Episode 2 - The Hell's a Gray Snow, Anyway?
Alright, so it's a horror game or something. What's so special about it? Adventure horror games aren't exactly a rarity, as you've got (from the top of my head) Amnesia, Outlast, System Shock/Bioshock, Alien: Isolation, as well as a boatload of older classics that are too far in number to even bother listing, so what's the point of adding yet another title to it? Well, before I answer that question, I want to tell you a little bit about what I think of horror, at least in video games. Obviously I'm not an expert on the genre, at least compared to those who've studied it for near decades, but it's something I'm absolutely fascinated in and adore.
The problem is, as much as I love it, horror doesn't really scare me. A majority of horror games I find are dull and forced; in fact, there's maybe only three or four games that have truly scared me. The reason behind this is that most horror games lead to either of two models of horror:
- Shock horror, or tension building up to an eventual jumpscare (or series of jumpscares). The problem with this type of horror is of the jumpscare itself. It's a single, isolated event that triggers physical reaction from the player. There's no lasting effect or thinking involved. Sure, you can play with the tension leading up to it, making the player desperately wonder when the next spooky payoff's going to be, but once you're knowledgeable of the element of a jumpscare, games that rely heavily on them simply aren't scary anymore. It's a predictable model that ultimately leads to the same composed payoff each time. That isn't to say that jumpscares should never be used, as they can be effective to rattle the player back into reality, reminding them that the world around them isn't just a static mold but rather an alive entity that's out to get them. Still, they come off as cheap if not used sparingly.
- Creepy horror. This type's a bit more broad, but usually it comes to the use of subjects considered taboo and nasty in a horror environment. In other words, a cannibalistic enemy that's cut skin and bones that roars out and dashes towards you if you get too close. While this tends to be more creative and effective than shock horror, there's still a bunch of flaws that can arise from this. The core issue is that it's based on danger of the player's life. Seeing a monster eat someone alive in a videogame can prove to be an uncomfortable experience, but it's a given that it doesn't pose an actual threat to the player, so is it really scary? This flaw can be subverted by making the horror one of a realistic nature and reminding the player that it could happen anytime; for example, a burglar intruding your house. However, very few games have attempted doing this, and its ability to nourish legitimate gameplay is questionable. Another problem is that the aforementioned taboo tropes are subject to being overdone and exposed, thus making the game not scary. It's the reason zombies are laughable now, and that the monsters in Amnesia haven't proven to be particularly scary after a few years.
- Enigmatic horror! Basically, enigmatic horror is that which explores the abstract and unknown. A series of numbers scrawled on concrete walls. A simple yet eerily familiar tune that randomly echoes from a far away city. A story whose elements feel bizarrely yet subtly nonsensical. Enigmatic horror often plays with the sentimental, the faint, and the surreal. Instead of evoking a physical reaction from the player, it makes them think and think, trying to figure out the solution to an infinite puzzle. It's a much more metaphysical art, as its goal is not to make the player fear for his/her life, but fear for the very inhuman world around them. Few games explore this genre of horror, though a few notable ones include Silent Hill 1-4, P.T., and Yume Nikki (okay it's not really a horror game but it's a really good example of a game that exhibits what I'm talking about).
Basically, there's a series of self-imposed standards that I'm holding while developing the game:
1. Keep it real. Perhaps the most important element of Gray Snow is its "realness". In other words, make the player feel like they're 'really there' with low-key and immersive audio, realistic-yet-not-overly-stylistic visuals, and well-researched architectural design. Putting in stuff like orchestral music dilutes the intended feel of the game. That isn't to say that the game will outright avoid formalist composition, but I don't wanna talk too much about that as I'll spoil stuff ={}
2. Keep it subtle. Also very important! Nothing about the game (at least in the earlier parts of it) should be wagging in your face. There shouldn't be anything deemed as a cliched horror element. Admittedly, this comes with a few sacrifices, as this includes definitely effective tropes like overly dark rooms. This goes hand-in-hand with number one, as nothing about the game should remind the player that they're playing a horror game.
3. Surprise the player. Occasionally shut down all barriers of standard game design (within limits of sanity and accessibility, of course). Don't be afraid to barrage the players' senses and outright fuck with them at both an aesthetic level (nonlinear narrative, color and such, etc.) and a technical level (numerous ideas, can't think of all of them). Of course, do so subtly, and if not subtly, sparingly. Again, I risk spoiling the game if I go into examples.
4. Make the world a world. In other words, don't just carelessly place props around in a scene and call it a day. Make everything tell a story. Look at everything from every perspective. Add an entire level of depth beyond the cover, with things like secrets and easter eggs. Gray Snow is hugely based around environmental storytelling, so this is crucial.
5. Make it change. One of the problems I didn't expect to see while working on Gray Snow is pacing. Pacing's not only important to Gray Snow, but horror in general. When do you go from teasing the player to bringing out the "big guns"? Either way, I'll be putting a lot of research and thought into this.
So hopefully this gives a decent look at a project I'm very excited for. It's quite ambitious, but it's something that I've wanted to see being done for a long time. As of now I'm working on converting the design that I had built in Unity to Unreal, along with a few much-needed improvements to the level design to make it less tedious; I'll make a new blog post once I've made some significant progress in the Unreal build. Also I've stayed up for nearly 24 hours now because I'm trying to reset my sleep schedule in time for school, so I apologize if anything was worded stupidly or there were a lot of typos, I'm really tired right now.