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Survival Horror Newbie

mellestadmellestad Registered User regular
edited May 2009 in Games and Technology
So I want to try a survival horror game, but I have not really played any in the past. I have a 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, DS and PC. Any recommendations? I think I am looking for something with a great story if that exists.

mellestad on
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Posts

  • AumniAumni Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    mellestad wrote: »
    So I want to try a survival horror game, but I have not really played any in the past. I have a 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, DS and PC. Any recommendations? I think I am looking for something with a great story if that exists.

    This friday grab RE5

    Then grab RE4.

    And before you do either of those play Silent Hill 2 and 3.

    Then after you do that but before you play RE 5, play Dead Space.

    Aumni on
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  • ReznikReznik Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Silent Hill 2 is the scariest game that I have ever popped in to my PS2 for 10 minutes and then shut off and turned all the lights on in the house.

    Get that one.

    It has an awesome story.

    I had to wiki the story :/

    Reznik on
    Do... Re.... Mi... Ti... La...
    Do... Re... Mi... So... Fa.... Do... Re.... Do...
    Forget it...
  • ArkanArkan Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    If you can find a copy, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (for the gamecube, but Wii will run it).

    It tends towards more "horror" and less "survival", but still a great game.

    Arkan on
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  • DeMoNDeMoN twitch.tv/toxic_cizzle Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    RE4 and 5 are hardly survivor horror.

    DeMoN on
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  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Reznik wrote: »
    Silent Hill 2 is the scariest game that I have ever popped in to my PS2 for 10 minutes and then shut off and turned all the lights on in the house.

    Get that one.

    It has an awesome story.

    I had to wiki the story :/

    Yes, yes.

    If you can play through the hospital by yourself at night without stopping to lock and bolt every door in the place, you're more of a man than I am.

    The noises.

    Oh, and also System Shock 2. I know most will disagree with me since it's first person but it checks most of the survival horror boxes.

    joshofalltrades on
  • OlivawOlivaw good name, isn't it? the foot of mt fujiRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Silent Hill 2
    Eternal Darkness

    That's all you'll need

    Olivaw on
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  • GrisloGrislo Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    In addition to the things already mentioned, you could check out the Siren remake/re-imagening/whatever on the PS3.

    Also, you should totally play Undying (PC) if you spot a cheap copy somewhere.

    Grislo on
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  • mellestadmellestad Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    So is Silent Hill 2 standalone? And RE 4 and 5? Can I play them without knowing much about the series?

    mellestad on
  • ArchonexArchonex No hard feelings, right? Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    If you want to edge yourself into Survival Horror, google Survival Crisis Zero. It's a PC open-world zombie apocalypse game that was made free a few years ago. It's like a combination of Resident Evil (In Racoon City.) and GTA.

    It can be really tense on the harder difficulties until you get well equipped and learn how to cover angles with the proper weapons, since the hordes will come at you at all sides on the streets, when you take cover in buildings, when you hide in the sewers, and, well, everywhere. The evil little fuckers even leap through windows in buildings to get at you if you try to hide in them. Though, once you get well equipped and get a few buddies the game gets much less tense and turns into a zombie massacre if you play it the right (Or wrong, depending on your views.) way.

    Also, it has some zelda-esque elements, where there are randomly appearing dungeons you can go through, too. Though they can be grueling unless you're prepared for them, since they throw some insane odds at you, and later on
    the game starts to go all Silent Hill on you, and might send you to a hellish version of the dungeon just to fuck with you. Also, i'm pretty sure there's a Silent Hill-esque version of the city you can explore, but I never got that far in it.

    Archonex on
  • KrunkMcGrunkKrunkMcGrunk Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    RE4 and RE5 aren't really survival horror.

    Play Silent Hill 2.

    e: Yes, you can play it without having played any of the others.

    KrunkMcGrunk on
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  • mellestadmellestad Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    So, SH2, PS2 or PC? Looks like I can find either one pretty cheap.

    mellestad on
  • KrunkMcGrunkKrunkMcGrunk Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I would go with PS2.

    KrunkMcGrunk on
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  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Go with PS2, it's a much scarier cinematic experience in your living room on your TV.

    Something about sitting at a computer desk isn't frightening to me.

    joshofalltrades on
  • AJAlkaline40AJAlkaline40 __BANNED USERS regular
    edited March 2009
    Go with PS2, it's a much scarier cinematic experience in your living room on your TV.

    Something about sitting at a computer desk isn't frightening to me.

    There is no situation in which Silent Hill is not frightening.

    AJAlkaline40 on
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  • epictunaepictuna Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I couldn't play SH2 with the lights off. I tried. I REALLY tried. But screaming like a girl at 3am in the dark while your roommates try to sleep is, well, it's not something they're likely to be OKAY with. Unless of course they grab some popcorn and come watch the horror unfold with you. SH2 is THAT good/scary. Your friends will WATCH you play and enjoy it, and vise-versa.

    epictuna on
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  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Listen, I don't know anything about his home theater setup, all I'm saying is:

    Silent Hill coming out of your little monitor and computer speakers

    or

    Silent Hill in high resolution on a big screen TV with surround sound

    You decide

    joshofalltrades on
  • ChanceChance Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I still haven't been able to find myself a copy of Silent Hill 2, but it's definitely regarded, in general, as the best survival horror game of all time.

    On the current gen, Siren: Blood Curse (PS3) is really, really good. It takes the already-stressful horror genre and mixes in the tense, thoughtful gameplay of a stealth title = :^: Going by Metacritic it's the best-reviewed survival horror of this gen (between it, Silent Hill Homecoming and ... ugh, Alone in the Dark). It's one of my top games of '08, and it's $40 on PSN, totally downloadable. 9ish GB.

    On PS2 I can suggest Fatal Frame II. If any part of you believes in like, the spirit world or life after death or whatever. That game fucking terrifies me. But, if you don't buy the idea of a peice of you existing beyond death, it may not affect you.

    So, Blood Curse is essentially an old-school adventure game that tells a disturbing, really-damn-smart horror story, and Fatal Frame will prove your masculinity.

    Chance on
    'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
  • ChanceChance Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Small PS3 text field = 2 posts.

    You want a great story? Siren. Totally Siren - but again, I've heard nothing but high praise for Silent Hill 2's narrative, as well.

    Chance on
    'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
  • OlivawOlivaw good name, isn't it? the foot of mt fujiRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Listen, I don't know anything about his home theater setup, all I'm saying is:

    Silent Hill coming out of your little monitor and computer speakers

    or

    Silent Hill in high resolution on a big screen TV with surround sound

    You decide

    The size of the monitor doesn't matter since you're right up close to it

    And you could just put on some headphones for true terror experience

    But this is all academic because the PC port of Silent Hill 2 sucks, so go with PS2

    Olivaw on
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  • urahonkyurahonky Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Be warned that Siren is fucking hard. It's very stealth oriented whereas the Silent Hill games aren't so much.

    All of the Resident Evil games (except 2 and 3) can be had with your Wii, so I'd pick up RE 0, 1, and CV. Then play 4 and then get 5 when it comes out.

    Dementium: The Ward for the DS was terrifying and really survival horrorish.

    I'm going to plug Obscure and Obscure 2, but really ONLY buy them if you can find them for cheap. Very B-level game but gruesome and survivaly. (Obscure 2 is also 2 player co-op)

    urahonky on
  • GyralGyral Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Any of the Fatal Frames will make you poo your pants if ghosts scare you. Also, Clock Tower. Especially the first one.

    Gyral on
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  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    He wouldn't need RE3 anyway.

    Quick, time to make a decision! You have 5 seconds! Nope, you picked the wrong one. You're dead.

    joshofalltrades on
  • urahonkyurahonky Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    FUCK how could I forget Clock Tower? That's a good choice. It's scary as fuck. Fatal Frames are a bit too terrifying for me as well. :P

    urahonky on
  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Clock Tower is more like a scary adventure game than survival horror, but it's still highly recommended.

    As long as we're going to be including any kind of scary game, get the Chzo Mythos games.

    joshofalltrades on
  • chasehatesbearschasehatesbears Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    You should check out the original Fear Effect for playstation if it's backwards compatible. Unless you can't stand old games. Or running from zombies in a towel.

    I didn't play the second one. I think it was about a lesbian crimefighting duo or something.

    chasehatesbears on
  • Fig-DFig-D Tustin, CA, USRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    The Grand Daddy With a Face Lift: Resident Evil (Remake) on Gamecube (also Wii)

    Is That Thing Doing What I Think Its Doing?: Silent Hill 2 on PS2

    Did The Game Just Blue Screen On Me?: Eternal Darkness on GC (also Wii)

    New Hotness: Siren: Blood Curse on PS3 (Downloadable through PSN)

    The Undead. In Space: Dead Space on PS3/360

    There ya go. See you in a couple weeks.

    Fig-D on
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  • LoveIsUnityLoveIsUnity Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I would actually recommend that he pick up Silent Hill 2 on XBOX. I saw it recently for pretty cheap used at an EBstop in the area. If you can find a copy of it, it looks way prettier than the PS2 version, and it contains extra content that isn't on every PS2 release.

    Also, the REmake is mandatory if you want to see the reason that survival horror made it in to the mainstream but not put up with PSX graphics, which don't bother me personally, but I know some folks are put off by them.

    LoveIsUnity on
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  • ReznikReznik Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Just watching my brother play RE1 on PS1 scared the shit out of me when I was little.

    Looking past all the terrible voice acting and everything, just the whole atmosphere about being stuck inside one big freaky mansion instead of a town/city... it's just so much scarier.

    Reznik on
    Do... Re.... Mi... Ti... La...
    Do... Re... Mi... So... Fa.... Do... Re.... Do...
    Forget it...
  • epictunaepictuna Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Reznik wrote: »
    Just watching my brother play RE1 on PS1 scared the shit out of me when I was little.

    Looking past all the terrible voice acting and everything, just the whole atmosphere about being stuck inside one big freaky mansion instead of a town/city... it's just so much scarier.

    Yeah, there is something effing horrifying about being trapped in a house of death with no way to get out and absolutely no idea what is around the next bend. Like: "Oh, well, here I am! I'm in a house! I'm STUCK here! I'm BY MYSELF! Oh, and THAT's a fucking ZOMBIE! Good thing I have all this... WAIT I have like TWO BULLETS!"

    "You died."

    epictuna on
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  • chasehatesbearschasehatesbears Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    It always kind of bothered me that you couldn't leave because of a few fucking dogs. S.T.A.R.S. doesn't seem all that tough to me.

    chasehatesbears on
  • No Great NameNo Great Name FRAUD DETECTED Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Aumni wrote: »
    mellestad wrote: »
    So I want to try a survival horror game, but I have not really played any in the past. I have a 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, DS and PC. Any recommendations? I think I am looking for something with a great story if that exists.

    This friday grab RE5

    Then grab RE4.

    And before you do either of those play Silent Hill 2 and 3.

    Then after you do that but before you play RE 5, play Dead Space.
    Bolded for not survival horror.

    No Great Name on
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  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    The weird thing is that they utterly destroy much more horrific things in the course of wandering the house. You'd think that after the very first time they ran across a boss they'd hightail it back to the dogs.

    joshofalltrades on
  • SorensonSorenson Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Depending on how you define Survival Horror, Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl with the Oblivion Lost mod is a pretty dang good choice. Once you get into some of the later areas shit can get real terrifying:, and OL's unpredictable nature means there's a crapload of possabilities for what the game might throw at you.

    EDIT: Oh, c'mon, it ain't that bad. Anymore, at least.

    Also, (insert LP pimping here).

    Sorenson on
  • No Great NameNo Great Name FRAUD DETECTED Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Resident Evil 2
    Fatal Frame 2
    Silent Hill 3

    No Great Name on
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  • Fig-DFig-D Tustin, CA, USRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Aumni wrote: »
    mellestad wrote: »
    So I want to try a survival horror game, but I have not really played any in the past. I have a 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, DS and PC. Any recommendations? I think I am looking for something with a great story if that exists.

    This friday grab RE5

    Then grab RE4.

    And before you do either of those play Silent Hill 2 and 3.

    Then after you do that but before you play RE 5, play Dead Space.
    Bolded for not survival horror.

    I'd say Dead Space is closer to survival horror than RE4 or 5 though. More horror anyway.
    Sorenson wrote: »
    Depending on how you define Survival Horror, Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl with the Oblivion Lost mod is a pretty dang good choice. Once you get into some of the later areas shit can get real terrifying:, and OL's unpredictable nature means there's a crapload of possabilities for what the game might throw at you. Like crashing to desktop.

    Fig-D on
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  • chamberlainchamberlain Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I am very glad to see that the Fatal Frame games have gotten a mention. The first two are especially frightening, the third not so much.

    I have heard mention of a new fatal frame in the works for the wii, so that is something to look forward to.

    chamberlain on
  • No Great NameNo Great Name FRAUD DETECTED Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Well yes, Dead Space is closer to survival horror than either RE4/5 because it is actually scary. You are some sort of demigod of destruction in that game though. With pimped out electrician/war god battle armor.

    No Great Name on
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  • epictunaepictuna Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    The weird thing is that they utterly destroy much more horrific things in the course of wandering the house. You'd think that after the very first time they ran across a boss they'd hightail it back to the dogs.

    I think it's the idea that there were dozens and dozens of dogs running around out there. Two or three dogs? No problem. One Hunter? No problem. One or two Chimera? No problem.

    30 or 40 effing zombie dogs?

    ... Tengo una problema grande...

    epictuna on
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  • No Great NameNo Great Name FRAUD DETECTED Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I hope this isn't Chris's blood.

    No Great Name on
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  • epictunaepictuna Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I hope this isn't Chris's blood.

    Jill, you should take this since YOU are the master of unlocking.

    epictuna on
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