Suspense In Video Games

The genre of horror is a fascinating subject, not merely because it scares people, but because it triggers and emotional state from the players. Why play a game that makes you scared instead of playing a game that makes you feel happy? This emotional state is a state of feeling alive and is triggered by the adrenaline hormone, which is the result of a process when a person is in danger or feels endangered. The horror genre is however a fairly difficult subject and consists of multiple subfields that need to be taken into account. The question, which remains, is what makes a horror game and how horror is used in video games.
The first question, which needs to be asked before going into further depth in the horror genre, is why this particular …show more content…
According to Perron (2004), the narrative of a horror video game is an important part, mainly because it is key to acquiring the knowledge the player needs in order to finish a horror video game. Perron (2004) also discusses the importance of the suspense element. Suspense is an element key to the creation of a decent narrative. In most cases, suspense is triggered by already giving the player a clue that something is about to happen. The player will feel suspense for the whole time up until the actual event is happening. Feelings of suspense and tension before anything is even happening in the game itself makes the players curiosity regarding the horror experience come to an …show more content…
The player has to be set in a certain emotional state at the start of the game, which can continue throughout the entire game or come to an end. Once again, a player is meant to feel suspense as well as keep the player aware of what is going on. Most horror games have a character that is the main reason for the horror. No matter what, the player will eventually face this person. In the end, the one thing the player does not know is what the final outcome will be. Will their character die or survive to become the hero? Another questions that can be asked is, is there a difference between video game horror and movie horror regarding emotional state? Krzywinska (2002) argues that the most important difference regarding both movies and games is that the player is in control of the characters whereas in a movie, the player or watcher is unable to react to the experience. Horror games are designed to make you feel some sort of emotions towards any in game characters during their most triumphant scenes as well as the most depressing