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Post by Xeogred on Oct 28, 2019 12:06:32 GMT -5
Have you been to some caves yet? That section has some nasty moments but doesn't last too long. You're indeed pretty far into the game at this point!
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Post by Sarge on Oct 28, 2019 12:09:09 GMT -5
Have you been to some caves yet? That section has some nasty moments but doesn't last too long. You're indeed pretty far into the game at this point! Not yet. But I'm definitely hoping to double-tap this one before the month is done. I'll still finish it, though, even if I go overtime.
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Post by Ex on Oct 28, 2019 12:21:14 GMT -5
I might be able to get in a session tonight. Hope so! I'm sure by the time I finish Fatal Frame II, it'll be early November. This month has made me realize I'm just not a very big fan of horror gaming in general. Hence I've only finished two horror games thus far this month. Don't get me wrong guys, I've beaten a lot of horror games in my life. So I do enjoy horror games occasionally. There've been some genre entries I'd give 9/10s to. The catch is, I primarily play video games to relax. Horror gaming does not relax me. Proper horror games achieve quite the opposite effect actually. I feel tense and on edge when playing these things. So late at night, when it's time for me to finally relax, the idea of instead going and engaging with entertainment designed to anti-relax you... well that's not always an inviting proposition. Hence this month I've been reading and watching TV more instead. I'm probably A-OK with one or two horror games per year, but binging them for a whole month long is not something I'm going to attempt again.
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Post by Sarge on Oct 28, 2019 12:34:11 GMT -5
Ex : I think you've hit on why I haven't really dug into RE, and why I haven't finished it off yet. It's absolutely stressing me out right now. If I were in the proper mood, I could definitely go for it, much as I do super-tough platformers. I have to be in a particular mood to want to take those on. Case in point, Shattered Soldier probably scares me as much as any of the survival horror games I've played. Just the idea of taking it on right now makes me uneasy. I think part of it might be the mechanics with the "hit rate", and the other being that I can't do like with earlier entries and save-state through to practice before making a legit run. There's something about having a safety net there, even if you don't use them, that makes the experience more relaxing. I've gone through entire games save-stating at the starts of levels, "just in case", but not used them, but my blood pressure is better for it. Now, horror- themed games, I can do. I dig the gothic vibe of stuff like Gargoyle's Quest or the Castlevania series.
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Post by Ex on Oct 28, 2019 12:59:34 GMT -5
I dig the gothic vibe of stuff like Gargoyle's Quest or the Castlevania series. Yep, that stuff isn't stressful in the same sense that a true survival horror game is. It's just spooky in a harmless way. I often find even difficult games to still be relaxing. Complex SRPGs or challenging action games, can still be therapeutic at the end of the day (for me). But legit survival horror games tap into a primal nerve and rattle it, making one feel uneasy and anxious while playing. I don't necessarily mean that I'm "scared" playing these sorts of games either. Very rarely is that the actual case. But there's still that palpable sense of apprehension, which is draining while playing serious horror games. So I personally find it difficult to look forward to experiencing that sensation when it's time to play vidja. It's obvious though, that some folks legitimately enjoy this "tenseness" I'm describing. As in, it's a fun and relaxing thing to them. There's been studies I've read in the past, suggesting the desire to be frightened, or feel uneasy, is a genetic trait. Meaning some people are predisposed to enjoy being "scared" on a DNA level. These are people who are the thrill seekers, dare devils, or survival horror gaming enthusiasts. Now I can't say for sure if that's scientifically true or not, but if it is, I think folks like Xeogred and @tsumuri have that gene.
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Post by Sarge on Oct 28, 2019 13:11:55 GMT -5
You know, I also think this is why I don't always cotton to stealth games, either. The fear of "being found", especially if you're playing as a character that has limited means of attack, also ramps up the stress. I even get this feeling with Metal Gear Solid, although you're not nearly as resource-limited there, and can get out of a jam more readily.
The eerie vibe might also explain why I liked Alan Wake a lot. While you can put yourself in a bad spot, actually dodging enemies can be pretty easy, and while you're not going to be confused for Rambo, you certainly have at least a decent amount of firepower to stay safe(r).
I still dig the atmosphere of that game. I've oft heard it compared to Twin Peaks, which of course intrigues me as I've never seen that series despite its critical acclaim.
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Post by Ex on Oct 28, 2019 13:24:01 GMT -5
I'm not the biggest fan of stealth games in general either. But that's more because it can become tedious (in a time sense) after a while to always be hiding from enemies, rather than just obliterating them as you progress along. But stealth games don't stress me out in the same way serious horror games do, personally. All of this being said... ironically (or hypocritically) enough, my all time favorite game is a stealth-horror hybrid. Edit: The original two seasons of Twin Peaks is great. I bet you'd really enjoy Kyle MacLachlan's character.
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Post by Xeogred on Oct 28, 2019 13:41:02 GMT -5
1. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia* (DS) 3. Onimusha: Warlords* (PS4) 4. Resident Evil 2* (PSX)[Leon A] 5. Resident Evil 2 Remake (PS4)[Platinum]9. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PS4) 23. Near Death (PC)24. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (PC) 26. Dying Light (PC) 28. Shadow Hearts: Covenant (PS2) 33. Resident Evil 4* (Wii) 39. Blood: Fresy Supply (PC)[GDX]40. Control (PS4)
Here is what I've beaten this year that I would consider survival horror or somewhat adjacent to horror/gothic themes. Definitely stretching on some of these, but these have dark and possibly violent themes throughout.
Maybe I have that "gene". I think it's a bit subjective of course. SRPG's are anything but comfortable for me. Even when I got into a groove with Front Mission (DS) this year, most SRPG battles always give me some anxiety. You are almost always outnumbered in this genre and that immediately makes things tense a lot. Permanent death is a factor in some of these. And last but not least, SRPG battles can take quite a bit of time and if you mess up or fail, you have to do that battle all over again which I always dread. I rarely play this genre for these reasons, despite being a big fan of a few I've played. Also some here know I replay games a lot like we've discussed even recently, but I don't ever envision wanting to trek through these games again. I beat FFT twice and that was kind of out of spite, because I don't like it nearly as much as its vocal fans do. I had to "double check" my feelings on this one...
I kind of had to force myself to play a few horror games this month, not in a bad way... but my personal trend with this genre continues. I am rarely ever in the mood for horror games come October, because I've usually already played several by then throughout the year. Maybe I like some contrast during bright times and months, I'm not sure. If I go through something really heavy (mentally taxing) like a Silent Hill 2, I usually want a happy/colorful game next. Now if we're talking vibes, I certainly loved what I played and was "feeling" in Haunting Ground earlier this month. It's just a shame mechanically, some of the design ideas for that one got in the way of my fun. I would have loved to explore that mansion with either more action, or less chase sequences and no annoying friendly dog AI, get rid of those screen visual effects too that I despise. Echo Night seems fine and had some cool things going on, I think I just wish this one had constant BGM. If we're talking tank controls, these old first person From Software games are it for me, I'm not always in the mood for how slow and chunky these games play and control. I love the fixed camera angles that Resident Evil and its clones do though, so I should give more slack to people who aren't into that.
I jumped into Dino Crisis a week back too. Truth be told I still haven't beaten the first two and what I played of DC1 again wasn't pulling me in at all. I got pretty far years ago, but this one doesn't grab me despite my love for an RE scenario with sci-fi and dinosaurs. I tried the Dreamcast version and was laughing at how much of a lazy port this seemed to be from Capcom. It looks smoother than the PSX games, but DC games could definitely do a lot better than this. It didn't motivate me much to try out the DC versions of RE2-RE3. I've been happy with how the PSX versions look and run anyways.
So yeah, me actually playing horror games on my own accord during October rarely seems to happen haha. Things like Resident Evil, Dead Space, FEAR, Doom, etc, I can play all year round and consider that stuff pretty cozy. I like inventory management, looking at maps, getting keycards, solving goofy simple puzzles, mixed in with some good action taking on some non-humanoids and whatnot. Dabble in sci-fi and I'm even happier.
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Post by Ex on Oct 28, 2019 14:14:49 GMT -5
SRPG's are anything but comfortable for me. It is interesting how different our tastes can be. SRPGs are one of the most relaxing genres for me. I don't play them all the time though, simply because of how long SRPGs tend to take to finish. (I fully plan to get back to Valkyria Chronicles III next month, but I'm sure it's going to take at least 60 hours to finish.) DC1 failed to hold my attention long enough to finish it many years back when it released. But I do think DC2 is an excellent game. I had a great time beating it. DC2 is very much an action-adventure though, it's not a horror game at all IMO. Fun fact: Shu Takumi (of Ace Attorney fame) directed DC2. Maybe you'd like Echo Night: Beyond more than the original then. I still need to play through the EN games myself, but I think those are more spooky adventure games than straight up horror. Speaking of horror adventure games... If anyone wants to play a really fun, and really short, retro horror adventure on Halloween: Dracula: Resurrection is available on Windows, Mac OS, PlayStation, iOS, OS X, and Android. It released in Europe and USA. I beat the Windows version personally, back in 2007 or 2008. I remember D:R being really fun and atmospheric, and not very difficult at all. You'll finish the game in 3-4 hours. It's on GOG now, probably the best way to play these days: I haven't yet gotten around to any of its sequels. Which is probably dumb of me.
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Post by Xeogred on Oct 28, 2019 14:34:40 GMT -5
SRPG's expect a lot of time from the player, as you said most of them tend to be long. There's often a lot of game time in between being able to actually save too. Those elements and fear of having to redo those long battles makes them tense! To be fair, I never really utilize temp/soft saves on handhelds or anything though, and I'm not taking save states into consideration here (who'd want to save and leave in between a big SRPG battle anyways?)
Dino Crisis 2 is the one I haven't played as much, I'll give it another shot someday.
I still liked Echo Night enough, maybe I can pick this save back up down the road or play it when the mood fits better. So yeah, I still want to play more eventually and check out the sequels. I'd recommend Echo Night to anyone, it definitely does some cool stuff on the PSX.
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