A Resurgence Of Terror

At its absolute best, a survival horror game should effortlessly suspend a player’s sense of reality by thrusting them head first into a horrific virtual experience that mercilessly bludgeons their mind with overwhelming feelings of uneasiness, vulnerability, and even pure terror. Unfortunately, as any devoted aficionado of the genre can openly admit, not every scare-focused title properly executes those core fundamentals in a satisfying manner. For every helplessly unpredictable, dismemberment-heavy masterpiece (Dead Space) and psychologically tormenting tour de force (Condemned: Criminal Origins) that helped propel survival horror to new heights on last-generation consoles, a tenfold of half-baked duds and cash-grabbing sequels would haphazardly infiltrate the genre, and systemically shatter both hopeful expectations and consumer trust in the process.

Now, with powerful current-generation consoles ushering in a new age of video game entertainment for anxious gamers to consume, those craving a little nail-biting tension over the usual ambush of blockbuster first-person shooters, awe-inspiring RPGs, and adrenaline-fueled racers are looking to the near-future for the next greatest survival horror-infused experience their recently purchased systems can offer. With recent games like Alien: Isolation and The Evil Within generating mostly positive critical reception, and steady announcements of potential masterpieces like Silent Hills and SOMA sprinkled in-between many other highly-anticipated titles targeted for release in the near-future, one could only wonder: will the survival horror genre finally undergo a true-to-form revival on current-generation consoles?

A New Beginning For Survival Horror

Despite my inability to precisely predict what the future may hold for our new home entertainment systems, I do believe that those fond of the grotesque and frightening are now in the midst of witnessing the genesis of a survival horror comeback on consoles thanks, in part, to the solid foundation painstakingly structured by indie games like Outlast, and securely reinforced by near-perfect masterpieces like The Last of Us during last-generation’s run. Though, so far, the genre itself seems more populated with HD remakes (Metro: 2033 Redux, The Last of Us: Remastered) than original content, fresh faces like The Evil Within and Alien: Isolation have single-handedly helped emphasis exactly why our most recent console investment may be the most ideal destination for well-crafted survival horror experiences.

For instance, by carefully dissecting and analyzing Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami’s latest directorial undertaking, you’ll find that The Evil Within successfully blends Resident Evil 4-inspired gameplay mechanics with a diverse mixture of Japanese and Western horror influences to create a thoroughly flavorful cocktail of survival horror (one that, no doubt, pays homage to traditions exhibited in the genre’s past). Unlike the Resident Evil series’ newfound focus on bombastic over-the-top action, The Evil Within’s gameplay forces you to place an unwavering sense of importance on key survival horror elements like resource management, strategic weapon utilization, and even environmental observation (in the form of disassembling potentially lethal traps) in order to survive the hellish, undead-infested confines of a world severed from the limitations of reality. And, like any unforgettable addition to the genre, every moment spent within Tango Gameworks’ debut title genuinely feels like an unforgiving trial through nerve-shredding tension and fear as you’re mercilessly ambushed by torturous death mazes, sadistic chainsaw-wielding psychopaths, and nightmarish boss encounters around every possible turn. Though, at times, detective Castellanos’ surreal journey can turn even the most relaxed horror enthusiasts into frustrated rage-quitters, The Evil Within serves as a solid argument against any naysayers who assume survival horror has met a grisly demise on consoles.

Thankfully, The Evil Within isn’t the only noteworthy current-gen video game desperately attempting to reanimate the genre. Alien: Isolation, The Creative Assembly’s own well-crafted contribution to the renown sci-fi horror franchise, excels above and beyond normal horror expectations by delivering an undeniably terrifying experience that explores the same overwhelming sense of vulnerability, claustrophobia, and unnerving dread exhibited in Ridley Scott’s original 1979 film, Alien. Whereas Gearbox’s disappointingly mediocre FPS, Aliens: Colonial Marines, introduced gamers to a mindless and thoroughly regretful extraterrestrial shooting gallery of sorts, Alien: Isolation tasks players with utilizing a combination of intelligence, adaptability, and even a bit of good old-fashioned stealth to survive the relentless pursuit of one acid-blooded, unkillable Xenomorph. Even though Amanda Ripley (the player-character and daughter of Ellen Ripley) must strategically outmaneuver other hostile denizens while attempting to escape the ruined confines of the Sevastapol space station, it’s the aggressive hunting nature and shear unpredictability of the Alien series most iconic foe that transforms every seemingly abandoned ventilation shaft and dimly-lit corridor into an unexpected deathtrap of razor-sharp claws and flesh-shredding teeth. Void of any scripted scares and placing a heavy emphasis on pure survival over run-and-gun tactics, Alien: Isolation‘s frightening game of cat and mouse represents a rare form of survival horror that’s become almost non-existent on home entertainment systems.

Analyzing The Genre’s Promising Future

As I’ve mentioned previously, I do believe The Evil Within and Alien: Isolation have successfully jump-started the revival of survival horror on consoles as satisfying multiplatform games. However, until developers begin to fully commit to bringing full-fledged titles solely to current-generation consoles, we’ll only continue to witness increasingly noticeable last-generation limitations within the video games we play. Peering into the near-future, several heart-pounding titles like SOMA and Silent Hills seem more than capable of bringing devoted horror aficionados the sort of bloodcurdling experiences they crave while simultaneously elevating the genre to new levels.

Taking a closer look beneath the surface of Frictional Games’ promising sci-fi survival horror game SOMA, for example, uncovers a potentially terrifying experience that expands upon the Amnesia series’ ominous atmosphere and paranoia-inducing gameplay by introducing fear-thwarting players to the eerie confines of an entirely new setting: an abandoned underwater research facility called PATHOS-2. Exhibiting subtle influences from a broad spectrum of horror-infused entertainment mediums, PATHOS-2’s haunting corridors and goosebump-producing environments promise to help drive the narrative in intriguing and thoroughly unsettling directions as gamers explore psychologically disturbing themes – like artificial intelligence, consciousness and even the human psyche – while trying to escape the monstrosities that infest this hostile world below the ocean. To make matters worse, SOMA, like its predecessors, also plans on specifically targeting people’s fear of the unknown (through the use of unidentifiable sounds and abrupt noises, for instance) in order to create an unnerving journey into the shadows of uncertainty, one that should serve as a nice change of pace compared to more combat-centered, physical-horror-based newcomers like The Evil Within. Even though it represents Frictional Games’ first crack at a console release and many details still remain tightly under wraps, SOMA seems like a well-deserved chance for the developer to showcase exactly how current-generation systems will push the borders of survival horror in new and exciting ways.

SOMA may be preparing to systemically capture the undivided attention of horror-lovers in 2015, but perhaps the most promising up-and-coming survival horror addition (and one that seems equally determined to reinvigorate the genre) is Kojima Productions’ Silent Hills. Being helmed by Metal Gear Solid series creator Hideo Kojima and Hellboy director Guillermo del Toro, while also starring Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead), this latest entry in Konami’s popular horror series was unveiled at this year’s Gamescom through a hair-raising “playable teaser” entitled P.T. As it turns out, it’s this delicious slice of terror that has us convinced that Silent Hills will be the unrivaled leader of the survival horror revival.

Drawing obvious inspiration from horror gems like The Shining, P. T. challenges brave souls with successfully accomplishing one relatively simple task: escape the increasingly disturbing confines of a haunted house alive. However, that’s not as easy as one may think. As P.T. quickly transforms from tension-building to terrifying in mere minutes, its environments also begin an ever-changing cycle of looping hallways and rooms, creating an unpredictability hellish experience consisting of everything from blood-soaked refrigerators to traumatizing bathroom visits. And, as if more determined to petrify you than to scare you, P.T. also perfectly delivers measured doses of mind-torturing psychological horror and jump-out-of-your-seat scares thanks to constant blood-chilling encounters with a ghostly murder victim. If this short but sweet demo’s perfect blend of horror is any indication of what the full-fledged game could become, then I have unwavering hope that Kojima Productions’ Silent Hills will help access the untapped potential the survival horror genre truly possesses.

Final Thoughts

Though it’s easy to admit that the gradually declining state of popular franchises like Dead Space and Resident Evil engulfed the genre in hopeless disappointment in the past, there’s absolutely no doubt that survival horror’s long-awaited resurgence is underway. So far, forementioned titles like SOMA and Silent Hills seem hellbent on carving a name for themselves among the horror classics of yesteryear, while current-generation systems look just as equally determined to usher in a new wave of highly-anticipated newcomers (like teen slasher Until Dawn) for consumers to purchase and enjoy in the near-future as well. Heck it seems like even Capcom ended up receiving the memo, with both a sequel to its more survival-horror-rooted title Resident Evil: Revelations and a full-blown remastering of the 2002 Resident Evil remake due to release early in 2015. And just think, even after all those announcements, that doesn’t even begun to scratch the surface of what’s bound to be unleashed on consoles in the future.

Despite what you may believe, it does look as though survival horror is gearing up to make a welcome return to home entertainment systems in a tremendous way. Although no one can predict for sure whether the various studios behind these promising video games will successfully execute the initial visions they seek to realize, it’s hard not to feel hopeful for the return of this severely underutilized genre.