Markiplier amnesia the dark descent5/19/2023 This is what makes them so scary and what makes “cheap” horror games so brilliant - you are always waiting for that next unexpected moment to leap out of the shadows. By definition, you can’t be prepared for a jumpscare and you are caught off guard by them. Jumpscares in video games are scary because you don’t know when they’ll happen. Anyone that goes to the movies with me knows that I will yelp and leap out of my seat at even the slightest startle. “But if they’re so cheap, why are they so successful?” Cheap isn’t always bad. It’s just cheap and makes you jump, like the other “horror-YouTuber-indie craze” titles (SCP, Slender etc). It’s just that Five Nights at Freddy’s, for instance, isn’t necessarily a cleverly-designed game in the same way that other good horror games like Amnesia are. The rest, for the most part, relied on cheap tactics like jumpscares and obnoxiously creepy characters to try and build fear within you.ĭon’t get me wrong - I shit my pants too when Freddy Fazbear screams in my face after four long and dark nights in an abandoned pizzeria. ![]() Titles like Amnesia, SOMA, Outlast and Among The Sleep are a notable few that made it into the mainstream with awesome design mechanics and gameplay systems. This led to the quality of these games deteriorating rapidly as desperation and saturation set in, coupled with the fact that these designers knew nothing about horror game design except that “jumpscares get views on YouTube, and views on YouTube get me popular!” It became rare to see horror games that were genuinely well-crafted and gave you an unsettling feeling that something was wrong. And I’m only naming the relatively well-known ones! Everyone and their mother wanted to craft a masterful horror game that would catch the attention of the likes of PewDiePie or Markiplier (and possibly get them rich in the process!) Outlast, SCP Containment Breach, Slender, Emily Wants to Play, Daylight…the list goes on and on. This rise in popularity of horror games (and the ridiculous money the developers could make) inspired a whole generation of horror game creators to come out of the woodwork. Both Amnesia and PewDiePie rose in popularity, after the Swedish YouTuber’s wild reactions to obscene in-game happenings were captured on webcam, posted to YouTube and retweeted to infinity and beyond. The atmosphere was eerie and the subtleties made you feel like something was crawling under your skin. The game was phenomenally crafted in terms of plot, polish and gameplay mechanics. ![]() When Amnesia: The Dark Descent came out in 2010 it rocked the horror world. I’ll tell you why in a little bit, and I’ll explain why your game sucks (I know how much you’re looking forward to that.) But first, let me walk you through the past few years in horror games, and let’s take a close look at some interesting trends. Do they all work when it comes to horror game design? Not really. ![]() You give me a pistol and let me shoot the demons plaguing my home.Īre these situations all fun as hell? Sure. You make me run down a long hallway and let me turn around and see the zombie behind me. You put me in a dark dungeon and make me have a conversation with my tormentor. You know why? Your horror game sucks because you try and tell me how to be scared.
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