The Death of Survival Horror

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It seems anything that has a "horror" element is simply labelled Survival Horror these days, but if you ask me the genre died long ago.

I'm researching and working on an article (for later this week) with pending title as: The Death Of Survival Horror, Rise Of Zombies & How Indies Want To Take It Back.

Basically I have a good idea of what I want to say, but I wonder what you guys thing about that title. Do you think survival horror is dead in mainstream gaming? Voice your opinion, and I might feature it in the article if it is relevant, but I honestly think this is an important discussion to have for fans of the genre.

11/07/2012

Melbourne, Victoria

Kudos: 70,382

Harry

what genres aren't dying these days?

i don't see why everyone affiliates zombies with horror. zombies aren't an identifier of horror.. not everything in the post-apocalyptic world is meant to be a scare-fest?

the genre is alive, you just need to know where to look. personally i can't wait for a machine for pigs. [MOG]

11/07/2012

Lemonaids.

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Silence

'Survival' is no longer a goal for most horror games, zombie games especially. The focus instead has become 'kill as many as you can, and coincidentally survive'.

11/07/2012

I'm from the Internet. Nothing I say is original.

Kudos: 186,104

Heller

I tend to agree with @Silence and also you @Harry hence the "Indies Want To Take It Back" part of my article title ;)

11/07/2012

Melbourne, Victoria

Kudos: 14,109

Jackie

It's a shame. Silent Hill and Resident Evil have both changed.

Silent Hill is just producing poor quality games I hear. (I haven't played the newer ones)

Resi is now action survival.

I feel though, it is very much alive in the Indie community. DayZ is the biggest example. There are other but I can't name them because I can't remember. That zombie game where the wife is injured and you can choose to smother her with the pillow or let her survive. Etc.

I think it's not made by many big developers anymore because they can't get the backing, publishers think it's also a dying genre so not many are made. It's a niche audience now, the last one is probably Dead Space, but even 3 looks like it's heading towards action, adding co-op and stuff...

11/07/2012

Manchester, UK

Kudos: 20,802

Mike2DMaxx4

I loved dead space, because it was a legitimate survival horror. The whole "in space no one can hear you scream" thing. The small spaces, the low ammo. It worked to a point where I would be scared to go ahead because everything moves. So as soon as you got used to it, BAM there was something always there when I wasn't expecting it. Now dead space 3 is coming and seeing some gameplay this morning. It looks really cinematic this time around, much like uncharted the QuickTime events and the linear sort of path TO follow. Although I will play it for the co-op experience I just hope I proven wrong.

11/07/2012

Sic . Parvis . Magna

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M@ndyz

I used to be a big survival horror fan but when I discovered res 4 I liked more of an action type, i actually liked alone in the dark no joke, really enjoyed it :)
Oh and both the saw games! =D

11/07/2012

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Dusty Lids

yep new generation. While action games have never been better. Jrpg's survival horrors etc just gone out the window.

Seems just japan has not kept up this gen.

11/07/2012

Melbourne

Kudos: 186,104

Heller

This is all great stuff, and I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who feels this way about my beloved genre.

It's all about action and cheap scares these days. The reason I loved the original Dead Space so much was due to the atmosphere, the scarcity of ammo and the intense story. Why can't more AAA titles follow suit?

Even if it was released as a smaller, downloadable title I'd be satisfied over another "Survival Horror" that feels like a bad third-person shooter with an inventory system.

11/07/2012

Melbourne, Victoria

Kudos: 70,382

Harry

As I said, Heller, you shouldn't go into every zombie game with the expectation that it is meant to be scary -- or entirely a survival game either. :(

11/07/2012

Lemonaids.

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Dino

Undead Nightmare felt a great version of a zombie game. It had the storyline which was decent and the zombies would appear randomly.
I havent played many other recent zombie games, but that DLC did have many scary moments for me.

11/07/2012

Melbourne, Victoria

Kudos: 33,995

Blob

Project Zero 4 Wiimake just came out [Shifty]

11/07/2012

Your mums bed

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Jackie

Dino said: Undead Nightmare felt a great version of a zombie game. It had the storyline which was decent and the zombies would appear randomly.
I havent played many other recent zombie games, but that DLC did have many scary moments for me.

I find those RDR/GTA 4 ghosts and urban legends more scary :P

OOOOH! ZombiU! That looks like a good zombie survival! :D

11/07/2012

Manchester, UK

Kudos: 482

jenrob

DayZ has to be the perfect example of a survival. Not only did you have to worry about zombies but you had to worry about other people and if they were friend or foe. Because when you think about it, the only real danger is other people trying to survive also. when you have something they want or need then they will hunt you down for it

12/07/2012

On the other hand, you have different fingers

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Heller

This is true @jenrob but notice how it is indie?

@Harry I'm well aware that a good zombie romp doesn't need to be a survival horror but games like Dead Space 2 are a little insulting to the term "survival" don't you think?

12/07/2012

Melbourne, Victoria

Kudos: 482

jenrob

Lol true, I forget that. Probably cause it's a Mod

12/07/2012

On the other hand, you have different fingers

Kudos: 3,347

Mobe1969

I feel the genre died when they went fully 3D rendered. When it was using the fixed camera with rendered backgrounds it was just more cinematic. Playing Silent Hill 2 and 3 it was like you were the main character in a really really long nervewracking horror film. SH4 with the woeful 3D FP stuff in the room was just suck a jarring suckfest it ruined the experience, not to mention the utter boredom of continually going back to the frigging room all the tome. SH5 with the more interactive 3D env was laughable. I remember starting to play it in the hospital when you start and I was banging into wheelchairs and they were getting in the way and it just ruined the experience. Then SH Downpoor - the graphics are just so hideous. The fog drawing is so slow if you run you can see through the fog to see what is ahead. And there is so much tearing. And don't start me on the "HD remakes". These modern companies are just SH##ing all over the genre and making an utter mockery of what was left. If you aren't going to do a decent job tech wise just don't bother. I'd personally punch the mofos that were responsible for Downpoor and the SH2 and 3 regens in the face until my hands were too sore...

The only half decent Survival Horror I've seen this gen is Forbidden Siren, and I've never finished it. Great atmosphere and all, but visibility and controls in the game are just utter rubbish.

The last real good survival horror I've played is SH Origins.

And Resident Evil. People really have rose coloured glasses on the series I feel. RE2 and 3 were fine. Re1 though I went back and tried playing it again and what a frigging joke, with the ridiculous inventory. The whole game was all about juggling stupid limited inventory, running back and forwards all the time to lockers, and avoiding zombies rather than killing them. If you took that out of it, it may have been more enjoyable. But so tiresome.

12/07/2012

Brisbane, Queensland

Kudos: 44,969

MoeMan

Im a fan of Survival Horror providing that its an original Idea (dead space) unfortunantly Resident evil has lost all the horror aspects to it and is now just a survival action. but is the genre dying? which genre isn't mainstream gaming milks most genres until its dried out, just like FPS as an example, games like heavy rain, portal are in a league of their own and would like to see more of these.

12/07/2012

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Heller

@Moeman good point, agree with you totally.

However I don't agree with you @Mobe1969 - of course the first Resident Evil is a horrible mess these days - it basically invented a genre on it's own. If it weren't for that we'd have no Silent Hill, Dino Crisis or countless other survival games.

12/07/2012

Melbourne, Victoria

Kudos: 15,160

KojiDD

jakliu100 said:
OOOOH! ZombiU! That looks like a good zombie survival!

Most survival horror fans will most likely have this to look forward to unless it gets messed up in development.

I kind of want a game like that and maybe mix it in with a story like The Walking Dead, but that might ruin the story if the player has so much control over the situation?

So the gameplay of ZombiU with the story presentation and character interaction of The Walking Dead, for a game.

Personally I am fascinated by the Survival genre in itself more than anything else, cause everything else has a decent population of games in that genre.

12/07/2012

New South Wales

Kudos: 318

nagleator

The mainstream big companies like to label things as survival horror because they hope that will get them more sales and interest, but it is really only the smaller devs that truly understand its meaning.

12/07/2012

Kudos: 4,950

GunSlinger

Did anyone else hear about the new game that is based on the Slenderman?
www.pcgamer.com/...
And then here is some gameplay. www.youtube.com/...

But I do agree, indie game comapnies seem intent on revitilising the whole genre. Even with small games that came from stories like SCP.

14/07/2012

Loyalty until death! Strength in unity!

Kudos: 14,109

Jackie

GunSlinger said: Did anyone else hear about the new game that is based on the Slenderman?
www.pcgamer.com/...
And then here is some gameplay. www.youtube.com/...
But I do agree, indie game comapnies seem intent on revitilising the whole genre. Even with small games that came from stories like SCP.

I've been watching gameplay. I am not playing that scary ass game.

14/07/2012

Manchester, UK

Kudos: 4,950

GunSlinger

It's difficult for me to play games like that and Amnesia, but I love playing them, and then after scaring the hell out of myself, I just start laughing like an idiot :P

14/07/2012

Loyalty until death! Strength in unity!

Kudos: 186,104

Heller

Glad to hear all your responses. Here's the article that I originally planned.

ps3.mmgn.com/...

18/07/2012

Melbourne, Victoria

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