Its 1996, you’re trapped in a mansion. You approach a dude who slowly turns his attention towards you. He has a mouth full of flesh. Hes chowing down on some man guts. (Your scared because you were a juvenile crybaby when you saw this scene but also because it was genuinely scary) This was the chilling introduction Capcom gave the public in their hit game, Resident Evil, now regarded as a survival horror classic but what has happened to this once mighty genre!?
Despite laughable acting, cheap voice over’s and clunky controls the game maintained the suspense of a horror film throughout. Its huge success spawned a series of sequels and prequels (not to mention films) as well as paving the way to other survival horror games such as Dino Crisis and Silent Hill (both released in 1999).
Now, in 2009 Capcom have decided to give the world their 21st Resident Evil title, ironically titled Resident Evil 5. Silent Hill has released its sixth title in Silent Hill: Homecoming and Dino Crisis is long gone. So who does the title of Survival Horror king go to this year? The answer, in my opinion is no one. Both games have diversified so radically from their original formula that they now sit snugly in the Action category of gaming.
Resident Evil 5 may pick up from the same history banks, but that is the only commonality it holds with its predecessors. You now constantly have a partner to hold your hand throughout, which reduces any chance of feeling isolated. An impressive assortment of guns and a large supply of ammo means you are always ready to engage any enemy in your way. Conveniently placed explosive barrels and mounted guns help make light work of bosses. The blistering heat of Africa is preferred to the chilling air of the night. All these factors help detract from what a survival horror game should be. Something else fans of the old may miss is the puzzles; the few that appear could be beaten by a five year old.
Despite these shortcomings, the game still plays well and looks fantastic. In an action game the addition of a co-op partner changes everything - so if you can accept the change in genre the game is well worth a look.
Silent Hill disappoints in terms of living up to the Survival Horror tag. You play as a soldier returning home to search for his brother. Prior games had a normal civilian as the protagonist, helping to intensify the bond between the player and the character. Now you are somebody who has experience handling guns and has sufficient training in combat. This makes for an action orientated game and removes suspense and tension from the title. Making the transition from horror to action is fine but the developers employ cheap tactics to try and maintain a sense of fear. The main problem being a torch which wouldn’t help you navigate your way out of a shoe box let alone one of the expansive dark sections featured in the game.
The Resident Evil and Silent Hill franchises are still going strong, but no longer have any appeal as Survival Horror games. Dino Crisis finished with its third game, largely because the third game was just plain awful. Fighting genetically engineered dinosaurs in space in the distant future was a bad design choice. The first two games had helped build a story following the main protagonist, Regina, and the third did not continue this.
So around 10 years ago the Survival Horror genre was saturated with engaging titles. In the present there is much greater potential to strike fear into gamers with the excellent graphics on offer but we are yet to see new generation titles achieve this. No game currently holds the title of Survival Horror king and there is a niche in the market which a smart developer needs to exploit. In the meantime if you are looking for a good survival horror game dust off one of the old consoles and play Resident Evil 1-3, Dino Crisis 1-2 or Silent Hill 1-2. Read more!
Posts
