GU Fantasy Draft- Survival Horror

We, as gamers, may always enjoy our games with full-blown action, high-octane gunfighting, elegant fantasy stories woven together like a timeless novel, and many others. However, sometimes we need to head into the darker side- the area in gaming where developers can craft games that can instill in us the most incredible of nightmares and chilling terrors. I’m talking about horror games of course. Games with horror themes have been around for well over thirty years in the world of gaming, but the genre didn’t start to elaborate and expand upon itself until the creation of what many call “survival horror”- a brand of horror game that places you in a situation where you face insurmountable odds with sparse supplies and only your wits to guide you through the temporal darkness. The genre may be losing some steam in today’s current generation due to a high influence of shooting/cinematic action games consuming the market, but they still are a popular and recognized genre. In today’s GU Fantasy Draft, the staff will tell you their favorite horror games and why they think these particular games epitomize “survival horror” to them. You know the rules, read what the staff thinks, if you agree give them your vote! Congrats again to last Draft winner, Jake!

Shayla-Rae Hansen- PC/Mac Editor

My Pick: Resident Evil

“Resident Evil (1996) would be the first to come to mind that epitomizes survival-horror; well, in many ways, it’s the first survival-horror of its kind. Basically,after Resident Evil’s creation, games trying to be part of the genre were modelled after it. I remember just how enthralled I was as a 7-year-old while I watched my dad play it for the PC and the series has had a special place in my heart since. It was a great blend of action and horror. You had to fight for your survival and it felt rewarding to succeed in doing so. Everything about it was near-perfect at the time, from the eerie surroundings to the distant sounds of zombies coming for you.”

Nick Pino- Editor In Chief

My Pick: Dead Rising

”It’s not common knowledge, but we EICs may look brave, bold, and fearless on the outside, but on the inside we store more fears, anxieties, and worries than nearly anyone else in the industry! In my eyes, the meanest, baddest Survival Horror game I’ve enjoyed in the past 10 years had to be Keiji Inafune’s and Capcom’s faux-zombie apocalypse, Dead Rising. Following journalist Frank West on his trip to hell’s shopping center and back, I couldn’t help but feel sympathetic for a man willing to go the extra mile for a story. Filled with comical cultists, the not-so-zealous undead, and some convicts with a driving problem, the game never took itself too seriously, so while the word “horror” only applies for the mentally feeble and easily queasy like myself, survival was the name of Frank West’s game.”

Nick Kwan- News Writer

My Pick: Left 4 Dead

”Left 4 Dead. I’ve had so much fun with this game. When you’re playing in Expert Realism with 3 other friends, you really have to be on your toes and know exactly what to do to survive.”

Jonathan Hudon- News Writer

My Pick: Dead Space

”The first Dead Space game scared the crap out of me. That feeling of isolation was second to none and after years and years and years of being trained on aiming for head shots, all of a sudden the game changes and I HAVE to shoot the bad guys in the limbs. The religious undertones, the nonsensical blood writing, and the constant feeling of death lingering right around made me feel legitimately scared of what was around the next corner. My time spent on the SSG Ishimura were some of my most tense gaming moments and I’m upset that the game lost this in it’s sequel and it looks like it’ll lose even more in the third installment. Hopefully, they don’t throw another bullshit multiplayer in it…hopefully. Survival horror for me means ‘I’m scared and I’m fighting to survive.’ “

Felipe Cabrera- News Writer

My Pick: Silent Hill 2

”I need to run with Silent Hill 2 because it’s the first survival horror game I ever played and I’m just bias like that…

That and the game’s soundtrack melded together with the grey and desolate atmosphere made for a terrifying experience. You never knew what you were going to find behind each door or down every hallway.”

Joshua Hugo- News Writer

My Pick: Amnesia: The Dark Descent

”I feel like pretty much everything about this game is what a survival horror game should be like. The monsters are terrifying and indestructible. Whenever they appear, it literally becomes a scene of run-and-hide which is how I would imagine anyone in that situation. Another aspect of the game that adds to that is the dark-insanity aspect. If a situation like this were to happen, you can bet your sorry scared self that your mind would be on the brink of collapse when you’re chased by grotesque beings and forced to hide in the darkness from them- when you would have trouble seeing them. The locale adds a nice touch and the very random effects of doors flinging open and the like really adds that bit of tension to the gameplay. You can’t tell me that the first time a large, wooden door went flying open, you didn’t creep slowly to it for fear of something coming out.”