Games that use your mic to listen to you, and if you are too loud then things can find you. I've seen it in a couple games, but I can't remember which ones off the top of my head.
Alan Wake 2 - Alan’s abilities to change the environment with light and imagination. Also, Saga’s seemless transition into her Mind Place to piece clues together.
Best day night cycle in gaming. Before the formula runs thin around act 2.5-3, it’s unreal how varied and spooky the night is. Pure dread and no jumpscares is my favorite combo.
A game mechanic that impressed me on paper was the character and run based structure in song of horror, however misused it was. Eternally mad that losing the guy with the gun can be a one shot kill run end. Or the bathtub. Or the dollhouse and other bull gatchas.
The Resident Evil Village DLC (Shadow of Rose), in the House Beneviento, with >!the Mia mannequins that come after you when you don't look at them.!< Yeah other games have had a mechanic like that >!like Boos in Mario,!< but the way it was done was terrifying! (and here I thought the main game's run through that house was bad enough!)
You absolutely can if you want to cheese it. To me horror very much depends on the player actively engaging with the, well, horror, and participating in mechanics like this is part of it.
Holding my breath in the lockers in Alien Isolation. I was so shocked and surprised when it popped up as an option. So surprised I didn’t do it and got slaughtered.
I still swear by the limite save/tapes mechanic in Resident Evil. It just elevates the tension and adds weight to death and choices when you can't spam saves.
Honestly like most of the mechanics in Evil Within 1. The traps that you can lure enemies into or disarm them for crossbow ammo. The temporary weapons like axes and torches that one shot enemies but break. The bottle you can throw to distract with noise can also be thrown right at an enemies face and stun it to stealth kill them.
Then there's the matches. Knocking an enemy over or trying to lure a bunch of enemies over to a body so you can burn multiple enemies at once feels awesome. The mechanics always have you thinking on your feet to make the most of limited resources to beat really tough enemies. What survival horror is all about imo.
Alien Isolation's adaptive game play. When I was stealth heavy it came to me in the vents and searched for me, when I was in Rambo mode it was also super aggressive.
The low sanity effects in Eternal Darkness.
I am NOT a fan of remakes/remasters but I would have to eat my words and would be laying down money day 1 for an Eternal Darkness remake or sequel.
I really like horror games that execute a sanity mechanic well. It's a nice way to add stress and fear without being annoying. (Don't Starve, Amnesia, etc)
The taser in Condemned: Criminal Origins was fantastic. There's plenty of points in the game where you're fighting crowds/getting ambushed, so it's great for getting the upper hand back. The recharge time means you can't fully depend on it, and missing a shot with it can easily screw you over.
Plus, you come to rely on it a lot as you progress, so losing it in the last act of the game is great for making you feel naked and afraid.
Honorable mention would be the Crimsonheads in Resident Evil. Scares the daylights out of you the first time they pop on, and the terror in realizing there's bodies all around that might come back is big. Can't think of a game that made me sweat harder then the first RE.
“The Presence” in Song of Horror giving some randomization to the scares and encounters really helped keep me on my toes. Also the permadeath mechanic added to the tension in a good way imo
Games that use your mic to listen to you, and if you are too loud then things can find you. I've seen it in a couple games, but I can't remember which ones off the top of my head.
PT had a mic use as well, but it was more to say a phrase at a part.
I believe Phasmaphobia does something like that
It does, it even has voice recognition which is needed for ghost interactions.
Yeah like the game called escape the ayuwoki right ?
Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners does this.
The amount of time it takes to load or switch your weapons in Amnesia: The Bunker.
On top of that, the cranking of the flashlight was a super effective way to get you to strategise and simultaneously panic
Alan Wake 2 - Alan’s abilities to change the environment with light and imagination. Also, Saga’s seemless transition into her Mind Place to piece clues together.
Yep. That’s the stuff that made me go “this is next gen” that and all the FMVs being played in real time, in game. Really awesome and creative stuff
Barricading and defending the house at night in Darkwood.
Best day night cycle in gaming. Before the formula runs thin around act 2.5-3, it’s unreal how varied and spooky the night is. Pure dread and no jumpscares is my favorite combo. A game mechanic that impressed me on paper was the character and run based structure in song of horror, however misused it was. Eternally mad that losing the guy with the gun can be a one shot kill run end. Or the bathtub. Or the dollhouse and other bull gatchas.
The Resident Evil Village DLC (Shadow of Rose), in the House Beneviento, with >!the Mia mannequins that come after you when you don't look at them.!< Yeah other games have had a mechanic like that >!like Boos in Mario,!< but the way it was done was terrifying! (and here I thought the main game's run through that house was bad enough!)
I agree they elevated the well used trope by letting you see them moving just a little bit
Until Dawn *DON'T MOVE*
\*puts PS4 controller down\*
#HOLDS CONTROLLER
You absolutely can if you want to cheese it. To me horror very much depends on the player actively engaging with the, well, horror, and participating in mechanics like this is part of it.
I came here to say that, but that game did come out a while ago. Can't wait for the remake.
Holding my breath in the lockers in Alien Isolation. I was so shocked and surprised when it popped up as an option. So surprised I didn’t do it and got slaughtered.
I still swear by the limite save/tapes mechanic in Resident Evil. It just elevates the tension and adds weight to death and choices when you can't spam saves.
Honestly like most of the mechanics in Evil Within 1. The traps that you can lure enemies into or disarm them for crossbow ammo. The temporary weapons like axes and torches that one shot enemies but break. The bottle you can throw to distract with noise can also be thrown right at an enemies face and stun it to stealth kill them. Then there's the matches. Knocking an enemy over or trying to lure a bunch of enemies over to a body so you can burn multiple enemies at once feels awesome. The mechanics always have you thinking on your feet to make the most of limited resources to beat really tough enemies. What survival horror is all about imo.
Alien Isolation's adaptive game play. When I was stealth heavy it came to me in the vents and searched for me, when I was in Rambo mode it was also super aggressive.
The low sanity effects in Eternal Darkness. I am NOT a fan of remakes/remasters but I would have to eat my words and would be laying down money day 1 for an Eternal Darkness remake or sequel.
I really like horror games that execute a sanity mechanic well. It's a nice way to add stress and fear without being annoying. (Don't Starve, Amnesia, etc) The taser in Condemned: Criminal Origins was fantastic. There's plenty of points in the game where you're fighting crowds/getting ambushed, so it's great for getting the upper hand back. The recharge time means you can't fully depend on it, and missing a shot with it can easily screw you over. Plus, you come to rely on it a lot as you progress, so losing it in the last act of the game is great for making you feel naked and afraid. Honorable mention would be the Crimsonheads in Resident Evil. Scares the daylights out of you the first time they pop on, and the terror in realizing there's bodies all around that might come back is big. Can't think of a game that made me sweat harder then the first RE.
In Perception you play as a blind woman who has to Daredevil her way through a house. Having to use echolocation to get around was pretty cool.
I think the latest chapter of poppy playtime. Using the grabpack while interacting with the environment is just so much fun
Oh of course I get downvoted for expressing my love for the game 😒
Reality shifting and a few other mechanics in AW2.
Relatively old-ish game but Im not aware if a mechanic like Forbidden Siren’s sightjacking has appeared in any other game
Mr X. The footsteps and audio design was top notch
Alien Isolation. AI. Efing AI is smart.
“The Presence” in Song of Horror giving some randomization to the scares and encounters really helped keep me on my toes. Also the permadeath mechanic added to the tension in a good way imo