I know I'm not the only one who feels this way... I hope.

Survival horror games aren't what they used to be, and that fact annoys me. There's a continuing problem with this genre of games: they're not scary enough and sometimes they're just action/shooter games with a couple of zombies or monsters thrown in there for kicks. While I do like L4D, F.E.A.R, and other games like that, I miss the tension building and atmosphere that the original Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Fatal Frame series had.

For example, Resident Evil 5 wasn't scary at all. I was just shooting zombies (or Majini, for those of you who will pin-point me) left and right. Like, "Shoot there, hmm, oh, there's another one over there. It's all good, cuz my partner can help me out." I think the only enemies that "scared" me in the game were the crocodiles... and that's just crazy. Resident Evil 4 almost had the same issue with 5, but at least it had its scary moments. The Regenerators /Iron Maidens scared the crap out of me. However, it still felt more like an action game than anything else. I miss the old Resident Evil games.

This brings me to another series: Silent Hill. This is my favourite game series of all time. The original 4 Silent Hills had scary moments that made you feel terrified and genuinely scared; I can't even count how many times I paused the games because I was too scared to go any further. They were creepy. However, ever since Team Silent disbanded (the original Silent Hill developers), Silent Hill has lost that atmosphere that it once had. I don't want to sound biased, but I feel that the Western developers of the newer SH series don't know what they're doing. While the newer entries to the series aren't exactly terrible, they're not that great. Silent Hill Origins was kind of acceptable at the least, and while I haven't played Homecoming, most of my friends say that it's just too action-y... and that the story/plot could use some serious help. :\ (However, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Silent Hill: Shattered Memories... please let this be a good game!! X>__<X)

(Ahhh, rambling) I guess what really irritates me the most is that while Western-style action/horror games saw an increase in popularity, most video game reviewers and fans criticized the way Japanese developers handled their horror games. While Japanese developers tend to scare people psychologically, Western developers focus too much on the blood, gore and action in order to scare people. (I admit that the gore in L4D2 is pretty kick ass, but it's not scary). I want to be scared by the unknown, not bits of blood and meat chunks, or skin parts flying everywhere.

To me, survival horror is this: you're just a normal person with no combat experience whatsoever, using a plank, steel pipe, or a camera to defend yourself. You're trying to survive, and that's the scary part.

Done with my rambling, I guess. XD Discuss, people!!

Other things that are worthy of discussion: Fatal Frame IV on the Wii (and not releasing outside of Japan), horror games on the Wii (whyyyyy? Seriously, the demographics don't make sense), and Shattered Memories: trying to make a comeback?

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Yes, i do agree, Survival Horror has not had any real horror elements as of late. what happen to games like Resident Evil 2, where you might have known it was coming, but it scared the shit out of you none the less? I enjoyed RE4 when i played it, but was disappointed that the only time i ever even so much as flinched was when that chainsaw creep caught me off guard.

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I can't even remember the last time a game actually scared me, Silent Hill monsters make me laugh cos of how they look, the Resident Evil Series is now like any other shooter and i tried out Siren: Blood Curse only to find myself irritated by the gameplay.
Truth is, i've seen it all, the tense moments, the lack of ammunition situations and the shock moments, i think i'm just not phased anymore. This coming from a guy who was scared of crocodiles in Tomb Raider.
My point is that i don't think it's just the games getting less scary, i think it's our own experiences that play a role in it too. If you watch a shock moment such as the dogs bursting through the window in Resi 1 you get scared but if you watch it again you know it's coming and it's not as scary. Play a bunch of games with similar approaches and you won't be surprised and you won't be scared, you know it's coming and that's the problem.
Developers need to find new ways of scaring the experienced survival horror gamers as nothing will truly scare them anymore, even horror films have taken this route with me. I feel unphased by 'horror' films now because you can tell when the film is going to try to surprise you.
I think what gives a horror game it's edge is originality, if you have never played a survival horror game in it's respective series you don't know what to expect and so you can't prepare yourself for a scare. Resi 1, the first Silent Hill, Condemned, F.E.A.R, these are a few games that got to me because they were original and i didn't know what to expect, sequels of said titles i cannot say the same. I'm just too used to the developer's way of trying to scare people so i know what's coming. The key to a great horror game IMO is to be original and unsuspecting in the delivery of shock moments, always make the game seem like it has the upper hand (limited ammo/items), throw in a few peaceful moments to give a false sense of security before surprisingly catching the player off guard and then try to bring in something that hasn't been done before.

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Alien resurrection the game scared the hell out me when i was a kid considering i refused to play it at night while fatel frame still scares me even when l play it in the day. I feel that a story and the setting is important a good horror game but i hate it when the scares are predictable.

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Oh, what about Aliens vs Predator?! You have to survive in that game, and you're just fighting aliens in the darkest corners of space! Does that count?

I also agree, theres been a severe lack of scary games as of late. Resident Evil 5 was terrible really, there was very little in that game I would consider scary and even less that I would consider fun. Id like to also add that for as much as I'm tired of 'The Ring' movie ripoffs, I am also tired of game spinoffs that seem to be spawning from that junk. I'm hopeful for Alan Wake in the meantime.

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Anyone considered that we were just younger before? I guess now we're older we'll be less suseptable to 'horror'... :/ IDK, but I do hope they bring it back!

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I don't see the reason why big name game companies like Capcom are releasing games like Resident Evil 4 on the Wii. It makes no sence to me as to why that is. I've played RE4 on the gamecube, and the controls worked, Now that it's on the Wii.... We'll see. I think that the decline of goood Suvival Horor game is due to the fact that companies like Capcom don't really have the money to pay a huge lawsuit. I'm a huge fan of this genre of game, and it's sad to see games like Resident Evil go down this road. I hope to see a turn around for future Survival Horor games.

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Maybe also it could be because of companies not wanting to risk bans *cough*Australia*cough*, or ratings that are too high. You've got to remember that these games have to make money too...

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Your right, these games have to make money. But really, the Wii? I'd hate to play the Wii version of RE4. Im hoping that Capcom doesn't do this to a rumered Devil May Cry remake for the PS3.
Im really hoping to see a good sorce of Survival Horor game in the next few years.

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The last game that actually made me tweak out was F.E.A.R 2. It got me good. But games like RE5 or SH 5 like many have said, NOT SCARRY. It wasn't even intense. I think this species of game has really hit the wall. Many of them aren't even fun anymore. I had fun with Dead Space but its not very Scary. It got my heart going a few times but thats about it.

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