‘You are dead’: the death of Survival Horror

VG247's opinion blog on the state of survival horror. The blog asks if the genre really is in trouble, or if our expectations have merely shifted.

[LX-General-Kaos]

Survival Horror will live on a tad bit longer with the next iteration of the Dead Island Franchise, and Nintendo Wii U entertainment system exclusive ZombiU. On console anyway. With next generation console offerings, new ways to frighten the consumer awaits. Resident Evil 6 R.I.P is not the end of the road. Many great experiences await, and this is just the beginning.

Survival Horror lives on with ZombiU. http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Delivering clear 1080p jaggyless next generation visuals, and unique new control functions. Pushing mood and atmospheric environments to never before seen heights.

I have seen a few pretty good looking horror titles on PC as well that I have yet to completely look into. Survival Horror remains. Just far away from many of the original franchises that started the genre. Hopefully with the innovations and graphical prowess of the Nintendo Wii U entertainment system and future next generation platforms. This crumbling genre receives another shot in the dark at returning to its roots. Starting with ZombiU. I personally thank Nintendo and Ubisoft for blessing us long time fans of the fright with another chance.

Rated E For Everyone

[zerocrossing]

I like Nintendo too man, but c'mon do you work for them or something? Everyone of your posts sounds like your a Nintendo PR trying to sell me something.

Just pull it back a little and try and be more objective, instead of copy pasting comments that are invented by corporate PR's and made up in order to sell things to you.

Yeah ZombieU is looking interesting, mite even breath new life into the survival horror scene (ironically) but Ive seen plenty of games that looked interesting but bombed anyway, because the devs and marketing build them up to sell them hard at you so much so they usually just can't possibly deliver.

[SilentNegotiator]

ZombiU is just another zombie shooter. The fact that zombies jump out of cabinets and get up when you think they're dead does not make it a strong survival horror game.

Look at REAL survival horror games from back in the day (RE2, Silent Hill, etc). Unlike ZombiU, you weren't just shooting zombies. Your tactics couldn't always be "shoot zombie with gun". Those games threw things at you that inflicted actual terror, not a sudden pop-out jump.

And ZombiU probably isn't native 1080p. Only about 2 titles have been confirmed native 1080p and those are a sidescroller and a Wii port. A lot more 720p native games (Including first-party, so don't pull that "developers aren't using to potential!" crap) have been confirmed. WiiUDaily is the only one to claim that ZombiU is native 1080p, and they gave no source, no quote, and the pictures used in that article weren't even HD.

Anyone that thinks ZombiU is survival horror started gaming this gen, clearly. But then I know you're just doing your daily WiiU spam.

[FarCryLover182]

Dead Island is not survival horror....

[Quiescent]

Survival Horror nowadays Rated E for Extinction

[ape007]

im so waiting for zombieU, look like a real survival horror

[MariaHelFutura]

It does look good.

[SilentNegotiator]

But not like "real survival horror"

It is a zombie shooter. The closest thing to making it survival horror is zombies jumping out. And cheap pop-out thrills do not make for true survival horror.

I suggest trying RE2 or Silent Hill 2, ape007. Probably before your time if you think ZombiU is impressive in its survival horror elements. Those games were actual survival horror. Those games didn't hinge on shooting zombies, zombies popping out, and touchscreen puzzles. You were constantly put in compromising positions with very limited resources that induced real terror. Enemies varied more than zombie person, zombie person, zombie person, zombie person.

[Irishguy95]

But it's not scary?

@ RE6 =/= horror argument.

Really though I can't wait for this game/.

[dark-hollow]

RE 6 is scary.

that tank part will give me nightmares for weeks to come.

[Hellsvacancy]

Id say Dayz has kept survival horror alive, I really hope it comes to consoles in the future

[007Bond]

What about that next gen horror game that the ORIGINAL resident evil creator is working on? I forget what its called, but that will be amazing

[ritsuka666]

Project Zwei is the name..

http://andriasang.com/con0s...

[BuLLDoG909]

Only thing dead in survival horror is residentevil,

hopefully dead space 3 wont be anywhere near as much forced action as resi6 has, atleast it wont have forced co-op, rather 2 separate ways of playing the game..

dead space 2 for best survival horror this gen(so far)

[shackdaddy]

Survival horror isn't dead. How about zomiu, dayz, warz, amnesia, and project zwei just to name a few...

[nofallouthero]

i don't think horror will ever die but it will need to leave the mainstream and lowbrow action games and go the indie to survive also i cant wait for amnesia: a machine for pigs a true real survivor horror game.

[J_Cob]

:'(

[VirtualSamadhi]

Yeah, I'm waiting for a real game that makes me feel vulnerable, rather than arming with with 'Roids, a Flamethrower, and a BAZOOKA! BOOM. Subtlely? Where art thou.

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

Like I said before, survival horror is on life support for consoles especially when the usual conception that anything with a monster in is usually "considered a survival horror" when it is a shooter or hack in slash that have some horror elements....

That being said I am looking forward to Zwei which I hope gives both horror and survival aspects equally. While for the Amnesia sequel, Routine and Thanatohphobia, I know they won't follow this generation's mold.......