Is The Game Industry Afraid To Scare Us?

There was a great moment, 12 years ago, when the tension and the terror had finally taken its toll, and I was forced to put down the controller and walk away from what turned out to be the scariest game of the ‘90s: Silent Hill. This was the first – and only – time in my life in which a game was so scary, and made me so agitated, that I physically and emotionally needed to take a break. It was a huge accomplishment in game design, and I haven’t had that feeling since. Not while playing a game, not while watching a movie, not anywhere.

But from 1998 (Silent Hill’s launch) through 2005, game developers were still creating scary surprises. The Fatal Frame series brought a level of horror to the world that no one expected. Silent Hill 2 upgraded the gruesome chills of the original with unprecedented artwork. Resident Evil 3 and the Resident Evil remake upped the ante with enemies that could chase you into other rooms. Silent Hill 4 produced an impressive sense of claustrophobia. F.E.A.R. contained visuals that were creepy and unique. Resident Evil 4 – the big man on campus – redefined everything (even though it was not as scary as Silent Hill).

From Horrifying To Horrible

Since that time, the genre has taken a turn for the worst. Contrary to what a few critics will tell you, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories was not a frightening “reimagining” of the franchise. Silent Hill: Homecoming was even worse. But you knew that, right?

Dead Rising certainly had the potential to be scary, and with its subtle intro and eerie title screen, players expected a groundbreaking thrill-ride. Ultimately, however, it was a entertaining game but not a very scary one. The same could be said for Dead Rising 2, which improved the clunky gameplay of the original but moved further away from the survival/horror genre.

Theoretically, Dead Space should have been the scariest game on the planet. Its ultra-dark environments were a stark contrast to Resident Evil 5’s bright-and-sunny locales. The monsters were creepy and grotesque, and there were more than enough pop-out-and-say-boo moments for players to experience. But for me, it just didn’t cut it. The game is exciting, but with repetitive levels and predictable thrills, Dead Space is not survival/horror – it’s an action game at a Halloween party.

We’ve been seeing a lot of those (action games that like to dress up for Halloween) lately. The first Condemned received a lot of attention because it was one of the few Xbox 360 games available. Blue Stinger benefited from a similar situation when it was released for the Dreamcast. Neither of those games turned out to be anything special.

Publisher Fears

Why would the survival/horror genre suddenly move in this direction? Simply put: Publishers are just afraid to scare us. Like it or not, their fear isn’t entirely unjustified. Scary games only appeal to a certain audience, which, in publisher terms, limits the perceived sales potential of any given release.

However, that line of thinking overlooks two key elements. (1) Survival/horror fans are the first people to buy or rent new horror games. (2) The only way to expand the horror fan base is to continue releasing great games that are truly scary.

Resident Evil 5 – the most important horror game of the current generation – didn’t do anything to expand the franchise or the genre. It didn’t open the door to new players. Instead, it disappointed the core fans and failed to offer a single reason for mainstream gamers (the ones who think Halo and Call of Duty are the only games that exist) to try something new.

Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.

Going forward, things may only get worse. Keiji Inafune recently said that the “goal for Dead Rising 2 is to replace the Resident Evil franchise and become [the] number one IP within Capcom.” He went on to explain that you can’t create a great game without having big goals.

While I understand his point, the idea that Dead Rising could replace Resident Evil is positively petrifying. Capcom has always been the leader of the genre, and if Dead Rising tops the charts, other developers/publishers will get the impression that crappy stories and horror-free experiences are what gamers are looking for. Let’s face it: Most publishers already think that. We don’t want the genre’s leader to reinforce that belief.

The Greatest Fear of All

If developers aren’t careful, survival/horror will end up like the fighting genre: once creative and true to its roots, but now determined to seek out the mainstream.

Right now, the Silent Hills and Resident Evils of the world are in the same rut that’s killing Tekken and SoulCalibur. If this continues, it won’t be long before the core fans begin to whither away. Once that happens, there will be no going back.