When it comes to video games, the horror genre has had its ups and downs. There was a period of time where horror games were virtually non-existent, but thanks to popular games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill , they became an important part of the industry. The rise of online multiplayer and games like Call of Duty saw developers move away from horror games, but then the success of indie horror games led to a mainstream resurgence that we're still seeing to

The holidays are now over, and 2014 is upon us, and with it comes a television premiere/return schedule even more complicated than in the fall. As old and new favorites return from break, even more old and new shows will begin to premiere, and it will be up to you to decide what to and, more importantly, what not to wa

Though the game is played in third-person view for survivors, you’ll play in first-person as the killer. Côté explained that the shift here is about focus. As a survivor, you’re focused on keeping an eye out for the killer. When you’re fixing a generator, you can spin the camera around to make sure he’s not sneaking up on you. If he does, though, you’ll be able to see a red glow wash over the immediate area behind your character. Not only does a third-person camera divorce you from the action so you get the same sympathetic feeling you’d get watching the victims of a slasher flick, but the pulled-out view offers a tactical advantage you sorely need as a survivor. As the killer, you don’t need the advantage. The first-person perspective gives you tunnel vision as you hunt your targets, which doesn’t just make the action more personal; it effectively reduces your vision cone and makes it easier for the survivors to escape. This led to incredibly close calls during my round as a survivor when I managed to lose the pursuing killer for the briefest of moments, then dodge into a cabinet and watch him pass by. When I played as the killer though, that same situation in reverse made it crystal clear how important it is as a survivor to slow down and not leave a trail as I threw open the cabinet doors and wrenched the terrified survivor out.

While playing as a survivor is tense and filled with spikes of adrenaline, playing as the killer is intoxicating. Even in the multiplayer lobbies, you have the distinct advantage: as a survivor, you’ll spend time in the lobbies together standing idly and choosing passive perks like additional fog to make it harder for the killer to see you; as the killer, you stand out of the survivors’ view, watching. You study them, getting to see what each survivor looks like and 8.Motion-Design.Org.Ua exactly which perks they’re bringing in. From the jump, the game makes it clear that the killer is probably going to win.

L.A. Noire was an ambitious project from the get-go, spinning the narratives of multiple mysterious murders that fell to Cole Phelps to solve. Players would scope out crime scenes for clues, investigate bodies, and question possible witnesses to piece together the puzzle. Most witnesses even had tells eagle-eyed players could detect to see when they were lying, and certain dialogue options could be selected to try and deduce what was t

Frictional Games made a name for itself with Amnesia: The Dark Descent , a title that is largely responsible for the resurgence the horror genre has enjoyed in recent years. Its followup effort, Soma , may not have generated the same kind of buzz as Amnesia , but it is arguably the better, more polished game. Set in an underwater research facility filled with strange creatures, Soma is less about jump scares and more about building tension and scaring players with pure psychological hor

Though it is a sequel by name, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is not a sequel by nature, taking place in a different city and allowing players to don the fangs of a different vampire. Set in Seattle, players take on the role of a freshly awoken elder vampire, able to choose from four of the vampire clans from the pen-and-paper RPG , with more likely released as DLC following the game's rele

We know now that PT is a "playable teaser" for Hideo Kojima's Silent Hills , a game that will never actually materialize since it was canceled by Konami . But back when it released, it was a truly mysterious and bizarre experie

There will be several different killers in the game, each loosely based on different classic horror movie villains, but only one was featured in the PAX demo, a hulking Jason-like with a machete and bear traps. As the killer, you can always see where the generators are, so you have a good idea at least where to patrol. If a survivor makes a loud noise, like from failing that generator prompt, a prominent icon shows up onscreen giving you the exact location. Likewise, when a generator is fixed, it turns on and gets highlighted in your view. Show up to the generator and see a fading red trail leading away and you know a survivor is very close. Chase them down and give them a good slash and you’ll injure them, making it much easier to catch up with them again later. A second slash will down them, making them eligible to be picked up and carried to a meat hook to be "sacrificed" upon death as tendrils take them away. The whole concept of needing to hang the survivors up on a hook instead of just killing them right then and there is a little silly, of course, but it provides good tension for the game on both sides.