There has always been a battle between video games and movies in the horror genre to determine which can scare their audience the most, with video games usually losing out to their far more realistic competitors. In the past, video games, because of their lack of realistic graphics, make the audience realize they’re only playing in a crude imitation of a horror film. After all, it’s pretty hard to be terrified of a bunch of pixels that more closely resemble an ink spot than a monster. But that is set to change with the release of a wave of terrifyingly realistic video games that offer an unprecedented level of immersion.
The newest game that demonstrates this trend is “Until Dawn,” a PS4 exclusive that tells the story of four unfortunate souls who are trapped on a mountain filled with hidden dangers and insane maniacs. “Until Dawn” has the playermake choices, which have an impact on how the plot plays out and who makes it off the mountain alive. It also demonstrates what makes these games likely to edge out movies in terms of their horror potential.
In addition to containing the standard tropes of the horror genre, such as jump scares and humanoid-like monsters, “Until Dawn” has something else that movies lack. “Until Dawn” asks the player to make decisions that seem to have no apparent impact on the survival prospects of some of the characters. But the player knows that is not the case and as a result is terrified that the decision could contribute to the death of one of their beloved characters. This unknown and indeterminable effect of the player’s decisions and actions adds to the incredible tension and fear the player is already feeling.
“Until Dawn” also has another trump card that horror movies can’t compete with. The player controls the character instead of being a hapless passenger, pulled along for the ride. Some would argue that the sinking feeling that happens when the audience knows the main character is about to be decapitated but is powerless to change the outcome is part of the appeal of horror movies. The ability to affect the outcome of the situation may be empowering, but it’s also a burden. Players will tread more carefully and be more tense in games than in movies because their actions can result in the death of a character. This also makes the player more prone to the horror aspects of the game because they have the potential to avoid the dangerous situations they find themselves in. This is because consciously heading in to danger goes against every human instinct, and people become scared as a result of running in to the situation on their own volition.
With the emergence of extremely realistic horror games, society needs to take steps that ensure these titles don’t fall in to the wrong hands. Our current video game maturity rating is too simplistic and needs to be strengthened to be more rigorous and have more tiers for video games to fit in to. Society also needs to install more effective ways to verify the age of buyers who purchase video games digitally in order to protect individuals from harm. Currently, it is far too easy to create a fake account in order to purchase content that is intended for a much more mature audience. While this may seem like an extreme measure, movies already ask to see a form of ID in order to see a movie intended for an adult audience. There is no reason why digital games should be any different. Society needs to act soon, since virtual reality, the next evolution of gaming, promises to completely immerse the player in this terrifying world. If we don’t find a way to solve this problem, there will be consequences for gamers and non-gamers alike.