In the run up to Halloween, who can’t think back to all the horror-themed games of ages past? We have so many different franchises to choose from: Doom, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, the Siren series and the distinctly Japanese stylization of ’Fatal Frame’ (Project Zero outside of the US). However this writer ponders something; when we glance at the catalog of available contemporary games, what has happened to the innovation and populace of the survival horror genre? Have we already hit a standstill with this popular and enjoyable genre?

The franchise which arguably gave birth to the survival horror genre on consoles would be Resident Evil on the Sony PlayStation, which eventually migrated to other consoles as its popularity increased. This game would essentially provide the template for future survival horror games, which we can see from every game as such to date. They each have the same story arch, which generally places ordinary characters in impossible situations, in which they have to gather together as much aid as possible while fighting for their lives. Survival horror games also brandish learning and difficulty curves which change as the game progresses and often places the player in a very linear environment. While this might not cover every game that is labeled ‘horror’ or scary (if you will), one cannot deny that a lot of these games follow this very strict code.

With this being said, has the genre made any tangible changes to its mostly-predictable formula? In recent years we think of the metamorphosis of Resident Evil -more to the point, Resident Evil 4. The formula of past Resident Evil games introduced camera angles which were constructed in a certain way so the player did not know what was round the next corner; likewise, distinct atmospheric music was added, and produced a very tense and scary experience…for a while. With three sequels containing essentially the same formula, audiences screamed for change to the monotonous series.

This, however, done away with in Resident Evil 4, where the camera angle was placed behind the character rather than a fixated angle, and the environment was less linear than its previous installments. This change, Capcom  believed, opened the Resident Evil series to a wider audience who saturated the already-overloaded action genre. While many hail the changes in this game as revolutionary, Resident Evil has forsaken its survival horror roots and transformed into an ‘action horror’ game.

Resident Evil is not the only example of the survival horror genre; Doom, Fatal Frame, Dead Space and the Silent Hill series, are strong examples of other titles which have brought additional codes but have yet to revolutionize the genre. Doom provides a storyline of science unintentionally opening the gates to Hell, and defined the first person shooter-slash-’horror’ genre. Fatal Frame, deemed by many as one of the scarier games in recent times, offered an alternative way of defeating enemies by becoming the hunter rather than the hunted and defeating foes with a camera rather than weapons. Silent Hill made great use of the psychological facet of horror by utilizing unsettling visuals and scenes coupled with deeply-disturbing atmospheres. However, unlike other survival horror games, Silent Hill produced quite an impact through delivering a strong narrative as well as a deeply-grotesque environment. And Dead Space, the newest addition to the dwindling survival horror genre, expertly uses atmospheric sound effects meshed with stellar visuals, despite being deeply influenced by the film ‘Event Horizon’.

Despite all this, how has the genre revolutionized itself in terms of creating a frighteningly-new experience for the player? As previously stated, Dead Space, the newest addition to the genre, is an excellent survival horror game; however, it only builds upon a formula that has already been reused so many times before. So, where can they go with this ailing genre?

For a start, if I may make such a suggestion, we require more narrative and personality in our survival horror games. Dead Space’s protagonist Isaac is a mute hero who I find to be very hard to sympathize with. While his annoying female friend pops up every five minutes to remind him how helpless she is, his only emotions appear to exist when he is either attacked or attacking an enemy with his melee (in a fashionable, man-roar manner). Not only that, the overall story arch of Dead Space is not precisely captivating; how many iterations of “lone spaceship has lost contact with headquarters and only a handful of under-skilled individuals have been tasked to handle the problem…

Another resounding problem with the genre is that there is an utter dearth of shocking moments in the middle portions of the games. I often find myself at the beginning, small and helpless, experiencing several deaths where my enemies turn me into their version of a Scooby Snack; however, by the time I have reached the end of the game, I am an unstoppable badass where I chortle at my enemies’ feeble attempts to stop me. On the topic of enemies, their tendency to jump out at any given opportunity displeases me. Instead, why not maintain strong elements of suspense and force players to utilize tactics, considering every step?

These are some of the examples which I believe consistently hold back the survival horror genre, and I want them to rectify these situations immediately. As opposed to a constant re-run of the usual formula we come to expect, might we be surprised and shocked throughout the entire game for a switch? Might we also be given a legitimate reason for empathizing whether the main character dies, taking into consideration that so many of our protagonists have as much personality as a stale breadstick?

When these failings are finally given attention, then maybe, just maybe, we could find this genre standstill has finally come to an end…