I haven’t played a horror game in a while, but for whatever reason I suddenly feel like picking one up. Are there any good Survival Horro games for the next-gen consoles? It seems like Resident Evil has completely gone away from it’s claustrophobic roots, and the Silent Hill series has descended into mediocrity. The new Alone in the Dark was a dud and I’ve heard mixed things about Siren: Blood Curse, is that worth a try? I haven’t played Dead Space yet, so that might have some promise, though I think I prefer my horror to be of the realistic variety as opposed to completely sci-fi. Thanks for any suggestions!
If you’re into the genre with all its trappings, I think you’d dig Siren Blood Curse. The game is clunky and creepy and pretty great for what it is.
Dead Space might as well be an FPS. I kind of enjoyed it and it’s worth checking out, but it’s not remotely scary - it’s arguably more of an action game than Resident Evil 4 or 5.
Dead Space is more action than horror, but I’d still consider it more of a horror game than RE5 since it goes for a specific kind of atmosphere and sticks to it consistently.
Not much help right now, but you’ll definitely want to keep an eye on the upcoming Dead Rising 2.
Dead Space is a very good game. It has a really good control scheme though. I know that can be a determent to enjoying a good survival horror game for some, so be forewarned. Like any kind of horror, how involved you get in it will depend a lot on you. I think the game does an amazing job with its audio and visuals to draw in the player. Whether you are willing to be drawn in despite the fluid and excellent controls is the big question.
There is a demo on PSN for Siren: Blood Curse, so you could check that out as a starting point to see if you’d like it.
Demon’s Souls :D
Didn’t realize there was a demo for Siren, I’ll have to check that out.
As for the control scheme debate, I always found that I was able to enjoy the resident evil games despite their flaws regarding movement. But it definitely annoyed me. There’s nothing like getting thrashed by a zombie who you can’t see due to camera angles and then not being able to turn around quickly. I thought that Resident Evil 4 was a great game, though not as scary as the past ones. I was hoping that since then someone had created a tense, atmospheric horror game. So basically, the good controls are a huge plus for Dead Space, as long as the game is also scary.
Siren does sound a little promising in that you don’t take the role of some beefed up commando. You actually have to run and hide from monsters. The problem with the newer Resident Evil games in this regard is that you never felt afraid. You weren’t worried about running out of ammo; if monsters jumped out you could do some melee combo on them. They’re still fun, just different.
This is the best survival horror game I’ve ever played. And replayed. I just started my 8th character in the second copy of this game that I own, in order to play with yet another late adopter. And even if he were to never get around to it, I would still get sucked back in.
In terms of ambiance, setting, and fear of death, it can’t be beat.
Dead Space is ok, as well. Certainly more of a survival horror title than RE5, which is much more actiony apart from the recent DLC.
Dead Space is basically Resident Evil 4/5 crossed with Aliens: it’s actually pretty solid, but definitely on the action-horror rather than survival-horror side of things.
If you don’t mind the spoilers, you can read Tom’s Siren BC diaries starting here.
Good call on Demon’s Souls. I definitely endorse that recommendation.
I found Dead space to be horribly scary…different strokes I guess
I found Dead Space to be horribly boring, and really predictable. The scary moments were almost as telegraphed as the ones in Doom 3, and mind you I’m not a guy who plays a lot of horror games. I’ve never finished a Resident Evil game, never touch a Silent Hill game etc.
The PS3 Siren makes combat much more viable, alas. And it doesn’t quite compare to the original Siren in terms of brilliant story or game structure, although it’s not awful.
To be honest, the current gen console for survival horror, for some inexplicable reason, seems to be Wii. There’s tons of 'em.
Demon Souls
Neither Dead Space or Siren really scratched the survival horror itch for me. Siren probably came closest. Loved the audio in Dead Space, but it’s definitely in the same vein as RE4. I loved Demon’s Souls, it can be very tense, but wasn’t scary to me. Pretty disappointing for the genre this entire gen imo.
I’ll add Condemned 2 to the list. Its levels are either hit or miss, but the ones that hit are pretty atmospheric and gave me a sense of dread. The game doesn’t rely on “boo” moments like in the first game either. The story isn’t anything to write home about and the demo is of the crappy first level with tar people, but some of the other levels were fantastic and the melee combat is brutal and very satisfying.