If you like to tickle your nerves, there is a game genre that will definitely capture your attention – survival horror. It is characterized by focus on the hero’s survival and establishing the atmosphere of fear and anxiety, just like in horror movies and fiction. And even though the gameplay of such titles can include fights with enemies, you have no full control of what’s happening. This is achieved by various restrictions – lack of ammunition, low health level of the protagonist, the speed of movement, limited visibility and various obstacles that complicate your interaction with the gaming mechanics. Often the player is forced to look for items that give access to new locations, solve different puzzles and riddles. The level design is also frequently used to create the atmosphere of dread and expectation of something horrible – for instance, the hero can explore dark, grim locations resembling a maze and experience unexpected enemy attacks.
<strong>How the genre appeared</strong>
The term survival horror was initially coined in the original dispatch of Resident Evil back twenty years ago. The game was developed with previous horror-inspired games in mind. Since that time, the term is used for all games of the sort and also retrospectively, relative to titles launched before it appeared. In later years, the genre got significantly closer to action games and more traditional FPS and TPS, built primarily on combats with multiple enemies. Amnesia: The Dark Descent marked the genre’s turn in a different direction – stealth-action where the character needs to run and hide form the opponents rather than fighting them.
<strong>Features and peculiarities of survival horrors</strong>
One of the unique features of the genre is that it is mostly based not the overall atmosphere rather than the gaming mechanics. All survival horrors are united by the theme of fear, unexplainable phenomena, violence and so on. The story typically includes the investigation of mysteries or facing supernatural forces. Thus, such games can utilize themes and images from horror movies and fiction. However, unlike movies, games are interactive – the action unfolds depending on your own actions and decisions and you can influence the outcome of the story.
Another distinctive feature is restrictions imposed on the player. For instance, the character’s clumsiness preventing him from quickly turning in the opponent’s direction, inability to move and shoot at the same time or even the absence of weapons and ability to somehow fend off the enemies. If survival horrors you can face a large number of enemies without a sufficient amount of ammunition and weapons.
Survival horror games often challenge the player to unravel various puzzles and riddles. Another task may be collecting items and managing their highly restricted stock. The freedom of the player is also limited. For instance, you can’t get to certain areas without finding particular items first. A maze-like level design can require location orientation skills. Locations are mostly dark, winding, gloomy, there may be traces of blood or supernatural activity. Finally, the atmosphere is enhanced by a disturbing, suspenseful soundtrack and audio effects that can make you jump up at an unexpected twist of events.
<strong>Plenty of survival horrors to choose from!</strong>
On our site, you’ll find a wide selection of games in this genre. We regularly update our base with the latest survival horror games allowing you to try all the new titles on offer. Five Nights at Freddy’s, Hello Neighbor, Granny and other games that already won a broad recognition are readily available for you to try! Pick a game that appeals to you most and plunge into a horrifying atmosphere that will make your hair stand on end!