With Friday The 13th: The Game scheduled for an early 2017 release, it looks like it will capture the essence of what makes the film series so popular with the ability to play from the perspectives of either the victims, or stalking as Jason himself -- in multiplayer and single player modes.
With Friday The 13th looking like it will nail the feeling of experiencing the films first hand, it got us thinking about what other horror games may work well in a modern videogame.
There are a lot of horror films out there, so here is a list of films that would lend themselves especially well to a videogame format.
Cannibal Holocaust
Cannibal Holocaust is a very gory and controversial film from 1980. It was the inspiration for found footage genre popularized in the late 90's such as The Blair Witch Project.
Using the Found Footage style, the game could play from a first person perspective, in the role of a videographer, who follows the lead reporter and his team into the Amazonian jungle to investigate and document a cannibalistic tribe.
The main theme of the film is the boundaries the crew crossed in order get the best and most graphically violent footage they could. This was achieved by betraying the tribes and committing other inhuman atrocities, just to get their shot.
As the protagonist in a game adaptation you could be forced to make horrible decisions and face awful dilemmas - would you try and do the right thing for the natives? Or do you follow your boss's orders and cross the line of humanity for the sake of consumerism -- either one could potentially lead to disastrous results.
House Of 1000 Corpses
A cult favorite among horror fans, House Of 1000 Corpses spawned a sequel The Devil's Rejects, which were both under the direction of Rob Zombie. The original film inspired a haunted house theme event at Universal Studios.
So taking inspiration from the haunted house theme park event, I could see a horror VR game working. Imagine a cross between Resident Evil 7 and Until Dawn: Rush Of Blood.
The game could force you to explore and investigate the home of the Firefly family, and throw in a few on-rails set pieces like Until Dawn: Rush Of Blood.
Hellraiser
The first two Hellraiser films are classics and two of the best horrors ever made in their own right. The plot for the game could be a direct follow up to the closing scenes in Hellraiser 2 -- ignoring the awful sequels thereafter.
A game like The Evil Within would work well in this scenario, using its atmosphere and hiding mechanics.
You could play the role of a detective or a private investigator, exploring the hospital where the events of Hellraiser 2 took place, eventually leading to clues about the Lament Configuration -- a puzzle box that acts as portal to a hell-like dimension.
The protagonist could eventually cross over into the other dimension, and in trying to escape you encounter Pinhead and the other Cenobites with their unique looks and abilities, who are all trying to find ways to torture you for an eternity. A game in this universe could make for a pretty intense horror experience.
Midnight Meat Train
The Midnight Meat Train is film where a timid photographer takes it upon himself to investigate a serial killer known as "The Subway Butcher." As the photographer closes in on the killer he discovers an underground world of horrors.
I think the game adaptation would work well using elements of Condemned, replacing the forensic tools with with a camera and by adding in some exploration and investigatory elements, similar to the Sherlock Holmes games.
The closer you get to the killer, the gameplay could switch it's dynamics to a run and hide mechanic as seen in Outlast, while trying to escape "The Subway Butcher."
Dog Soldiers
Dog Soldiers is cult British horror film set in the Highlands of Scotland, as you follow a team of normal soldiers on a training mission working against the elite SAS (Special Air Service).
Whilst out in the wilderness, the soldiers eventually get attacked and picked off one by one by a group of werewolves forcing the men to take refuge in a nearby house.
I would like to see the mechanics of a game like ZombiU, where you are in continuous contact with one or all of your team members over the radio, and at the same trying to survive the onslaught.
A Dog Soldiers game could implement the need to expose yourself to imminent danger by leaving your base/house, and collecting resources to survive. Using the resources you'd barricade yourselves in for a limited time, all the while trying to fight off the Werewolves that do somehow mysteriously get into the house.
There are many films in the horror genre that could work well, and at the same time be more effective as a horror game -- if for no other reason that you can find yourself far more immersed in a game's atmosphere than you do a film.
What horror films would you like to see adapted to a videogame? Let is know in the comments below.
Published: Mar 1, 2017 09:49 am