Ok, so Blogger has decided it doesn't like it when I log into Youtube at the same time. Oh well. Allow me to aimlessly brain dump on something that has been on my mind the last week or so. At least I'm barely in time for Halloween by 15 minutes. Aw ya, go me!
To be honest, I'm not a very brave person. I'm afraid of heights, uncomfortable around deep water, and absolutely petrified of doctors, hospitals, and many times of neurological drugs (no need to remind me of the irony of being a vet tech student and how I use needles and drugs all the time. I think there's something morbidly wrong there). There are also several social phobias, but best not to get into them. When I'm alone in the house at night and hear a creaking noise (this house is old by the way) I usually come down the stairs armed with a folding chair. However, I'm also not afraid of blood or gore in the least (being a chronic nose bleeder and...a girl). In fact, I find it fascinating. I like to feel the bones (particularly skulls) of creatures, and outside of the HORRIBLE smell of formaldehyde I'm usually ok to dissect cadavers. That being said, also as a vet tech student, we learn a fair amount about stress and fear (not only in finding out our CLP marks). It's part of the job since it not only affects the behaviour of an animal (ie cats, cats, CATS), but also their biology. It affects the workings of the organs, releases hormones, potentially alter the efficacy of drugs, and even affects white blood cell numbers almost instantly. However, my relationship with the horror genre is a rather shaky one. I tend to approach the idea of horror at a strange angle of someone who doesn't like to be scared but likes to look at the IDEAS behind being scared. It's pretty much hiding behind a thick sheet of glass and studying a monster.
Here is the scariest memory I've had from a game. Something that made me cringe and instantly jump away from the screen and ragequit the game when even getting at the thumbnail. I was 11 when this game was released, so it's not like I could blame it on being REALLY young. There is a game called 3D Dinosaur Adventure (oooo, scary). This was at a time when I would rather play a Magic School Bus game than Mario or Sonic, so people always sent me educational games. I got one called 3D Dinosaur Adventure, because dinosaurs are awesome *nods*. I remember it having a lot of cool games and facts, but what I remember most was a movie called "The Chase". It was about 2 minutes long and had a pair of Allosaurus chasing two other dinosaurs. At the end, one breaks off and tries to attack the camera and successfully swallows it. I actually JUST watched it for the first time in about 12 years.
Have we established how much of a wuss I am/was? Good. How the fuck did I get through Jurassic Park without flinching at the age of 6? Actually, I'm not afraid of it anymore, but whatever. It's not like I proved my bravery recently. I often get worked up in stealth missions in The Emperor's New Groove game too, just to throw it out there.
As someone who isn't a fan of horror movies or books, I think more about games. Games have the advantage of being an interactive medium, as opposed to movies and books. You contribute to the events you see and you have a more direct connection to the threats. That brings me to the 2010 hit, Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Most games that boast horror seem to be basically cut-paste from your typical shooters. Not to say a good horror game can't have a weapon (...in my mind at least) but monsters get a lot less scary when you can stick a BFG up their ass and call it a night. They don't seem to have a good impression of what makes things scary as opposed to "startling" and lacking in a lot of the psychology. Since I'm not a fan of the typical shooters and I don't play horror games, naturally I pass up the Dooms, recent Resident Evils, and Dead Spaces.
Soon after launch of Amnesia, a friend showed me the trailer for the game as well as some famous freakouts (like Youtuber Dildobitch, who's video you most likely saw if you remember the discovery of Milky Ways) and I found the game to look and feel intriguing. Not enough to play it, but enough to give respect. A year later (er, last week) I saw a stream that played through the game and even as a spectator to a rebroadcast I was wrapped up in the atmosphere and story elements. Seriously, days after watching it, Amnesia was still on my brain. I can't remember when a game I haven't played did this. How Frictional Games, an independant group, knew and showed what horror SHOULD be more than the triple-A companies who sink millions into their games. How they weaved elements of horror in not only the gameplay but the story and set-up. Other games like Eternal Darkness (WTF IT PRETENDS TO BLUE-SCREEN?) and Silent Hill 2 are also good examples, but they aren't up for $4 on Steam right now so let me gush.
To summarize, Amnesia is a first person survival horror game. You're a dude in an old castle about 150 years ago that gave himself amnesia with a potion. You only remember your name (by the way, it's Daniel), sparse bits of (mostly useless) history, and that you need to kill another dude in the castle's inner sanctum. His "past-self" littered diary entries (and a crapload of matches and oil jars 0-0), so as you slowly creep through the castle you get a better idea of what's going on and what kind of person you once were. Gameplay is mostly you having to travel through the dark rooms and hallways of the castle, solving puzzles and hiding from monsters. It's an interesting (despite somewhat cliche) premise and set-up, but that doesn't stop it from doing what it does best: scaring grown men shitless. From what I've seen and read from others, it's level of fear is somewhere between "bricks shat" and "crying in corner of the cafeteria at work/school days after playing". Even sitting back watching the stream I did feel genuinely scared. Sure I got spoiled for a lot of things, but it never stopped me from enjoying games before.
I could go into my ideas from looking at the game, but odds are if you already played the game you would know at least 90% of what I'm talking about (I tried this theory on that same friend that showed me Amnesia). Also, it doesn't seem right to do that without actually PLAYING a game based so much on the experience. Gotta put my money where my mouth is, right? Since it's $4, it could be worse. Going to be one hell of a ride when you're such a wuss. Send your good vibes, since it will be one hell of a night (yes, I'm so playing that bastard at night).
Oh, and I also bought Limbo. Gods help me, I'm going to get kabobed by a spider in my very near future.
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