GamerSpread

It is once again time to delve into #SpookySpread , and take a look at the horror genre. Today, I wanted to discuss my opinion on popular survival horror, Amnesia: the Dark Descent. Amnesia: the Dark Descent  We have discussed before that the distinction between light and dark is essential in horror video games, for a variety of reasons. If the scene is too well lit, and nothing is left to the imagination, you don't have to attempt to fill in the blanks, and wonder if you can trust your eyes. If it is too dark, then you miss vital pieces of information or setting, and the game becomes less scary, and infinitely more frustrating. Which is why it surprises me that there are some video games relying heavily on depriving the player of light, and even punishing you for it. I started playing one such game, Amnesia: the Dark Descent, recently, as I was promised it would be one of the most unsettling horror games I could play, and I got very excited by this. I was ready to be lost...

Horror games, much like other genres, are filled with various tropes. Things that are common, and that you would expect to see in a horror game. These things appear so frequently because they work for the genre. Sometimes tropes can get tired, but if handled well, even if you expect to see it at some point, it can still fill you with fear. I hope you are all ready for a fresh dose of terror, as we delve into our first Horror Trope 101 topic. Dolls. Everywhere... Even in horror movies, dolls are a very popular addition. Whether they are a main focus, or they're appear in the background to make you feel uncomfortable, seeing a doll in horror is not uncommon. Why is that? Why do dolls have so much of a profound impact on a person that they keep reappearing? Dolls have a very long history, and were perhaps one of the oldest toys available to children. Dolls did fulfil other purposes though, often representing a person. For example, when Egyptian pharoahs died, all of their ...

7 Days to Die. No, I am not talking about the Ring (though I could. All day. Seriously). 7 Days to Die is the name of a survival horror video game. And it is the topic of today's #SpookySpread . So let's dive right in and take a look at this survival horror, with an emphasis on survival. 7 Days to Die Official Art I am sure that most people reading this have heard of Minecraft, and many may even have played it at some point. Well, 7 Days to Die takes a lot of Minecraft's staple elements, and tweaks them to create a more mature setting. And of course, it adds some of its own disgustingly wonderful charm. Bloated zombies and all. The general essence of this game is to spend seven days preparing for the blood moon on the seventh night, which just drives the zombies crazy. And if you do a good job and survive this, you get to repeat the cycle over and over in the wasteland you once called home. How and what do you prepare though? Good question! A good first pri...

Hey everyone, Rebecka here. Every week I will be posting a variety of #SpookySpread content, from horror game reviews, opinions, background information, and discourse. Hopefully your time with me will cause  your veins run cold with fear, and encourage you to think on terror! Alright, lameness aside, let's take a look together at the ambience of horror games. What exactly do I mean by ambience? I mean the atmosphere. The setting that creates it, the lighting that shapes it, and the music and sound (or lack thereof) that fosters it. Characters are also exceptionally important in the creation of an effective horror game, but they really deserve a post of their own, don't you think? It would be safe to suggest that ambience is significant in horror games. There is nothing that ruins a creepy atmosphere more than strangely placed music, and an inability to properly see what is going on around you (horror movies are unfortunately guilty of this all the time, but we won'...