ONLINE
Grip,
T. 2014.
Alien: isolation and the evolution of horror simulators. [online].
Available from:
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/ThomasGrip/20141015/227733/Alien_Isolation_and_The_Evolution_of_Horror_Simulators.php
[Accessed 10 November 2014]
Pruett,
C. 2009. [blog].
Ingredients
of horror: atmosphere and difficulty.15
January. Available from:
http://www.dreamdawn.com/sh/post_view.php?index=7216
[Accessed 03 November 2014]
Sharar,
A. 2010.
Flashback: why 2D games should be revisited on next gen hardware.
[online]. Available from:
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/AmirSharar/20100226/86749/Flashback_Why_2D_Games_Should_Be_Revisited_On_Next_Gen_Hardware.php
[Accessed 10 November 2014]
Sterling,
J. 2014. Uncanny
Valley does survival horror in 2D.
Available from:
http://www.destructoid.com/uncanny-valley-does-survival-horror-in-2d-273907.phtml
[Accessed 10 November 2014]
Thomsen,
M. 2010. Revival horror: new ideas in fear making. [online].
Available from:
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/5772/revival_horror_new_ideas_in_.php
[Accessed 10 November 2014]
Windels,
J. 2011. Scary game findings: a study of horror games and their
players. [online]. Available from:
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6480/scary_game_findings_a_study_of_.php
[Accessed 10 November 2014]
JOURNALS
Perez, B.E.L. 2014. Origami fiction: psychological horror in interactive media. Philosophy Study. 4(3): pp.210-215.
Habel, C and Kooyman, B. 2014. Agency mechanics: gameplay design in survival horror video games. Digital Creativity. 25(1): pp.1-14.
Kirkland, E. 2009b. Resident evil's typewriter: survival horror and its remediations. Games and Culture. 4(2): pp.115-126.
Kirkland, E. 2007. The self-reflexive funhouse of Silent Hill. Games and Culture. 13(4): pp. 403 - 415.
Lankoski, P. 2011.
Player character engagement in computer games. Games and Culture.
6(4): pp. 291-311.
BOOKS
Perron B. 2012. Silent Hill: the terror engine. San Francisco: The University of Michigan Press.
Perron, B. 2009. Horror video games: essays on the fusion of fear and play. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc.
-Kirkland, E. 2009a. Storytelling in survival horror. In: Perron, B. Horror video games: essays on the fusion of fear and play. Jefferson: McFarland. 2009, pp. 60-77.
- Perron, B. 2009b. The survival horror the extended body genre. In: Perron, B. Horror video games: essays on the fusion of fear and play. Jefferson: McFarland. 2009, pp.119-142.
- Pinchbeck, D. 2009. Shock horror: first-person gaming, horror, and the art of ludic manipulation. In: Perron, B. Horror video games: essays on the fusion of fear and play. Jefferson: McFarland. 2009, pp. 79-94.
- Roux-Girard, G. 2009. Plunged alone into darkness: evolution in the staging of fear in the Alone In The Dark series. In: Perron, B. Horror video games: essays on the fusion of fear and play. Jefferson: McFarland. 2009, pp.143-165.
- Taylor, L. 2009. Gothic bloodlines in survival horror gaming. In: Perron, B. Horror video games: essays on the fusion of fear and play. Jefferson: McFarland. 2009, pp. 44-59.
- Therrien,
C. 2009.
Games of fear: a multi-faceted historial account of the horror genre
in video games. In: Horror video games: essays on the fusion of fear
and play. Jefferson:
McFarland. 2009, pp. 24-43.
King, G and Krzywinska, T. 2002. Screenplay: Cinema/Videogames/Interfaces. London: Wallflower Press.
- Krzywinska, T. 2002. Hands on horror. In: King, G and Krzywinska, T. Screenplay: cinema/videogames/interfaces. London: Wallflower Press. 2002, pp. 206-223.
- Morris, S. 2002. First-person shooters – a game apparatus. In: King, G and Krzywinska, T. Screenplay: cinema/videogames/interfaces. London: Wallflower Press. 2002, pp. 81-97.
OTHER
Perron, B. 2004. Sign of a threat: the effects of warning systems in survival horror games, Cosign Conference, September 14-16. Croatia: University of Split.
Why game studies now? Video games as a new art form” james paul gee
“Ambiance, mood, feeling, sound, look: These
all sound like mere window dressing. But they are a large part of the pleasure
the game gives.”
ONLINE
Revival Horror: New
Ideas in Fear-Making (Thomsen, M 2010)
Mood lighting and
monster closets
“In
horror, the moment when a monster becomes familiar is when the
tension and dread begins to deflate.”
Thomas Grip "When a player encounters an enemy enough times, movement patterns and such will quickly get established and the creature will become a familiar gameplay object instead of an unknown, lurking horror."
“The traditional way of guarding against familiarity is in designing combat scenarios where the player is notably weaker than she'd expect to be.” “The Fatal Frame series left players without standard weaponry, providing only a camera to separate them from antagonistic apparitions. “
PACING “"Pacing is critical in a horror game," said Steve Papoutsis of Visceral. "You need to allow room for the player to feel safe or experience relief in order to deliver the next startle or scare." “
art style/aesthetics “As much as any other genre, horror games are defined by aesthetic sensibility that must form a cohesive and ambient environment for gameplay. “
importance of art “placing added importance on using art and sound cues to guide a player's emotions before and after a fight sequence. “
Thomas Grip “"Before an enemy is seen the player's imagination will try to figure out the appearance of a monster and after the encounter the player should hopefully fear the creature. This means that enemies should be placed in such a way that one can get the most out of the time before and after encounters, as it is there that the true horror resides." “
“Climax's Silent Hill: Shattered Memories made special use of audio design elements to keep players uncertain of what they would discover ahead, even in areas that were clearly demarcated to not have enemies. “ - dynamic sound system “if we want you to be scared we can amp it up so that you get that subconscious suggestion that something is around the corner." “
Controller Anxiety
Game mechanics, simple actions under stress effective “having less frequent enemy encounters would still be fearful because of how traumatically challenging simple navigation under stress could be. “
“"I think an important bit is for the games to have a certain simplicity to the controls so that they can easily be explained at the start and become second nature for the player as early on as possible," Grip explained. “ “"Even when new kinds of actions, like hiding in a closet, were introduced later on, the same kind of mechanics were used. “
User interface “To encourage players to invest in their games as a process of self-directed revelation, Tale of Tales [The Path] adheres to a simple control scheme uncluttered by visual prompts. “
Imagination is worse than reality “The things they begin to fear most … [are] some vague agglomeration of their own worst imagination. “
“To have touched a player on the terms of their most intimate insecurities and fears, rather than forcing them into the whirligig of an auteur's invented phantoms, is one of the most delicate and rewarding achievements in game design. “
Love and Guts
Gore should enhance the situation not over-power it “While viewing gory imagery is uncomfortable for many, it's the suggestion of something human that creates a lasting psychological footprint. “ Monster design.
Monster design “By leaving identifiable traces of humanity in monsters, it encourages players to subconsciously consider how someone could have been so violently transformed. “ “ They begin to imagine the logistics of gruesome acts in the same way a depraved killer might, and this dark realization suggests a guilt that amplifies the terror in seeing a mutilated creature. “
Game mechanics “"It is the only genre where it is okay to sacrifice gameplay in order to create emotions and build atmosphere," Grip said. “
Monster design “ It's not really zombies that scare us, but the horror of aging. Demons aren't frightful because of their bat wings and clawed appendages, but rather the idea that there are irremediable consequences to our life choices. “
“The more familiar those ideas become, the further away we drift from the truth of horror, which lies in ourselves. The first step in breathing new life into horror games comes not in reanimating someone else's monsters, but in sitting by yourself in a room with all the lights turned out, staring into the darkness. “
Thomas Grip "When a player encounters an enemy enough times, movement patterns and such will quickly get established and the creature will become a familiar gameplay object instead of an unknown, lurking horror."
“The traditional way of guarding against familiarity is in designing combat scenarios where the player is notably weaker than she'd expect to be.” “The Fatal Frame series left players without standard weaponry, providing only a camera to separate them from antagonistic apparitions. “
PACING “"Pacing is critical in a horror game," said Steve Papoutsis of Visceral. "You need to allow room for the player to feel safe or experience relief in order to deliver the next startle or scare." “
art style/aesthetics “As much as any other genre, horror games are defined by aesthetic sensibility that must form a cohesive and ambient environment for gameplay. “
importance of art “placing added importance on using art and sound cues to guide a player's emotions before and after a fight sequence. “
Thomas Grip “"Before an enemy is seen the player's imagination will try to figure out the appearance of a monster and after the encounter the player should hopefully fear the creature. This means that enemies should be placed in such a way that one can get the most out of the time before and after encounters, as it is there that the true horror resides." “
“Climax's Silent Hill: Shattered Memories made special use of audio design elements to keep players uncertain of what they would discover ahead, even in areas that were clearly demarcated to not have enemies. “ - dynamic sound system “if we want you to be scared we can amp it up so that you get that subconscious suggestion that something is around the corner." “
Controller Anxiety
Game mechanics, simple actions under stress effective “having less frequent enemy encounters would still be fearful because of how traumatically challenging simple navigation under stress could be. “
“"I think an important bit is for the games to have a certain simplicity to the controls so that they can easily be explained at the start and become second nature for the player as early on as possible," Grip explained. “ “"Even when new kinds of actions, like hiding in a closet, were introduced later on, the same kind of mechanics were used. “
User interface “To encourage players to invest in their games as a process of self-directed revelation, Tale of Tales [The Path] adheres to a simple control scheme uncluttered by visual prompts. “
Imagination is worse than reality “The things they begin to fear most … [are] some vague agglomeration of their own worst imagination. “
“To have touched a player on the terms of their most intimate insecurities and fears, rather than forcing them into the whirligig of an auteur's invented phantoms, is one of the most delicate and rewarding achievements in game design. “
Love and Guts
Gore should enhance the situation not over-power it “While viewing gory imagery is uncomfortable for many, it's the suggestion of something human that creates a lasting psychological footprint. “ Monster design.
Monster design “By leaving identifiable traces of humanity in monsters, it encourages players to subconsciously consider how someone could have been so violently transformed. “ “ They begin to imagine the logistics of gruesome acts in the same way a depraved killer might, and this dark realization suggests a guilt that amplifies the terror in seeing a mutilated creature. “
Game mechanics “"It is the only genre where it is okay to sacrifice gameplay in order to create emotions and build atmosphere," Grip said. “
Monster design “ It's not really zombies that scare us, but the horror of aging. Demons aren't frightful because of their bat wings and clawed appendages, but rather the idea that there are irremediable consequences to our life choices. “
“The more familiar those ideas become, the further away we drift from the truth of horror, which lies in ourselves. The first step in breathing new life into horror games comes not in reanimating someone else's monsters, but in sitting by yourself in a room with all the lights turned out, staring into the darkness. “
--
Scary
Game Findings: A Study Of Horror Games And Their Players
(Windels,
J. 2011)
Six
individuals (ranging from casual to hardcore) were asked to play four
xbox 360 horror games for around 30 minutes depending on the game's
content.
number
of methods including interview techniques, think-aloud,
researcher/participant post-play analysis and biometric feedback in
order to evaluate the player experiences with each game.
Alan
Wake.
“There
were four significant moments in the Alan
Wake sessions.
The initial confrontation provoked a scare response from all types of
gamers, and was universally a scary moment. The horror cutscene was
possibly designed to scare players, but responses were largely
unrelated to fear. The following moment, which sees the players alone
in the house, was interesting in that it scared only the casual
players, with the core players unaffected. The final moment also
managed, but perhaps to a lesser extent, to scare the casual players
more than the experienced gamers.
This
disparity in the player experience between core and casual gamers is
illustrated by the post-session player experience diagrams. Most
players, especially the casual players, enjoyed Alan
Wake.
It was a popular choice for the players when they were asked which
title they wished to continue playing after the session had
ended.”
“ sudden change from the relative safety of the start to the panic of a supernatural conflict provoked a response from all of the players, with the casual players reacting more significantly … changes in biometric readings implied a sudden and sharp reaction. “
“repeat appearances of the shadowy figure failed to provoke any significant response. Changes in respiration rate were attributed to tension arising from the initial combat, but relaxed into a more stable pattern. “Cutscenes not scary ...Cutscene depicting the decapitation of a stanger interestingly elicited a sense of relief in players as it meant the player themselves were currently safe due to the cutscene playing.
Core gamers are more likely to recognise scripted actions in which they will be able to avoid combat (see House Scene) whereas casual gamers are more likely to find these scenes tense.
“ sudden change from the relative safety of the start to the panic of a supernatural conflict provoked a response from all of the players, with the casual players reacting more significantly … changes in biometric readings implied a sudden and sharp reaction. “
“repeat appearances of the shadowy figure failed to provoke any significant response. Changes in respiration rate were attributed to tension arising from the initial combat, but relaxed into a more stable pattern. “Cutscenes not scary ...Cutscene depicting the decapitation of a stanger interestingly elicited a sense of relief in players as it meant the player themselves were currently safe due to the cutscene playing.
Core gamers are more likely to recognise scripted actions in which they will be able to avoid combat (see House Scene) whereas casual gamers are more likely to find these scenes tense.
Resident
Evil 5.
“When looking at the player experience graphs on the following page, it can be seen that for all players, they were stimulated by the first encounters with the zombies. This is largely an excitement response, but also moments of fear too. The casual players also responded to these moments in the same way as the core, but they continued to be engaged by the game by increasing amounts (though not necessarily scared), whereas the core players' engagement waned as the level progressed. “
“When looking at the player experience graphs on the following page, it can be seen that for all players, they were stimulated by the first encounters with the zombies. This is largely an excitement response, but also moments of fear too. The casual players also responded to these moments in the same way as the core, but they continued to be engaged by the game by increasing amounts (though not necessarily scared), whereas the core players' engagement waned as the level progressed. “
Initial
contact with an enemy was frightening for most players.
Despite gory horror, no players felt they were scared.
Mob encounter (running is scarier) - “When players chose to shoot the zombies, a gradually decreasing level of engagement could be seen, while players that chose to flee the mob experienced a greater degree of emotion, with fear being the most common feeling.”
Cutscenes did not elicent much response.
Dead Space 2
Gory
opening cutscene was frightening - “At
least four of the participants found this moment distressing, and
were frightened further still when throttled by the orderly, only to
have him gruesomely slaughtered by a grotesque creature.
It
was suggested that these scenes were not only scary due to the
abruptness and potency of the shocks, but were also heightened
because of the liberal presentation of horror and gore.”
Straight jacket chase scene was found scary at varying levels by all players.
Gameplay beats found distressing/scary:
- Physically attacked by enemy, most profound in first instance and intesified when little health was left.
Straight jacket chase scene was found scary at varying levels by all players.
Gameplay beats found distressing/scary:
- Physically attacked by enemy, most profound in first instance and intesified when little health was left.
-
Chase scenes where the player knew they were being persued but could
not see the enemy. (“implied danger”)
-
First
chase sequence where the player got lost however some players only
found this frustrating, especially when QTEs were involved.
Shock of varying degrees was induced via jump scares “when a screen abruptly blares on; when an apparently stationary patient suddenly grabs Isaac when he approaches; when the floor of a vent falls through; and a more subtle point when strange, alarming noises can be heard.” However some core gamers were not frightened.
“It is interesting that many of these scares were preceded by a period of unstable biometrics responses, such as an increased heart-rate and heavy or stunted breathing. This "anticipation" fear served as a key factor in building up the tension leading to the actual scares themselves “
Some players got frustrated after continuously dying. ”players that could comfortably dispatch enemies were barely frightened by the confrontation, and those that were entirely unable to fight back were too frustrated to be scared. “
Shock of varying degrees was induced via jump scares “when a screen abruptly blares on; when an apparently stationary patient suddenly grabs Isaac when he approaches; when the floor of a vent falls through; and a more subtle point when strange, alarming noises can be heard.” However some core gamers were not frightened.
“It is interesting that many of these scares were preceded by a period of unstable biometrics responses, such as an increased heart-rate and heavy or stunted breathing. This "anticipation" fear served as a key factor in building up the tension leading to the actual scares themselves “
Some players got frustrated after continuously dying. ”players that could comfortably dispatch enemies were barely frightened by the confrontation, and those that were entirely unable to fight back were too frustrated to be scared. “
Anticipation/Pacing “The anticipation of a confrontation heightened the scariness in the game, and increased the potency of the scares when they followed periods of tension. “
“The use of sound and false-scares (whereby the shocks represented no threat to the player) generated short bursts of fear in the players. Despite this, for some of the times when genuine conflict occurred, players were actually less scared than they were for when they thought they were going to be engaging in combat. “
Gore “Furthermore, the fast pacing of the game was coupled with scenes of graphic violence. These depictions of the grotesque were far scarier to players when they were presented at moments that were also scary in another respect (fight/flight, surprises), than when presented during a sequence in which the player is safe (cutscenes, NPC suicide). “ “ Gore is apparently only scary when it is featured alongside another scary element. “
“sustained anticipatory tension and fight/flight conflict-based fear. “
Conclusions
“Actual combat is not as scary as the implied threat of combat. “
“Cutscenes are generally not sources of fear for most players, but casual players react more strongly to them. “
“The first confrontation is almost always the scariest. “
“Repeat failure prevents scenes from retaining any initial scariness they may have had before. “
“Actual combat is not as scary as the implied threat of combat. “
“Cutscenes are generally not sources of fear for most players, but casual players react more strongly to them. “
“The first confrontation is almost always the scariest. “
“Repeat failure prevents scenes from retaining any initial scariness they may have had before. “
“Gore
in isolation can be provocative, but not scary. In some cases, the
grotesque can make scenes scarier, providing there are other factors
also contributing.
“
“Casual players are more easily scared than core players, but also enjoy the games more. “
“The closer a game resembles film, the more casual players are scared. Conversely, the less scripted a game is, the more the core players are scared “
“Heightened tension can be created by a potent atmosphere. This will keep the player engaged and ultimately make the scares bigger. “
“Large numbers of enemies makes games less scary. “--
“Casual players are more easily scared than core players, but also enjoy the games more. “
“The closer a game resembles film, the more casual players are scared. Conversely, the less scripted a game is, the more the core players are scared “
“Heightened tension can be created by a potent atmosphere. This will keep the player engaged and ultimately make the scares bigger. “
“Large numbers of enemies makes games less scary. “--
JOURNALS
--
"Origami Fiction: Psychological Horror in Interactive Media" Perez (2014)
Blanca Perez looks at the study of film to create more effective narrative in games, using Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream, 2010) as a case study.
"video games... manage to convey the mood in the video game by relying on visual, graphics, music and audio"
Spatial storytelling - "Images are set in a certain order following a particular structure so tat some specific meaning and intention might be conveyed"
In this section she discusses the use of contrast in Heavy Rain to emphasise the desolate atmosphere after the death of the main protoganist's son. (First home = bright and open, second home = small, grey, dull.)
"we make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones"
Character design - "One of the main challenges for designers when it comes to immersion through affective empathy is to be able to understand that character design implies the cruicible of social and cultural expectations represented by graphic styles."
Narrative - "The most gifted writers are those who manipulate the memory sets of the reader in such a rich fashion that they create within the mind of the reader an entire world that resonates with the reader's own real emotions."
Conclusion
"this industry focuses a lot on the way graphic and sound are designed to be meaningful."
"video games demand other kind of immersive engagement based more on the player's choice than in solving the latent message of the literary text"
Art style can aid in setting the tone of a game - "The images shown on screen must be able to convey an aesthetic experience by pushing the player's emotional and phobic buttons, in other words, designers must create visual graphics to increase the sense of uncertainty and anxiety the players will feel while immersed in the gameplay."
--
"Resident Evil's Typewriter: Survival Horror and its Remediations" Kirkland (2009)
Ewan Kirkland discusses how old media such as television, film, photography can be used in the design of survival horror video games; Using "New media" aesthetics/experiences with "previous media" formations. He also discusses why the use of overlays emulating the imperfections of old media a particularly effective when used in the horror genre.
Atmosphere (from old media) - "Horror video game remediations - both diagetic and non diagetic - serve various narrative and ludological functions, providing atmosphere, context and information, facilitating the scenario, aiding players solution of puzzles and action sequences."
3rd person can be effective as players become attached to the player character - "computer generated sythespian bodies also resonate with player investment in digitally constructed avatars" Pg.117 discusses this in some detail.
"The ways in which heightened emotional states are expressed through erratic uncontrollable avatar movements combined with joypad vibration."
Use of overlays in horror games - In Silent Hill 2 "game aesthetics "are intended to resemble old films - blurred and a little shakey." "Silent Hill 3 reproduces "a distorted look, closer to watching an old horror movie on a VHS tape"
"Conventions, technologies, and textures of old media convey an unmediated immediacy contrasting with the ephemeral digital image."
"Cinematic remediation appears particularly prominent in horror games"
"the genre is most readily compared to film"
"Diane Carr (2006) identifies directed gameplay as enhancing generic affects of suspense and fear"
Spatial Storytelling - Pg. 7 (of pdf) talks about conveying narrative through reports, diaries etc.
End of pg. 8 (of pdf) discusses why many horror games use everyday items as save points (Resident Evil's typewriter, Silent Hill's note pad) "potentiallu disruptive game-saving act in naturalized through the strategy of immediacy, associated with the act of recording one's personal state, logging experiences of a journey or mission" Note, Lone Survivor is a more modern example of this (saving by sleeping) "diagetic framing of game saves"
"elements associated with generic horror - sensations of supernatural predetermination, entrapment and surveillance, experiences of embodiment and physicality, discourages of visual power dynamics"
Use of overlays - (scratching a mark making) "their effect is also to disturb, indicating sddociations between media failure and the supernatural, threatening or unsettling"
Use of overlays - "Horror games emulation of white noise, photographic blurring, and celluloid imperfections, produces the uncanny impression of an older, ghostly or undead analog media seeping into, contaminating and enveloping the digital."
"... its unsettling effect is profoundly real"
--
"Agency Mechanics: Gameplay Design In Survival Horror Video Games" (Habel and Kooyman 2014)
Chad Habel and Ben Kooyman look at the relation between horror film and games and how "agency and control" are managed in Dead Space.
Agency mechanics - how the player controls the avatar.
“these
experiences oscillate between empowerment and disempowerment even
more clearly than in film.”
“players have their sense of individual autonomy and agency directly challenged by 'videoludic monsters' (Perron, 2009, 127)”
“players have their sense of individual autonomy and agency directly challenged by 'videoludic monsters' (Perron, 2009, 127)”
Benefits
of 1st
person and 3rd
person in contrast to film -“horror
gaming reduces the plurality of
gazes
available, alternating primarily between(and sometimes combining)
first- or third-person
identification
with the avatar. This narrows the variety of empathetic responses
available to the
gamer,
but simultaneously heightens those responses: the gamer’s sadistic
and masochistic experiences while playing are all filtered through
the avatar over which they have agency, and that
agency
is subject to the grim whims of the horror universe.”
"It is no coincidence that horror survival games have taken strong cues from the highly successful techniques of horror film: they have 'tried to recreate the same visceral revulsion, subtle moods, and other strategies that cinema had achieved' (Therrien 2009, 33)."
Many horror film texts "provide useful scaffolding for the analysis of horror games"
"common motifs and mechanics from survival horror... lack of health and ammunition, high-pressure puzzles and an intense sense of pressure based on overwhelming odds."
The authors quote Richard J Hand citing Romero's Dead trilogy (1968 - 1985) as having "the most formative influence" on the Resident Evil series. (2004, 315) and compare Alien to contemporary survival horror such as Dead Space.
Horror games are "a more concentrated and immersive experience of recreational terror."
"The game apparatus situates us in the game world as an extension of ourselves, locating us as a controller of the action. Importantly, unlike a good deal of film and literature, we are not simply asked to identify with an existing character. Rather, as controller of the action we occupy the dual identity of player-character (Spittle 2011,316) [look up Steve Spittle article]
Controlling the camera and maneuvering the environment heightens immersion (this is easier to achieve in 3D games) - "the player exerts complete control over the camera movement and placement, able to manipulate the image to maximise their sense of geography. This contributes t the sense of immersion as well as agency -- authoring the image as well as the avatar" by extension there is a great feeling of loss when the player dies.
Pacing - "In preserving and sustaining the viewer's gaze through continuous and unedited tracking shots, the gaming experience preserves this experience of plenitude which makes the disruption of that plentitude via attack or death doubly unnerving." - Would be interesting to find an example of this in film and games respectively and compare.
"designers ultimately take the [horror film] tropes and signifiers acquired from this precursor medium and recalibrate them for a less bounded, more experiential form of recreational terror"
"the mechanics of control and agency that endow the player with a sense that theire sphere of influence is impacted upon by the game world"
The fourth section discusses the differences between 1st and 3rd person in film and games. Film - predominately third person and 1st person shots are used for dramatic effect such as the illusion of being stalked/watched or in the "found footage" genre. This is because the use of third person in Hollywood "is to seamlessly immerse viewers in the fictional universe, and first person composition inevitably draws attention to itself as a cinematic effect."
"a player's connection with their avatar through first or third person is crucial"
1st person perspective - "if the player is seeing 'through the eyes' of the protagonist, they are more likely to identify with their experiences and share their terror ... However, this is by no means a universal position: a first-person perspective is no guarantee of identification and immersion."
"Perron argues... the player is more affected when they see the character being acted upon (2009, 132)." "This can be likened to the cognitive/emotive coupling or mirroring that enables the player to share the experience of their avatar (Lankoski 2011, 294)." - Look up these authors.
"engagement is also dependant on the challenges, goals and tasks that are for the player in addition to perspective."
Pacing more important than connection to avatar? - "the essential mechanic here is the sense of control and autonomy the player has within the game world, not some abstract identification with the protagonist."
"The use of perspective, avatar identity and goal-setting operate as crucial aspects of gameplay-design"
"The removal of player control is very clear in Amnesia: The dark Descent (2011), which is a truer inheritor of the tradition of survival horror."
Dead Space analysis:
Pacing, limited movement - Notes
the player is allowed limited movement of walking and running (“in
comparison to, say, a first-person military shooter) – no vehicles.
Ventilation shafts which must be used to travel between locations
which they note is “reminiscent of films like Alien and The
Descent” and create a threatening and claustrophobic atmosphere.
In Dead Space 2 the player's
view is restricted and it is only possible to turn slightly to look
around which enhances this sort of atmosphere – also “builds the
tension and anticipation of what awaits just outside the ventilation
shaft.”
They note the environment is also used to create this sort of tension in the series such as in certain sections of the games where the player is given a timer in the form of depleting oxygen or when the avatar is forced to fight off enemies whilst trapped hanging upside down. (Interestingly the latter is a mechanic horror/action game The Last of Us uses at one point in the game.)
The authors go on to note the effective use of lighting in the game and points to a section of Dead Space 2 (chapter 10) where the player has to fight in poor lighting conditions similar to that of film “where often dangers are shrouded in the dark from protagonists and viewers.” Lighting is used as an agency mechanic.”
(In chapter 6, Strategic Dismemberment and Execution Cutscenes)
Use of gore in horror - "The horror film has long festishised the dismemberment of the body, be it human or ghoul" as do many horror games.
"powerful enemies increase the challenge which is central to survival horror."
In Dead Space "the player dies, the camera zooms back to a third person perspective which is not tied to the avatar in order to display a particularly grisly death... forcing them to simply sit and watch the avatar's gory death."
--
"Player Character Engagement in Computer Games" - (Petri Lankoski 2011)
Immersion
“Immersion has been proposed to be as the most important aspect of the playing
“Immersion has been proposed to be as the most important aspect of the playing
experience.”
“immersion in character-based games has been linked to the
“immersion in character-based games has been linked to the
first
person point of view”
“the player should
“the player should
never
be shown or told anything that the character has not experienced
directly.
(Larame´e,
2002, p. 266)”
Murray 2007 “‘‘the sensation of being
Murray 2007 “‘‘the sensation of being
surrounded
by a completely other reality’’ (p. 98)
“Clearly immersion3 is not enough and something else is needed to describe a
“Clearly immersion3 is not enough and something else is needed to describe a
player’s
relation to games and to PCs.”
“I propose using the concept of engagement
“I propose using the concept of engagement
as
it is utilized in aesthetics (Berleant, 1991; Kupfer, 2003). Berleant
(1991) writes
that
engagement ‘‘stresses the active nature of aesthetic experience
and its essential
participatory
quality.’’
Empathy
Characters
are central to the experience because humans are social “The
evidence
suggests
that anthropomorphic agents, such as game characters, also trigger
these
specialized brain functions used in everyday people-to-people
interactions.”
“seeing somebody smile
“seeing somebody smile
will
activate the same areas of the perceiver’s brain as if the
perceiver would be
smiling
herself.”
“Empathy as a process can explain why this emotion coupling happens.”
“Empathy can be used to explain, for
“Empathy as a process can explain why this emotion coupling happens.”
“Empathy can be used to explain, for
example,
why we fear for a character when it is in danger.”
“This means that when
“This means that when
people
simulate other people, they do not become them but they process
certain
predicates
in as-if
mode,
imagining how they themselves would feel in that
situation.”
“Research findings support the notion that people react to game characters in a
“Research findings support the notion that people react to game characters in a
similar
way to the way that they react to real people.” these
reactions “are automatic
and
occur without
or
with
limited conscious awareness.”
Recognition
“In Silent Hill 3 (Team Silent, 2003), the major methods
of
conveying information about Heather (the PC) and revealing her
personality are
traditional
audiovisual means such as appearance, clothes, and cutscenes
augmented
with
dialogue.”
Does not necessarily have to be in third-person. “Half-Life (Valve Software, 2001) demonstrates that players do not need to see the
Does not necessarily have to be in third-person. “Half-Life (Valve Software, 2001) demonstrates that players do not need to see the
PC,
Gordon Freeman, to perceive personality.” “NPCs
address the camera as ‘‘Gordon’’
and
behave
like they know this person, Gordon Freeman. Hence, the game uses the
actions
of the NPCs to build a view of the PC.”
Alignment
Player is given access to character's thoughts and feelings via dialogue/voice-overs.
Alignment patterns:
“ Detective structure: The player’s knowledge is restricted to the PC’s point of
Alignment
Player is given access to character's thoughts and feelings via dialogue/voice-overs.
Alignment patterns:
“ Detective structure: The player’s knowledge is restricted to the PC’s point of
view.
The player is only given information about what a character thinks,
feels,
and
sees. This access to the PC, however, is not unlimited.
Melodramatic
structure:
The player knows more about characters (their affects,
thoughts,
and ambitions) than any single character knows. The player may also
control
more than one PC.”
-
rarely
used in games [multiple player characters]
Allegiance
“When players have a positive evaluation of a PC, it means that the players are more
Allegiance
“When players have a positive evaluation of a PC, it means that the players are more
likely
to accept the goals the game proposes.” player
character has to be appealing.
-
The Self-Reflexive Funhouse of Silent Hill - Ewan Kirkland (2007)
-
The Self-Reflexive Funhouse of Silent Hill - Ewan Kirkland (2007)
Intro
4th wall. “Consumer’s presence outside the text is frequently, even perpetually, acknowledged in a manner universal in other popular forms of media”
- Tutorials break 4th wall i
- Often instructions are embedded in narrative
“Videogames can be an extremely involving process” Immersion. Controls are naturalised.
“Videogame play is both immersive – encouraging participants to ignore the game’s highly mediated nature – and distancing – emphasizing the presence of screen, joypad and player.”
“videogames simultaneously address players as agents inside and outside screen.”
- examples of 4th wall breaking Silent hill series “false-death” tutorials (dream sequences)
“serve as more than deconstructive self-reflexivity, and contribute to the game’s effect as horror entertainment.”
It “underlines the chaotic world in to which players are entering” echoes horror themes, the dream like state, alternative realities and themes of vulnerability.
“breaking the fourth wall as the game character directly addresses the player in whose hands her fate lies” care about character more? Character addressing player is both “comic and chilling”
“such practices frequently intensify the horror experience, even as they draw player’s attention to their constructed nature”
Breaking the Immersive Trance: Sticky Controls, Deterministic Gameplay, Surrealism and Boredom.
Clumsy controls of Silent Hill are beneficial
“Monster design is deliberately unsettling,” “humanoids that pounce upon the playe’s avatar in an almost-sexual feeding frenzy”
Argues violent horror imagery, like cinema, challenges the player/viewer to cover their eyes and thus break immersion. Breaks the relationship between viewer and screen - consequently breaking the immersion. This is when the “effect is most powerfully experienced”
Agency and control
“Spatially-fixed save points, usr of cut-scenes and the redundancy of locations once puzzles are solved, all serve to control play and limit the game’s openness” – lack of openness contrasts with what is often prasied as creating an immersive experience.
“illusion of interactivity”
“linearity is central to maintaining tension, anxiety and fear”
Awkward controls remind players that like their player character they are not in control of their own destiny “oppressive gameplay”
Remediation and Analogue Corruption:
White Noise and Scratched Celluloid
Horror is ideal for “exploring deconstructions of videogame text”
cut-scenes take away player control “close-ups, dramatic camera movement, analytical editing and point-of-view shots, more photo-realistic rendering, more expressive character animation and… the letter-box format” indicates fiulm influence and “produces a sense of determination”
Compares camera angles to “voyeuristic CCTV camera” “contributing to sensations of persecution, impotence and vulnerability”
Cut-scene camera angles contributes to “realist mise-en-scene” all to enhance the gore, lighting, horror.
Overlays “White noise and celluloid scratches “traditional media are aligned with the supernatural, the uncannt, or the arcane. The unknowable, permeating qualities of radio are evoked, alongside analogues between undetectable non-physical radio waves and the ethereal, non-corporeal presence of spiritual forces”
“analogue media leaking into the new” unnatural = horror
Breaking 4th wall “heighten rather than undermine the game’s horror effect” Simultaneous “immersion and repulsion”
4th wall. “Consumer’s presence outside the text is frequently, even perpetually, acknowledged in a manner universal in other popular forms of media”
- Tutorials break 4th wall i
- Often instructions are embedded in narrative
“Videogames can be an extremely involving process” Immersion. Controls are naturalised.
“Videogame play is both immersive – encouraging participants to ignore the game’s highly mediated nature – and distancing – emphasizing the presence of screen, joypad and player.”
“videogames simultaneously address players as agents inside and outside screen.”
- examples of 4th wall breaking Silent hill series “false-death” tutorials (dream sequences)
“serve as more than deconstructive self-reflexivity, and contribute to the game’s effect as horror entertainment.”
It “underlines the chaotic world in to which players are entering” echoes horror themes, the dream like state, alternative realities and themes of vulnerability.
“breaking the fourth wall as the game character directly addresses the player in whose hands her fate lies” care about character more? Character addressing player is both “comic and chilling”
“such practices frequently intensify the horror experience, even as they draw player’s attention to their constructed nature”
Breaking the Immersive Trance: Sticky Controls, Deterministic Gameplay, Surrealism and Boredom.
Clumsy controls of Silent Hill are beneficial
“Monster design is deliberately unsettling,” “humanoids that pounce upon the playe’s avatar in an almost-sexual feeding frenzy”
Argues violent horror imagery, like cinema, challenges the player/viewer to cover their eyes and thus break immersion. Breaks the relationship between viewer and screen - consequently breaking the immersion. This is when the “effect is most powerfully experienced”
Agency and control
“Spatially-fixed save points, usr of cut-scenes and the redundancy of locations once puzzles are solved, all serve to control play and limit the game’s openness” – lack of openness contrasts with what is often prasied as creating an immersive experience.
“illusion of interactivity”
“linearity is central to maintaining tension, anxiety and fear”
Awkward controls remind players that like their player character they are not in control of their own destiny “oppressive gameplay”
Remediation and Analogue Corruption:
White Noise and Scratched Celluloid
Horror is ideal for “exploring deconstructions of videogame text”
cut-scenes take away player control “close-ups, dramatic camera movement, analytical editing and point-of-view shots, more photo-realistic rendering, more expressive character animation and… the letter-box format” indicates fiulm influence and “produces a sense of determination”
Compares camera angles to “voyeuristic CCTV camera” “contributing to sensations of persecution, impotence and vulnerability”
Cut-scene camera angles contributes to “realist mise-en-scene” all to enhance the gore, lighting, horror.
Overlays “White noise and celluloid scratches “traditional media are aligned with the supernatural, the uncannt, or the arcane. The unknowable, permeating qualities of radio are evoked, alongside analogues between undetectable non-physical radio waves and the ethereal, non-corporeal presence of spiritual forces”
“analogue media leaking into the new” unnatural = horror
Breaking 4th wall “heighten rather than undermine the game’s horror effect” Simultaneous “immersion and repulsion”
BOOKS
Silent Hill: The Terror Engine - Bernard Perron
Intro
pg 2 "Resident Evil is more action-orientated, focussing on quick thrill jumps, scares, and gory images, while Silent Hill is devised to be more psychological in nature, more about character and atmosphere, intending to convey a tone of dread, anxiety, and helplessness."
- Good quote for defining horror atmosphere, can pair with Thomas Grip theory about horror-wrapping and horror simulation.
pg 10 Chapter 1 Survival Terror
cinema's influence
"The goals of video games and the goals of horror fiction directly overlap" (Richard Rouse III
"Video games rely on the same foundations that many suspense driven horror films such as Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 2968), Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979), and Ringu (Hideo Nakata, 1998) rely upon."
pg13 relationship between horror film and games "the video gamehas remediated the film. This ideo ludic refashioning if cinematic forms could not have been more ecident with regard to horror"
"it may be argued that horror is the [genre] most often compared to a game"
pg 15 mise-en scene “For the video game, a new media that is still audio visual, the horror film provides a breeding ground for formal figures and techniques of mise-en-scene (anxiety-provoking music, expressive high/low angles, suspicious camera movements, startle effects, etc).” "It also provides an idea of narrative framework: a small group of stereotypical characters barracase themselve sin a place - or try to - in order to fight against and to survive an evil force emvodied in monsters or ghosts. This perfectly suits the video game"
pg 15 also talks about camera angles. Could be applicable?
Chapter 4 pg 95
Gamer's Terrifying Exploration of Silent Hill
pg 96
"gameplay emotions, emotions that arise from our actions in the game... and the consequent reactions of the game and game world."
pg 97 about film "the emotional experience of the spectator is based on their lack of control."
pg 99 "once you learn to entirely control the situation, the challenge and suspense of those boss fights are gone." about mechanics
pg 103 SH2, anticipating combat that does not come at the start of the game -creates suspense
pg 104 slow pacing at the start of the game to emphases desolate nature of the town and increase feelings of isolation.
--
Horror Video Games - Essays on the Fusion of Fear and Play
Bernard Perron
-
"Match Made In Hell: The Inevitable Success of the Horror Genre in Video Games" – Richard Rouse III
"Match Made In Hell: The Inevitable Success of the Horror Genre in Video Games" – Richard Rouse III
“The goals of video games and the goals of horror fiction
directly overlap, making them ideal bedfellows.”
“The horror genre embraces disturbing content and twisted
subject matter.”
There us “a lot of room to continue to evolve the horror game, to move it away from just emulating horror in other media, and instead, to employ the genre to explore the dark corners of humanity in ways no other medium can.”
Practical Considerations
There us “a lot of room to continue to evolve the horror game, to move it away from just emulating horror in other media, and instead, to employ the genre to explore the dark corners of humanity in ways no other medium can.”
Practical Considerations
Good vs Evil in horror film parallel to video games. In film the “antagonistic force shows itself
to be so thoroughly inhuman that no audience member would fault the hero for
killing the evil” which is similar to the experience of games “going all the
way back to Space Invaders” where there is an “undeniable “kill to survive”
motivation.”
“Game storytelling works best when the plot is fairly simple” as “the plot is something that needs to be immediately understood which propels the player through the whole game experience”
“horror works best the less that is explained and the more that is left up to the imagination”
Subtle storytelling, for example “dialog played over gameplay, graffiti written on walls, very quicj semi-animated flashbacks”
^can pair this quote with section on environmental storytelling in Level Up! (Scott Rogers)
“Game storytelling works best when the plot is fairly simple” as “the plot is something that needs to be immediately understood which propels the player through the whole game experience”
“horror works best the less that is explained and the more that is left up to the imagination”
Subtle storytelling, for example “dialog played over gameplay, graffiti written on walls, very quicj semi-animated flashbacks”
^can pair this quote with section on environmental storytelling in Level Up! (Scott Rogers)
“In horror, the way the audience fills in the blanks will be
far more disturbing” Author points to
the films, The Blair Witch Project, The Birds and The Shining as examples of
texts as narratives where events are barely explained.
“Horror stories are typically set in highly recognizable locations that players can identify with” and introduces “unique gameplay mechanics based on this altered reality.” Supernatural elemets in the game world can explain a multitude of potential mechanics while “the familiar setting of horror fiction keeps the player grounded.”
^Can also pair this with a quote from Level Up! Regarding the narrative triangle.
Game Mechanics
In Silent Hill 2 “the player finds a radio which generates static whenever a creature is near… and helps build tension in the process.”
Narrative can give an explanation for technical limitations of the game. (Final paragraph)
Emotional Response
“In an immersive game, the player actually projects [themselves] into the experience…. With the player fully immersing [themselves] in the world, fear becomes much more intense.”
“death means the player will have to replay a section of then game in order to progress, giving death real stakes”
^Can pair this with a quote from Hands on Horror describing death cut scenes.
Immersion and Empowerment
“Horror stories are typically set in highly recognizable locations that players can identify with” and introduces “unique gameplay mechanics based on this altered reality.” Supernatural elemets in the game world can explain a multitude of potential mechanics while “the familiar setting of horror fiction keeps the player grounded.”
^Can also pair this with a quote from Level Up! Regarding the narrative triangle.
Game Mechanics
In Silent Hill 2 “the player finds a radio which generates static whenever a creature is near… and helps build tension in the process.”
Narrative can give an explanation for technical limitations of the game. (Final paragraph)
Emotional Response
“In an immersive game, the player actually projects [themselves] into the experience…. With the player fully immersing [themselves] in the world, fear becomes much more intense.”
“death means the player will have to replay a section of then game in order to progress, giving death real stakes”
^Can pair this with a quote from Hands on Horror describing death cut scenes.
Immersion and Empowerment
First person =
immersion: “Since players are, to some extent able to determine the actions
of the main character, while playing a fame they project themselves into the
main character… This is especially true in first-person games, where immersion
is undeniably one of the primary goals.”
Jump scares are “frightening and plausible fictionally, but far more frustrating”
A cutscene “tends to pull the players out of the experience… Players instinctively know that the game would never kill them off during a cut scene.”
“a game that leaves the player in control of the camera feels more immersive than one where the camera control is constantly taking away” – 3d first-person games allows for this, is this why many horror games are 3d?
Jump scares are “frightening and plausible fictionally, but far more frustrating”
A cutscene “tends to pull the players out of the experience… Players instinctively know that the game would never kill them off during a cut scene.”
“a game that leaves the player in control of the camera feels more immersive than one where the camera control is constantly taking away” – 3d first-person games allows for this, is this why many horror games are 3d?
-
Games of Fear: A Multifaceted Account of the Horror Genre in Video Games
Defining the Horror Genre
"Elements such as scary animals, supernatural beings and otherworldly manifestations are put forth, most often hinting at a clear intention to incite fear in the user"
- Author cites "Haunted House (Atari, 1981) as the "alleged first horror game."
- "The Dark Eye" (Inscape, 1995) game adaptation of Poe's writing.
"it is interesting to note that horror-themed games have emerged in a great variety of ludic genres." (zombies, survival horror etc)
Connection to film "Video game creator's fascination for cinema has played a decisive role in shaping... the medium, yet the connection does seem even more palpable in the case of horror games."
"The genre appears to be staging the real-world fear of the unknown."
"Evoking a psychological response from the reader us certainly not as problematic today"
"scare tactics in these games often rely on cinematic expertise" (fixed camera angles, rapid editing etc)
Examples of the importance of sound: Friday the 13th (Domark, 1985) "produces a horrendous scream whose overlay synthetic nature only adds to the shocking effect."
Aesthetics - "The representational economy of the graphical adventure genre always favourited detailed visuals over fast manipulation of the assets and as such became an ideal format to develop the repulse aspect of horror"
Caught Up In History
Gameplay and horror definitions - " "flight" is actually quite a prevalent action in many horror themed games."
"psychological monitoring" - players managing the sanity of their character. e.g. Clock Tower, expression of avatar; Friday the 13th; Amnesia; Lone Survivor.
overlays - Low sanity in Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (Silicon /knights 2002) when sanity bar depletes "the game will introduce ... increasingly disturbing effectsthat can hinder gameplay in many ways: camera angles becoming more oblique; sound effects are covered by lingering low tones, frightened whispers and sobbing;sudden decapitation of the protagonists and modification of room's proportions"
In Call of Cthulhu: Dark corners of the earth "intrusive trailing and blurring effects will permeate the point of view"
1st vs 3rd person " "Flight" is not really experienced in the same way as a lateral 2D game"
" "Spatial exploration " could be carried out in first - or third-person perspective, by lateral scrolling, square-by-square, or on the depth axis through illusory depth, cues and interpolation of 2D objects, or in a fully realized 3D world"
--
"Gothic Bloodlines in Survival Horror Gaming" - Laurie N. Taylor
Gameplay "learning to run, or unlearning to always fight"
Connection to film "As with other genres, survival horror is the child of many other genres"
"survival horror is a loose category and one unevenly applied by players, journalists, designers and scholars."
Argues Alone in the Dark as origin of the genres and notes the designers drew from H.P. Lovecraft;s horror writing.
"games as a medium have a complicated network of similarities and details which sometimes overlap and sometimes do not"
Survival Horror and the Gothic
"Horror games exisisted prior to the development of the survival horror genre"
This section discusses the misuse of survival horror classification and survival horror canon..
Art Style is irrelevant - Horror games are classified so due to "the ability to generate horror" as opposed to narrative or aesthetics.
Aesthetics and connection to film "Horror can be represented and invoked through aesthetic and narrative conventions established in various media forms as well as through younger conventions of gameplay."
"horror is defined by the process of generating fear"
Survival Horror is Born
Survival horror definition - Rubric that defines survival horror "limited ammunition and the need to run from enemies, forced backtracking over the same areas in new game contexts, and limited carrying space"
More paragraphs on genre confusion...
"survival horror began as a genre bound with and by technical limitations"
This perhaps lead to the characteristic of "limited visual scope" overlays
"The early Alone in the Dark and Resident Evil games were all actually two-dimensional games with the game areas sutured together like a series of photographs, and then eachindividual segment could only be viewed through one fixed point so that the movement over the flat photograph-plane appeared to be movement on a three dimensional plane." - 3D characters moving through the illusion of 3D space. Early technical limitations.
This "led to a gameplay style where players cannot master the controls because the controls changed based on the location"
"survival horror adapted to technical limitations."
Interesting use of "insanity factor" in Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem that causes "the eternal game representations to blur and slide and allow enemies that are not actually there to be displayed." Use of overlays (film)"even affect the interface itself. These included messages stating that the game controller is unplugged, that all of the saved game information is being erased. Use of GUI in horror.
"These uses of the gaming interface question the relationship of the gamer to the game"
"The majority of games use the interface as a functional means of allowing for gameplay to occur; survival horror games often use the interface to subvert typical play and to challenge conceptions of game interface design"
"The process of play prevents mastery of the game controls, and prevents full vision."
"The frequent use of books, paintings, pictures, vases, sculptures and other elements populate the game world to show that is is already inhabited by the past" - environmental storytelling
This paragraph also discusses the use of Resident Evil's save point typewriter, could be useful when referring to "Resident Evil's Typewriter" journal.
Learning to Run, And Later, Not to Walk Away
"Devendra Varma in The Gothic Flame famously described the difference between terror and horror as the "awful apprehension and sickening realization; between the smell of death and stumbling against a corpse (1966, 130)"
--
"Storytelling in Survival Horror Games" - Ewan Kirkland
character design - "the artificial intelligence (AI) design of survival horror adversaries... frequently appears less important than the creatures' visual design
survival horror definition "characterized by static interpretation, not dynamic interpretation" - no customisation or leveling up.
"The sense of helplessness, entrapment and pre-determination" which would be "compromised if such interactivity were allowed."
Remediation in Survival Horror
Discusses environmental storytelling
- Using environmental clues for puzzles.
Environmental storytelling works in conjunction withsuch techniques as photorealistic graphics and simulated camera angles to enhance these video games' representational dimensions" - aesthetics and similarities to film
"Hermeneutic pleasure involves constructing a consistent linear narrative from the potential chaos of the game" correct reading of found documents and other environmental storytelling aspects to form the narrative.
/these "documents" can be used to create foreshadowing of the game's events, narrative techniques.
Goes on to discuss narrative architecture and spatial storytelling further. [read later if applicable]
Play as Story
"video games... siffer from old media in which the author has almost total control over sequentiality, action and pace"
"Static media" in games (e.g. cutscenes) vs interactive - triggering events, interacting with objects. "driven by players' curiosity for the games' narrative to unfold, but also the more ludic desire to encounter frsh spaces, experience new visuals, puzzles and weapons, master new modes of interaction, and enjoy a more complete engagement with the video game"
However there is an "ideal sequence" ("good" endings etc)
Conclusion
"Survival horror... illustrates ways in which the video game medium is developing new forms of storytelling, by combining modes and media, through mise-en-scene and spacial design, and in the structuring of pathways through the game maze."
"Often storytelling elements serve to emphasize player's lack of control" [see Hands on Horror]
"A feeling of being manipulated and orchestrated by unseen forces is produced by the camera cut which reveals the only open doorway"
-
"Shock Horror: First-Person Gaming, Horror, and The Art of Ludic Manipulation" - Dan Pinchbeck
First person - "lack of system control over the camera"
Third person - "Forced camera angles are extensively used... to limit [the player's freedom of movement], directly manipulating tension and crwating moments of shock."
"first person games... have a greater lack of cutscenes... demonstrating a consistent drive to keep the action both flowing and within the control of the free perceptual exploration of the player"
"lack of visualized avatars in [first person] has been argued to enable a greater and more direct relationship between the player and the system"
First person "has the potential to reduce the emotional distance between world and player"
Schema and Horror
Monsters do not automatically = horror. Relationship between the monster and player that counts. "horror thus refers to the manipulation of the context" This is used in horror film where "scores, camera angles, timing and architecture" are utilised.
In games diagetic elements are used to manipulate the player.
Manipulate audiences by subverting "schema" expectations. (Note scheme refers to the assumptions players/viewers already have)
Horror tropes "we genrally arrive at horror with a set of schema and frames already established" e.g. zombies = bad, shoot them in the head etc. Engrained in our culture through stories and traditions like Halloween.
Co-opting Schema as a Gameplay Device
"support for limitations of A.I."
This section mainly talks about A.I. [read if applicable later]
Conclusion
Character design "Protagonists in horror maybe heroes, but they are frequently, simultaneously victims, responding to situations that are outside their ability to control"
"we want to be scared and for our experience to be, to an extent, unpredictable"
There is a "deeper psychological power of horror that is directly beneficial to defining a specific type of gameplay experience, with particular emphasis upon the manipulation of attention and expectation"
"many horrific creatures and situations are predicted upon a lack of understanding"
overlays - "Darkness limits our perceptions, creating space for tension and doubt to flourish"
--
"The Survival Horror: The Extended Body Genre" - Bernard Perron
[Studies bodily responses in relation to the horror genre, emotions, physical responses etc]
Bodies In Front of a Screen: Coming to Grips with Embodied Experiences
"If there are emotions that really seize both our minds and body, it is certainly the fear, shock, or disgust associated with the horror genre."
(The rest of this section deals with the viewer in cinema)
Cinema and games. "the embodied experience of film, applies to the video game" the body is "urged to act and feel through its presence, agency and embodiment in the fictional world."
The Monstrous Bodies
Importance of monster design "the survival horror genre relies on an embodied threat" (e.g. blair witch games vs the (lack of enemy combat) in blair witch movie. Unlike cinema "one does not wait until the end to finally face the monster (except the final boss)"
Importance of monster design "fear of dying is much deeper when death is personified by someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful, and when the end is expected to come through great pain and suffering, and/or is being portrayed in gruesome ways" (could pair this quote with example of "pleasurable death")
The monster - "the entire physical structure of this entity, its actions and reactions are what primarily assault and agitate the body of the game" monster design highly linked with fear factor (can link this to the quote of creature design being more important than the creature's combat in horror)
3d vs 2d "As soon as 3D engines gave them volume, they attacked quote rapidly across pre=rendered 2D backgrounds"
Introduction of monster in R.R - "The hideous face of tghe zombie is shown through a cut-in pre-rendered 3D close-up, ensuring that the gamer immediately grasps and feels the horror that he is about to meet head-on."
cinema and horror
"The survival horror genre shares the obsession of the contemporary horror film with the invasion of the body by infectious agents and with the mutilation and destruction of bodies" extended body genre
p.g. 126 mentions favourite painters of silent hill monster designer (francis bacon and jerome bosl) could be useful for inspiration
Monster design
We are "repelled by their impurity... as they transgress distinctions such as inside/outside, living/dead, insect/human, flesh/machine and animate/inanimate."
meant to agitate the player through their visuals and sound "through their look and sounds as they scream and growl, uttering cries of rage, fury and pain, making noisy and creepy movements"
"It is quite easy to concieve that those of the survival horror are dangerous" [examples, sharp claws of ... etc] "smaller threats come in groups"
"the player character exists only by and for the monsters" "to escape and endure"
Points out that in "The Suffering" the game has an insanity meter and whenever the player character, Torque, kills a monster this meter fills up.
The Specular Body of the Player Character
character design. Perron argues it is not the character that is meant to be scared but the gamer." e.g. "With his helmet completely hiding his face, the player character of Dead Space, Isaac Clarke, has pushed this unemotional expression to the limit."
3rd person perspective. perron argues that "survival horror is in essence played in the third person perspective. In this perspective, the gamer has to think according to the player character and to the position in which he or she is located... Above all, the third-person perspective intensifies the corporealized sensations."
"The gamer can be startled, scared, and overcome by panic in both first- and third-person perspectives. Yet, he is most certainly more effectively overcome by horror when he is actually seeing his player character being (b)eaten to death or slaughtered."
Goes on to discuss how in The Suffering you can switch between perspectives however when Torque is wounded hi will become increasingly covered in blood. Arguably, more visual effects will emphasise consequences. Holds shoulder when low health etc.
Perspective and the body genre Argues because in Left 4 Dead you and your teammates "are never really seen mutilated during a furious attack by flesh-eaters, the game misses a dimension so important to the body genre."
Character design. "we do not identify per se with the character in fiction. We assimilate his or her situation. Because the consumer of horror fiction and the protagonist share the same culture and the same knowledge about what might be horrifying, it is easy to understand the way the latter assesses a situation." - character just needs to be relatable
Lack of emotion in characters "the gamer can easily have a sense of the protagonist's assessment of the frightening situation without the classical facial reactions seen in films."
"it is not the player characvter that is really meant to be scared, it id because of the asymmetrical relation describing the emotional responses of the gamer. [The player's] emotional journey is different and richer than the protagonist's.
The Gamer's Bodily Experience.
use of controller "body and mind are engaged by the manipulation of the controller, from which come moreover vibrations linked to the context of the game." [heart pounding, pain etc]
"The gamer's consciousness is then made to believe that he or she is in another reality all together."
Camera tricks, "fast, jerky camera movements "the representation might become very confusing [and the player] could end up not only being frightened, but feeling dizzy and having headaches or bouts of nausea."
perspective "The vicarious kinesthesia of a video game stems from the connection between the gamer and his player character, not between a spectator and a gamer."
FILM VS GAMES "The [film] spectator has the option of being able to cover his eyes"
importance of environments for atmosphere "spatial presence relies on the feelings of involvement and immersion... horror worlds are scary and eerie, meaningful and rich... capable of focusing the gamer's attention and isolating him from other stimuli." the world and mosters are always "showing an awareness of the player character"
"their narratives borrow from the many patterns and conventions of the overall horror genre"
3rd person "mirror responses have also been reported in both emotional processing and empathy"
"the observations of pain causes various degrees of the same reaction as experiencing it, the gamer is made to feel the bodily suffering of the player character" [excellent example of this is clemintine in walking dead season 2 giving herself stitches]
Monster design "the sight of a predator, its looks and sounds is always automatically detected as a source of threat... the place the predator was seen and the sound it made when charging become knowledge, a knowledge appraised as dangerous" "when those natural and learned triggers are used well, they elicit strong bodily responses."
--
"Plunged Alone Into Darkness: Evolution In The Staging Of Fear In The Alone In The Dark Series" - Guillaume Roux-Girard
Preconceptions of Fear: Between the Reception and Legibility of the Games
- videoludic staging of fear in survival horror games
"Fear needs to be staged": Creating a New Game Space
History of horror games - why early 2d horror games failed
Older horror games frm the 80s failed to evoke horror "due to their abstract graphics - the spill of a few pixels hardly manages to stand for a gory moments, thier potential to scare the gamer was quite limited"
Film and games - Alone in the Dark influenced by George A Romero and Dario Argento's zombie movies
--
"Patterns of Obscurity: Gothic Setting and Light in Resident Evil 4 and Silent Hill 2" - Simon Niedenthal
Gothic themes, literature influence "Echoes of the themes, settings, and ambience of Gothic literature are so frequent in games (Silent hill, resident evil) "it is possible to argue that survival horror games constitute a new form of the Gothic."
Darkness and Obscurity
Environment design "Dark environments are a cliche within the horror genre. Therefore it is important to reiterate that darkness is only one means of creating the obscurity that lends itself to the sublime terror of the survival horror genre."
Tracking the Edges: Atmospherics and Obscurity
creating atmosphere (Silent Hill) "it is the mist that serves as the binding substance of the exposition; fog in Silent Hill 2 is a fluid, permeable medium that is endlessly fascinating" (could compare this to Slender?)
--
"Gaming's Hauntology: Dead Media in Dead Rising, Siren and Michigan: Report From Hell" - Christian McCrea
(see resident evil's typewriter article) The role of analogue media in horror
"Photography, video, non-linear databases, and other forms of media now feature heavily in helping characters and players through their nightmare"
--
"The Rules of Horror: Procedural Adaptation in Clock Tower, Resident Evil, and Dead Rising"- Matthew Weise
Horror vs Survival Horror
Survival aspect of survival horror is strongly tied to combat. "Survival horror" was not used until 1996 (R.E.) however it is now attached to titles which predate this (Clock Tower?)
Categories sub-genres of the horror genre
The Stalker Simulation
Games that model themselves on slasher movies (Clock Tower, Friday the 13th)
- The "Final Girl" trope. "Jennifer [Clock Tower] is a textbook Final Girl"
The Zombie Simulation
any zombie game basically
--
------
Screenplay: Cinema/Videogames/Interfaces - Geoff King, Tanya Krzywinska
-
"Hands on Horror" - Tanya Kyzywinska
Interactive Evil and
the Moral Occult
Similarities between horror film and games – “their graphic
and iconographic styles, their shock tactics, themes and storylines.” “basic notions of good and evil”
“Whatever players do in most horror games, they still have to occupy the position of an avatar of good, not evil.”
“Whatever players do in most horror games, they still have to occupy the position of an avatar of good, not evil.”
“The moral occult is also evident in other types of help
offered to the player, such as clues to where to go next planted along with
way, and in the series of rewards given for overcoming obstacles.”
^”Good” morality is rewarded.
^”Good” morality is rewarded.
“dynamic tension between periods of passivity and activity”
Charting Generic
Crosscurrents in Horror Films and Games
Krzywinska points out Romero’s influence on the horror game
zombie sub-genre and the gothic and Lovecraftian themes in games such as the
Silent Hill franchise, Clive Barker’s Undying and Dracula Resurrection.
Spatial Orientation
and Tension in Horror Games
“departure from the way horror films use editing and framing
to create tension and claustrophobia.”
“Resident Evuil 3 imposes different camera angles onto the
viewer’s perspective, with-holding visual information and creating a pronounced
effect of enclosure. Like a film,
Resident Evil 3 structures space and the player’s experience through editing
and fixed framing.”
(In proposal could discuss the use of third and first person perspective to create atmosphere and use this as an example.)
“The intrusive effect of pre-rendered camera angles within gameplay reminds the player that control is limited”
First person games “must deploy alternative tactics to contrive suspense and atmosphere.”
(In proposal could discuss the use of third and first person perspective to create atmosphere and use this as an example.)
“The intrusive effect of pre-rendered camera angles within gameplay reminds the player that control is limited”
First person games “must deploy alternative tactics to contrive suspense and atmosphere.”
“Because the game is in first-person mode, there is
increased visual proximity to what lurks within such shadowy places… This
heightened proximity to potential danger builds disquietude and tension”
“an open environment [actively encourages] an investigative approach.” This “has a significant impact on the way the game constructs apprehension and its particular ambience”
“an open environment [actively encourages] an investigative approach.” This “has a significant impact on the way the game constructs apprehension and its particular ambience”
An open environment “renders space itself as threatening,
thereby following in the footfalls of the gothic trend of using mise-en-scène
to create brooding eeriness and make things not what they seem.”
Game Narrative: Cut-Scenes, Point of View and Control
“cut-scenes provide a significant formal connection with the
conventions of film horror”
“evocation of helplessness in the face of an inexorable
predetermined force is crucial to maintaining horror-based suspense, in that
the game world often operates outside the player’s control.”
(In regards to the use of a fast paced cutscene) a change of
pacing is used "to warn players that they must be ready to deal with a
threatening situation, creating suspense and expectation, and refreshing
players’ level of alertness.”
Discussing point of view - “first-person framing in gameplay is nonetheless, in cinematic terms,“restricted.”” In film pov is synonymous with that of the killer or monster; in game it “facilitates a more benign connection between player and the hero-protagonist avatar.”
Discussing point of view - “first-person framing in gameplay is nonetheless, in cinematic terms,“restricted.”” In film pov is synonymous with that of the killer or monster; in game it “facilitates a more benign connection between player and the hero-protagonist avatar.”
She discusses the use of third person in Resident Evil 3,
underlining “the connection between player and avatar is diminished by the use
of a third-person perspective and the game’s heavily managed, shifting and
pre-rendered framing, which distances the player from close contact with the
horror.”
First person “heightens the illusion that it is the player
sitting before the game screen who is being attacked, rather than an abstracted
virtual self.”
“the player’s visual field and ability to act is directly affected by the blows.” – framing becomes shaky and the player’s aim becomes unstable.
In regards to player death sequences, the player aims to “become better ables to minimize the intrusion of “end-of life” cut-scenes.
^ Could also refer to Dead Space and The Last of ~Us as examples of these player death sequences.
“being in control and out of control … is key to the specific types of suspense and emotion-based pleasures offered by horror games.”
“the player’s visual field and ability to act is directly affected by the blows.” – framing becomes shaky and the player’s aim becomes unstable.
In regards to player death sequences, the player aims to “become better ables to minimize the intrusion of “end-of life” cut-scenes.
^ Could also refer to Dead Space and The Last of ~Us as examples of these player death sequences.
“being in control and out of control … is key to the specific types of suspense and emotion-based pleasures offered by horror games.”
The Horror
Experience: From Film to Games
“game events are often taken out of the player’s hands, a
stratagem which allows the deployment of horrific pleasures closer to those of
the horror film.”
^Agency mechanics – example in Limbo where the player cannot escape spider and is restricted to limited movement/control. This allows for “the crucial sense of being out of control that is inherent to the experience of horror.”
^Agency mechanics – example in Limbo where the player cannot escape spider and is restricted to limited movement/control. This allows for “the crucial sense of being out of control that is inherent to the experience of horror.”
In regards to game narrative: “Games are organized around
the traversal of space, to which narrative is often secondary; in a film
narrative is primary and always drives the organization of space.”
Curiosity in game worlds is encouraged – “Visual
investigation becomes central to the trajectory of a game as well as to the way
the story unfolds.”
“Through the juxtaposition of being in and out of control,
horror-based videogames facilitate the visceral and oscillating
pleasures/unpleasures of anxiety and expectation.” – The pacing of a horror
game effects the atmosphere of the game.
-
"First-Person Shooters - A Game Apparatus" - Sue Morris
-
"First-Person Shooters - A Game Apparatus" - Sue Morris
Psychological Process
First person = immersion "First-person point-of-view is used very successfully in games, not just in first-person shooters but also in adventure/puzzle games ... to create a sense of the player's embodiment within the game space, and is recognised by game designers as contributing to a more visceral game experience because of the sense of immersion created."
This "position of the 'producer of fiction' is the internalised and naturalised by the viewer as his/her own viewing position."
Despite "the participant's lack of control over the images they are seeing, in the game the level of control possessed by the player contributes to their sense of being in that virtual space."
--
OTHER
“Sign of a Threat:
The Effects of Warning Systems in Survival Horror Games” - Bernard
Perron
INTRO
game designers know how to elicit the sort of activities and emotional responses that will create the
game designers know how to elicit the sort of activities and emotional responses that will create the
Importance of player
agency “fear, fright or dread … arise from the gamer's actions in
the game world”
Gameplay emotions
come from various actions: exploring,
being lost, fighting, being attacked,
feeling trapped,
dying, using various weapons, being challenged, solving
problems
“forewarning”
e.g. white noise that emits from the player's radio in silent hill
when threat is near, “on-coming monsters off screen”
2. SHOCK AND TENSION
HORROR VS TERROR
Action orientated
with jump scares of resident evil vs atmospheric psychological
approach of silent hill/konami = horror vs terror “this comparison
mirrors the acknowledged opposition between horror and terror.”
^ Good quote to pair with Gothic Flame quote.
“horror is compared to an almost physical loathing and its cause is always external, perceptible, comprehensible, measurable, and apparently material. Terror, as for it, is rather identified with the more imaginative and subtle anticipatory dread. It relies more on the unease of the unseen.”
^ Good quote to pair with Gothic Flame quote.
“horror is compared to an almost physical loathing and its cause is always external, perceptible, comprehensible, measurable, and apparently material. Terror, as for it, is rather identified with the more imaginative and subtle anticipatory dread. It relies more on the unease of the unseen.”
Robert Baird
essential formula of a character, implied off screen threat then a
disturbing intrusion in to the character's space. [usually a jump
scare]
Jump
scares:
“because the effect is considered easy to achieve, it is often labeled as a cheap approach and compared with another more valued one: suspense. “
“because the effect is considered easy to achieve, it is often labeled as a cheap approach and compared with another more valued one: suspense. “
Alfred hitchcock
example of suspense
Fear is about
balance “ Just as gamers do not like boring games, neither would they
appreciate being panic-stricken all the time. It’s all
about maintaining a good balance.” “The notion of uncertainty
is, without a doubt, at the core
of suspense.”
character must have
appeal “studies of suspense have revealed that a character does not only have to be in a
distressing situation, he also needs to be liked.” “more
hope for a favored outcome and more fear about the
possibility that it might not occur”
3. TO BE WARNED
Suspense and
anticipation – long anticipation is more disturbing than a short
surprise. Anticipation results in more stress “designers of horror
games take advantage of this technique”
warning systems "So as to warn its gamer, survival horror games have various warning
systems built on physical cues and/or audio and visual cues
either displayed on the screen, presented at an extradiegetic level,
or integrated into the game-world."
Visual
(GUI?)
seeing/hearing a heart beat (fear effect 2000) This “fear meter” becomes visible in an empty space just before the threat makes itself known (anticipation.)
seeing/hearing a heart beat (fear effect 2000) This “fear meter” becomes visible in an empty space just before the threat makes itself known (anticipation.)
Fatal Frame
Filament in outer corners of the screen (lower right or upper middle depending on perspective) with controller vibration, eerie sounds and heartbeats, the filament turns orange when danger is nearby. “Fatale Frame frightens you by making you anticipate what you’ll face when you open a door”
Filament in outer corners of the screen (lower right or upper middle depending on perspective) with controller vibration, eerie sounds and heartbeats, the filament turns orange when danger is nearby. “Fatale Frame frightens you by making you anticipate what you’ll face when you open a door”
Audio
Radio static of silent hill when enemies are nearby
Radio static of silent hill when enemies are nearby
Moaning zombies,
shuffling feet of off screen zombies in Resident Evil
Fear, uncertainty,
anticipation “You know that you’ll have to face a monster, but you do not know how
it will turn out. Not only your fright, but your anxiety as well
is therefore intensified.”
4. I'M SCARED
When the character
is scared the player experiences empathy and is therefore scared
too.
Empathy “ in the
game-world, since you merge with your avatar at the
action level, and since your main goal is precisely to make
him/her survive the threatening monsters, you’re indeed made
to be afraid that the monsters will trap you, in other words
to fear as if you were in danger”
5. I HAVE TO COPE
Linear paths less
scary (e.g. in 2D games?) “Anticipatory fear is less important when
oncoming
monsters are
directed by corridors or walks like the outdoors marked
paths in Fear Effect, but it is greater when the monsters are free to
move in the streets of Silent Hill. “
obstructing the
players visions creates an atmosphere of fear “ fear is amplified when
you can’t clearly see around”
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