The Survival Horror videogame thread

[2099net]

The Survival Horror Thread

Alone in the Dark (2008)

I've really been looking forward to this game. Really. As many of you know, I'm a huge fan of the Silent Hill games, and this game promised to surpass that series technically (if perhaps not artistically). Well, the game was released yesterday, so how do I feel after one evening's play?

Story
I can't actually reveal much of the story, as I don't know much. The first part of the game is mainly a "training level" and after that it’s a case of going from A to B in order to progress the plot, so little of the plot has currently been revealed. However, the story does seem to rely on cliché a little to much – such as your player character suffering from amnesia and the voice work, while not as bad as that on Resident Evil is far from sounding natural. It should also be noted the dialogue is peppered with swearing, and disappointingly subtitles are not available.

Innovation
At a time when most PS3 and 360 games are simply PS2 games with more graphical sheen, its refreshing to see Alone in the Dark come out with so many gameplay innovations.

The most talked about and promoted is the "episodic" structure of the game. In fact, the programmers call this game "a season" and often liken it to a DVD. What does this mean? Well, basically, the storyline contains 6 "episodes". Each episode has a cliff-hanger and each episode also has a number of DVD like chapter stops. While you are rewarded for playing through the "season" in order, if you do get stuck on a particular problem or battle, you can skip to the next chapter, or even skip to the next episode.

So far I've not taken advantage of this, but there are some conditions to its use. You have to have legitimately completed a certain percentage of the season before you can access the finale for example, and your Gamercard achievements and Gamerscore also reflect if sections have been skipped or not.

It's a good idea I think. Much as I like "Survival Horror" games in general, I've finished very few (mainly down to the controls most of these games choose to use – more on that later). So I like the option of being able to skip around in the game if needed.

A nice touch is when you load a previously saved game, it gives you a TV like "Previously on Alone in the Dark" montage.

While the first two episodes deal with escaping from a collapsing building and a car chase through the New York streets, the rest are set in and around Central Park. Just like Eden modelled an entire Hawaiian island to an accuracy of 25cm in Test Drive Unlimited, the studio claims the entirety of Central Park has been modelled to an accuracy of 2 inches in this game. There is of course exceptions to this though, Eden have changed certain buildings, or added new buildings as the plot of the game requires, and the park is also overrun with strange supernatural "growths" as well, but once again their dedication to accuracy astonishes me. (Well, it would if I could see it – I'm about two thirds through episodes 2 at the moment).

Controls
It's such a shame that when the game play has so many innovations, the whole game it let down by a terrible control scheme. "Survival Horror" games in the past have been let down by unintuitive controls. For example everyone battled with the original Silent Hill controls just as much as the nightmarish creatures roaming it's empty streets and buildings, and even the latest game in that series Silent Hill: Origins feels like a game stuck in the mid-1990's so clumsy is its control system.

Some people even theorise that the original Resident Evil games deliberately had an awkward and fiddly control scheme in order to provide the player with more tension and drama when playing the game.

Other Survival Horror games such as the Fatal Frame series and even the original Alone in the Dark games have control issues to a greater or lesser effect; a combination of dramatic camera angles and the need for accurate and carefully aimed actions may work fine when exploring the environment at the player's leisure, but cause panic and frustration when the player is caught in a battle.

Games like the Silent Hill series and even the original Alone in the Dark games managed to somewhat lessen this frustration by allowing the player to run past most of the monsters enabling them to save precious ammunition and (quite probably) their sanity. Alas, at least on the opening two "episodes" of the new Alone in the Dark avoiding combat is not an option.

So that's problem number one, not only are you fighting with a clunky and somewhat unresponsive control system but you have no choice but to fight.

Problem number two is, there is no allowance at all in the game for unarmed combat. Well, not by the player anyway, however the various zombies and monsters are free to slash away unequipped as they choose. No problem you think, there's a chair over there. Sadly, the chair is only good enough for one good hit, before it breaks into pieces once again leaving your character weaponless. And each enemy requires a good ten to fifteen hits. There are stronger weapons your character can use such as lead piping, axes and even decretive swords, but they're hard to find, especially when being repeatedly pummelled by a possessed apartment resident.

Problem number three is downed opponents don't stay down, no matter how much punishment they take, unless you drag their unconscious forms into a fire. But in order to drag a body, you need to drop your weapon. So woe betide you if your enemy starts to wake up before you reach the fire, as he'll start to attack while you are defenceless.

All that said, while somewhat awkward at first, when you're not under any particular stress or duress, the control system is no more awkward than those of Silent Hill or Resident Evil, but it does allow you to do a whole lot more. It's not perfect, but not the disaster some reviews are stating.

Realism
The key to both the game's attraction and frustration is its commitment to realism. Considering we're talking about a game where already I've seen people get sucked into walls and floors, the use of the world realism may sound a little out of place, but it isn't.

The physics are incredible, especially the way fire spreads and items in fires eventually break and crumble. If you see a locked door, you can attempt to smash it down with a heavy object, shoot the lock (but wasting precious ammunition) or set fire to it.

But that's not all, it looks like any object can be a source of light, be it a window, an electric light, your torch, or even that chair next to you once you set it on fire. This game has the most amazing lighting I've ever seen in any video game – way surpassing that of the Silent Hill series, or even the Condemned series. I really cannot praise this aspect enough; shadows have never looked so good.

Graphics are also incredible for other reasons. The game engine uses depth of vision effects effortlessly. Check out the fuzzy blurred Central Park in the background when you're grappling along the outside of the apartment building. Or even look at the tricks played with the focus at the very beginning of the game. A nice touch here is clicking on the right thumb-stick controller makes your character blink to clear his vision temporarily.

Check out the depth of field effect is this screenshot:
http://images.eurogamer.net/assets/arti ... 01.jpg.jpg

The realism also affects how objects behave. Your torch has batteries. Keep it on and the batteries go down and have to be replaced. Climb into a car and the first thing you have to do it turn the internal light on to allow you to look for the keys, or hotwire the car (just down hold those wires too close).

Finally the game has total realism when it comes to object management. The only items that can be carried are those that you can either fit in your jacket's pockets, or carry in your hands. So unlike Silent Hill: Origins for example, your character isn't unfeasibly carrying around two toasters, a monitor and several components of an anatomical dummy while simultaneously running away at top speed from a couple of dark nurses. Oh no, in Alone in the Dark you can carry a gun, torch, a few smaller objects like bullets or sticky tape and a lead pipe, and that's it. Draw your gun, and you have to drop the pipe. That's how the inventory system works, and I like it. To access your inventory you press on the D-Pad and your jacket opens up while your POV changes to first person looking down at your chest.

There's been some complaint about the fact that selecting objects from your inventory is done in real-time (i.e. the games doesn't pause) but that's not a big problem as the system also allows equipping shortcuts (similar to those found in The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion) so careful management of items and their shortcuts in downtime means you should never be caught short.

Conclusion
I really wanted to like this game. In fact, even after spending an evening playing the game in either rapt awe or total frustration, I still do. It brings so much new to the genre, it deserves to do well. However, the flaws in the control system, complete with the major flaws with the combat system cannot be ignored, as much as I would like to. Had you been able to avoid most of the combat than I would have looked a lot more favourably on the game, but as (for now at least – we'll see how things go once I reach Central Park) you can't I have to mark the game down. Ultimately, this rebirth of Alone in the Dark is another game where its ambition overreaches its ability. All the more tragic when its rendering of the environment and objects within it is all but flawless.

6/10

[2099net]

I'll just thought I would add to this now that I've got to the park and half-way through episode 3.

Wow. What a difference it makes. The park (although I've not yet got to the free roaming section - the path it pretty lineir at the moment) is incredible - expecially the fog and how light passes through it. It looks absolutely fantastic, and the events (although scripted and triggered) are amazing too. Baracading myself inside a public restroom while fleeing from a flock of Vampirez (and still being able to see and hear them banging against the doors and windows) was truely a gasp in awe moment. Since then I've jumped and clambered over ruined buildings atop a bottomless drop, balanced in a crash bus rocking on the edge of a chasm and had a very satisfying ruckus with several possesed Humanz where I've deftly knocked them over into the dark pit below. I'm currently in the sewers and the lighting and water effects just knock me out! (Oh, and I shot a poor innocent goldfish ).

The controls aren't really an issue anymore, although picking stuff up can still be awkward. But I find them no more harder or awkward as say, Silent Hill's.

I'm upping the score to 7.5/10. I can't wait to free roam in the Park.

[disneyfella]

Interesting thoughts....I'm a pretty big horror buff, but haven't really forayed into horror games (outside of games like "F.E.A.R.", etc.). Is this game on the Wii? Or is it eventually coming out on that system? I'd like to give this one a try.

[Chernabog_Rocks]

I've actually never even heard of Silent Hill until the movie came out Is it hard to "get into" so to speak? I'd probably give it a try but it's nice to know beforehand if it's one of those games you can jump into and start or if backstory is needed.

Personally the only horror game I've really bothered with is the Resident Evil series. Can't wait for the new one to come out, sounds like it willl be really good.

Glad to see you like the game more, it's only understandable that you wouldn't give it such a high rating story wise since you were in the training area.

Oh and one more thing RIP Innocent Goldfish

[2099net]

It is on the Wii, but apparently very cut down and not as good. I can believe that as the game really needs the physics (both physical and light/shadow wise) to work. I also understand that the Wii has no free roaming section (not that I've got to that on the 360 yet).

Chernabog_Rocks, The "core" silent Hill games (Silent Hill, Silent Hill 3 and Silent Hill: Origins) are all very complex when it comes to the story, and you really need to play them in order to get the best out of them.

However, Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 4 are sort of "side-steps" from the main ongoing saga, and are good as stand alone games. However, they're sort of like a typical episode of the X-Files, in that you never really get definitive answers, and by the end of the game, it is up to you to decide what really happened. Personally, I like that, but I know not everyone does.

[2099net]

I know no one cares really, but I've now "free roamed" in the park and the game has really opened up! I had a bit of trouble jumping a chasm in a taxi, but sorted it out on my 4th or 5th attempt. I'm really enjoying this game. The graphics, especially outside are incredible, the controls are not broken, and the story is opening up too (now I find out I "am" the same Edward Carnby from the original games, just transported 60 odd years into the present day!).

There's a good gameplay movie here
http://www.eurogamer.net/tv_video.php?playlist_id=6858
Being as its hosted in Europe, you may need to pause the playback and let it buffer for a smooth playback.

Oh and check this out from the 1st episode
http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/7 ... 52208.html

[2099net]

Well, a quick update:

Alone in the Dark

After playing until I was about half-way through, and then getting stuck on the 360 version (and not wanting to use the DVD skip function) I've repurchased the game again on the PS3 because I saw it new for a knock-down price.

I'm not convinced the controls are broken on the 360 - but the PS3 game (subtitled Inferno) has fixed controls, camera and combat (less hits are required on monsters). I've only replayed the introduction "DVD chapter" so far, but to be honest it seems exactly the same.

Still I want to like this game and I want to finish it, so perhaps I'll find it easier on the PS3 - that was the promise.

Silent Hill: Homcoming

I got this on the PS3 and I'm... well, I don't know, I guess about half-way into the game (the monsters have attacked the Police Station in Shepard's Glen) and I have very mixed feelings about the game.

Firstly, I did read some comments on-line before the game came out in PAL-Land about the Western influence being to strong. And while at first I didn't agree, I'm afraid now I do. The whole Police Station being invaded by monsters thing is just not Silent Hill, its more Resident Evil, and Silent Hill should never be Resident Evil.

There's also a little too much combat for my liking. I remember when upping the difficulty level of a Silent Hill game resulted in harder puzzles, not less ammo and stronger monsters. Oh well.

But so far I must praise the storyline. To be honest, my biggest fear wasn't about Western development turning Silent Hill into a third person shooter/brawler, but that the storyline would fail to live up to previous Silent Hills. I was pleasantly surprised by Climax's Silent Hill: Origins which was more about Travis and his repressed past, than Alessa, despite it being a prologue to the first Silent Hill. And I'm pleasantly surprised by Homecoming, but sadly, I think I've already figured it out:

Spolier: Alex isn't a war veteran returning home, but a delusional fantasist who believes himself to have served in the Iraq war. There's a couple of hints of this so far; The tape recording you find in your home; the fact Deputy Wheeler's voice cuts out on the Walkie Talkie when he's talking about your time away from Shepard's Glen just as he's about to say where you have been; and finally nobody as such was expecting you back - most strange for a returning solider at the end of his tour of duty.

In addition, 206 is important - all the clocks in Shepard's Glen have stopped at this time, and in Alchemilla Hospital its revealed the inmate in room 206 disappeared after an incident with the inmate in room 205. So I think Alex is the inmate from 206 - he escaped from the hospital and returned home, unbidden.

I also think Josh, Alex's brother is dead, perhaps with Alex being directly responsible during one of his delusions. Alex keeps mentioning Josh to people, but the response from all, even his mother is somewhat non-committal. If Alex is responsible for Josh's death, it explains the appearance of Pyramid Head (a symbol of repressed guilt) and also explains how Silent Hill can have such a hold over Alex. (Repressed Guilt is a common theme in all the games).

It's clear Silent Hill: Homecoming takes as much inspiration from the film as from previous games. The Otherworld transitions feature the "peeling paint" effect present in the film. While Silent Hill doesn't appear to have been turned into a mining town (as it was portrayed in the film), nearby Shepard's Glen is, and the Grand Hotel in Silent Hill is an important location (although unlike the film, it isn't particularly portrayed as burnt out).

I have a small niggle beyond those already mentioned. It annoys me that Alchemilla Hospital appears to have suddenly become a mental institution, when that's what Brookhaven Hospital was in Silent Hill 2 and 3 (having first been built to tend to plague victims).

[Loomis]

Not sure if it really counts as survival horror, but I'm playing Bioshock on the PS3 at the moment and there are genuine moments of pant-wetting and ceiling clawing.

Must actually play Dead Space one day...little frightened though!

[ajmrowland]

I've played the Bioshock Demo, and I agree. It is a rather scary game. I'm hoping to rent it this weekend at Blockbuster, along with Bolt, LOTR:Conquest, and Kung Fu Panda.

[CampbellzSoup]

I don't know if Residetn Evil is in the same genre anymore...but it's a BLAST on the PS3 and I play it almsot everyday.

Nerd

[2099net]

Oooh, Loomis. Have you got to the big twist in Bioshock yet?

It's a doozy. After investing so much time in the game, I really did feel like I was punched in the stomach when it was revealed. And stupidly, I ignored the clues leading up to it too.