HG:
Ever fancied being the robot sent into an unexplained and potentially dangerous situation? Well soon you’ll be able to fulfil that dream in Shutter. In Shutter you are placed at the reigns of a small investigative robot with the sole aim of getting into a seemingly empty house and having a poke about. Now as the name suggests, one of the central mechanics in the game revolves around taking pictures. Your little robot has no other functions or abilities save for the camera perched atop its dutiful metal body.
Rely on Horror, C. Bronmans writes: "We once again compiled a list of our favorite indie games of the year. It's been a busy year and several titles might have flown under your radar, so have a look and let us know what your favorites were."
Wow...this guy is just SOOOO alternative! God, I wish I was as special and interesting as him!
A breakdown of how horror games without the survival element can still be terrifying, using Cosmic Logic’s recently released Shutter as an anchor for the discussion.
The setting, atmosphere, and ambiance alone, mixed with some good sound design can make a completely non-threatening situation in any game feel terrifying.
I remember playing Gone Home for the first time, dreading every corner and dark hallway, fully expecting something to try to kill me.
As well as in Alien Isolation, the most scary parts for me were the scenes where there's absolutely nothing happening. You're in no danger at all, but you're walking slow, eyes peeled, heart racing, just ready for anything.
For me, that's what sells me on horror games.
Dying in a game isn't what makes it scary. Even having the threat of being killed doesn't make it scary. That threat can be suspenseful and create the challenge, but not scary. I'm not gonna actually die if I watch The Ring. Doesn't mean that movie isn't creepy as all hell. It's the design and approach of the world around you that makes a game scary. Things like the atmosphere, the sound design, the visual focus.. All these things can make you feel very uncomfortable, regardless of dying or not.
I miss the days when games used to scare me. First time I played Silent Hill I was terrified. I have never really experienced that feeling since that though. Sometimes they scare me in that I might jump. But not the kind of being scared where I can't sleep at night.
Carl Williams writes, "Fans of survival horror titles such as Silent Hill and Resident Evil know the style and the elements that make those games work. A new game by Cosmic Logic that wants to edge in on this genre and show the mainstays a new approach to ways of scaring the gamer. One method Cosmic Logic is working a new angle into the midst is by removing the gamer from the situation altogether. You are still in the game controlling a character but the design of it is different than what you get with Capcom and Konami’s offerings."
