Do you get scared in games?

[Matt]

I think getting panicked in a game may be common. Personally, I can get wrapped up in the atmosphere, but I don't believe my movement in L4D is ever "erratic". Certainly on a game pad you'd imagine you'd be pretty solid, maybe on a mouse it would be possible to detect minute "shaking" of increased adrenaline? On a pad though, with more limited analogue movements and being controlled entirely by a thumb, I don't think you'd detect "shake" (interestingly, that technology would like work well with a Wii wand).

Maybe "erratic" means you're aiming less accurately,firing and hoping more? I certainly never get that in a game. I can't comment on others.

Now that's a worthwhile discussion. How "erratic" do you get in a game? Having played Quake3 at a pretty high level, I used to get pretty pumped before a tourney, which is common for everyone in most competitive "sporting" activities. Totally different to sitting at home on a couch.

More confusing, given one of the words most commonly used to describe L4D is "Hilarious", how does that equate to "erratic" gameplay presumably in the form of Fear. People often laugh after a fright (I posted a link about the chemical reasons for that in the Film Thread a while ago, I believe).

[parkinho]

Maybe "erratic" means you're aiming less accurately,firing and hoping more? I certainly never get that in a game. I can't comment on others.

This happens to me all the time. Playing Dead Space last night, I could hear a creature nearby but couldn't see it until BAM! he jumps out in front of me. Cue me firing shots in a blind panic, using about 5 times more ammo than necessary to kill the little ****.

What a great game

[ezee ryder]

Ditto! I started panic shooting in similar situations, I guess if the atmosphere in the game is good enough you just get drawn in to it all.

[Matt]

Copied from the original thread:

Increased adrenaline does cause some shaking in people, particularly afterwards. Is a mouse sensitive enough to detect that [talking about L4D monitoring player controls]? Maybe movements aren't so smooth [on a mouse] under such conditions. I don't think it would make any discernible difference on a pad. Maybe it does. Maybe Valve spent a year shooting testers up with adrenaline and then getting them to perform standard tasks on a pad and mouse!

Yes, erratic means shooting blindly, in a "panic". Though that would likely work quite well on the console version of L4D as it has vast amounts of aim assist.

[smouty]

System Shock 2 is the only game that has creeped me out.

[Matt]

I've been "creeped out" in games. Creepy atmosphere can get to me. Who didn't jump at least once in Doom 3?

First game I can recall really having an "Oh ****" moment was in an Aliens mod in Doom. Was down in a lair and something jumped out at me. Very good

When I'm playing L4D tonight I will see if I ever start firing in anything approaching an erratic manner (I don't think I do, but happy to observe my style just in case it happens). Isometimes run backwards and spray around a little, but it's in a controlled manner, always head height. That is, unless I'm in "movie mode" in a game where I'll run around like an idiot firing from the hip for a laugh

[m3evo]

XXspoilerXX

when the dogs jumped through the mansion window in Resident Evil (GC) for the first time i am sure my heart stopped for a short while.

also Resident Evil 4 (GC) is a frightening masterpiece.

[eastyy]

i hate really cheap scares though....prefer a constant feeling of dread then just have something popping out at set points

FEAR i thought had a great atmosphere

[kernow]

REmake for GC is .. eep. I need to play it again soon but I'm a bit scared.

Even the original RE on psx with its low poly count makes me quiver.

[Matt]

BTW, I didn't do the poll. It was Ezee. But despite the bad grammar, I do like it, it's very apt. "No, I'm real man" sounds very masculine in a caveman kinda way

Thanks Ezee

[nakamura]

Lol!!

Well Silent Hill and Fatal Frame did me in. Played 3 Silent Hill and 2 Fatal Frame all in a row and I was all freaked out. Haven't been back since!

[Dogg Thang]

Yes, I definitely get scared in games. There's the 'scary' games, like Silent Hill - in that, I got to a stage where I could only play it in short bursts, I would find where I wanted to go in the map, turn off my torch and run like hell... and repeat. Creeped the bejesus out of me. And, more recently, I stopped playing Siren on the PS3 because it really freaked me out.

And, though I've adored survival horror games, I realised at that point that I'm more a big girl's blouse than ever. I actually wasn't enjoying the scares any more. So I stopped.

But I'd also answer yes to the more panic/adrenalin reaction. Ones that aren't scares as such but are just reacting to the pressure of a game and slightly losing it. Notoriously, on tough games I would spend ages trying to learn a section and then when I got sure I could do it, I'd mess up due to the pressure. Last levels on the harder difficulties in Ouendan/2/EBA being a recent example.

[k0pp0]

XXspoilerXX

when the dogs jumped through the mansion window in Resident Evil (GC) for the first time i am sure my heart stopped for a short while.

also Resident Evil 4 (GC) is a frightening masterpiece.

Amen to the same section on the PsOne version.. Even though I knew it was coming, I still jumped massively.

And Dead Space has made me jump. Numerous times.

[ezee ryder]

BTW, I didn't do the poll. It was Ezee. But despite the bad grammar, I do like it, it's very apt. "No, I'm real man" sounds very masculine in a caveman kinda way

Thanks Ezee

The "I'm real man" was supposed to be on purpose but the "I'm scaredy cat" wasn't so I adjusted that one

Back to the scares though, I also jump at pretty much every appropriate moment! Most recently during Dead Space, the parts with the

->Open Spoiler<-

tentacle grabbing

and during those

->Open Spoiler<-

anti-gravity bits with the monsters.

I actually know someone who turned the console off after the beginning bit of Dead Space where you get

->Open Spoiler<-

chased by one of those monsters.

[Mayhem]

Amen to the same section on the PsOne version.. Even though I knew it was coming, I still jumped massively.

Actually Capcom moved the locations of where the dogs jump through the windows for the GameCube release. Just to confuse you hah hah... they then proceeded to reset them back to the original places for the DS release. Just to **** you up some more