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Are you a Scaredy-gamer? Are you freaked out by certain games that no matter how much you play the game, you still fear the evil beings projected out of the screen into your eyes?
If you're like me, chances are you're not. I don't fear what I see on my screen - whether it's on my TV or PC my mind just tells me it's not real. But there are one or two games that do make me jump out of my seat when I'm playing. Though these are few and far between, they feel like they are the best games ever when playing them.
The first game I ever considered scary was the old classic Doom. Sadly, you don't get all the fear in the N64 and Game Boy Advance versions. The N64 version just wasn't the same old Doom and the Game Boy Advance version is just on too small a screen. However, on the PC, with it's full screen and loud stereo speakers (I'm too cheap to get surround sound) and in a dark room, it's a brilliant game to scare ya pants off! The reason being the midi-music is just perfect at creating an eerie/evil effect
Then, as you think you've killed off all the enemies in the level, you hear an animal-like noise. You can't tell where it's coming from as the levels are maze-like, but when you do find it, a fireball is sent towards the cheeks of your backside and a loud roar emits from the speakers as the creature runs towards you to eat your flesh. It's at that moment I jump out of my seat and I go into panic mode, pressing the wrong keys and firing rockets in all directions, none in the right one.
But how many other games scare me like that? Well so far none that I can think of. There are games with hideous looking zombies like in the Resident Evil series, or characters that just look evil such as the Borg from Star Trek Vyager: Elite Force, but that's just not enough, not even with a few blood effects, to scare me.
Well here are what aspects I feel are enough, if perfectly done, to scare me in a game.
Music:
That's right. Music makes the games scarey. Whether the background music is ambience, or whether it's an evil, slow, eerie tune that tingles your ear-drum enough to bring you into a false calm whilst tingling your nervous system. If it's done right, just the slightest noise from another character or object will make you feel all tense and give you a shudder down your spine. A good pair of stereo headphones, whilst playing a game in the dark usually helps.
Sound Effects:
Sound effects need to be perfectly timed at a decent volume to make you jump out of your seat. This all depends on character movement and other aspects of the game, but when done properly it's guaranteed to make you at least lean back in slight shock or cause your heart to beat a little faster.
Graphics:
They don't need to be realistic to be scary. I mean, how realistic is a Cacodemon, or a zombie that can bite your arm squirting blood everywhere, yet your own character doesn't have a single mark on his or her body? The graphics just need to set the scene, look the part and create decent enough characters that for the split second they need to, scare you half to death.
However, despite those obvious aspects, the levels need to be well designed too. In Doom, there were many mazes, tricks and traps which could cause you to literally crap yourself at your own stomach turning mistakes. If you think that switch will make the ceiling collapse on you, don't pull it! If you think that slightly different coloured floor panel will generate 50 or so enemies all raring to kill you, then why step on it? Yet, it's those obvious traps that make you want to see what happens and makes you jump out of your seat when the obvious does happen.
Storylines can sometimes effect how scary the game is. If you've seen a cutscene where a creature goes into hiding and you know you've got to kill it, you follow it and it's not there, you're going to start to feel the addrenaline flowing through you as you scare yourself mentally trying to find it. If the game is set in an old dungeon, or in a hellish universe, or an abandoned space station, then you'd expect some element of terror. However that isn't always the case as I'm sure anyone who's played Castlevania: Circle of the Moon on Game Boy Advance will tell you. It's a good game, but far from scary despite it's Vampyrish theme.
So are you scared by anything in games? If so, which games, and what is it that scares you? Do you find you're not scared by games at all? If so, then why do you think that is? Or is it that you just ignore the stinking mess in your pants as you carry on playing not admitting to anyone you're scared?
By the way.....BOO!
If you're like me, chances are you're not. I don't fear what I see on my screen - whether it's on my TV or PC my mind just tells me it's not real. But there are one or two games that do make me jump out of my seat when I'm playing. Though these are few and far between, they feel like they are the best games ever when playing them.
The first game I ever considered scary was the old classic Doom. Sadly, you don't get all the fear in the N64 and Game Boy Advance versions. The N64 version just wasn't the same old Doom and the Game Boy Advance version is just on too small a screen. However, on the PC, with it's full screen and loud stereo speakers (I'm too cheap to get surround sound) and in a dark room, it's a brilliant game to scare ya pants off! The reason being the midi-music is just perfect at creating an eerie/evil effect
Then, as you think you've killed off all the enemies in the level, you hear an animal-like noise. You can't tell where it's coming from as the levels are maze-like, but when you do find it, a fireball is sent towards the cheeks of your backside and a loud roar emits from the speakers as the creature runs towards you to eat your flesh. It's at that moment I jump out of my seat and I go into panic mode, pressing the wrong keys and firing rockets in all directions, none in the right one.
But how many other games scare me like that? Well so far none that I can think of. There are games with hideous looking zombies like in the Resident Evil series, or characters that just look evil such as the Borg from Star Trek Vyager: Elite Force, but that's just not enough, not even with a few blood effects, to scare me.
Well here are what aspects I feel are enough, if perfectly done, to scare me in a game.
Music:
That's right. Music makes the games scarey. Whether the background music is ambience, or whether it's an evil, slow, eerie tune that tingles your ear-drum enough to bring you into a false calm whilst tingling your nervous system. If it's done right, just the slightest noise from another character or object will make you feel all tense and give you a shudder down your spine. A good pair of stereo headphones, whilst playing a game in the dark usually helps.
Sound Effects:
Sound effects need to be perfectly timed at a decent volume to make you jump out of your seat. This all depends on character movement and other aspects of the game, but when done properly it's guaranteed to make you at least lean back in slight shock or cause your heart to beat a little faster.
Graphics:
They don't need to be realistic to be scary. I mean, how realistic is a Cacodemon, or a zombie that can bite your arm squirting blood everywhere, yet your own character doesn't have a single mark on his or her body? The graphics just need to set the scene, look the part and create decent enough characters that for the split second they need to, scare you half to death.
However, despite those obvious aspects, the levels need to be well designed too. In Doom, there were many mazes, tricks and traps which could cause you to literally crap yourself at your own stomach turning mistakes. If you think that switch will make the ceiling collapse on you, don't pull it! If you think that slightly different coloured floor panel will generate 50 or so enemies all raring to kill you, then why step on it? Yet, it's those obvious traps that make you want to see what happens and makes you jump out of your seat when the obvious does happen.
Storylines can sometimes effect how scary the game is. If you've seen a cutscene where a creature goes into hiding and you know you've got to kill it, you follow it and it's not there, you're going to start to feel the addrenaline flowing through you as you scare yourself mentally trying to find it. If the game is set in an old dungeon, or in a hellish universe, or an abandoned space station, then you'd expect some element of terror. However that isn't always the case as I'm sure anyone who's played Castlevania: Circle of the Moon on Game Boy Advance will tell you. It's a good game, but far from scary despite it's Vampyrish theme.
So are you scared by anything in games? If so, which games, and what is it that scares you? Do you find you're not scared by games at all? If so, then why do you think that is? Or is it that you just ignore the stinking mess in your pants as you carry on playing not admitting to anyone you're scared?
By the way.....BOO!
Page:
How was I supposed to know that 'Do Not Eat' means you can't make it into a liquid and drink, it's not my fault! :'-(
By the way, Toilet Cleaner tastes very nice.
*Walks of whistling*
By the way, Toilet Cleaner tastes very nice.
*Walks of whistling*
RiCk0sS wrote:
>
> In Macbeth there's a line like "Only a child fears a painted
> devil", so that's probably what it was refering to, video games
> :-D
>
> Bah...
Now that is scary...quoting Shakespeare!
>
> In Macbeth there's a line like "Only a child fears a painted
> devil", so that's probably what it was refering to, video games
> :-D
>
> Bah...
Now that is scary...quoting Shakespeare!
Damn...
I had a post in the works called Amtos-fear. Get it.
Anyway, I think you're right about the elements creating a scary atmophere within a game.
I had a post in the works called Amtos-fear. Get it.
Anyway, I think you're right about the elements creating a scary atmophere within a game.
Grandprix wrote:
> I'm not really in to those kind of games but I have seen my mate play
> on them. In a way, I find them quite funny.
>
> I agree that the mixture of music, sound effects and graphics in
> perfect balance can make a game scary.
>
> I suppose younger gamers find those games scary because they aren't
> old enough to understand that it is just a projection of images on a
> screen.
In Macbeth there's a line like "Only a child fears a painted devil", so that's probably what it was refering to, video games :-D
Bah...
> I'm not really in to those kind of games but I have seen my mate play
> on them. In a way, I find them quite funny.
>
> I agree that the mixture of music, sound effects and graphics in
> perfect balance can make a game scary.
>
> I suppose younger gamers find those games scary because they aren't
> old enough to understand that it is just a projection of images on a
> screen.
In Macbeth there's a line like "Only a child fears a painted devil", so that's probably what it was refering to, video games :-D
Bah...
I think that you only get scared of the game when you get too involved in it, and that it is very life like and quite simple for you too understand and follow. But you never consider it as real, just scary.
All the SFX, graphics and stuff you mentioned do help to make games seem more realistic.
I too found the PC's Doom as quite scary, but I was about 6 or so at the time. Even though, I still enjoyed playing the game untill I got stuck and could go no further, but as of now, I have found no game that scares or frightens me, as I seem to enjoy most games I play.
My cousin (8 or 9 at the time) was scared of Shadow Man on the N64, and too it back again the day after he payed £50-odd quid for it.
And even with the 18 sticker on it, he was still reccomended this game by a staff member there!! I think it was at Dixons??
All the SFX, graphics and stuff you mentioned do help to make games seem more realistic.
I too found the PC's Doom as quite scary, but I was about 6 or so at the time. Even though, I still enjoyed playing the game untill I got stuck and could go no further, but as of now, I have found no game that scares or frightens me, as I seem to enjoy most games I play.
My cousin (8 or 9 at the time) was scared of Shadow Man on the N64, and too it back again the day after he payed £50-odd quid for it.
And even with the 18 sticker on it, he was still reccomended this game by a staff member there!! I think it was at Dixons??
Nomad_Soul wrote: >
> The only game that has ever made me jump is Silent Hill 2. In the
> toilets in the grimy puke-infested prison. There was
> "something" in one of the cubicles and it made a sudden
> violent noise.
I remember that bit. You knocked on the door and there was no answer. As soon as you moved away there was a sudden bang. Jumpy.
> The only game that has ever made me jump is Silent Hill 2. In the
> toilets in the grimy puke-infested prison. There was
> "something" in one of the cubicles and it made a sudden
> violent noise.
I remember that bit. You knocked on the door and there was no answer. As soon as you moved away there was a sudden bang. Jumpy.
AvP is the only game that truly scared me. A classic and no mistake.
Unnerved and disturbed, but never really scared.
The only game that has ever made me jump is Silent Hill 2. In the toilets in the grimy puke-infested prison. There was "something" in one of the cubicles and it made a sudden violent noise.
The only game that has ever made me jump is Silent Hill 2. In the toilets in the grimy puke-infested prison. There was "something" in one of the cubicles and it made a sudden violent noise.
Well, I don't really think you can get scared of a game, but you could call being surprised scared, I suppose.
The element of surprise may make you jump, but never really make you scared. I agree about sounds a lot. On Doom for the GBA, I noticed that when you've killed loads of things and think you've got them all, you always seem to hear a slight growl, indicating you haen't. This might make you nervous; wondering what's behind each corner, not knowing what comes next. But really, isn't that what being scared is? Being unsure of your surroundings and curious of what might happen next?
People may call this scared, but it depends on how you define being 'scared' before you can say that you are or are not scared.
Meanwhile, people who get scared of TV programs and films are more likely to get scared from games. The simple reason is what you can do with games. On Films all you can do is dress some guy up, giving them a different look. But when you make games, anything is possible. Monsters don't have to fit the shape of the human body, they can take whatever shape or form the designer chooses.
Take Resident Evil, it looks very realistic, probably the closest we've got to lifelike expressions and characters yet. But if you saw some of the monsters in real life (Even though that isn't possible - it's just a 'what if' setence) that you do on resident Evil, you'ds crap yourself, the simple reason is because they don't look like 'blokes dressed up', they look like different creatures.
That's the beauty of scary video gaming, any form or creature is possible to create.
Good luck on GAD Edgy, you've shattered my chances :-)
Good post
The element of surprise may make you jump, but never really make you scared. I agree about sounds a lot. On Doom for the GBA, I noticed that when you've killed loads of things and think you've got them all, you always seem to hear a slight growl, indicating you haen't. This might make you nervous; wondering what's behind each corner, not knowing what comes next. But really, isn't that what being scared is? Being unsure of your surroundings and curious of what might happen next?
People may call this scared, but it depends on how you define being 'scared' before you can say that you are or are not scared.
Meanwhile, people who get scared of TV programs and films are more likely to get scared from games. The simple reason is what you can do with games. On Films all you can do is dress some guy up, giving them a different look. But when you make games, anything is possible. Monsters don't have to fit the shape of the human body, they can take whatever shape or form the designer chooses.
Take Resident Evil, it looks very realistic, probably the closest we've got to lifelike expressions and characters yet. But if you saw some of the monsters in real life (Even though that isn't possible - it's just a 'what if' setence) that you do on resident Evil, you'ds crap yourself, the simple reason is because they don't look like 'blokes dressed up', they look like different creatures.
That's the beauty of scary video gaming, any form or creature is possible to create.
Good luck on GAD Edgy, you've shattered my chances :-)
Good post
Sgt Pepper wrote:
> Because of the fact that I have just inherited a great deal of money,
> I decided to buy one of those virtuall headsets that plugs into your
> P'C.
>
> Now even teletubbies scare me.
I bet they're brilliant for games like Doom (though a high epilepsy risk I bet)
> Because of the fact that I have just inherited a great deal of money,
> I decided to buy one of those virtuall headsets that plugs into your
> P'C.
>
> Now even teletubbies scare me.
I bet they're brilliant for games like Doom (though a high epilepsy risk I bet)
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