@LtSarge Thanks! it really was a unique journey but really familiar at the same time. It was odd not wanting to rush through a game. I imagine Alan Wake is just a regular man with no abilities or sensitivities, unlike Jesse. Nothing in the key-art said psychokinesis and if my speculation is right (going by Remedies writing so far) he'll have some weaknesses or anxieties of his own. I doubt he's bullet-proof and neither was Max Payne. That's what I liked about the character, there was an honesty there too, he suffered nightmares, alcoholism, abused painkillers, had obvious survivors guilt and was basically a functioning mess. I haven't seen writing like that since and I'd expect Alan Wake isn't all that together himself.
Most developers don't seem to focus or push vulnerability onto the player, Remedy do and it works. It might sound odd but if someone asked 'kat are you looking forward to trying Alan Wake?' or asked what elements of the game I wanted to see. It wouldn't be action or even exploration. It would be his quirks, weaknesses and humanity. I generally don't see flaws written into characters and if I do they are very surface level, I'd hope that Alan Wake is more about a journey into internal limitations and psychological narrative than a typical adventure game. I've seen how much influence the book had on Control and when I did research Sam Lake I read that the book also influenced Alan Wake.
If true then I genuinely do expect Alan Wake to suffer from some form of anxiety, a struggle to keep a grip on reality, fear of something specific, and there to be an environmental blending between reality and fiction. I saw too many characteristics in the book for Jesse that I can't not see the rest applied to Alan Wake. House of Leaves is all about that constant shift between reality, fiction and it's all done through careful (often disturbing) layers of narrative and documentation. The movie 'In the Mouth of Madness' came close to doing something similar. It was about a writer who experiences a collapse of reality, the narrative becomes so powerful it reshapes the world around him and blends psychological horror with the kind of cosmic dread of H.P. Lovecraft. I'm trying to stay on topic, I just can't see Alan Wake being a fully functional member of society and I'm looking forward to seeing if I'm right or completely wrong. The rest (the actual game play) that will be a bonus and hopefully fun with no jump-scares.
@GirlVersusGame Sounds to me like you're really interested in getting to know Alan Wake as a character and those two games definitely deliver on that! I'm interested to read your thoughts on the games whenever you get around to them.
Out of curiosity, are you a fan of horror games? The reason why I ask is because you mentioned psychological horror in your post but then you said that you don't want any jump-scares.
Based on what you've written, I think you'd absolutely adore horror games that focus on the psychological aspect. I recently finished Silent Hill 2 Remake and that game is a great example of psychological horror in masterclass. It's just pure brilliance. It does have scary moments but not on the level of typical jump-scares.
@LtSarge I'll watch horror movies all day long, they are my favorite genre but I've seen behind the curtain and know it's not real. In a movie situation it's happening to someone else and I as a person am removed from the experience. I also tend to watch movies with someone else, or in a room with someone else. I tend to game alone, I don't discuss what I've played and no one would be all that interested. Folks around me see games as toys and not much else, it's not ignorance, gaming just isn't part of their paradigm or on their radar. For me it's something entirely different, it's room to breath, explore, build, experience art, learn a new skill and have something to accomplish in my day.
If I did try to play a horror game I'd control the avatar and that connection means I'd in a way become the avatar. Horror games as a rule seem to focus on jump-scares and those speed my heart up, which isn't good. They are usually set in the dark and I have a serious fear of the dark. The character is usually alone and I don't do the alone thing, especially when it means being in the dark waiting for who knows what to jump out of the shadows. I don't fear the thing/monster that does jump out, more-so the anticipation. It's the knowing it's coming and not being able to predict when it's going to happen. Even right now I'm getting anxious thinking about it and I have little to no experience with horror games. I think it's kind of fascinating but also a downer because some of the most respected franchises are horror games and if you are ten or fifteen titles removed from the material you are equally removed from the discussion. Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Alone in The Dark, Fatal Frame and Until Dawn are all series or titles that I'd like to try but I know my limits.
I think it directly loops back into the same systems that drive anxiety in the brain, it's virtual but the uncertainty and anticipation aren't. I tried the first two Resident Evil games not too long ago on the original Playstation. I thought the dated graphics would remove some of those emotional responses and they didn't. Graphics don't seem to impact immersion when the player is already hyper-focused, scanning their surroundings for threats, and limited in their abilities and resources. The same thing happened with those Sniper Elite games and the system where you take a breath to take a steady shot. It was causing anxiety which is really strange because I can and do handle real rifles and none of that anxiety is there but it is when it's virtual. I'm not sure if anyone else has ever experienced that in such a trivial setting, even if I was hidden and no one was on the alert, it would still happen. I'd anticipate missing, whereas in real life I rarely miss and there is no anxiety only a careful trigger squeeze. It's a strange situation and maybe the virtual heightens something.
It might be that just like in a horror setting my mind was constantly prepared for danger and was convinced that the situation was 'real'. I don't shoot people or animals, only paper or cardboard, there's no real threat there but in a game they do shoot back. I considered horror as a method of exposure therapy and was strongly advised against it. I tend to game late at night too and I don't think that would help. Most people can probably manage a situation like that by managing that controlled fear, they know it's not real and can turn it off at any time. My mind doesn't care if it's real or not, I can't control that part and fight or flight won't kick in so I'd have to sit there and take it. The way I game would make it even worse, I have to reach completion meaning I'd need to reach the end to feel like I accomplished something. Those are two major factors out of my control and both would impact being able to enjoy or even tolerate (safely) horror or horror survival. Then there are loud unexpected noises too, those are equally as disruptive and often dangerous.
I'm not a nervous wreck, I just have amplified responses to certain stimuli and almost every aspect of my life relies on some form of preventive measure. When I do game I'm in there alone, resource management and personal safety are all my own responsibility. I do like starting with nothing, it's a kind of luxury, balance, and the kind of games I play reflect that. I can farm and prepare for something in a survival game or in a simulator and I know I'm not going in there under-prepared. Survival horror likes to limit a player, limit resources, manipulate their surroundings and often plunge them into darkness. I'd find it very hard to put myself in that kind of a situation when I do know the risks. Other than some art-books and renders I haven't really seen how realistic a modern horror game can look. I don't look at footage or trailers for new groundbreaking horror games. Killer Frequency was as close as I've come to horror and that game sure had it's moments. I did a quick trophy/game scroll and see nothing else that comes close to horror.
It's a long answer but I really do respect the genre and I think it's done a lot to bring gaming to a wider audience, it's just not all that accessible to me and I'm not sure it ever will be. Those same limitations are preventing me from playing titles like The Last of Us and quite a few others. I don't dwell on it too much, what happens with a game like Sniper Elite is a lot more annoying. If I ever try Alan Wake I won't be going for one hundred percent, I'd play it for the sake of continuity and curiosity. Which will hopefully happen.
Do you know why you like horror games? do you enjoy being scared or is it more the art/aesthetic? I'm sure some people play them for the same reason that they might ride a roller-coaster and I've never done that either. I'm good with heights and spend a lot of time in the air, but being in something that zooms around, soars up, plunges down no thank you. I found out I had an aversion to that sort of thing when I took the opportunity to go up in a Mig fighter jet and that pilot didn't hold back, they are built for high performance and dog fighting, I'm never doing that again. I'm good with speed, the rest not at all. I guess what I'm saying is that I try not to knock something until I've tried it and I have tried horror, the results really spoke for themselves.
These violent delights have violent ends & in their triumph die, like fire & powder Which, as they kiss, consume.
@GirlVersusGame I completely understand and it's good that you know your limits as I've seen people get distraught by certain horror games that they don't feel well at all afterwards. It's not a genre for everyone.
Fair warning then, Alan Wake II leans more towards being survival horror and comes with a lot of jump-scares. So steer clear of that game. The first one is more of an adventure game with dark/psychological themes. I definitely wouldn't call it a horror game, but the second one absolutely is.
In terms of why I like horror, it's because the games tend to be more creative and interesting than games in other genres. I prefer a supernatural story over a grounded one as it piques my interest more. It's the same reason why I love horror movies and TV shows. I recently watched the two It movies as well as the It TV show and they had so many creative and interesting moments. Considering how much media I consume, I just want to experience things that I haven't experienced before.
It wasn't easy at first though. I remember vividly the first horror game I played, which was SOMA (made by the Amnesia developer) back in 2015. The reason why I decided I wanted to get into horror games is because, as you might remember, I'm a variety gamer. So knowing that there's an entire genre I haven't touched really appealed to me. There were so many franchises I hadn't ever played, such as Resident Evil. So I really wanted to try them out and see what I've been missing out on, which I'm really glad that I did.
Anyway, going back to SOMA, I was so scared playing that game. I had to play it an hour at a time because of how frightening it was. Ever since then, I've played so many different horror games and I guess I've gotten used to them now as I don't really mind the frightening atmosphere or the jump-scares. In fact, I welcome them. I get excited whenever I get scared. I could play Silent Hill 2 Remake for hours every session, even though it's a scary game.
In the case of SH2R, I feel like it even helped my mental state. I haven't been in the right state of mind this week because of work. I had to take the rest of the week off and so I've been playing SH2R. For some reason, playing a game about psychological issues has helped heal me. Even watching a TV show like Fear the Walking Dead has put me in a better mood. It sounds weird, but these things have actually helped me recover and now I'm looking forward to going to work on Monday. I honestly can't figure out why these things have been helpful. Maybe you have an idea?
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