What defines a survival horror?

[Hunter of Shadows]

My point of view: If game has any shooting in it, there is no horror at all. I think that it's funny to play shooting games and kill people in these games, but there's no horror. Some of people think that it's scary when the bogeyman runs towards to you, but what happens then...
...when it's shooting game, you probably shoot the monster. Is that scary? I think it's not.

Finally someone who gets it...

[Tanshaydar]

RE and SH games has all shooting but they are damn scary.

[BlueFury]

My point of view: If game has any shooting in it, there is no horror at all. I think that it's funny to play shooting games and kill people in these games, but there's no horror. Some of people think that it's scary when the bogeyman runs towards to you, but what happens then...
...when it's shooting game, you probably shoot the monster. Is that scary? I think it's not.

Finally someone who gets it...

fear was bad, doom 3 was still pretty scary
because you have guns it can still scare you, but ignore my opinion, even doom 1&2 scare me

[Hunter of Shadows]

RE and SH games has all shooting but they are damn scary.

I'm not saying they aren't, I'm saying that survival horror isn't a shoot em up

SH would be survival horror because you're just an average joe, ammo is very scarce and the guns can be difficult to use.

But other then that, is being able to gun down any enemy you see survival horror? No it isn't, survival horror is like when you play Amnesia or any other horror game where either you can't fight back, or you can, but it's healthier to avoid confrontation simply because combat is ineffective because whatever you're facing is too powerful for your weapons or you're just an average joe and can't reasonably be expected to face off against things like that(i mean even if Daniel could get a sword or an axe or a bow or something, he'd still be outmatched by the gatherer's by a long shot)

unearthly got what I was saying in the sense that any game where you have the heft of heavy ordnance like an automatic rifle or grenades or anything like, means the game is no longer survival horror(unless even heavy ordnance is next to useless against whatever horror you're against)

It's then an action shooter

Does this make it less scary if the game is any good? No, all it means is that the game is NOT survival horror

[Unearthlybrutal]

My point of view: If game has any shooting in it, there is no horror at all. I think that it's funny to play shooting games and kill people in these games, but there's no horror. Some of people think that it's scary when the bogeyman runs towards to you, but what happens then...
...when it's shooting game, you probably shoot the monster. Is that scary? I think it's not.

Finally someone who gets it...

fear was bad, doom 3 was still pretty scary
because you have guns it can still scare you, but ignore my opinion, even doom 1&2 scare me

it can still scare you

yes it can, but there is no feeling of horror or terror

[HitlersNosehaiR]

A survival horror game is something like Resident Evil 1 or Condemned: CO(Not the sequel which blew massive chunks). You're trapped, confused, and you're piecing the story together, whether through cutscenes or gameplay. You have little to no resources, and the game focuses on large scares to keep you on your toes.

I think Ben Croshaw put it best. There are three different kinds of horror games:
1. You're in a dark room and a guy with a spooky mask jumps out of a cupboard and yells "Abloogy Woogy Woo"
2. You're in a dark room and the guy with the spooky mask is right behind you and you know he's going to scare you at some point but you don't know when
3. You're in a bright-lit room and the guy in the spooky mask yells "Abloogy Woogy Woo" then slowly shuffles towards you.

[GetAgrippa]

A survival horror game is something like Resident Evil 1 or Condemned: CO(Not the sequel which blew massive chunks). You're trapped, confused, and you're piecing the story together, whether through cutscenes or gameplay. You have little to no resources, and the game focuses on large scares to keep you on your toes.

I think Ben Croshaw put it best. There are three different kinds of horror games:
1. You're in a dark room and a guy with a spooky mask jumps out of a cupboard and yells "Abloogy Woogy Woo"
2. You're in a dark room and the guy with the spooky mask is right behind you and you know he's going to scare you at some point but you don't know when
3. You're in a bright-lit room and the guy in the spooky mask yells "Abloogy Woogy Woo" then slowly shuffles towards you.

I love Zero Punctuation .