Co-op horror

[Your Computer]

It's not a paradox. Being alone is only scary because we are so accustomed to not being alone. It's this inherent ambiguity between the two concepts (which are really one and the same, in different manifestations) that makes it so terrifying to have nobody else to help you. The co-op design the article proposes is far more powerful than starting out the game alone (if done correctly), because while the concept of having people to rely on is something everyone can relate to, it loses its impact somewhat because it is the default state.

Think of someone suddenly becoming blind or deaf well into their 30s. Can you imagine the despair and physical withdrawal of not having one of your basic senses anymore? People that are born blind don't go through that because they don't understand what sight is. It's the same deal with co-op horror although to a much lesser extent. This concept of giving the player a feeling of safety only to cruelly and very abruptly take it away is something that's incredibly prevalent in all of Frictional's games, most notably in the form of light and sound. Why is the co-op any different, just because it has a tendency not to work? If the players are mature, and the game is designed correctly, it has immense potential.

What's cooperation but working together in order to progress? Loneliness and helplessness is tossed out the window wherever cooperation is found. "Co-op horror", therefore, is an oxymoron and are mutually exclusive concepts. In order to have one you have to cease with the other. How would you balance these two things out, especially to the point of still being able to call it a "co-op horror" game? I would not be surprised to see either concept redefined to where it contradicts expectations. "If done correctly"--good luck with that.