The BEST horror game EVER.

That's right, this is the best horror game ever made, it's ALMOST perfect, I'll explain why almost in a bit. This game is great right from the start, it sets an outstanding atmosphere that last (sadly) untill almost the end of the it. The most remarkable feature of the game it's the sound, perfect, the whispers, the footsteps sounds, the thunders, the howling wind, along the game you can get scared, for real.
As for the graphics, nowadays kinda old, I must admit they're great for 2001, but after having played Quake 4, I couldn't help to notice the flat textures, and the polygonal characters, but as I want to emphacize this is a 2001 game.
The gameplay is really good, mostly due to the ability to blend Spells with weapons, wich gives a lot of versatility despise of counting with a limited ammount of weaponst throughout the game.
The story, ahh the story, alongside the great sound they make this game a Masterpiece, it has one of the best histories in a FPS ever, really immersive, but sadly it gets a little weird at the end (you know kinda like a Stephen King book), and that's the reason why this game it's Almost perfect, the weird final act in wich you fight against (........) haha not going to tell ya, if you wanna know play the game, I assure you that you won't regreat.

I'll second this!  Undying is the best horror FPS hands fucking down!

Videogames can't do horror and the fact that this game is an FPS in which you have weapons leads me to conclude that it is no exception to the afore-mentionned rule.

Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalVideogames can't do horror and the fact that this game is an FPS in which you have weapons leads me to conclude that it is no exception to the afore-mentionned rule.

Videogames can't do horror hah??
Could you please, be more specific and explain me why you believe that.

Good horror relies on a slow burn towards a single big reveal.  The best horror usually moves slowly and starts off by suggesting rather than showing.  Therein comes the tension.

Horror videogames, by comparisson show almost immediately and then rely upon the difficulty of combat to keep the tension flowing.

In other words, there are no horror videogames.  There are only thrillers that use horror-genre imagery.

The most you can hope for from a game is that they'll both to spend money on a decent score and actually put together a few jump scares before you're up to your nuts in monster... and jump scares are the lowest form of scare there is.

Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalGood horror relies on a slow burn towards a single big reveal.  The best horror usually moves slowly and starts off by suggesting rather than showing.  Therein comes the tension.

Horror videogames, by comparisson show almost immediately and then rely upon the difficulty of combat to keep the tension flowing.

In other words, there are no horror videogames.  There are only thrillers that use horror-genre imagery.

The most you can hope for from a game is that they'll both to spend money on a decent score and actually put together a few jump scares before you're up to your nuts in monster... and jump scares are the lowest form of scare there is.

For what you say it seems like you haven't played Clive Barkers Undying.
First of all let me say that I completely agree with you that what scares the most is not what you see, is what you CANT see, and thats the reason why Undying its so awesome, because it makes use of that element throughout the game, the creepy sound really creates a tense environment, well I said it on the review Im not going to repeat myself.
The point is that youre right about why MOST of the self proclaimed horror games arent scary at all, but youre WAY WRONG about Undying.

The only emotion that videogames do well is frustration.  Frustration at having to re-play the same level over and over again.

Videogame writers and designers don't really master any other kind of emotion.  However, as a rule they try and build tension by dangling the idea that you'll have to start over if you don't play skillfully enough.

The fact that this game is an FPS only makes me more suspicious because FPSs are ultimately about killing things.  Horror isn't about killing things... it's not even about action.

It's quite common for gamers to talk about Resident Evil or the likes of Silent Hill being "terrifying" but in truth what they generally mean is "inbetween the graphic violence there are a few jump-scares that work!".

I've never seen a horror game that came anywhere near working and this is because videogames aren't constructed to run horror... they're invariably constructed for action or thriller type things.

I haven't played this game but I would be astonished (especially as it's an FPS AND associated with Clive Barker who can't do horror either) if it broke the mold.  I'm sure it's creepy and has well designed monsters though... but that's not horror.

Quote from: Mr. Analytical... but that's not horror.

So what is Horror MR. Anylitical?
I recommend you go play Silent Hill alone in a dark room...
 
Lemme flip out my desk dictionary...
 
Horror
 
1. an overwhelming and painful feeling caused by something frightfully shocking, terrifying, or revolting; a shuddering fear: to shrink back from a mutilated corpse in horror.
2. anything that causes such a feeling: ex. killing, looting, and other horrors of war.
3. such a feeling as a quality or condition: ex. to have known the horror of slow starvation.
 
Plenty, plenty , plenty of videogames calssify as horror. From Resident Evil, with it's jump scares and increasing weidity. Even Doom 2 had me scared: entering a dark room, the door closes behind you and all you can hear are the pink demon grunts. You pull out the chaingun just so you can use it's constant muzzle flash auto-fire to see.
 
That area had me damn near panicked.
 
I agree, Undying does this very well, the sound completely makes for a tense atmosphere.
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That's a definition of the word "horror".  Not the genre.

Furthermore, dictionnaries only ever record how a word is used generally.  It doesn't really allow for technical definitions of words that are also in common useage.  I mean, that definition doesn't even mention books or films.

The horror genre, like the fantasy and sci-fi genre has a set of rules and principles that it has evolved over the years.  Partly these rules exist because they're incredibly effective, partly because people seek them out and partly because they're there to be broken and messed around with.

Videogames, by virtue of their length, their need to empower the player and the demands of their audience mean that most of the interesting genre characteristics of horror simply can't be catered to.  For example, the slow build to the grand reveal... people would be up in arms if a horror game expected you to chase around after noises for two thirds of the game's duration only for a monster to appear at the end.  Similarly the fact that horror games invariably involve fighting... again that's a trait that's more in common with the thriller genre than the horror genre.  It's like the difference between Alien and Aliens... Alien - Top notch horror, Aliens - Top notch action film using horror imagery.

Well Mr.Analytical you got a point there, and it seems quite a strong one, but the thing is that fighting zombies, mutants, etc, is not something seen in a lot of thrillers rather in horror films, I mean fuck sake, first time I watched Aliens I almost peed on my pants, if I were one of the marines I would have been in the brink of a nervous breakdown, no mather if I had a pulse rifle, a smart gun, or a freaking termonuclear device.
But again, Im completely agree with you in that suspense is far more horrofying than extreme combat action against horrible creatures.
But the main thing is that you're MISSING THE POINT here, Undying makes up for an incredible horror experience because it relies on the very same elements you're defending, rather the ones you're attacking.
And one more thing, if it scares you, then it is FUCKIN' HORROR, and Undying did scare the crap out of me.

Silent Hill games are creepy well the first 2, the 3rd was ok and the 4th sucked.

If you want true horror in a video game the closest I've ever come to playing is Fatal Frame.  That game is the best horror video game period.

I nearly shit my pants when those dogs in RE jumped through the window.
That was a but horror like.

yeah Silent Hill is creepiest of the ones I have played, though I have not touched undying yet.

Quote from: McrowI nearly shit my pants when those dogs in RE jumped through the window.

  I think that that's more of a reflection upon the state of your sphincter muscle than upon the horror content of the game

Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalI think that that's more of a reflection upon the state of your sphincter muscle than upon the horror content of the game

why does everything around here boil down to poop and sphincters?

Because I have an incredibly infantile sense of humour?