Never really thought about this topic or picked up on it but I can see what your saying. It was definitely a time where change happened. I think horror games got redefined, which you note here as they cross mainly with action. Same as in music, genres started really mixing a lot. We got post rock melding with black metal, death metal and black metal further mixing, death metal and hardcore mixing. Then in both cases we have ended up with those "new" genres but also a return to a more classic formula. PS3 gave us Last of Us and Dead Space. Very much pulling from action trends, but rooted firmly in horror in atmosphere and in storytelling. It elevated horror beyond shock and gore and took it to a cerebral level. Modern generations run with this now and have given us some great experiences while also giving is some throwbacks like Remothered and Tormented Souls.
good vid! Bioshock 1 is one that i would count those splicers can be pretty damn creepy especially when your in the dark and they are rambling to themselves like a tweeker!
You ate with this one! I think that the PS3 had a lot of games that tried to rip off the action/horror hybrid because of how popular some of the games were, but ultimately they made really terrible pseudo horror games like that horrific Dino Crisis PS3 game. That said, Siren Blood Curse is really interesting because it's simultaneously a reimagining (not remake) of the original Siren game as well as a dual genre of horror and satire which is almost never done. It was released as a satire of the trend at the time with originally Japanese movies having new films made specifically to appeal to Western audiences (Juon and the Grudge) but often being lower quality and kind of dumbed down. That said, a huge issue I have with gamers as a whole is that they seem to be pretty dense when it comes to satire or camp in games, like Blood Curse was MADE to be bad, it's making fun of something, but players and reviewers seem to not really get that and take every aspect of the game DEAD serious. Also, you mention that Nintendo didn't have a huge foothold in horror but that isn't really from a lack of trying. Nintendo at that time was still marketed as being strictly family friendly with an emphasis on kids' games and they would heavily censor their eShop with the exception of already successful games. But even with the stand outs, they really struggled when they were on the 3ds, like you mentioned, Revelations is honestly a masterpiece, but it was seriously hampered by being a 3ds exclusive at the time. Meanwhile, the nonary series only picked up traction after being ported and the radically popular corpse party saw little success when it was released on the 3ds. Even in the generation prior, the DS had plenty of now acclaimed horror games like Dear Emile and Dementium, but these are super niche because they were targeting a tiny demographic of owners of a primarily children's console. I think that Nintendo just didn't have the demographic to make mainstream horror on their consoles and were more comfortable opening their consoles to series that had already proved their worth like Silent Hill and Resident Evil.
There are so many horror adjacent games on the PS3 that use a horror aesthetic, or ideas, and make them action. I don't think horror game died at all 🤷
i totally see that perspective! that’s absolutely true, so i guess this video is more from a “pure horror game”’perspective, like, the goal to scare people being the primary goal of the game isn’t really present in this generation from what i can tell
A big part of what brought horror games back into the mainstream with the rise of lets plays on youtube and later streams on twitch, Games like Amnesia or Five Nights at Freddy's were really boosted by youtubers trying to scare themselves for views. That's how games like Outlast and countless mascot horror games came into existence and it likely helped push horror games back into triple A spaces.
Sup bud! I think the problem with classic Horror titles was that it became horror action games, and jump scares became plentiful. Rarely have i played a game that literally creeped me out with just the environment and made me jumpy. Great vid as always man!
You raise a really interesting point! There's been a pretty obvious decline. I primarily only play survival horror and didn't even bother getting a PS3
Great video. To me horror media in general isn't dead, is just niched. Stephen king's books may be an exception, the rest of horror media it's always strugling to break even, games specially. The Blair Witch Project movie and the Dead Space 1 and 2 are the greatest horror experiences I've ever had and they did not made great amounts of money, as oppose to action media that sells twice as much and I get why that is the case, I can jump from action game to action game easily, but when I finish an horror game I need a time before playing another one, kinda wears you down playing this genre back to back.
i LOVE bioshock :D the indie community gets good horror games occasionally. to name some In sound mind crow country Echoes of the living The dark inside me (18+) fear the dark unknown Maid of sker Song of horror Those who remain Tormented Souls
i also love bioshock, i really do. i just wish it was less of an action packed first person shooter. I want to spend less time mowing down endless enemies. if bioshock was more horror based, with less often and more intentional enemy encounters, it would be one of my favorite games of all time.
PS3 has some good stuff, but there are definitely fewer 'pure' horror experiences. Also, it would seem to me that this is the era where far fewer experimental Japanese exclusives were released; this trend has been the same ever since. I can't even think of any PS3 JP exclusive horror games off the top of my head, whereas on PS1/PS2 there were quite a few of them. Perhaps it's due to development costs or difficulty - the entry barrier being much higher - but it looks like this is going to continue.
I feel like the wii is overlooked as a decent console for horror in the 7th gen. Youve got flawed but scrappy games like cursed mountain. Lightgun horror thrived with umbrella chonicles, dead space extraction and house of the dead, and the wii versions of RE4 and Shattered memories are some of the best ways to play those games!
I'm not sure that the PS3 being a piece of shit to program for had much to do with it. I think every game you mentioned was multi platform, often with the 360 being the lead console (Siren aside.) Every other genre also had to contend with the PS3 being terrible as well.
Never really thought about this topic or picked up on it but I can see what your saying.
It was definitely a time where change happened. I think horror games got redefined, which you note here as they cross mainly with action. Same as in music, genres started really mixing a lot. We got post rock melding with black metal, death metal and black metal further mixing, death metal and hardcore mixing. Then in both cases we have ended up with those "new" genres but also a return to a more classic formula.
PS3 gave us Last of Us and Dead Space. Very much pulling from action trends, but rooted firmly in horror in atmosphere and in storytelling. It elevated horror beyond shock and gore and took it to a cerebral level. Modern generations run with this now and have given us some great experiences while also giving is some throwbacks like Remothered and Tormented Souls.
You're stylish, hilarious, and insightful as heck dude! Great video! 😺
good vid! Bioshock 1 is one that i would count those splicers can be pretty damn creepy especially when your in the dark and they are rambling to themselves like a tweeker!
You ate with this one! I think that the PS3 had a lot of games that tried to rip off the action/horror hybrid because of how popular some of the games were, but ultimately they made really terrible pseudo horror games like that horrific Dino Crisis PS3 game. That said, Siren Blood Curse is really interesting because it's simultaneously a reimagining (not remake) of the original Siren game as well as a dual genre of horror and satire which is almost never done. It was released as a satire of the trend at the time with originally Japanese movies having new films made specifically to appeal to Western audiences (Juon and the Grudge) but often being lower quality and kind of dumbed down. That said, a huge issue I have with gamers as a whole is that they seem to be pretty dense when it comes to satire or camp in games, like Blood Curse was MADE to be bad, it's making fun of something, but players and reviewers seem to not really get that and take every aspect of the game DEAD serious.
Also, you mention that Nintendo didn't have a huge foothold in horror but that isn't really from a lack of trying. Nintendo at that time was still marketed as being strictly family friendly with an emphasis on kids' games and they would heavily censor their eShop with the exception of already successful games. But even with the stand outs, they really struggled when they were on the 3ds, like you mentioned, Revelations is honestly a masterpiece, but it was seriously hampered by being a 3ds exclusive at the time. Meanwhile, the nonary series only picked up traction after being ported and the radically popular corpse party saw little success when it was released on the 3ds. Even in the generation prior, the DS had plenty of now acclaimed horror games like Dear Emile and Dementium, but these are super niche because they were targeting a tiny demographic of owners of a primarily children's console. I think that Nintendo just didn't have the demographic to make mainstream horror on their consoles and were more comfortable opening their consoles to series that had already proved their worth like Silent Hill and Resident Evil.
Which Dino Crisis PS3 game? The last one I remember was on the OG Xbox.
@@badtzmzo Yes! I was thinking of that one, thank you.
@@catsbagels you're a true weirdo
There are so many horror adjacent games on the PS3 that use a horror aesthetic, or ideas, and make them action. I don't think horror game died at all 🤷
i totally see that perspective! that’s absolutely true, so i guess this video is more from a “pure horror game”’perspective, like, the goal to scare people being the primary goal of the game isn’t really present in this generation from what i can tell
A big part of what brought horror games back into the mainstream with the rise of lets plays on youtube and later streams on twitch, Games like Amnesia or Five Nights at Freddy's were really boosted by youtubers trying to scare themselves for views. That's how games like Outlast and countless mascot horror games came into existence and it likely helped push horror games back into triple A spaces.
Sup bud! I think the problem with classic Horror titles was that it became horror action games, and jump scares became plentiful. Rarely have i played a game that literally creeped me out with just the environment and made me jumpy.
Great vid as always man!
Undeath flag goes insaaaaane. Those are the localish boys that band rules
You raise a really interesting point! There's been a pretty obvious decline. I primarily only play survival horror and didn't even bother getting a PS3
Resident evil 6 was my favourite game😢
Great video. To me horror media in general isn't dead, is just niched. Stephen king's books may be an exception, the rest of horror media it's always strugling to break even, games specially. The Blair Witch Project movie and the Dead Space 1 and 2 are the greatest horror experiences I've ever had and they did not made great amounts of money, as oppose to action media that sells twice as much and I get why that is the case, I can jump from action game to action game easily, but when I finish an horror game I need a time before playing another one, kinda wears you down playing this genre back to back.
Best ps1 exclusive survival horror is and will always b Shadow Tower, remove the exclusivity then we got a HUGE debate on r hands lol
i LOVE bioshock :D
the indie community gets good horror games occasionally. to name some
In sound mind
crow country
Echoes of the living
The dark inside me (18+)
fear the dark unknown
Maid of sker
Song of horror
Those who remain
Tormented Souls
i also love bioshock, i really do. i just wish it was less of an action packed first person shooter. I want to spend less time mowing down endless enemies. if bioshock was more horror based, with less often and more intentional enemy encounters, it would be one of my favorite games of all time.
What are those two games around 27:40 and 28:00?
PS3 has some good stuff, but there are definitely fewer 'pure' horror experiences. Also, it would seem to me that this is the era where far fewer experimental Japanese exclusives were released; this trend has been the same ever since. I can't even think of any PS3 JP exclusive horror games off the top of my head, whereas on PS1/PS2 there were quite a few of them. Perhaps it's due to development costs or difficulty - the entry barrier being much higher - but it looks like this is going to continue.
I feel like I went to NCC with you lol 😂
I feel like the wii is overlooked as a decent console for horror in the 7th gen. Youve got flawed but scrappy games like cursed mountain. Lightgun horror thrived with umbrella chonicles, dead space extraction and house of the dead, and the wii versions of RE4 and Shattered memories are some of the best ways to play those games!
Also Fatal Frame 4!
I bet that there were Indie horror games for it. 😉🎮😈
horror in the 2010's, is in the pc, for better or for worse
I'm not sure that the PS3 being a piece of shit to program for had much to do with it. I think every game you mentioned was multi platform, often with the 360 being the lead console (Siren aside.) Every other genre also had to contend with the PS3 being terrible as well.
i never felt like horror left it just toned down a bit then P.T and re7 came in balls to the wall and the genre exploded in popularity again