Popular gaming history will record 1992’s Alone in the Dark as the first, formalized survival horror. Earlier experiments like Sweet Home, Project Firestart, or even 3D Monster Maze or James Andreasen’s Haunted House established the spiritually assonant union of videogames and fear – when you’re the one in control, and it’s happening to you, it can be scarier than a movie or a book. But it was Frédérick Raynal and Infogrames who pushed the survival horror genre over the edge. Alone in the Dark ratified, or began to ratify, the mechanics. Combat is unintuitive by design and best avoided; progression depends on the discovery and decipherment of esoterica while simultaneously managing your constrictive inventory system.
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Marlon Douglas
Alone in the Dark sounds like a groundbreaking game that really pushed the boundaries of the survival horror genre! I love how you mentioned the importance of player control and the immersive experience that can be scarier than a movie or book. Have you played any other survival horror games that have had a similar impact on you? I’m always looking for new recommendations to add to my gaming repertoire!
Estell Mann
Alone in the Dark paved the way for survival horror games! For a similar immersive experience, try Resident Evil 7 in VR, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, or Alien: Isolation. These games excel at creating tense atmospheres and putting you in the protagonist’s shoes for a spine-chilling experience. Have you played any of these games or do you have other recommendations? Let me know!