It’s an interesting to be scared, especially when you know it’s coming. Fear’s this drug that’s side effects are felt before the treatment actually kicks. I’ve always felt a pull towards games that use fear as catalyst for immersion. From of Ghost House on Sega Master System to the demonic monsters in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, the ‘holy crap!’ moments make these games more memorable.
Ghost House… *sigh* I can still remember the power-up music.
I remember the first time I played Condemned: Criminal Origins on Xbox 360, there was this ever present sense of dread and despair in every section of that game, while not ‘scary’ it did put me in that world. Now, Condemned isn’t a horror-game but it does use fear to great effect; I don’t want to walk down that alley, or open that door, I’m fine right here, thank you very much. But no, I pushed forward, and the more I did the more I welcomed fear.
Damn, even looking at these pictures make me uncomfortable…
Then came that level in the Bart's Department Store… ‘what the f**k was that!?!’, ‘these are some scare mannequins', ‘Oh s#1t!, it’s hitting me!’. These words flew out of my mouth like a songbird, the fear had taken over. I remember my forearm, and the vice grip my wife had on it; the gasp of her mother (whom sat next to us out of pure curiosity), and the fact that I was only blinking in 10 minutes intervals. The fear had taken over.
To think, these guys were 'scary' when they were standing still…
Every sound, movement or musical chime just kept adding to the emotion, the fear of walking too fast and getting ambushed, my character having some physiological break due to his stress, the environment itself betraying us by having something fall from high ground, everything was an invite to a fear buffet. And with my wife to my right, still with that vice grip, blocking the circulation to my fingers and my mother-law to my left, biting her finger nails like some eye-wide lost child.
It was palpable, the fear had taken over.
Happy Halloween, Eriq :o)