You know so many games now are trying to scare us: Dark Sector, Condemned 2 etc. etc. but they just don't pull it off. They throw Gothic overtures, gore and loud music at us but they don't seems to know what really scares the human brain.

The mind fears the unkown. Knowing something very dangerous is out there and knowing NOTHING about it, is scary. Once you start imparting information on what it is, you start limiting the possibilities, it will become less scary.

For example hearing a growl in the distance tells they player they're probably dealing with an animal, an animal is not so scary to someone with a big gun so now the fear factor has been limited.

But hearing a door in the distance is different, something that can use a door will be harder to fight than something that growls, it implies intelligence of some sort. You've still imparted information and limited possibilities, but you've limited them in a scary way by factoring out simple foes like snakes or dogs.

Bioshock used this mechanic, it's why the Splicers and Little Sisters are always talking to themselves and why the Big Daddies have such a loud thudding walk.

In a game setting it's even harder to scare people because when they're playing a game people are focused on the mechanics of the game less so than the setting. When a new foe appears the brain starts working on the game mechanic most effective to defeat it. Whether it's a headless zombie with a chainsaw or a bunny wielding a daisy doesn't really matter, it's the game mechanic that the player is focused on.

I believe Thief was so successful at scaring people in part because the player was forced to consider the enemies in a different way. You no longer could to defeat them, you had to avoid them and that shift made you really think about what you were up against, how it behaved and what it's moves would be. It was no longer just something to shoot at.

I think this also partially explains the success of the Rainbow 6 games and the like (COD 4 etc. etc.). Humans are the primary foe in those games and humans are deadly, unpredictable and sometimes clever. That makes them scary, much scarier than an animal, mindless demon spawn or zombie that just wants to eat your brain.

So, yeah, I took that a little far didn't I. All from the sound of a door closing in a game 16 years old. I'm obviously going to great lengths to avoid doing actual work this morning.

Zazu_Yen

I didn't know who the girls were either but one day we took to the PC into a shop for repair one day and showed the owner the game. As he walked around the levels, looking at the pics, he told us who they all were.

I never noticed the doorframe thing tho. Not sure if we had that.

Billkwando

Everybody was having a party in other building and I was sitting there in the complete darkness (forgot to turn the light on when there was still sun outside and was too afraid to get up later on) of the empty building and fighting Nazis.

I still can remember how scary the sound of doors closing behind me was - it meant something was out there, actually moving through the level, hunting for me. Hitler level almost made me shit my pants.

It was as close to virtual reality as it could get, just the screen, Nazis, me and my gun, lost in complete darkness.

Ah, fun times.

Barts

lucasreis

Lone-Gun

trogam

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

Anyways, great game, great memories.
Played it all the way on all difficulties.. and then Spear of Destiny.

mid files on my cellphone.

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

Monsignor

It was also pretty hard if I remember correctly, those Nazis were quick shots and you couldn't take much damage back then. B.J. Blazkowicz must have beefed up some in the intervening years.

Zazu_Yen

relic1980

@Highlander Wolf: What..the...that's bizarre. No I don't remember it, but it looks..odd. "Sauerkraut tastes awful". Was it a splendid game? Or a bad one?

TearsandScreams

*sigh* Nostalgia: 1, Me: 0.

Actraiser

[uk]

+ Watch video

Highlander Wolf

Well said luke, well said.

yashichi8bit

I want to play it again, even though I'll probably just get nightmares about MechaHitler all over again.

VioletArrows

iamspoo

Like going into COD4 multi-player and getting my ass kicked in a desperate attempt to prove I've still got some mad skilz.

Zazu_Yen

Not only that, but I also want to thank you for training me to be the cold blooded, mindless killer that you trained me to be. Although I have yet to harm anyone quite so gravely, I am told my Jack Thompson that I am a ticking timebomb because of all the hours I spent training on your murder simulator. He would know these things because he is a lawyer who was nearly dis barred completely for being nothing more than a retarded asshat. How can someone like that be wrong??

Mr.SithNinja

Gray665

Wolf 3D, Duke Nukum (yes, the first one was spelled Nukum), and the first two Warcrafts were the ones that were responsible for making me a PC gamer.

Pezdispenser

Return to castle Wolfenstein was superb, the multiplayer level in the beach was mind blowing.

I want another sequel.

dazyluz

Jesustron

Kempatsu

JustOneFix

WolFEnsTeiN68

The damned Nazi Chef lookin' dude that wielded a chain gun was one of the best mini-bosses of all time.

Derigor

KM91

vhd244

Happy Birthday, Herr Wolfenstien 3D!

PissedPS3Fan

I think "Links" was THE first.

rainofwalrus

enough to jump at return to castle wolfenstein.

related: the creepy scientist of the first level of RTCW saying, 'yees, yeeeees, yes, yeyeeees...' still a major part of my lexicon. yet to meet someone who has picked up on it.

mister_shhh

i would play this and Battlechess like crazy

this was the first contreversial game i played that my parents gave scuff about.

Dakobah

Xerxes 8933A

His must've been shareware too cos I never saw Hitler.

Billkwando

freakout

FelicioLostHorizonPT

Oh the memories! Almost as good as the one i remeber of the Wing Comander 1 entering title! With a Sound Blaster blasting away its music after the maestro tap his batuta! Omg so awsome!!

FelicioLostHorizonPT

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

* 286 Computer (386+ Strongly Recommended)
* 528k of conventional memory (2Mb total memory recommended)
* 3 meg of Hard Drive Space (for shareware)
* 8 meg of Hard Drive Space (for registered)

OPTIONALLY SUPPORTED

* Sound Blaster/Sound Blaster Pro or 100% compatible (with SB IRQ of 7 or less)
* Adlib
* Joystick
* Mouse
* Gravis Gamepad
* Disney Sound Source

---

...what is a Disney Sound Source?

SenorKaffee

XavieraGoat

Tei

ratof13

Salen

FlashIV

The thing I remember the most are the changing expressions on the face.

Reetesh

@Xiedo: I too played it without sound, as turning it on would make the game run too fast! Still, it gave me the priceless moment years later when I played it with sound and realised enemies shout things like 'Hotdog' at you.

BearBoy

In fact, killing Hitler was IN back then.

MrPerson

frostcircus

XidZen

I remember playing DOOM on my first Pentium with 8 Mbyte RAM - that was a lot of memory back then.

*checks task manager*
I could still run the task manager with 8 Mbyte RAM. XD

SenorKaffee

frostcircus

CockroachMan

Two more years? What kind of repressed country do you live in where the legal age of sex is 18??? Talk about human rights abuses.

Astos Green lasers rulz

Astos

Monsignor

The first and last game about killin' Hitler...

Sabre_Justice: Okay, no more long name.

1. When it first came out, I was nine years old, and was so grossed out by Hitler's death sequence that I had the entirety of Episode 3 made off-limits. I think I was thirteen or fourteen before that embargo was lifted.

2. Again when it first came out, I was a real little shit in school. When my parents sent me to see a psychologist, I lied that the game had caused me to start hallucinating Brownshirts and to be terrified of German Shepherds. This is odd, because it resulted in the (short-lived) household banning of a game that I loved, and was a claim with absolutely no basis in any kind of reality.

I'd actually forgotten about that second one until my Mum reminded me of it a few months ago. She was rather shocked when I told her it was completely made up.

frostcircus

cheeseboybeans

Wow, I actually remember playing the original Castle Wolfenstein on the Commodore 64 (Long before ID Software took it over). That was early 80's. That makes me feel super old.

[en.wikipedia.org]

Monsignor

Eltigro

Also the computer I played it on had porn and was my first time seeing that! Now I realize that man was not oddly urinating on that.. nevermind but it was weird cause it was like an animated gif where you clicked to "shoot" or speed up. Anyway, TMI.

wolfeditor

FlashIV

deathsyth8888

Dannon

SpadeAce

deathsyth8888

16 years on, and we've still only had one true successor to the game: the first Soldier of Fortune. Other than that, the sheer scum-killing carnage has remained completely unequaled. A shame.

frostcircus

MadMinstrel

Xiedo

thePhildown

Itami

Shiryu

beefsack

Morpork

seriuously though wierd to see how far games have come =]

yay

hk458

@The_nub_next_door: In Japan, it was legal two years ago.

God damn it, Japan.

Atheist Jew

Real games.

As much as I still love gaming, everything's so complicated now (and I guess that whenever something simple comes around I just complain about how too easy it is).

Masatomo

Definitely. And his descendant is none other than Commander Keen, so they could tag team his ass and feed him to the Dopefish. :D

ShaggE

I can still hear the opening MIDI music in my head.

I was one of few PC programmers in a company full of Mac gurus back then and I distinctly remember them gathering around quietly to watch me play.

"How do you think they're doing it?" I asked one of the bearded, faded tie-dye wearing fellows.

He chuckled somewhat morosely and answered, "They sold their souls to the devil."

I loved me some Duke Nukem, but B.J. Blazkowicz could wipe him out (not to mention ship a game eventually).

Zazu_Yen

iamspoo

ShaggE

Dreadfish

....you mean you havent had sex with your wolfenstien yet?

Faradin

clintonskneecap

awesome comment!

Kamizzle

The_nub_next_door

I have nothing but fond memories of this game

*wipes solitary tear away from eye*

Dannon