After the turn of the decade, Horror was turning into a very popular genre. This popularity will soon spawn many sequels, prequels, advance graphics and gampleplay, along with an improved scare factor. These elements would soon change horror genre in gaming forever. This article will look into the semi-past and present of horror gaming today. Is this genre ready to turn into a more action pace genre or are developers trying to look for new ways to boost the scare factor in video games today.

After the release of one of the scariest horror game ‘Silent Hill’, it was time to start looking into a new direction. With the release of Sony’s Playstation 2 on the rise, no one ever knew what type of games will be release on the Playstation 2. In 2001 two horror games were release for Sony’s console. These titles would soon have an effect on what is to come for horror in gaming. Both ‘Extermination’ and Konami’s ‘Silent Hill 2’ were ready to be deployed.

‘Extermination’ was a survival horror game set in the deep arctic, where a squad of U.S. Marines Special Forces Recon, have to search an arctic base for problems within it. This base houses a secret that they would soon never forget. ‘Extermination’ main enemy was an unknown parasite that would infect humans and turn them into terrible man-eating monsters. The player only had a fully customable M4 assault rifle with different attachments, plus ‘Extermination’ was the first game to use an infection meter where the player can turn into one of these monsters and have a GAME OVER. ‘Extermination’ was first to release on Sony’s Playstation 2 and it set a whole new look for survival horror. ‘Extermination’ felt like the John Carpenter’s 1982 horror film ‘The Thing’ with the entire arctic placement, an unknown alien parasite, and the survival of the human race.

‘Silent Hill 2’ was released a few months after ‘Extermination’ and houses a bold new look, creeper environments, and an unforgettable story. Konami too was ready to hit up the horror genre again with ‘Silent Hill 2.’ ‘Silent Hill 2’ was a beginning of great video game storytelling and atmosphere. ‘Silent Hill 2’ made players think on this unforgettable story of James Sunderland to find his wife that was killed a few years back. The story would get more and more entertaining with each event, along with the atmosphere of being alone. ‘Silent Hill 2’ was that game that really got into your mind with real psychological horror, metaphors, and topics beyond speaking. Even today, I too still play ‘Silent Hill 2’ for many reasons and one reason is for being one of the best horror game by far in any generation of consoles.

A year later, a game came out by the name of ‘Fatal Frame’ by Tecmo. (Project Zero for Europe) ‘Fatal Frame’ was one of those over looked games till it gains ground among gamers who like the horror genre. ‘Fatal Frame’ focuses on a less violent approach on gameplay by using a camera as your only weapon of defense. This camera has the power to release the tormented ghost’s soul and can see things that the naked-eye can’t. ‘Frame Fatal’ main focus was to scare you and it will but, the game takes heavily on Japanese folklore and legends for its setting. ‘Fatal Frame’ spawned many sequels that were not direct to the main ‘Fatal Frame.’ ‘Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly (2003), Fatal Frame III: The Tormented (2005), and Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse.’ (2008)’Fatal Frame’ holds as the next scariest game on the list next to the first ‘Silent Hill’

Other Horror gaming that starting to make a comeback were ‘Doom 3’, ‘Clock Tower 3’, ‘The Suffering’, ‘Siren’,‘Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corner of the Earth’ and ‘Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem.’ Let’s take a quick look into ‘Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem.’ ‘Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem’ for Nintendo’s GameCube was a unique look into horror. ‘Eternal Darkness’ featured a Sanity meter which would play tricks on the players mind, and add things that were never there to begin with. This Sanity Meter was a pretty unique idea cause if it gets too low, varies things might happen to the game, TV, or even the GameCube itself. This would affect the players mind, and just turn of the system due to malfunction but, was never really a malfunction of any type cause it was all due to the Sanity Meter. ‘Call of Cthulhu’ too had somewhat of a sanity meter, when the main character would lose grip of reality and start seeing hallucinations and visions beyond description.

‘Clock Tower 3’ was release by CAPCOM and is the third installment into the series. The ‘Clock Tower’ series overall was about running away and finding clues on what is going on and who the murder is. ‘Clock Tower 3’ is no different but, ‘Clock Tower 3’ adds combat to this series. Past ‘Clock Tower’ games were on the Playstation where it was a point and click adventure game with murder and heavy influence on finding clues. ‘Clock Tower 3’ is a survival horror game with a panic state. In panic state the main character Alyssa would be seen by the murder in any hiding spot. Alyssa would soon have to run away and calm herself down before hiding again or finding more clues. The combat part of ‘Clock Tower 3’ was a fight between Alyssa and the murder or “Subordinates” and in this fight Alyssa only weapon is a LongBow. Sounds dumb but, the combat is pretty fun and intense due to the lack of moving when shooting the Bow.

Many other games like ‘Resident Evil: Code Veronica’, ‘Resident Evil: Outbreak’, ‘Silent Hill 3’ and ‘Silent Hill 4: The room’ and many more all had their own unique take on survival and psychological horror. The reforming of horror was going to happen again but, in a game we call ‘Resident Evil 4’. ‘Resident Evil 4’ took a whole new look and direction on horror in gaming. ‘Resident Evil 4’ was that ever changing game to change a genre into more of a fast-pace game, even if it means for the bad or good of horror gaming. Many games in the Next Generation of consoles (Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii) would use ideas from ‘Resident Evil 4’, ‘Half-Life’, and other to make it what it is today.

‘Dead Rising’ and ‘Condemned: Criminal Origins’ were first out of the gate for next generation of consoles. ‘Dead Rising’ borrowed ideas from George A. Romero ‘Dawn of the Dead’ into their own unique game. ‘Dead Rising’ was an open-world zombie survival horror game without the scariness. In ‘Dead Rising’ everything was a weapon to use, people would have to be saved, people would also go crazy, and you only have 72 hours to complete your mission. In ‘Condemned: Criminal Origins’ it was all about the mind of Ethan Thomas, and the murder case of SKX. This had a psychological aspect of horror and more or less tried to play tricks with your mind with sounds and shadows.

Even Games like ‘Silent Hill: Homecoming’ and ‘Alone in the Dark’ were pretty much action, weapon oriented games. The scare factor of games started losing its touch and turning into an all-round action titles and cooperative play. Left 4 Dead is a perfect example for being more action and cooperative oriented of a genre that is slowing changing into something new. In 2008 Dead Space was released and had the survival horror feel that return and felt like something new that we never seen in a long time. Dead Space had many intense moments, with few scary parts, and tons of fast-paced action. So too did Resident Evil 5, Alan Wake, Condemned 2: Blood Shot, FEAR 2, and many other changed into something more of an fast-pace action titles with intense moments. Deadly Premonition on the other hand made a game that was fully a horror title but, more into a cult classic game with horror elements.

Overall, horror genre is gaming is changing ever so quickly into a more fast-pace action. Unlike past games of old like ‘Silent Hill, ‘Resident Evil’, ‘Fatal Frame’ slow pace action but, all had that intense moments and scary scenes that will scare you in your sleep.  Even, if the horror genre in gaming in becoming action oriented, we can still hope that some developer will change that even with the upcoming titles like ‘Dead Space 2’ and ‘Silent Hill 8.’ In the next and final look into Horror Genre in gaming, I will talk about how action in horror can be a curse or a blessing in this genre and what does the future hold for upcoming titles. (Note: If somethings feel unclear to you and quickly explained, the next article will clear those things up.)

Some titles I didn’t post due to time and space…

Silent Hill: Scattered Memories (Wii)

Cursed Mountain (Wii)

Amercian McGee’s Alice (PC)

Haunting Ground (PS2)

Cold Fear (PS2)

The Thing (PS2)

and many others.

(READ PART ONE HERE) http://thegamershub.co.uk/2010/08/horror-genre-in-gaming-past-present-and-future-part-onepast/