Written by Claire Gao 2022 Cohort
I am a big fan of horror movies; I started watching horror movies when I got into high school; before that, I loved reading fiction with horror elements, for example, Under the Midnight Sun (Keigo Higashino,1999), Confessions (Kanae Minato, 2008) and Full Dark, No Stars (Stephen Edwin King, 2010). However, if I have to compare, horror games are extremely hard for me; the experience of playing is different from watching movies, it feels like you are in control, and the surroundings become realistic.
Playing horror games gives audiences an immersive experience; you put yourself into the game world to explore it as the game designer created it, and you don’t know what will happen next; for example, Resident Evil 2 is a survival horror game and a remake of the 1998 game Resident Evil 2, although I haven’t played the original version, I heard that the new version of the game is more realistic. I played this game in 2019; at that time, I was very scared and even had nightmares. As part of the game, you do not know when the zombies will pounce; you must complete the main task while exploring because your weapons are scarce, and you will lose your lives.
Another outstanding horror game is Outlast. I was too afraid to play this game, but I accessed the game streamers and saw them play it on YouTube. Unlike other horror games, the main character does not have any means of attack. The only weapon is a DV camera with night vision, no gun, and no other defence options. The game designer allows players to deeply experience what is called a sense of powerlessness; to face this situation becomes a breathless experience.
On a different note, I have always felt like a third-person perspective when watching horror movies. I could predict what would happen next, and although the sound and atmosphere were realistic, I still think horror movies are less frightening than horror games.
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