Purpose

This blog is for the gamers out there who can never find a nearly complete list of survival horror games. However not just any game can go into this category. Certain criteria must be met before I will consider the game to b survival horror.

Games must meet ALL of the following criteria:

A.) Chilling atmosphere. If the atmosphere is close to that of Silent Hill, or Fatal Frame to even be considered. This means that the walls are covered in rust/blood, there is a feeling of isolation.

B.) Chilling Sound effects. The sound effects need to set out to scare the audience. So if there is a creaking door, then there had better be a creaking sound to follow. Squeaky floor boards, wind, random smashed glass, ect...

C.) Intent to scare. The games have to set out to scare from the beginning. Meaning you don't have to look for the horror element. Its already presented in the opening sequence. Even more basic, the game was designed to scare you.

D.) Monsters. Now this is broad because just about anything can be a monster. But to be included in the quest the monsters must be monsters. Zombies, Vampires, and Ghosts. However, games like Castlevania, which are clearly RPG type games are not included.

E.) First Person Shooter games will go under careful consideration, and will have to have been played by me to determine if they qualify for this group. Some such games that have already made it in to this category are F.E.A.R and Condemned. Third Person games are the most preferred for this particular genera.

All systems will be considered, but visual novel games are not included. As I don't view them as games, but as visual novels. So Playstation, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, PSP, Xbox, Xbox 306, Nintendo DS, Gameboy, Super Nintendo, Wii, NES, Sega Genesis, Sega Dreamcast, NES, PC, ect...

What is Survival Horror?

Survival horror is typically a 3rd person perspective game in which the player has to survive an onslaught of undead, human, animal or monster like opponents, usually in claustrophobic environments. The player is typically armed, with things that can be found in their environments; lead pipes, kitchen knives, meat hooks, broken glass, ect...The player's goal is generally to escape from an isolated house or town that is inhabited mostly by zombies and monsters through shooting, melee, and puzzle solving.


History:

The early 1990s saw the introduction of game play mechanics found regularly in more modern examples of the genre. Although the survival horror genre was popularized by Resident Evil, it was predated by earlier works such as Sweet Home, Clock Tower: The First Fear, and Alone in the Dark, which clearly had an influence on the creation of Resident Evil. Some common elements of survival horror games can be found in Haunted House, which was released in 1981 and is probably the earliest example of the genre. Alone in the Dark indeed introduced many elements, both graphical and game play-related, that were used in Capcom's creation; the use of static prerendered "camera" views as the game play field in which dynamically rendered polygonal models would act as the characters and objects, as well as a very similar character movement and combat control scheme would be some of the most similar features. Alone in the Dark's action scenes were much more sparse, though, and many of the enemies and monsters found across the game couldn't be defeated directly, and had to be avoided or outsmarted, defining the game play as more puzzle-orientated.

The term "survival horror" was first used by Resident Evil, published in 1996. The original Japanese version of Resident Evil was marketed under the previously non-existent Survival horror genre on the game's cover. A line of text also displayed the phrase "Enter the world of survival horror..." while the game was loading. Sweet Home in particular served as inspiration for Shinji Mikami to create Resident Evil.

Clock Tower and Silent Hill created a group of survival horror games that focus on psychological horror rather than just violence and shock tactics. This category deemphasizes combat in order to increase the vulnerability of the protagonist and build tension. Similar titles include the Fatal Frame series, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem and Siren.
(Taken from Wikipedia)


About this Blog:

I designed this blog because I love survival horror games. What draws me in is their story lines, puzzle solving, and macabre imagery. But I guess you could also say that I'm a bit of a Horror nut. I love horror movies, and novels, and survival horror games seemed to be the next natural sequence in the path.

What really draws me into these games is the the story line. For those of us who have played Silent Hill 2 and fell in love with it, you probably know what I mean. There is just a deeper since of belonging. Like you actually connect with the characters on a personal level. And then the rest of the game is not about you, but rather it is about getting this character out alive. The next thing that draws me in is the puzzles. There are many great puzzles in these games. And many times they are super hard. But I guess that puzzle that wins it for me is in the PSP game Silent Hill: 0rigins. There is a puzzle where you have to put an anatomy dolls insides back together to get a set of glass eyes. When you put these eyes in their correct spot later, you come back and there is an actual body in place of the plastic dummy. Its the response from the character that really took me aback. “This person has been cut open and their eyes have been removed... what sort of monster could do that?” Its just trippy. Then of course there is the imagery. Who doesn't love the hair standing on the back of your next as you walk into a room covered in blood, and you hear this scratching sound but you can't find what is making it? Noting really compares.

Anyway like with movies and novels there is a lot of crap out there. And it really gets discouraging when you pick up a game that just plain sucks. Much like the slasher movies that are so prevalent in our cinema today, (nothing against Saw, but its getting old.) there are games that are classified as “horror” but really they are just bloody, and not very scary. Thus why I have given criteria for the games that should be included in this quest.

The main idea of this quest is to keep all survival horror gamers informed on the latest games coming out that fit the criteria. Because often these games slip through the cracks and don't get much advertising. It is also my attempt to weed out the bad games and find the games that are most like Silent Hill. Now obviously, I will not be able to play them all as many are discontinued and I will never find copies of them, I also do not have any computer lower than a 95 just sitting around.. But rest assured the games that I do post here will have had extensive research done before they get posted if they were before I was born. (Which really shouldn't be too much of a problem as I am an 80's baby.)

Other than that I encourage you to participate in blog discussions. You may know something that I don't. And your information is always great fully accepted! That said, I bid you good day! :)


Games Included in Discussions (but not limited too):

Silent Hill

Resident Evil

Fatal Frame

Rule of Rose

Obscure

Kuon

Siren

Parasite Eve

Clock Tower

Alone in the Dark

Sadness

Alan Wake

Dementium: The Ward

Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddlers Grove

Clive Barkers: Jerico

F.E.A.R

Penumbra: Overture


Soon to Be Released Games:

Xbox 360:

Alan Wake TBA
Alone in the Dark Dec. 2007
Condemned 2: Bloodshot Q2 2008
Deprived TBA
Harker 2008
Possession 2008
Resident Evil 5 2008
Silent Hill 5 2008


Nintendo Wii:

Alone in the Dark Rumored
Fatal Frame Rumored
Sadness 2008
Obscure 2 2008

Playstation 2/3

TBA

More to come as its learned!!