse ammo (and little to no methods of killing enemies besides a knife ) narrow places, creepy music, creepy enemies, little chance of saving, NO CHECKPOINTS, and a shit load of difficulty settings

I'd hate having no checkpoints as a requirement. It was always annoying how I'd have to run all the way back to a save zone just to save my game. Especially if I was a first timer. When I have work or school to go to in a couple of hours and I'm trying to limit my saves, I don't want to have to keep wasting them.

PAULSAMSON wrote:

I think that the aspects of survival horror are just a few: scarse ammo (and little to no methods of killing enemies besides a knife ) narrow places, creepy music, creepy enemies, little chance of saving, NO CHECKPOINTS, and a shit load of difficulty settings

I don't think limited saves are necessary for survival horror. Did any SH games besides RE even do that?

Nobudy wrote:

I'd hate having no checkpoints as a requirement. It was always annoying how I'd have to run all the way back to a save zone just to save my game. Especially if I was a first timer. When I have work or school to go to in a couple of hours and I'm trying to limit my saves, I don't want to have to keep wasting them.

I think the limited saves thing is annoying too. If I grab every ribbon I see, then it's pointless and doesn't affect me. If I don't, then I'll have to run all the back to a different typewriter just because I don't want to lose an hour of progress. That being said, I don't think checkpoints are good for survival horror either. Imagine that you're running low on health and supplies and then the game auto-saves right before a boss fight.

Saving whenever you want could work well, but save-scumming could make things way too easy. So I think the ideal solution would be to have RE4 style typewriters for permanent saves, and let the player create a temporary save(similar to outbreak's typewriters) whenever they want