Do modern graphics make games less scary?

[Herr der Verboten]

Do modern graphics make games less scary?

When everything is modern and clear it seem to take away from your own interpretation and immersion. Your own interpretation - how much soes this actually contribute to scare, fear, horror and tension?

I guess the real question is is there a balance between psychological, shock value and dread?

 

[Fulcrum29]

This is as subjective as it comes. Also,

Edgar Allan Poe's Interactive Horror: 1995 Edition on Steam

Originally released as The Dark Eye, this 1995 cult classic adapts Edgar Allan Poe's most macabre tales. Navigate a nightmarish world of uncanny stop-motion puppetry narrated by William S. Burroughs. Solve twisted puzzles and experience madness through the eyes of both murderer and victim.

store.steampowered.com

 

[wbot]

Nope. Scariest games I've ever played are modern. Alien Isolation and Home Sweet Home.

Didn't find old games like Silent Hill scary tbh.

 

[theratman]

No.

 

[saor]

Do modern graphics make games less scary?

When everything is modern and clear it seem to take away from your own interpretation and immersion. Your own interpretation - how much soes this actually contribute to scare, fear, horror and tension?

I guess the real question is is there a balance between psychological, shock value and dread?

Post reminded me of how old CRT monitors would make graphics look less pixel-ey.

 

[Fulcrum29]

Post reminded me of how old CRT monitors would make graphics look less pixel-ey.

There is software that can add that effect. For example, Magpie, Borderless Gaming, etc. I don't know if Lossless Scaling has any of those CRT filters.

 

[Scary_Turtle]

Resident evil 1,2,3 were fine for me to play but the latest iterations scare the crap out of me. Even old games like FEAR one of my favourites were not to scary.

I think RE:7 changed the way games are scary with a creepy, desolate undertone.

The characters were so gross you were disgusted just looking at them and they were relentless. You think you get away and a crazy person with a chainsaw smashes down the frigging wall. I have often let go of my mouse/kb from frights. My heart races and getting to the end of the game feels like a testament to my will haha. I felt the same way with Amnesia.

I cant think of one old game that hits like that.

If you haven't try the Michael Jackson Horror game, frigging jump scare galore.

 

[Fulcrum29]

It is hard to say if old games were scary, but they could do suspense well. There were the puzzle games like 7th Guest, 11th Hour. The original Alone in the Dark, and Ecstatica games. There are a couple of first person point and clickers, that is horror-inspiring. Like the Dracula games (these wasn't good though).

A couple of FMV titles come to mind. We don't have FMV anymore, well, there are new FMV titles but it is incredibly niche. The good ones are all focused on suspense.

 

[Mirai]

Not sure that a URL with p-o-e-s in it, suggests something very scary - or at least not in the way you're implying.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Nope. Scariest games I've ever played are modern. Alien Isolation

Alien Isolation was exactly the example I wanted to use where the less happens the more scary it is.

The constant tension is what makes it scary. Constant jump scares get old and predictable fast.

 

[cguy]

I’m thinking of Diablo IV vs Diablo 1. The butcher was scary as hell in the 1st one, and general ambiance felt far more immersive and disturbing. The graphics in IV were spectacular, but after a while I hardly noticed them anymore and the game felt pretty repetitive.

 

[wbot]

Alien Isolation was exactly the example I wanted to use where the less happens the more scary it is.

The constant tension is what makes it scary. Constant jump scares get old and predictable fast.

Nice mix of tension and jump scares in Home Sweet Home too. Very underrated (but poorly ported) Thai horror game. Super creepy stuff. Sometimes, just like in Alien Isolation, I would just stand there in the game too scared to move haha.

Still haven't played the sequel.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Nice mix of tension and jump scares in Home Sweet Home too. Very underrated (but poorly ported) Thai horror game. Super creepy stuff. Sometimes, just like in Alien Isolation, I would just stand there in the game too scared to move haha.

Still haven't played the sequel.

And if you played it on PS4 that light bar made it even more hectic.

In a hotel room, in the dark, in another country, with headphones on made it one of the most intense games of my life.

Only other thing like that was Dead Space 1 for me.

 

[wbot]

I have yet to play Dead Space too

 

[wbot]

Actually, I think I'll play Home Sweet Home again this weekend to refresh my memory so that I can start the sequel for the first time right after that. Hope it's just as scary...

 

[Cray]

I have yet to play Dead Space too

Was about to mention this. I played the original and found it pretty scary. Just started a run through of the re-make and the improved lighting effects make it very atmoshperic. Still a very tense experience.

I remember playing an Alien Total Conversion Mod for Doom back in the day.



A properly scary experience, the aliens blended into the environment and they have sounds effects lifted straight from the movie. The motion tractor beeping sound from the film was used to ramp up the tension. Really fun and very scary. The graphics weren't great but it did enough so that your imagination did the rest.

I think modern games like Alien Isolation can be truly scary but I think it's harder to do with graphics as they are because your imagination does less work.

Kinda like how the original Jaws was a lot more tense because you didn't see the shark a whole lot.

 

[Monkeyz]

I wouldn't say so
But lots of indie horror games now days use PS1 era graphics for a reason

 

[Sworaxe]

No don't believe so, think it partly has to do with that people have become desensitized to them.

Also believe the art of suspense, true tension is lost.
Can't recall the last time a game or movie was capable of invoking that feeling of uncertainty and dread.

Stranger things as an example, demigorgon was scarier when it was in the shadows and you barely catch glimpses of it, by last season things are in full day light and all the missing details your imagination used to fill in is now completely out in open and makes it look like just another CGI thing.

 

[rustypup]

Only other thing like that was Dead Space 1 for me.

HL Alyx - they actually removed some portions because folks were crying about it being too scary... whatever that means

Ruined some of the areas for me because those crabs are fantastic in VR.....

 

[Herr der Verboten]

This is as subjective as it comes

Of course, however there is a general good formula and a bad use of tools see :

Alien Isolation was exactly the example I wanted to use where the less happens the more scary it is.

The constant tension is what makes it scary. Constant jump scares get old and predictable fast.

I think this is part of what she is picking up on. Sometimes less is better, and if you don't strike a balance, it becomes too familiar and the scare is lost. Modern per say isn't worse, but some tend to over present itself losing the tension, what if, what is happing, or we know what is happening/going to but that is delayed to play on you.