Ben-DutkaFans of the ailing survival/horror genre have tried to pin down the cause of the genre's downfall.
Many say it's primarily because the games have become more action than anything else, which kills the spirit of classic Resident Evil and Silent Hill titles. But while RE creator and renowned designer Shinji Mikami definitely agrees, he has another reason- too many damn sequels.
During a recent Eurogamer interview , Mikami talked about his upcoming horror project, The Evil Within , and said that sequels breed familiarity, which in turn reduces the fear factor:
"Sequels are a big problem in horror entertainment. As a horror game series continues you begin to know who the enemies are going to be. Just this knowledge naturally makes the game less scary. So to capture a wider audience designers add more action. That further reduces how frightening the game feels."
Of course, Mikami's new game, in development at his own Tango Gameworks studio and set to be published by Bethesda, is a new IP. And why is he going down the horror road again? To prove a point? No, to put it simply, he enjoys scaring people:
"Really, I'm making this game just because it's fun to scare people. Instead of trying to introduce new ideas, I want to return to survival horror's roots. We've strayed from that. I want to explore fear again, and that sense of overcoming fear, one that's unique to games."
We're hoping the result is an homage to the classic survival/horror greats. The Evil Within is a cross-generation title, as it will release for the PS3 and Xbox 360, as well as the PS4 and Xbox One in 2014. Chances are, if you want to get the most scare for your buck, you're gonna want the next-gen version. Play it at about 2 a.m. with the lights off!