Despite what some people say, Survival horror has never relied on graphics to set the scene. Atmosphere is created by the music, the horror is from creativity.
You don't hear people raving about the graphics of Silent Hill or Resident Hill (more the music, from some video I saw recently).
So... those of you saying that the Wii couldn't possibly do horror well because it insists on not being graphically superior, riddle me this: why was Silent Hill considered so awesome if horror is all about the graphics???
Yahtzee even points out that SH (2, I think) -benefitted- from low-end graphics. It forced them to include a terrifing fog to hide the low draw-distance.
It's too straightforward thinking like this (it's too low-powered, I -can't- do anything cool with it!) on the part of the developers that's caused the Wii to suck, not lack of technical prowess.
@Tanneseph: SH2 was awesome because of the story, not the visuals or "scare" factor (though the overused (now) Pyramid head did leave a lasting impression). SH3 looks better than many 360 and PS3 games, and actually scared me more than SH2, but SH2 was superior because of the story...
If SH2 had a better voice acting team, better VA director, and 360 / PS3 level visuals, it would be heaven...
Resident Evil 4 on the Wii is probably the best horror game that has existed. And that's one of the few gaming opinions that a majority of reviewers agree with me on.
to be clear, i think the Wii is what brought developers to open up to and discovery many new ideas.
if you really think about it, Nintendo has always been a step ahead. it may not be technology wise, but for the gaming industry to evolve and to expand the gamers.
well in my opinion the issue with horror games is that they benefit greatly from atmosphere that can be better achieved from a system with higher graphics. Thats not to say the wii cant do horror but for example take something like dead space where the little things make a lot of the atmosphere , particle effects in some of the environments and the like, nowadays where seeing titles within this genre that are taking more and more advantage from the extra power in consoles,another great example is alan wake, a game which (according to developers) will have a massive land to explore, and also have environmental effects like tornadoes , that game surely benefits from a console or a pc with more graphical and processing power than the wii.
@ninja_squirrel: I call bullshit on this argument. Deadspace did absolutely nothing to me, whereas Silent Hill 2, which I played in May of this year, scared the shit out of me.
Graphics can be important, but if the game is truly scary, the appearance won't be much of an issue.
@ninja_squirrel: Well atmosphere is more dependant on whether or not a game has good art direction than how many physics are at work. Silent Hill for PSX is still dripping with atmosphere (literally & metaphorically) and is still a very engrossing & frightening experience despite it being a decade old.
@The Last Amazing Grays: im not arguing that you absolutely need these, im saying that i don't completely agree with what Mr. Makato is saying. If you were to absolutely need a 360 or ps3 graphics to make a horror game then there would have been no horror games before this generation. Im saying that horror games can benefit from better graphics and more processing power because of the nature of the narrative in many horror games which combine storytelling with a atmosphere, level design and detail (where the graphics come in). By no means im i saying that horror games cannot need to on the wii or that horror games before this generation were no good. Im sure there are developers out there who have a the potential create great horror games in the wii, for example the upcoming silent hill: shattered memories.
@ninja_squirrel: The problem I had with Deadspace WAS the graphics. Everything was so clear and cut. There was no mystery to any bit of it. Even with how dark the game was, you could still see through everything because it was so graphically advanced. That's another reason why I'm looking forward to the Wii Rails shooter version. When it comes to survival horror, I'd prefer a graphical downgrade because it makes things seem grittier and have a more mysterious feel to them.
All of this said, I do contradict myself, because I am really looking forward to Shattered Memories.
@The Last Amazing Grays: well i guess we have to disagree on the graphics part but regardless there have great games on past consoles .silent hill 1,2,3,re0, re(gc) ,re2,re3,re4,doom 3, Those are some of the ones i played so i acknowledge there are great games in past consoles but all im saying is that horror games can benefit from graphical power and processing power.
@The Last Amazing Grays: Silent Hill 2 is a classic and you have to remember that those graphics were top of the line back when the game was released.
I do agree with the graphics statement. That said Dead Space is not survival horror. It's an action game with a horror setting like Doom 3. I mean there are checkpoints at the start of every room!! Suvival horror games let you save infrequently and try to discourage you from saving. That way there is a real risk and fear of dieing. Dead Space would have been great if you could disable the checkpoints and just play with the save points instead
@excel_excel: or at least get a nice scare from the voice acting! "Its a weapon, It's REALLY powerful, especially against LIVING things"
While the original RE is amazing, the REmake is scareyer and more immersive due to the higher quality graphics and far better voice acting (and, thank god, mainly intact control scheme)
@rorkimaru: At the time, yes Silent Hill 2 graphics were top of the line. But not now.
I was once a fearful child who couldn't play it. I have since evolved and am no longer afraid of the dark... Well, wasn't until Silent Hill 2, which I didn't play until this year, so the graphics were far from top of the line. That's why I used it in my argument.
You know, years of movies and games have taught me that the scariest thing isn't visuals or lack of. - it's the sound. With that in mind I always believed that PC was the best suited towards horror with(as of now) Sony consoles due to the superior sound options available....but hey I'm a sound whore.
I think some of the people getting upset here at that last line are missing the tongue-in-cheek part of it. Its like saying "its OBVIOUSLY not the fault of the game, duhr, if you hate it, its OBVIOUSLY the Wii".
Having played this game to completion, I can confidently say that they are 100% right. The controls are FLAWLESS and the atmosphere is creepy. Basically, you feel like you're in the game. The flashlight battery mechanics constantly keep you on your toes and though the scares are repetitive, they will scare you, without fail, 90% of the time.
I couldn't imagine this game being replicated on another console right now (maybe the PS3 with the Sony Wand thingy), there's just a different feeling playing with a controller than there is playing with a remote where your movements are basically replicated on screen.
Ixnay on the Sony Motion Wand. Its an additional piece of hardware that needs to be purchased, thus limiting the amount of software that will be developed for it, thus limiting its success. Its kinda doomed to fail before its even out the door.
Natal shows a bit more promise, but only because Microsoft generally knows how to throw money at a problem until it isn't a problem anymore. Still, I have my doubts.
The Wiimote, however, is sold with every system and is the only 'controller' available.
In answer to your second idea, probably, yeh. That, and you don't need teh graphix to make a scary game. First person adventure/survival horrors can be done pretty awesomely with a small budget, wiimote or not. Dark Fall for the PC being a prime example of a 2003 game that ran on 1995 hardware and was pretty sweet.
It might work for a really amazing horror game though. But the low sales of every edition of Time Crisis packaged with a gun speaks, sadly, otherwise. :(
I think the Wii is the ideal place for Horror games like this, the wiimote is a perfect flashlight or camera thing.
The trick is building a game around it, I haven't played JU-ON so I can't say....but if a developer is willing to get in all the nooks and crannies that the Wii is capable of. They can make some REALLY horror games.
However with Natal and the Sony wand on the horizon...
"Waggle is the act of waving or shaking a controller randomly and with no real direction or pattern... however, it's sometimes used to describe motion controls in general."
@spinning_piledriver: From what i've seen, its not. It's a first person adventure of some sort. Seem to focus on collecting clues and flashlight batteries.
Almost silent hill like, in that you see a ton of general creepiness combined with jump-style scares.
09/21/09
Until it's ported to the wand and Natal with flashlight accessory, and sold cheaper than the Wii version on PSN and XBLA...
09/21/09
You don't hear people raving about the graphics of Silent Hill or Resident Hill (more the music, from some video I saw recently).
09/21/09
Yahtzee even points out that SH (2, I think) -benefitted- from low-end graphics. It forced them to include a terrifing fog to hide the low draw-distance.
It's too straightforward thinking like this (it's too low-powered, I -can't- do anything cool with it!) on the part of the developers that's caused the Wii to suck, not lack of technical prowess.
09/21/09
If SH2 had a better voice acting team, better VA director, and 360 / PS3 level visuals, it would be heaven...
Or... something...
09/21/09
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Dead Space isn't even remotely scary...
Bratz: Rock Angels makes all these games look like Peggle. I dare you to play it!
09/21/09
09/21/09
if you really think about it, Nintendo has always been a step ahead. it may not be technology wise, but for the gaming industry to evolve and to expand the gamers.
09/21/09
09/21/09
Graphics can be important, but if the game is truly scary, the appearance won't be much of an issue.
09/21/09
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09/21/09
All of this said, I do contradict myself, because I am really looking forward to Shattered Memories.
09/21/09
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09/21/09
I do agree with the graphics statement. That said Dead Space is not survival horror. It's an action game with a horror setting like Doom 3. I mean there are checkpoints at the start of every room!! Suvival horror games let you save infrequently and try to discourage you from saving. That way there is a real risk and fear of dieing. Dead Space would have been great if you could disable the checkpoints and just play with the save points instead
09/21/09
While the original RE is amazing, the REmake is scareyer and more immersive due to the higher quality graphics and far better voice acting (and, thank god, mainly intact control scheme)
09/21/09
I was once a fearful child who couldn't play it. I have since evolved and am no longer afraid of the dark... Well, wasn't until Silent Hill 2, which I didn't play until this year, so the graphics were far from top of the line. That's why I used it in my argument.
09/21/09
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09/21/09
Sound is what made Dead Space such an excellent horror game.
09/21/09
09/21/09
I couldn't imagine this game being replicated on another console right now (maybe the PS3 with the Sony Wand thingy), there's just a different feeling playing with a controller than there is playing with a remote where your movements are basically replicated on screen.
09/21/09
Thanks for the positive impression. It actually makes me interested in this game.
09/21/09
Kind of contradictory, but whatever. I'm looking forward to this game and any good word about it only helps my anticipation grow.
09/21/09
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And arent they saying this just cause the Wiimote acts like a spiritual successor to a flashlight?
09/21/09
Ixnay on the Sony Motion Wand. Its an additional piece of hardware that needs to be purchased, thus limiting the amount of software that will be developed for it, thus limiting its success. Its kinda doomed to fail before its even out the door.
Natal shows a bit more promise, but only because Microsoft generally knows how to throw money at a problem until it isn't a problem anymore. Still, I have my doubts.
The Wiimote, however, is sold with every system and is the only 'controller' available.
In answer to your second idea, probably, yeh. That, and you don't need teh graphix to make a scary game. First person adventure/survival horrors can be done pretty awesomely with a small budget, wiimote or not. Dark Fall for the PC being a prime example of a 2003 game that ran on 1995 hardware and was pretty sweet.
09/21/09
What if software and hardware were packaged together a la Rock Band?
09/21/09
I present the Eyetoy and *insert software here*
It might work for a really amazing horror game though. But the low sales of every edition of Time Crisis packaged with a gun speaks, sadly, otherwise. :(
09/21/09
09/21/09
The trick is building a game around it, I haven't played JU-ON so I can't say....but if a developer is willing to get in all the nooks and crannies that the Wii is capable of. They can make some REALLY horror games.
However with Natal and the Sony wand on the horizon...
We'll just have to see...
09/21/09
OMG! Kirie + Shibito + Sony Motion Wand = Ultimate Survival Horror!
:D
09/21/09
09/21/09
:|
[www.giantbomb.com]
"Waggle is the act of waving or shaking a controller randomly and with no real direction or pattern... however, it's sometimes used to describe motion controls in general."
09/21/09
09/21/09
Almost silent hill like, in that you see a ton of general creepiness combined with jump-style scares.
07/06/09