Whether it’s a late night of partying in polyester costumes, traversing the area’s haunted houses or even binging on classic horror films, everyone has their own traditions to fulfill their holiday fright. While some go out for thrills, others stay inside and resign themselves to the virtual worlds of survival horror video games. Video games are often an overlooked source of horror and suspense because, in the past, they weren’t as accessible and immersive. Today, the games look so realistic with updated graphics and mechanics that the entire experience feels very much like watching a horror movie that you control.
In August, the PlayStation store released a free demo for a new horror game, “P.T.,” that was supposedly from a nonexistent game company. Intrigued, gamers entered the world of “P.T.” knowing very little of what the game was about. Those brave enough to reach the end of the demo discovered that “P.T.” stood for “Playable Teaser” to “Silent Hills,” the new Silent Hill game led by directors Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro.
Not only does “P.T.” look startlingly realistic, it also plays out in a way that mimics actual human movement. Your character doesn’t run and turning the camera moves like turning one’s head. This helps add realism to the game’s fluidity. When you hear a noise behind you, having to slowly turn your camera builds up suspense. You don’t have a weapon and there’s nowhere to hide. You control the anonymous main character as he or she traverses a single hallway over and over again. Each time you do, something is different and it’s up to you to find it and investigate.
The game moves on when you find the anomalies and focus on them, be a banging door or a fridge swinging violently from a ceiling. It’s a cruel mechanism, often requiring you to stare at the scariest thing in the room long enough to initiate the next thing. Like a horror movie, you have to keep watching because you have to know what happens next.
The scariest part about “P.T.” is that you have no idea what’s going on. All you know is that you aren’t alone in the house and that something horrible has happened within its walls. It’s a mystery puzzle game as much as it’s a survival horror psychological thriller. You’ll slowly make your way down the same hallway time after time, collecting little pieces of a photograph that you gradually put back together. If you listen to the radio, you’ll realize that it’s talking to you, warning you about the things in the house. Secret messages will appear on the wall and you always carry the unnerving suspicion that you’re being watched.
While the game is only a demo, it’s a full fledged gaming experience in its own right. You can speed through it in a half hour if you want to, but normal gameplay will take an hour or two. Watching someone play “P.T.” is like watching a really good horror movie, making the demo a great game to play in a group with friends. Whether you choose to proceed as a group, or go it alone, “P.T.” is not an experience that any horror lover should miss.
For those without access to a PS4, there are several other terrifying titles out right now. “Alien: Isolation” is a critically divisive survival horror that pits you as Amanda Ripley (daughter of the movie’s main character) as she searches the remains of the Nostromo, all the while avoiding detection of the Alien. “The Evil Within” is a well-received title that was recently released and marks the return of Shingi Mikami (“Resident Evil”) to the survival horror genre he helped father. While “P.T.” and “Alien: Isolation” are more survival games than action, “The Evil Within” gives the player access to a wide array of weapons, requiring the player to have a good sense of fight-or-flight. For mobile gamers, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” is a great way to take their horror to go. The game uses point and click as you play as the nighttime security guard at a pizzeria. The job of the player is to monitor the security cameras, and survive the night in a building full of malfunctioning animatronic robots.
Games have come a long way in the survival horror genre and, as such, are becoming more and more accessible to thrill seekers of different tastes. If you have the means, and the heart, consider taking your Halloween digital for this year’s scary season. You won’t regret it.