Summary
- Horror games capitalize on jump scares to hook players, thanks to the Let's Play trend.
- Sanity mechanics add depth and tension, with games like Eternal Darkness and Amnesia using them effectively.
- Survival horror games prioritize resource management and puzzle solving, popularized by series like Resident Evil.
With the medium of gaming becoming more immersive and enjoyable than ever before, it's easy to see why horror gaming has become more and more popular over time. A good game in this genre had the power to capture a player's attention and never let go, even if these games could get rather eerie, at times.
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Players will have to face a bit of a learning curve when it comes to the following horror game, due to their complex mechanics.
As one would expect, the long and storied run of horror gaming is full of mind-blowing innovations that have helped the medium progress as a whole. Some innovations may have been tiresome after a point, but others did a great job of helping the genre advance and reach new heights.
A Focus On Jump Scares
Meant To Capitalize On The Let's Play Trend
It would be impossible to talk about the horror gaming genre without highlighting the Let's Play trend that fueled it. All of a sudden, creators were going viral after reacting to jump scares and the like in popular horror games.
While these shocking scares were prevalent in gaming, there's no denying that chasing the Let's Play trend led to many games trying to shock players with unexpected jump scares more often than not. While some games did this cheaply, others justified these sudden scares just enough to make them passable in the eyes of players.
The Sanity Mechanic
Seeing The Game Mess With Players Is Fun
Given how a lot of horror gaming deals with the threat of the unknown and the terror that accompanies it, the sanity mechanic was a natural fit for this genre. Players were incentivized to avoid the dangers of these games as much as possible if they didn't want the protagonist's mind to deteriorate.
Games like Eternal Darkness had a unique spin on this concept, with the game breaking the fourth wall in an attempt to scare players. Other titles like the Amnesia games (barring The Bunker), Haunting Ground, and Clock Tower used this sanity meter to great effect, although the repercussions were less meta in these instances.
Venturing Into The Realm Of Psychological Horror
Mind-Bending Horror That Works With A Great Story
As compelling as regular monster horror or any in-your-face version of this genre may be, the lengthy nature of video games means that these titles can weave a compelling tale if fans allow them. This has led to the rise of psychological horror in video games, which has been a net positive for the medium.
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Beloved horror franchises often get adapted into video games. Here are the ones that do it the best for fans of the genre.
After all, the best horror games are the ones that deal with a psychological aspect, making the terrifying elements of these games more riveting than they have any right to be. Titles like Omori, Silent Hill 2, and Devotion are great examples of stellar psychological games that aren't just scary, but will cause a growing sense of unease to rise in players as the plot unfurls.
Managing To Make Co-op Horror Work
Getting Scared With Friends Is Surprisingly Fun
For the longest time, people assumed that an outright horror game simply wouldn't work in a co-op setting. However, Phasmophobia showed everyone just how riveting this twist could be for the genre.
This ghost-hunting game has led to the rise of co-op horror games in the indie scene that make for an unforgettable time with friends. Even big hitters like Outlast have joined the fray with The Outlast Trials, which makes for a fun spin on the established gameplay of this series.
The Onset Of Survival Horror Gameplay
Resource Management And Puzzle Solving Take Precedence Here
It's impossible to talk about the horror genre without mentioning survival gameplay in some form or another. The rise of the Resident Evil series made it clear just how tense games could get with limited resources and overbearing enemies.
This has helped survival horror become one of the most popular gaming subgenres that fans can't get enough of. If players want to check out something retro, then the underrated Sweet Home will serve as a great look into the history of survival horror gaming and how its gameplay elements came to be.
The Rise Of The Anomaly Horror Genre
P.T.'s Looping Hallway Was Incredible, Innovative, And Inspiring
One of the biggest and most notable releases in horror gaming was P.T., a free playable teaser meant to announce the new Silent Hills that became one of the most viral gaming sensations of all time. It's a shame that Konami's breakup with Kojima prevented this title from being a reality, but fans can still appreciate the groundbreaking impact this title had on the industry.
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The Xbox Game Pass library is full of exciting titles, but remember to check out the best and most terrifying horror games in this collection.
The most notable example of this is the rise of the anomaly-hunting genre. In games like Ten Bells and Exit 8, players must discover anomalies across concurrent runs and make correct decisions, which can lead to some truly unsettling scares.
Over-The-Shoulder Third-Person Shooting
An Important Innovation For Action Games Originated From A Horror Franchise
One of the most unexpected innovations to arise in horror games came with the release of Resident Evil 4. The iconic third-person shooting combat present in this title was so groundbreaking that it has become a template for this form of gameplay ever since.
The fact that an action-focused innovation spawned from a popular horror franchise was surprising, but this is precisely why Resident Evil 4 is so important. It marked a tonal shift for the series while inspiring countless other video games that came after it.
Unnerving Enemy AI
Makes Chase Sequences And Tough Combat Encounters Extremely Stressful
Any horror video game with enemies needs to make these encounters as scary as possible to unnerve players. This can be achieved in many ways, with the most effective one being the act of making enemy AI as unpredictable and smart as possible.
The encounters in F.E.A.R. Become more tense and panic-inducing when players have to deal with the threat of smart squads that try to flank and suppress the Point Man. Alien: Isolation is another great example of how great AI can elevate a horror game, with the xenomorph hunting players down, becoming wise to their tricks, forcing players to change their strategy every single time so that they don't get caught.
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