Why do so many survival horror games have puzzles?
I don’t mind them, but there are times where I’m pulled out of the game because of frustration in trying to solve a puzzle. It’s worst when I’m spending a lot of time on it with no clue as to what I should be doing. It just kills the mood and the game stops being scary at that point. It feels more like a chore when you're spending so much time trying to figure it out and that’s the last thing I want to be feeling as I play.
If they want to create a creepy, atmospheric, and suspenseful game than make it like a mystery murder-kind of way. One in which the goal is to figure out what’s going on while trying to survive whatever threats pop up. Be it monsters, ghosts, a unknown murderer on the lose, insanity, freezing temperatures, hungry, wild animals, etc. A game in which I have to worry about staying alive because anything can pop up if I'm not careful.
If it leans more towards the survival aspect it better feel like ZombiU did when I first played it. I was practically glued to my screen, fearing that if I looked away that it would be the end (because there's no pause screen or redo -- if your character died it was permanent). I could feel the tension mount as I tried to keep an eye on both the TV and the controller screen. It was more terrifying if I manged to go further than my previous character did. Or if didn't have enough bullets or whatever to keep going. Because at any moment I might mess up. It was after all, an absolute pain to lose all my stuff and start over. It was certainly challenging, but that is how a survival game should be like.
Why are most main characters in horror games helpless?
Like...I get it. It puts the player in the character's shoes, which makes them feel helpless too. The threat would seem more scary. But there has to be an reasonable explanation as to why the character can’t fight back. Because sometimes it just doesn’t make sense as to why a character doesn’t pick up a weapon. Anything can be turned into a weapon if they’re that desperate to survive or escape the clutches of an enemy.
I bring that up, because in this current game the main character is a private detective investigating a case. He has a gun, but he never gets the chance to use it until the very end. The excuse is that in the beginning he was capture by the cult and they took it away. So he has to hide and stealth his way around the place, but if he’s caught its game over. It depends though, because he can run if he’s spotted (and hide -- but he's claustrophobia so you can't do it for too long). However, if he’s within arm reach of an enemy that’s the end.
Why though? I understand if it’s a monster or supernatural thing. But if they’re human, can’t he just kick them in the d**k to get away? Doesn’t he have any self defense skills that can help him get out of their hold? I don’t know why players aren’t even given a option to get away if caught. But I suppose that’s to make it more challenging or something?
 DamnBlackHeart · Wed Nov 14, 2018 @ 01:04am · 0 Comments |
