Where has the survival horror genre gone and why?

[Asura]

I actually wonder if part of the issue lies with Survival Horror traditionally being a single-player genre, whereas (I'd argue) the closest mass-market experience it resembles is going to see a horror movie, which tends to be a group activity - i.e. something you do with your friends. The problem of course with multiplayer horror is it ends up like Left4Dead or Resi 5, and neither of those managed it too well (L4D2 is one of my favourite games ever and brilliantly designed, but it never felt much like horror to me as it moves so quickly).

Taking a film like The Cabin In The Woods, and the generic "team of teens" horror that it portrays - I think a truly good survival horror title would in that mould. The problem of course is doing that with a game and the limited interactivity that games still possess.

[sj33]

The problem with introducing a group element and 'other players' to the experience is that it detracts from the claustrophobic experience. I'm a closet fan of the '...of the dead' series, but I don't think they would by themselves make good horror experiences.

The likes of Day Z make for good 'survival' experiences, but lack in everything else.

[charlesr]

*wonders if there are ways to run away that do not involve the use of feet*

Hopefully you are aware and mucking about, but just in case, in Ikenie No Yoru, you use your feet on the balance board. If you want to run away faster, you have to actually run faster on the board.

[sj33]

I am quite concerned about the fact that I did not know of Ikenie no Yoru, but now I feel the need to buy a Japanese Wii. Damn.

[Guts]

Play Fallout: New Vegas with higher difficulty and the Hardcore Mode on. Granted it's not actually horror, but it has some horror elements and set pieces.

[importaku]

I am quite concerned about the fact that I did not know of Ikenie no Yoru, but now I feel the need to buy a Japanese Wii. Damn.

Isn't there a review on this site of it? I still haven't completed it as it scares me silly LOL, am making progress but i have to play with the lights on.

[Edit]
Thought there was

http://www.bordersdown.net/content/146-Ikenie-No-Yoru-Review-(Night-of-the-Sacrifice)-Nintendo-Wii

[Kit]

Have you tried Amnesia or Condemned, Shake? be interested to hear what you think of those games.

I actually wonder if part of the issue lies with Survival Horror traditionally being a single-player genre, whereas (I'd argue) the closest mass-market experience it resembles is going to see a horror movie, which tends to be a group activity - i.e. something you do with your friends. The problem of course with multiplayer horror is it ends up like Left4Dead or Resi 5, and neither of those managed it too well (L4D2 is one of my favourite games ever and brilliantly designed, but it never felt much like horror to me as it moves so quickly).

I thought the first Left 4 Dead did a pretty fine job of combining survival horror elements with multiplayer - it's the best example of it I can think of. I also liked how the story was told on the walls in the saferoom which was ingenious at the time. I think the issue with L4D 2 was the shift towards a brighter, more functional aesthetic which kind of killed the horror element of the game - should mention it is one of my favourite games also (I loved the introduction of all the melee weapons, bile and so on,) but that was the downside to the sequel.

[Dogg Thang]

Oh, Amnesia is another one I had to stop playing because it is too scary. I really had my doubts about that one at the start too. Man, does it get tense!

[charlesr]

I am quite concerned about the fact that I did not know of Ikenie no Yoru, but now I feel the need to buy a Japanese Wii. Damn.

Objectively, it's a bit samey, because there is little in the way of the progression we have become so used to (weapon power ups etc). But it's well worth it just for the excellent scares and for experiencing proper fear at a few bits of it. I can fully understand importaku not wanting to play it in the dark, but really you should. It's too creepy in the dark.

[importaku]

Imabikisou is a very good japanese horror game on PS3, sadly it's one i can't play as it's a sound novel game so well above my Japanese comprehension level. Uses the effects well to scare you ****less, creepy stories have seriously levelled up.

[MisterBubbles]

Corpse Party has just came out on PSN, and is playable for the Vita, does anybody have and views on it?

[MisterBubbles]

Corpse Party Book of Shadows, not the first one on PSP, this is a new adventure.

[originalbadboy]

Day Z is the best survival horror for ages I reckon. Genuine fear and panic with a constant hunt for food and drink.

I agree with that assesement, if only the game was based on an engine yuo didn't need a super computer to run. Don;t get me wrong the Arma engine runs fine on my gaming PC, however from a technical point of view DayZ is a complete mess.

At some point someone will do an MMO version of this with hundreds of people running around, scheming, picking people off, being ruthless, and ganging up for the good as well.

As it stands though DayZ is the experiment, just need to wait for it to be done properly by someone else.

[Brad]

Yeah, technically day Z is completely broken. Still possible to be killed by a ladder. Still hackers spoiling things for people too. But the scope is incredible. 250 Square Km with no loading times, 64 players at once, helicopter gunships. Just as likely to be killed by a trigger-happy noob who's just spawned as by a herd of walkers. Danger at every turn. Brilliant still. But completely broken. The standalone might sort things out maybe.

[Matt~]

For me, one interesting one was Silent Hill Shattered Memories because it did pretty much the opposite of what happened to RE and the like. It moved away from combat altogether and, in doing so, became a 'going for a walk' sim as I like to call this (sub?)genre.

I enjoyed Shattered Memories too. It was one of those games that did things I didn't expect it to do, like the panicky scene inside the car and the whole therapy thing. It was a nice surprise! How's Downpour? I played through Homecoming and thought it was so-so, but expecting things to have gotten worse, I haven't bothered playing Downpour yet

Also I'd like to add that I agree about Siren being great, but the level where you play as the old fella with the hunting rifle in the mine is absolutely SOLID. Got so stuck that I ended up selling it