Cut to Bits
Video Game reviews
by Carrington Opper
Any true horror aficionado knows that a great horror
video game can bring you to a level of fear that most books and
movies just can't. In a horror video game, you're not just spectating, you are experiencing it!
When we think about the genre, game series such as
"Resident Evil" or "Silent Hill" may immediately come to mind
and bring a chill down your spine from that first time you
picked up the controller. And while these game series are beloved, the amount of sequels, spin-offs, shitty films, or in the
unfortunate case of Silent Hills and the spiritual successor "Allison Road" being cancelled, may be lessening the scare future
releases can produce. This is disheartening. For those of us who
are looking for legitimate horror without it being just cheap
jump-scares ("Five Nights at Freddy’s"), a movie tie- in (other than "Alien:Isolation"), or the addition of a zombie mode
(every fucking game made in the last 10 or so years), original
ideas being matched with decent gameplay is becoming scarce.
Luckily, I may know of a few games whose atmosphere and
game play can keep you up all night!
5. Zombi/ZombiU
Zombie games are a dime a dozen, and most are set
apart only by a shitty gimmick. While the usage of a PDA
for inventory management is that gimmick, it is a smart and
welcomed feature which, for the most part, was implemented
pretty well. Another cool feature of "Zombi" is that if your
character dies, you spawn as a new individual, waking up
in the safehouse and, depending on what killed their predecessor, have to fight the now zombified version of your last
survivor in order to get items back. The game uses the now
industry standard crafting system to improvise new weapons,
and you'll need them -- because a single bite from a Zombie, and your character is dead! For those of you who loved
the concept of "Dead Island" or "Dying Light" and wanted a
darker and more isolated/claustrophobic experience, "ZombiU/Zombi" is the game for you. If you're going to get this
game, I suggest the WiiU or PC versions over PS4 or Xbox
One, because zombies don't stop just because you're looking
through inventory.
Honerable mentions for Zombie games: "Left4Dead"
(If online multiplayer is your need), "All Zombies Must Die"
(Spiritual Successor to "Zombies Ate My Neighbors"),"DayZ"
(an amazingly ambitious open world PC surivival game
which strives for realism with the Arma Engine. Please note
that it is technically incomplete and as of now PC, but plans
to release console versions have been released).
4. Outlast
Most horror games give us characters who are
capable of fighting back, and in some cases by the end of
the game, become a walking army. How is being armed
to invade a small country by yourself, while possessing
super powers, supposed to make us scared? A lot of the
suspense from "Silent Hill" came from your character
not being a trained soldier, or in "Resident Evil," where
ammo was scarce, and inventory was limited. "Outlast"
takes this helplessness to a whole new level! In "Outlast,"
you can only run and hide from your pursuer, as your
only light source and aid comes from a dying Handicam.
While this game is jump-scare heavy, its atmosphere and
helplessness quickly turn suspense into terror.
Failure to deliver: "The Evil Within" (while providing creepy visuals and at times a frantic and suspenseful
section, the less than engaging and convoluted storyline,
along with shitty controls, leaves for a confusing, and
disappointing experience. *Opinions may vary)
3. F.E.A.R (Series)
While helplessness can help paint a foreboding
atmosphere, sometimes the unknown can make all your
training and equipment little more than your childhood
blanket. In "F.E.A.R," a paranormal entity makes her
presence known throughout the game in a variety of
unsettling ways, and did I mention she's a little girl? Why
are paranormal kids so fucking creepy? If you are going
to purchase this game, the PC version is your best option.
The PS3 version has heavily downgraded graphics, which
makes the game look like it was made with leftover polygons from "Goldeneye."
Spectral Specialties: "Luigi’s Mansion" and "Ghostbusters" (newer games for 360/PS3, the European NES
release, arcade, and mobile titles) are great for the young
paranormal enthusiasts as well as the easily frightened.
"Fatal Frame" may also provide the spirit you desire if
you want something darker and less focused on using
lead as a way to help the departed cross over! Good look
convincing guests that it's just ectoplasm!
2. Layers of Fear
This is a game that relies on atmosphere and story telling to keep you nervously anticipating a jump-scare and/
or next disturbing scene. Coming from a model similar
to P.T., "Layers of Fear" has you playing an artist who is