Survival Horror

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

So, I have to admit, I wasn't really all that into this genre of games before this generation. That isn't to say that I wasn't interested in any games in the genre before, but that I just hadn't really gotten around to playing any. I'm still not that experienced with these types of games, but I have been getting into different horror themed games, though to be honest none of them mentally scare me when I play them despite the best efforts. The best ones, though, can build up a creepy atmosphere that can make for a successful jump scare every now and then.

The most popular games from this genre are obviously the Resident Evil games (at least before 4), and while I haven't ever played one from start to finish, I have played bits and pieces of them and have watched friends play them and they are pretty good at setting up an effectively creepy atmosphere, but at the same time some of the bosses or other enemy types can border on ridiculous to the point of taking out any potential scare-factor just on the grounds of those kinds of things alone making me take the games less seriously.

I played Alan Wake not too long back and really enjoyed it. I haven't played that much of any Silent Hill games, but what I did play of the original Silent Hill did scare the crap out of me back in the day.

My current game is Dead Space, and I'm really enjoying it, and that has a lot to do with how well they built up the atmosphere in this game. It reminds me a lot of movies like Alien and The Thing, among other obvious influences to this game's design, and I really love how well the brilliant sound effects complement the design of the entire space station. The game also reminds me quite a bit of BioShock with its whole style of level design, and just the feeling of exploring a large colony that's not on land, except instead of underwater its in space. Overall its a really interesting experience, so far.

I've been meaning to play other horror themed games, from Survival Horror games to other games that are just plain horror, like Fatal Frame, or other games in which you don't even really get conventional weapons and such to blast enemies apart and just have to rely on being able to avoid anything that can rip you limb from limb or even just creep the fuck out of you. I'm open to any suggestions provided that I can actually access them on something that I own, which I realize makes for quite limited options.

[Spark Of Spirit]

It was Deadly Premonition that got me interested in the genre. That game engrossed me from start to finish, and I've been meaning to get into more games in the genre.

It's too bad that this gen is apparently a really rough one on the genre, and that good games are few and far between, because it just recently clicked for me at why these games are good.

[Eddy]

If you're looking for some good horror based games I can offer some recommendations.

Resident Evil (GC) - The remake of the original Resident Evil is, in my opinion, the best RE game to date. Yes, I like it even more than RE4. The atmosphere of the game was perfect and the graphics still hold up today.
Silent Hill 2 (PS2) - Though I find it kind of overrated, Silent Hill 2 tells a great character driven story.
Silent Hill 3 (PS2) - My personal favorite game in the Silent Hill franchise. It's a direct sequel to the first Silent Hill, but you don't HAVE to have played the original to enjoy it (I didn't play the original until I got a PS3). Amazing graphics and a really creepy atmosphere.
Silent Hill 4: The Room (PS2) - The black sheep of the Silent Hill franchise. SH4 does a lot of things wrong and it's my least favorite of the Silent Hill franchise but it still tells a pretty interesting story and is worth playing once.
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (Wii) - It's really not all that scary but this is an amazing game. My second favorite Silent Hill game, just after SH3.
Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly (PS2) - Hands down, the scariest game I've ever played.
Dead Space/Dead Space 2 (360/PS3) - This is the level of horror RE4/RE5 should have been. The scares do eventually get predictable, but the first half of the game really does keep you on your toes. Great atmosphere. The scariest parts of the game is when nothing is happening.

The original Silent Hill and Resident Evil, both available on the PlayStation Store, are worth checking out if you want to see where each series got its start. But I can't say they've aged very well.

[Foggle]

Silent Hill 2 has an excellent story, but the scare factor is fairly entry-level. I agree with you that 3 is by far the franchise's best; it's the only one that managed to creep me out.

The original Silent Hill is fine for the most part. The original Resident Evil, on the other hand...

Fatal Frame 2-4 are the most intense horror games ever made, IMO. Scary as hell from beginning to end; so much so that I legitimately have a hard time playing them alone. The first one is also good, but the cheesy dubbing kinda' ruins it at times.

The first two Penumbra games are also terrifying, though the third one is trash. Not as scary as Fatal Frame, but damn close. The dog at the beginning of Overture is one of the greatest shit-your-pants moments in gaming. On that note, Amnesia is damn scary, as well. That game will fuck with your head like no other -- except for Eternal Darkness, which actually produces amazing meta-scares.

Seriously, you can't go wrong with any of those games.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I stopped playing Dead Space about a month ago. Its not even that I got tired of it or anything, but IDK, I just don't feel compelled to keep going for some reason. I'll pick it up again soon and try to finish it, one of these days, and I'm sure that I can get back into it, but maybe this is the type of game that's better suited to be a bit shorter than it is. I suppose after a while I get used to the atmosphere, and then the scares become predictable, and then it just turns into another corridor shooters. A decent one, at that, but it still all begins to feel very standard to me.

[Eddy]

I actually have Fatal Frame 3, I just haven't gotten around to playing it yet. I also have Haunting Ground, another one I haven't gotten around to yet, but I've heard good things about it.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Well, I have a Dreamcast (and now a Saturn), so I'm hoping there are a lot of cheap horror games out there for the systems that I can try out (like D) before trying out the more popular ones (which seem to be way too pricey right now)..

Horror-wise, Condemned freaked the fuck out of me, and that's apparently tame stuff.

[Foggle]

Horror-wise, Condemned freaked the fuck out of me, and that's apparently tame stuff.

I'd say it's around the middle tier; on par with REmake, Doom 3, and Silent Hill 3. The bear part in 2 was HOLYFUCKOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD, though. Tame would be stuff like SH 2/Homecoming, F.E.A.R., Fear Effect, and Alan Wake, IMO.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Yeah, to be honest, Alan Wake isn't scary at all, and I never found any F.E.A.R. game to be scary, so it neither surprised nor bothered me in the least when I heard that the sequels weren't scary either. I'll be honest, I just play the F.E.A.R. games for the gameplay. I actually didn't pay too much attention to the story past the first game, honestly.

[Foggle]

Here's my scare factor tier list for all the horror games I've played extensively enough to form an opinion! Remember, this is all based on my personal experience. Your mileage may vary, etc.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

To be honest, I wasn't even aware that BioShock was considered to be a horror game. If it is, then I suppose I can obviously totally agree with it being not scary at all....but it was really part of the horror genre? I mean, the atmosphere was intentionally a tad bit creepy but I felt that they really didn't make it out to be a horror game at all.

As far as the first Dead Space goes, maybe its just me but I feel so far that its legitimately good with its scares so far, even if a good number of them are predictable. It also deserves more props for its legitimately creepy atmosphere and brilliant use of sound effects, so I'd honestly put it in the mid-tier category in terms of actually being scary, but to be fair, it may not be scary at all on replays once you know exactly what to expect, but then again I'd argue that that applies to almost all horror games out there to begin with, so going by what I can tell of the game on a first time playthrough, its pretty good at being scary.

[Foggle]

To be honest, I wasn't even aware that BioShock was considered to be a horror game. If it is, then I suppose I can obviously totally agree with it being not scary at all....but it was really part of the horror genre? I mean, the atmosphere was intentionally a tad bit creepy but I felt that they really didn't make it out to be a horror game at all.

Well, it's the spiritual successor to System Shock 2 (one of the scariest games of all time), and the atmosphere is pretty dark/creepy, so I just assumed it was part of the horror genre. Maybe it's not.

As far as the first Dead Space goes, maybe its just me but I feel so far that its legitimately good with its scares so far, even if a good number of them are predictable. It also deserves more props for its legitimately creepy atmosphere and brilliant use of sound effects, so I'd honestly put it in the mid-tier category in terms of actually being scary, but to be fair, it may not be scary at all on replays once you know exactly what to expect, but then again I'd argue that that applies to almost all horror games out there to begin with, so going by what I can tell of the game on a first time playthrough, its pretty good at being scary.

A lot of people would agree with you, but, honestly, the first Dead Space rarely fazed me. The sound design was great, as was the atmosphere, but it only made me jump a couple of times. I don't consider all the games in the lowest section to be completely un-scary, but if I only jumped or got creeped out a few times, it shouldn't be put in the middle section, IMO. A lot of people would probably put Dead Space 2 in the lowest section, but that one actually got to me quite a bit more than the first one did, hence my unusual ranking.

[Spark Of Spirit]

OH SHIT I DOWNLOADED THE SIREN DEMO FOR PS3 AND FOUND THE PS2 ONE CHEAP.

AM NOW SELLING 

[Foggle]

OH SHIT I DOWNLOADED THE SIREN DEMO FOR PS3 AND FOUND THE PS2 ONE CHEAP.

AM NOW SELLING 

I don't know, man, you should give it a go. Not everyone thinks the Siren games are absolutely terrifying (but I certainly do). Though it might be for the best if you sold the PS2 Siren; it's excellent and scary, yes, but it's also frustrating and tedious as all hell. The PS3 version is a lot more palatable, IMO.

[Eddy]

Oh, right, I forgot about the Condemned games! Those ones are good too. Condemned 1 is the better game. Condemned 2 has better gameplay, but the story just gets really silly and by the time you start screaming to make enemies heads explode (I'm serious) you can't really be all that scared of the game. Condemned 2 is still worth playing, mind you.

I actually own the Siren remake for the PS3 as well, which I had imported from Japan. I haven't gotten all that far in it, but the sightjacking thing can provide some good scares when you see yourself through the eyes of your enemies.

I don't think BioShock was ever meant to be a horror game, but the atmosphere was pretty spooky. It did manage to make me jump once or twice too.

And I agree with you Foggle, I actually find Dead Space 2 to be scarier than the first game. I found the scares less predictable and it was making me still jump well into the game. I still found Dead Space decently scary though, at least for the first half of the game.