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Drunken Baker posted:I think they meant subtle as opposed to just being outright whacky. I guess the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games are the closest to this we've ever had. Though that Sinking City game being made by Frogware might end up scratching that itch.
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Sep 30, 2016 13:41
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Haunting Ground is a good game.
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Sep 30, 2016 13:59
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ZearothK posted:I guess the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games are the closest to this we've ever had. Though that Sinking City game being made by Frogware might end up scratching that itch. Cheers for the recommendation.
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Sep 30, 2016 14:15
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Drunken Baker posted:Yeah but not compared to Dead Rising where you're running around with a big plastic head on or Resident Evil 4 where Leon's cracking wise with cheesy 80's one liners is what I think Accordion Man means. There's still absolutely no subtlety whatsoever
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Sep 30, 2016 16:30
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Hahah fair enough. I've never actually played FNAF. I did know about the pay packet punchline though.
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Sep 30, 2016 16:44
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So apparently tinyBuild are now publishing a stealth horror game where you try to sneak into your paranoid neighbor's house: http://www.helloneighborgame.com/ Seems like a kind of interesting premise - sort of Don't Breathe, the game. The art style is pretty unique too, all things considered. You don't see tons of horror games with a kind of cartoony art style like this. Not sure how much it benefits the mood, but I can't say I can complain too much when most horror games on the market now all look like the same kind of grungy, realistic textures with blood on them poo poo.
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Sep 30, 2016 17:02
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Drunken Baker posted:I think they meant subtle as opposed to just being outright whacky. It's not exactly what you mean, but you might try Yahtzee's game The Consuming Shadow. It's on Steam.
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Sep 30, 2016 19:36
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It's time. Would you review me? I'd review me.  Spooky Games III: Season of the Witch Welcome, gals and ghouls, to my favorite time of the year. It's that time when I dig my courage out of the battered trunk in the basement of my soul and play a whole bunch of scary games for October. This is actually the third year I've done this, and the previous years are still kicking around in the depths of these threads. I've gone from brief impressions of an hour of gameplay to long screeds shouted into the darkness of the Steam community, how cool is that? Every day in the month of October, I'm going to review a different horror (or generally Halloweeny) game. This year is going to be a bit different from previous ones because most of the games I ended up picking are actually good. There's a LOT of chaff in the horror genre, but thanks to some solid bundles and generous friends, I've got a great line-up for once. I'll have some headliners, indie gems, genre classics, and a few that you might not have even heard of. Reviews will be posted around noon PST on weekdays, and whenever I get the chance on weekends. As always, feel free to comment with your impressions, questions, or other games you think deserve to be noticed in this, the spooky season. If you'd like to help me get some visibility on Steam and the internet, pop over to my curation group and start following things if you haven't. Most of you know me now (I was Zombie Samurai until like an hour ago, thanks GBS) so I'll spare you the wall of links. Reviews start tomorrow! Gird your loins for the spooky games. And thanks to Captain Swing for the sweet poster.
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Sep 30, 2016 19:47
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Too Shy Guy posted:
 Right on! Thanks for doing this!I love these micro reviews!
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Sep 30, 2016 21:01
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Sep 30, 2016 21:21
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I'm starting the month off with a sharp little indie game that is just ONE DOLLAR until October 3rd, so if you like the sound of it jump on it now. Tomorrow and Monday's games are also going to be from the current Weeklong Deals. 1. DISTRAINT    Silence of the Sleep was a refreshing break from the horror genre with its unique pacing and animated cast. The developer went on to create DISTRAINT in a scant three months as a challenge, so it would hardly be fair to expect the same level of detail. What's surprising about DISTRAINT is not that it still manages to be as beautiful or harrowing, but that it manages to cram a solid story into its short runtime as well. You play Price, a pleasantly bobble-headed little fellow with the unpleasant job of repossessing property. He's only three claims away from being made a full partner at his firm, but as you might expect they don't exactly go as planned. You'll experience his tale in simple side-scrolling adventure fashion with only five or so buttons to guide you; left, right, use, inventory, and light. They're all you need to navigate hallways, solve simple puzzles, and speak to the other denizens of your dreary world. Do not be put off by the Charlie Brown-looking people, because there's still plenty of menace to be found in DISTRAINT. The atmosphere is what makes the game, with looming shadows cut by dusty sunbeams and sickly lights flickering against decaying walls. Even with the limited interaction you're sure to feel trapped in Price's terrible world, a fitting fate given where the story goes with his weary conscience. There are quite a few surprises and sudden spooks to look out for as well, which will keep you on edge for much of the game. And it's not even all straight horror, as there are few instances of macabre absurdity and even humor sprinkled in. DISTRAINT will last you just shy of two hours, but its a more complete and meaningful game than most twice its length. The writing is snappy and cuts right to the point, the characters are colorful and animated with charming bobs and sways, and the scares are well-earned. In the end the only thing I could have asked for was more time with Price and his acquaintances, but the poignant ending is worth seeing it all come to a close so soon. Anyone looking for a good story with some tense, creepy moments will be happy with this one. UP NEXT: The living castle!
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Oct 1, 2016 18:08
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Distraint is something I'd kind of forgotten about but is in fact pretty cool, it's an outright steal at a dollar as well.
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Oct 1, 2016 22:38
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Hunger or whatever the new name is looks so freaking cool.
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Oct 2, 2016 20:01
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A. Beaverhausen posted:Hunger or whatever the new name is looks so freaking cool. It's called "Very Hungee" now
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Oct 2, 2016 20:16
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Today's game is just $3 until tomorrow morning, so get on it if it sounds good. I'm also going to post tomorrow's game late tonight so people have time to consider it before the weeklong deals end. 1. DISTRAINT 2. Shadowgate    Not many adventure games reached the classic NES, but Shadowgate was a stand-out among the few that did. The merciless journey through a deadly castle allowed you unprecedented freedom to Take, Open, Drink, and Hit just about anything you came across in the game world. Now Shadowgate has been re-imagined for the modern era, which means new graphics and new interfaces for a new audience. Surprisingly, it might still be plenty familiar to the masochists that loved the original as well. The first place new Shadowgate diverges from the original is in the story, though it might not be immediatly apparent how much it does. You, being a strapping young warrior, are summoned by a mysterious wizard to the living castle of Shadowgate. Within its lethal, enchanted walls is an evil warlock seeking some world-ending power, and it's your job to puzzle up a way to stop him. Along the way you'll learn plenty about the circle of wizards who once inhabited the castle, the power they protected, and the lands beyond. In terms of gameplay, this is a first-person point-and-click adventure. Each room is a static scene with features to examine and items to gather. Clicking on something brings up a context menu that allows you to perform all sorts of actions like looking, taking, opening, using, and more. Some items need to be used on yourself, some need to be combined, and so on. The objects you find are also helpfully sorted by type, which is a blessing once you realize how many drat scrolls you're going to find. The other thing you'll find is a plethora of ways to die. OG Shadowgate wasn't shy about murdering you for daring to pick up a book or dipping your toe in a pool of water, and the remake carries over some of that, though most are locked behind the game's many difficulty levels. Most fatalities will come at the hands of the few monsters that serve to block your progress at different points. They tend not to be hard to dispatch but there's usually one correct option among a mess of more obvious ones. For example, one enemy can be dealt with by simply punching it in the face, but using any sort of weapon or spell on it means instant death. This also brings me to my chief complaint about the game, the obscurity of some of the puzzles. Adventure games have thankfully moved far away from the days of cat hair mustaches and helium bubblegum tooth heists, but some still have problems directing the player to the right conclusions. There are plenty of puzzles in Shadowgate that have simple solutions that simply aren't telegraphed in any way, like the cure for the banshee curse or the ability to remove runes. You're sure to run into situations where you know what to do but not HOW precisely to do it, but also situations where it's just not clear how to progress. Luckily this isn't a particularly damning complaint, because the game provides significant help like a very specific hint system (his name is Yorick) and a useful map that marks important points of interest. It also helps that you'll be exploring some rather lovely painted scenery, accompanied by quality sound work and inspiring riffs on the original soundtrack. And there are even retro options that make the game more like the original, setting some of the gameplay systems and interfaces and even the music back to their classic incarnations. It's something you don't often see in remakes, a gradient of options between old and new, but it illustrates the love and attention that went into making it. And it doesn't hurt that there's a quality adventure that stands on its own hidden underneath. There's enough of the original Shadowgate here that longtime fans will appreciate the arcane puzzles and sudden fatalities, along with enough innovation to keep newcomers hooked. UP NEXT: Such a lovely island to die on.
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Oct 2, 2016 23:33
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I've been playing some scary games and recording it. Doom 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCJ0zbwic3w I think Doom 3 is a pretty underrated game. At the time it was the brunt of nonstop "lol no flashlight and gun at same time!1!" jokes, plus a ton of "no true Doom game" criticism at the slowed-down pace and smaller enemy counts. But I think it has held up really well - not a lot of games are confident enough to actually put you in a pitch black room, and even 12 years later not many games can pull off the contrast between shadow and light as well as Doom 3. I remember being scared shitless at the first few hours of this game as a teen, but not so much these days. But the gameplay has definitely held up in my opinion. Until Dawn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T3bNQJdzHY This is one I've never played before. A friend recommended this to me as "Like a David Cage game except good" and so far that seems about right. The teens are surprisingly relatable, if a little dumb (who wasn't dumb at that age though). This game captures the feel of a cheesy 80s/90s slasher perfectly. I'll probably end up doing a full playthrough of this. Would love to hear you guys' suggestions on what to play next! I'm thinking about maybe revisiting F.E.A.R. like I did with Doom 3, but I don't have many other ideas. Jmcrofts fucked around with this message at 23:44 on Oct 2, 2016 |
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Oct 2, 2016 23:41
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My goal is to beat DO4M and Nightcry; and I'll try Cold Fear (xbox) in October. I've played almost every other horror game of note, that wasn't poo poo
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Oct 3, 2016 00:01
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Bert of the Forest posted:So apparently tinyBuild are now publishing a stealth horror game where you try to sneak into your paranoid neighbor's house: this is a really cool premise and the trailer they put out looks tense as hell. your character runs super loving fast tho, makes me wonder if that's how it'll be in the full game
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Oct 3, 2016 00:19
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Sister Location is out in a few days and I am weirdly excited to see how it turns out. Hopefully is more along FNaF1 or 4 in terms of design quality rather than 2.
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Oct 3, 2016 01:24
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I finished Anatomy. Very good stuff. Not exactly scary, but contains a lot of eloquently phrased and unsettling ideas that will probably persist long after the rest of the game's faded from my memory. Whoever voice-acted those tapes did an excellent job, too. "While a house may hunger, it cannot starve." Oxxidation fucked around with this message at 02:50 on Oct 3, 2016 |
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Oct 3, 2016 02:37
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Jmcrofts posted:I've been playing some scary games and recording it. Until Dawn is so much fun. I really really enjoyed it.
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Oct 3, 2016 03:27
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Jmcrofts posted:I've been playing some scary games and recording it.  Quoting for truth
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Oct 3, 2016 03:34
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Its probably already shown up at some point earlier in this thread, but I decided to check out Unloved after seeing it pop up on the "Popular New Releases" page on Steam, complete with favorable reviews. Turns out it's a janky-as-gently caress attempt at creating a "Binding of Isaac" FPS, with very mixed results: pictured: A As the not-Doomguy, you are tasked with wandering around a randomized tile dungeon in search of keys that will eventually lead you to dumping your blood into masonry jars to power an elevator and escape. While this happens the player is menaced by waves of  Pictured: Demon nurse? Headcrab zombie? whatever it is, they love to sprint 60 mph at you while you're busy staring at a blurry texture and shiv you in the back! This will not get tedious when they do it for the 30th time! Crummy "made-in-Unity" style visuals, Doom monsters dressed up like Silent Hill rejects with shoddy pathfinding, and really, really bland action just suck the life out of the interesting ideas the game is trying to demonstrate. The repetitive stock sound effects are icing on the cake.
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Oct 3, 2016 05:11
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ChickenHeart posted:Its probably already shown up at some point earlier in this thread, but I decided to check out Unloved after seeing it pop up on the "Popular New Releases" page on Steam, complete with favorable reviews. Turns out it's a janky-as-gently caress attempt at creating a "Binding of Isaac" FPS, with very mixed results: It went from a good set of horror themed Doom maps to that? I guess the combat wasn't improved from the original mapset either. https://onemandoom.blogspot.com/2015/04/unloved-unlovedpk3.html
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Oct 3, 2016 06:17
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Too Shy Guy posted:
Love these, happy to see them back.
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Oct 3, 2016 07:13
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What is the name of that Giger-esque/bodyhorror first person game that's in development at the moment. There was a video going around a few months ago that showed off a lot of disgusting looking designs but not much actual gameplay, I remember some sort of flesh gun though?
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Oct 3, 2016 08:28
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Sakurazuka posted:What is the name of that Giger-esque/bodyhorror first person game that's in development at the moment. There was a video going around a few months ago that showed off a lot of disgusting looking designs but not much actual gameplay, I remember some sort of flesh gun though? Scorn. There's also Agony for something with a similar vein. The demons have nice asses in that one.
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Oct 3, 2016 08:36
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Sold
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Oct 3, 2016 08:37
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In case you want to nab this for $3 and change in the next 8 hours, here is everything I can think to say about it. 1. DISTRAINT 2. Shadowgate 3. Miasmata    I want you to try to picture a skill-based walking simulator. Stop before you get a nosebleed and pass out, just try to imagine how that would work. If that hurt your brain, then I'm happy to report that the fellows behind Miasmata came up with a pretty good approach to this conundrum. And while it certainly might not be for everyone, it's a pleasing and occasionally terrifying adventure for those it is. Miasmata is set in some kind of alternate 18th century where a plague is ravaging a society mistrustful of medicine. You've been infected and have traveled to a remote island where a cure is rumored to have been found. You soon find the island's inhabitants have all met strange and unfortunate ends, so it's up to you to concoct the cure yourself. This journey will take you to every corner of a sprawling and beautiful island, and pit you against something that doesn't want you to succeed. Because your avatar is deathly ill, there's not much more he can do than wander the island and collect plants to study. To create the cure you'll have to follow in the late researcher's footsteps, obtaining clues from their notes as to which plants must be combined in which ways. You can research the samples you find to make all sorts of medicines that heal or boost your strength or perception. Early on you can follow the paths between camps to make a lot of progress, but soon you'll be left to explore the island's open wilderness yourself to succeed. The big challenge in your way is finding your way around. You have a map and a compass but it does not update automatically or even show your location. Instead, the game has a whole orienteering system to master. To triangulate your location, you have to sight two of the landmarks that dot the island. This will fill in a chunk of the map around you, and add nearby landmarks as known. You can only use known landmarks to triangulate, but once you establish your location you can mark new landmarks as seen. Mark them from two different locations and they'll be added as known. It's a tricky system to get the hang of, and it drastically changes the approach to the game because getting lost in the wilderness is a very real concern. As a compromise towards survival, you only need to drink water to keep your illness at bay, but you can only get it from camps, fresh ponds, or your canteen which holds five draughts. Lose your way for too long and you can easily run out of water. The nights on the island are also exceptionally dark, which can make it nearly impossible to navigate home and add the very real threat of stumbling off a cliff. There are a lot of nods to realism in the mechanics, but none quite so dramatic as the movement physics. Of all the games I've ever played, Miasmata has probably the most realistic walking physics, and it can be just as awkward to wrangle as you're imagining. Your character slows down greatly when strafing or backing up, and can hardly climb inclines when doing so. Walking straight can get you up most hills, but make one misstep and you'll find yourself sliding or tumbling back down. You build momentum, too, so descending steep hills can easily become one of the most dangerous parts of the game. This might not sound very fun but considering how much walking there is in the game, it actually helps that it's something you have to learn to master. I mentioned a malevolent force on the island as well, but honestly it's a mixed bag. The creature is threatening and searches for you aggressively, requiring stealth or certain behavior to shake it from your scent. However, in the six hours I've put into the game so far, I've only encountered it three times. Twice I escaped by plunging off a cliff (falls don't kill you instantly, so you can medicate out of danger if you're prepared), and the third I heard it coming and simply turned around and backtracked until it disappeared. For most of the game it's bound to be a non-issue, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't panic a little every time I heard it about. In the end, Miasmata is really a hiking simulator first, a survival game second, and a horror game a very distant third. Most of your time with it will be spent deciding where to go, mapping out how to get there, and strolling along the beaches and forest paths. You can accomplish a lot just by sticking to the paths, as most of the critical camps are connected and give clear clues to what you should be looking for. The core design is solid, with some intelligent flow to the island and the discoveries, and it's backed up by some very competent indie graphics and genuinely good sound design. Not everyone is in the market for open-world hardcore walking sims, but if that sounds even a little interesting to you, I think Miasmata will be a pleasant surprise.
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Oct 3, 2016 10:11
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I've not played it yet but it sounds like this game would be a lot better without the monster tbh
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Oct 3, 2016 10:24
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I sort of jedi mind-tricked my roommate into buying Resident Evil 4 ("Huh, did you know Resident Evil 4 is on the PS4? With trophies?"), and am replaying it as a result. Guys, this is such a good game. Everything from the loot system to the inventory system to the combat to the environments. It's really the pinnacle of its genre, which is bizarre since it sort of invented this 'action horror' stuff. Well, not invented. But certainly popularized.
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Oct 3, 2016 14:31
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Regardless of the horror elements, RE4 is just straight up one of the best single-player shooters of all time if not the best.
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Oct 3, 2016 16:23
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It might not have been scary the whole way through but there were some seriously awesome horror bits in it. The first section with the villagers is probably one of the best openings of any game, and the (late game) Regenerators are basically Nemesis just not dumb.
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Oct 3, 2016 16:32
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Sea Sponge Run posted:I've not played it yet but it sounds like this game would be a lot better without the monster tbh I think having the creature is a net gain, but it appeals in a very specific way to me. My favorite horror games are the ones that make you think something horrible is going to happen, and just when you think it's all atmosphere, something horrible DOES happen. Most games either throw tons of monsters at you, or have no monsters and assume you're never going to realize you're safe the whole time. The creature in Miasmata is a non-issue for most of the game, leaving you free to explore and map and science all you want. But it is there, and that's where the delicious hint of horror comes from... the idea that at any moment, your lovely nature walk could end with you being eaten. It also makes it even more important to check in at camps regularly, to know where you are in case you need an escape, and to stay stocked on medicines and tonics if the worst happens. For people who just want an open-world hiking sim, the creature is probably a drag on the game. But even as rare (and sometimes janky) as encounters are, I think Miasmata would be weaker without that threat.
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Oct 3, 2016 16:50
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Too Shy Guy posted:I think Miasmata will be a pleasant surprise. Thanks for this recommendation, this sounds really neat! Anatomy got played by both Two Best Friends (as their opening to Halloween Shitstorm) and Vinesauce (who is going to play more of Kitty Horrorshow's games this month). A ton more people are learning about this game and I'm just thrilled. Oxxidation posted:I finished Anatomy. Very good stuff. Not exactly scary, but contains a lot of eloquently phrased and unsettling ideas that will probably persist long after the rest of the game's faded from my memory. That line always makes me a little sad, but then I equate Anatomy to the concepts of human loneliness and abandonment.
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Oct 3, 2016 16:55
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I got a dumb idea so I'm wondering if someone already beat me to it, but has there ever been a horror harvest moon? Either inheriting old family cursed lands that you can cleanse or build upon or I guess a cult leader/necromancer that takes pristine location to grow a nice harvest of souls to feed your unquenchable thirst for power.
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Oct 3, 2016 23:45
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Crabtree posted:I got a dumb idea so I'm wondering if someone already beat me to it, but has there ever been a horror harvest moon? Either inheriting old family cursed lands that you can cleanse or build upon or I guess a cult leader/necromancer that takes pristine location to grow a nice harvest of souls to feed your unquenchable thirst for power. Does Dungeon keeper or Deception count OJ MIST 2 THE DICK fucked around with this message at 00:16 on Oct 4, 2016 |
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Oct 4, 2016 00:14
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Crabtree posted:I got a dumb idea so I'm wondering if someone already beat me to it, but has there ever been a horror harvest moon? Either inheriting old family cursed lands that you can cleanse or build upon or I guess a cult leader/necromancer that takes pristine location to grow a nice harvest of souls to feed your unquenchable thirst for power. Well there's always Darkest Dungeon, where you inherit a ruined hamlet and infested manor and trick idiots into clearing it out for you while you abuse them.
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Oct 4, 2016 00:22
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I want to make a game about randomly generated exorcisms where you have to determine the type of ghost/demon/hoax is happening and how to deal with it, like calling seeing how crucifixes agitate the demon or calling out a Shinto priest
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Oct 4, 2016 00:30
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There's a recent-ish game in Early Access called Clockwork Empires or something. I just remember the original launch trailer was showing off these peaceful idyllic hamlets out of Age of Empires then the camera pans over to hooded cultists worshiping a giant toothy maw in the ground.
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Oct 4, 2016 00:30
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