Alien Isolation and The Two Hardest Problems in Horror

[Thomas]

Using recent Alien: Isolation footage as a springboard to discuss some important issues in horror games.

http://frictionalgames.blogspot.se/2014/...est_5.html

[Juras]

Great post! The part about the monsters was especially useful, for me atleast

[PutraenusAlivius]

Thanks for sharing Thomas. The monsters thing sort of helped me out. I think that the monster thing can be (partially) eliminated by just using vague encounters then unravel it more and more as you advance forwards.

The death = relief thing is the thing that rips you out of immersion. A fate worse than death is possible, but I think that the fate worse than death thing still rips you out of immersion, but just a miniscule portion.

[Ghieri]

They're still in the movie mindset. Trying to show you the "OOOH" Scary. I think they kind of get it, but I'm holding on buying unless I hear some really good stuff about this.

[Googolplex]

I posted this some days ago in your blog, but never got a reply.

Thomas, I generally find your idea very interesting. I also thought about that. But there's an other problem that occurs. I want to tell something about this sentence:

"The basic idea is that "death" is not final but takes the player closer and closer to a very disturbing state of being."

At the point where the player find out this mechanics, he wants to die. Because he wants to see what the game will do and if there are some additional happenings he otherwise would miss. That's the big problem! The player will experiment what happens when to die/get attacked.

How will you avoid this problem?

[Robby]

Have to say that it's something many game devs out there can use to enhance that feel in their games.

[Macgyverthehero]

I totally agree with this new blog post now that I think about the things you stated.

I'll still go try out Aliens: Isolation once the reviews come out.

[Robby]

I'll still go try out Aliens: Isolation once the reviews come out.

This.