Suspense in Horror Video Games: Opportunities and Challenges in Its Construction

A Multifaceted Genre: Horror in Video Games

Creating an effective horror video game requires a unique blend of storytelling, gameplay, and atmosphere. Unlike cinema and literature, video games offer interactivity, placing the player at the center of events. However, this same interactivity poses challenges in maintaining a controlled pace, which is essential for building tension and fear.

Jump Scares and Depth: A Duality of Problems

Jump scares, often used to generate immediate fear, are an effective but overused tool. Games like Five Nights at Freddy's and Slender: The Eight Pages heavily rely on this mechanic, often at the expense of a deeper experience. On the other hand, titles such as Amnesia: The Dark Descent or Soma by Frictional Games demonstrate how fear can be evoked through a design that combines psychological tension and complex storytelling. In Soma, for example, the theme of existential identity amplifies the terror through a profound sense of isolation.

Suspense and Interactivity: The Challenge of Pacing

Creating suspense in an interactive medium is a challenge. Games like Outlast focus on a dark visual atmosphere and linear gameplay, while others, like Alien: Isolation, use dynamic AI for the primary antagonist, keeping unpredictability constant. This approach makes the gameplay less repetitive and strengthens the player's sense of vulnerability.
In contrast, games like Layers of Fear risk flattening the experience due to excessive linearity and predictability. Comparing it to Silent Hill 2, it becomes evident how a rich, interactive game world and oppressive atmosphere can build authentic suspense.

Innovation and Originality: Where the Genre Excels

The lack of innovation is a limitation for many horror games, which often cling to narrative clichés. However, titles like Resident Evil 7 and The Evil Within 2 have pushed the genre's boundaries. Resident Evil 7, in particular, reinvented the series by shifting to a first-person perspective and incorporating elements of classic survival horror with a personal and unsettling narrative.
The recent The Quarry also explored new modes of interaction, combining branching narrative choices with cinematic suspense, making the player feel deeply immersed in the story.

Comparisons with Other Media

Compared to cinema, video games offer greater emotional engagement thanks to interactivity. However, many games fail to fully exploit this potential. For instance, while a movie like Hereditary builds growing tension through narrative pacing, a game like Dead Space skillfully balances action and psychological terror to keep the player in a constant state of alert.

Conclusion: A Genre to Cultivate

To make horror video games more mature, developers must go beyond mere jump scares and focus on deeper narratives and innovative gameplay. Successful examples show that a balanced mix of suspense, freedom, and innovation can elevate the genre to new heights.
This is just a thought—what do you think?