Halloween 2022 - Notes On A Descent Into Horror

It’s spooky month and, more importantly, it's a month where I've had a very questionable idea. Last year for startmenu's Pumpkin Spice event, I wrote about how The House of The Dead was the perfect horror game for someone who, frankly, gets scared extremely easily. And if you are wondering why I wrote that piece, if you even mention the word  “clowns” there will be a Marie-shaped hole in the door. So, you may be asking “what is this terrible idea she’s had?”. Well, essentially I am going force myself to play at least 30 minutes to an hour of 4 different horror games (or games that are considered scary/spooky) currently featured on Game Pass and document exactly how badly it goes.  

Could I surprise myself with how brave I can be? Has my fear of the horror genre altered in the past year? Well, there’s only one way to find out. It’s time to grab a warm blanket, turn the lights off and prepare for one of the worst ideas I’ve ever had. Let’s go! 

Dead Space

First up is the 2008 survival horror classic, Dead Space. This is a game I have heard of and I’m aware it has jumpscares so before sitting down to play I made sure to make a mental note to not throw my controller. Also, thanks to the game’s opening titles, the next time I hear Twinkle Twinkle little star I am going to run in the opposite direction. I’ve set the game to easy because I am 98% sure I won’t make it past the fifteen-minute mark. Let’s find out:

I’m sure this will buff out, right?

• Oooh, a good ol’ fashioned cinematic introduction - look at that there are even credits too. I’m loving the nostalgia it’s giving.

• Wow, scam calls even happen in Space.

• Ooo that’s a lot of damage there.

• Ok people I know we just basically crashed a ship but we are in a horror game, let’s pick up the pace, shall we?

• Yeahhhh…I don’t want to go in there, can someone else sort the computer out? No? Fair.

• Of course, the computer is in the room that’s separated by a door and there are blood stains on the floor as if someone has been dragged through it.

• I’m all ears for a new plan everyone…

• No? Great, I guess I’m going in the room where something terrifying is bound to happen.

• What is it with spooky games and lights flickering? Get solar panels! Oh wait, we’re in space…get a backup generator

• [editor note: this is where the game's first jumpscare happened] NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE! 

• Ok, just going on a casual jog, nothing to see here, totally not scared, something is not chasing me, I’m totally not about to be torn to shreds…

• So I’ve acknowledged that something is chasing me and of course, the smart move is to go into a steel box with one entrance and one exit and wait like an entree in a microwave!!

• What was that? I want to know but also don’t want to know (the design of the monster was pretty cool though I have to admit that much) 

• …. Must I leave the safety of the elevator?

• That clunking sound was a yes! I’m moving!

• Annnd we’re in a room with a mauled corpse…

• Oooh, a plasma cutter.

• “Cut off their limbs” - Is that written in blood? That’s subtle…

• Alright, this aiming system is pretty cool, I’ve not played a game where I can switch between horizontal and vertical aiming - a very nice touch.

• Getting tips on how to defeat enemies before walking into a large empty room is not instilling me with confidence right now

• What was that banging?!

• Ok, it was a malfunctioning door, back to being scared now.

My thoughts came to an abrupt end because another jumpscare combined with the wind making something hit my window pushed me to my limit. Yes, snacks were dropped and words were said, we’ll leave it that. On a more positive note, I can definitely see why this game is so well-renowned and why so many people I know like it. It’s got good action, a tense atmosphere, and more jumpscares than I can handle.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

I didn’t even make it past the first five minutes of this game and was so terrified the entire time that I literally forgot to make any notes about it. My main thought was “I don’t like this, I don’t like this, I want to survive, and what was that?”. That is all that my brain could think of during those 5 minutes - I can see why Amnesia games are considered to be extremely good horror games. If you’ve managed to play through it, I commend you. 

Sitting here now though, I’ve had a few days to think about this game and, though it is absolutely terrifying, I also feel like the game’s reputation was one of the biggest factors in making me “nope-out “when it came time to play it. It’s a similar feeling I had when playing Dead Space, if I had gone in not knowing anything about the game, it still would have been scary but there was a sense of dread surrounding every little flicker of light or sudden noise. Also, if I had gone in knowing nothing, I am willing to bet I would have scared myself by accident a lot less if I hadn't thought I recognised upcoming scares from videos and screenshots. 

[editor’s note: I asked Marie for an image to use for Amnesia, they sent me this]

DEAD BY DAYLIGHT

Confession time: this game has been downloaded on my console for ages now. I decided I wanted to try it a few months back but I never got around to playing it. I don’t know too much about it, only that it’s meant to be a multiplayer horror game. With that in mind, let’s jump right in and see if being scared with other people makes it more bearable: 

• I can be a survivor or a Killer? That’s a nice touch, being able to become the scary thing rather than always running from said scary thing.

• In the interest of fairness to the other games, I’ll be a survivor (I hope)

• Hmm, which character should I be? Let’s go with Dwight, he looks harmless but he might have a few tricks up his sleeves..

• Oh, you can customise these soon-to-be-dead folks? Another fun touch.

• I’m going in, I apologise to all the other players in the lobby that look badass, I may let you down here.

• Oh ok so we have to repair generators while the killer hunts us? That sounds stressful.

• Creepy old tavern, a piano playing by itself and two dead bodies at a table. Just another day playing Horror games I suppose.

• Oh two of my teammates are hurt, I think, that must mean the killer is around here…

• I’ll try to help them

• I can’t help them.

• Hey look, a generator!

• AHHH! SCREAM FACE! 

• I’ve suddenly become acutely aware that I don’t know the controls!

• RUN RUN RUN AS FAST AS I CAN!

• Haha I lost you behind a hay bale. Some killer you ar–

• WHA!

• Aww no I got stuck on  a giant hook thing and decapitated by a…tree? I think. Either way I’m now dead, that was stressful but in a fun sort of way. I kind of want to do that again. 

• Let’s be Wiliam “Bill” Overbeck this time - his perks make him more powerful in dire moments. That should come in handy.

• “Garden of Joy” why does it feel like this place is not as happy as it sounds?

• Where is this humming coming from?

• Is that the huntress?!

• Nope. No, no way, no. With the glowing eyes? No thank you

• Time to run away again.

• Well, I’ll never wear a Rabbit mask again - there goes Easter.

• Kicking a pumpkin to get points, fun but probably a terrible idea as I can hear her getting closer.

• Time to explore the house, I wonder if a generator is in here.

• The singing is getting louder, no no no…

• Hey I can hide! 

• Ok the singing has stopped, that’s either good or really really bad (It turns out it’s good)

• Time to try to rescue a teammate, this is genuinely tense. Where are they?

• I’m coming, help is on the way!

• Whoo! I freed them!

• Too much happy, too much happy, I’ve been caught.

• Take that tree, you can’t kill me

• …

• The tree killed me.

Uhhhhh, Bill…. Need some pills?

Admittedly, those were my initial thoughts of the game. But having played it more over a few days I can say I genuinely really did enjoy it. It was scary, I wouldn’t say I found it as terrifying as Amnesia or Dead Space, but I liked how tense it was. It felt like that’s where most of my fear was originating from, the fact that I knew my whole team was being hunted and I had to always be on guard otherwise I might let them down too. Also, the occasional jumpscare from a skilled Killer really did get me (looking at you Scream Face). 

All in all, I would play this horror game again - which is way more of a commitment than I would be willing to give about any of these other games. In fact, it’s highly likely this will be my entertainment on Halloween!  

Alien: Isolation

Alien: Isolation is a game I’ve been curious about, because of how highly many people speak of it, not just as a horror game but as a game with complex, emergent mechanics. However, despite all the hype, I  never really pushed myself to play the non-cannon sequel to the first two movies. Admittedly, I’ve never seen those movies but I always did find the design of Xenomorph’s really cool, so I was somewhat excited to try the extreme version of a hide-and-seek simulator. First of all, I have no shame in saying I put this on novice mode. If I’m going to scare myself silly, then there is no way I’ll be able to concentrate on gameplay properly. Now, here are my notes: 

• I miss the in-game soundtrack of Dead Space, all this ominous beeping is eerie. 

• Hello other people, I wonder how long you will last…

• Whoa, this is a huge ship and it looks like it could have been awesome to stay on (minus the Alien infestation).

• This ship has definitely been through it though, look at the mess everywhere. You would think folks would tidy up.

• At least this creepy hallway is brightly lit, I can deal with the silence if it’s not dark.

• [Editor's note: yes, of course, the lights go out here]

• Lights come back! Lights come back! Lights!

• OK, fire is good! [Editor’s note: is it? Author’s note: Yep, I was happy to have any light]

• John McClain spent ages in a ventilation shaft and survived his film, I can make it through here.

• I feel really exposed with no weapons so far, I’m searching every big empty room for anything and yet I have nothing. 

• This game kind of makes you feel utterly powerless against the Xenomorph that you know is following you (I know you’re there, I can hear the movements!)

• Haha I have a flare now!

• “Keep moving” - y’know, I’m not sure I want to. 

• No, my flare!

• I’m sure I can hear something moving around following me through this area

• It feels like knowing that I’m being hunted by the Alien is scarier than seeing it. [Editor's note: we'll see about that…]

• I think I just saw the Alien run across in front of me but it was too fast to tell and the lights flickered. Either way, could we not repeat that?

• Is this a big empty…canteen? I think? It’s a nice view of space, at least.

• Why am I suddenly reminded of the ship from Wall-E?

• How can saving a game be stressful?! [Editor’s note: oh, I have bad news about the survival horror genre]

• Oh hey, another person, "Hi Axel!"

• Wait, you’re being super helpful…this doesn’t bode well for your survival.

• There are human enemies too?

• Hehe, time to turn off the generator and sneak through the vent to get past a group of enemies.

• Ta-da Axel, how was that for stealth?

• Wait, why is there goo coming from the ceiling? 

• Please be ectoplasm from Ghostbusters.

• Please be Slimer

• Please be Slimer

• …..NOPE IT’S THE ALIEN

• Aww Axel noo! C’mon I was just starting to enjoy not being on my own in a big ship in the middle of space with clearly a very dangerous and big Xenomorph following me around like I’m meals on wheels.

• Running sounds good right about now and luckily, there’s a door!

• I take it back about music, the beeping was better, bring back the beeps!

• I can hear the scratching in the ceiling…

• “Hold to hide” - I’m not sure I like where this is going

• I am the locker, the locker is me, nothing to see here.

• Let me in! Let me in! Let me in! Let me in!

• Ok, nothing is hunting me in here, we’re good.

• Let me out! Let me out! Let me out!

Ahhhhhh, lets just never leave here…

Overall, I did last well over an hour with Alien and I did end up enjoying it. It’s a game that isn’t clearly isn’t focused on just jumpscares (although there were some), and was way more about building tension until you ended up scaring yourself. You know you need to survive, you know you’re being hunted, and as a result each little obstacle makes you curse under your breath and question if this will be it for you. 

Side note: I’ve continued to play it all month!

So, that’s it for my Halloween hijinks for this year and I have to say I think I’m starting to enjoy horror games. I’m definitely not at the stage where I can play these games without being terrified, and Amnesia is one that I am NOT going back to any time soon. However, I’ve continued to play Alien: Isolation over the last month and, even though it was scary, I really do want to go back to play Dead Space. Just maybe not at night, in the dark, by myself, with headphones on. The big question that now remains is, am I ready to play Silent Hill?

No.