The Survival Horror moments we won't forget. (Major Spoiler Alert)

Horror games are not just for scares...

The best moments in gaming are in the Survival Horror genre thanks to classics such as Resident Evil, Project Zero and of course Silent Hill.

The reason why Silent Hill deserves an honorable mention is because the developers are not all about the scares. Silent Hill not only scares us but makes us think and even feel for the characters involved in the storyline.

Here I'm going to pay homage to the best moments in Survival Horror. Some are scary, some are heart warming and some are just plain creepy.


10. Haunting Ground - Daniella goes crazy
What's going on?
Fiona Belli is trapped in an old castle somewhere in Europe. She doesn't know how she got there but it's clear that the people who live in the castle have taken a fancy for her.
First, a great beast named Debilitas keeps chasing after her whilst she attempts to find her way out of confinement and then an anonymous guy tells her his plans to get her pregnant.
At this point Debilitas doesn't see her as a beautiful doll any more and he's moved on. Now, the maid, Daniella is getting too fond of her.



Why is it memorable?
Just as we were getting used to being able to walk places without being chased this happens. This scene marks the start of our cat and mouse chase with Daniella. She's more crazy than Debilitas and seems to be more violent (at least Debilitas had good intentions). This is when the player realises that things aren't going to get any easier.


9. Silent Hill 3 - Who is this?
What's going on?
Heather has gone to the Hospital to find Leonard Wolf as advised by Father Vincent. At this point she has spoken to Leonard over the phone and it seems that he is also against his Daughters actions. She has also been finding messages left by a deranged man named Stanley Coleman. After following Leonard's directions to where he is, Heather finds herself in the 'Alternate Hospital'. In entering a locker room, a pay phone is ringing inside one of the lockers. Heather answers it.



Why is it memorable?
OK, it's not scary nor is it an emotional scene. It does however do the job in confusing the player more so than they already are.
We don't instantly recognise the voice but he knows who Heather is. We only know of four guys so it's either Douglas and it isn't him, Vincent, Leonard or Stanley but the caller says he is neither. In fact he says that Leonard is a murderer and that Stanley is dead - but who left us those notes?
Another reason this scene is memorable is because of the birthday theme going on there. First he wishes Heather a happy 31st birthday and when she argues that it's not her birthday, he corrects her by saying it IS her 24th birthday. Heather is 17 years old though so he's confused us even more.


8. Silent Hill 4 - Cynthia's Death
What's going on?
Henry Townshend woke several days ago to find himself trapped inside his apartment. Doors and windows are locked BUT there is a hole in his bathroom wall. Going through the hole he finds himself in a subway but he's not alone, a woman is also there.
This is Cynthia and she's a little on the frisky side but she's friendly enough. Her confidence quickly disappears and fear begins to kick in. Henry loses her but she speaks to him over the tannoy, "Quickly, He's coming" she says. Unfortunately, Henry doesn't get to her in time.



Why is it memorable?
You expected Cynthia to be around for a long time, maybe even a sidekick to Henry so to find her brutally murdered was a shock.
From the start Cynthia shows herself to be cocky and confident and makes like nothing could brake her. In this scene however, she is in perfect fear at the prospect of dying - She thought she was dreaming but this is very much real. The chemistry between Henry and Cynthia was there from the start and it seems like they've known each other for years.
'Room of Angel' by Akira Yamaoka, playing in the background, adds to the atmosphere as well. Other characters Henry meets will die later on but none of their deaths will have the same effect as Cynthia's.


7. Project Zero IV - Sae introduces Kusabi
What's going on?
Mio and Mayu are on holiday when they find themselves lost in a local forest. They arrive at a deserted village which is covered in fog and with nowhere to go they go to the village.
At this point in the game Mayu has gone walkabout and Mio is trying to find her. Clues have lead Mio to the Kurosawa house and whilst investigating the area she comes across the Great Hall.



Why is it memorable?
Project Zero is known for its crazy ladies and no one is crazier than Sae Kurosawa. The laugh alone makes this the most memorable scene of the whole series. This particular scene introduced us to the Kusabi which even now is considered one of the most scariest ghosts to grace the game.
Another thing to note is that the Kusabi hangs around when you get back control of Mio and the Camera Obscura is powerless against it. You really are moving target when the Kusabi is around.


6. Silent Hill 3 - The Death of Harry Mason
What's going on?
Heather Mason, out heroine, has found herself in a weird situation. Whilst at the mall to pick something up for her dad, she meets a PI named Douglas Cartland and a religious freak named Claudia. Whilst trying to escape these two strangers, Heather finds herself in hell - a world full of monsters. On her way home she's almost killed by a giant worm, a subway train and meets another whack job called Vincent.
Finally on returning home, she finds Harry, her father dead on his chair.



Why is it memorable?
If you played the original Silent Hill you'll know Harry quite well. He was the main protagonist of the game and boy, did he go through a lot. To see that Harry has been brutally murdered will make even the toughest fellas emotional at the thought.
If you hadn't played Silent Hill (I hadn't at the time) you see Heather's tough exterior fade away and get the true sense that the two were close.
The player starts to warm to Heather after this because from now on, she's not as smug as she was at the start.


5. Silent Hill 2 - Infamous Prison Scene
What's going on?
James Sunderland has come to Silent Hill to find his wife Mary after receiving a letter from her. His wife has been dead for two years so this is obviously odd enough. Even more odd is the fact that James has met a woman named Maria who is the spitting image of her. She went missing in hospital and was killed by Pyramid Head later on, or so we thought.
Whilst making his way through a labyrinth under an old local prison, he comes across Maria alive and well.



Why is it memorable?
It's memorable because it makes the player even more confused. How does Maria know about the video tape in the hotel? Is Mary alive or what? What the hell is going on here.
It's also where Maria/Mary makes finally makes sexual advances towards James and in agreeing to make his way to her, it seems James has accepted the request. Also, in a time when voice acting wasn't a main priority, the acting in this scene is pretty amazing.


4. Silent Hill 4 - Trailer/Opening Scene
What's going on?
Nothing has happened yet. If you wait long enough at the start screen this scene will appear. It was also a trailer for the game before release.



Why is it memorable?
This is one of the scenes I was most freaked out by and it's also why this game is still my favourite Survival Horror of all time.
What this scene does primarily is get the player excited about what they're about to play - it really gets the adrenaline running. In between the songs 'Room of Angel' and 'Resting Comfortably', the best sound effects EVER take precedence. I remember being getting so excited after seeing this, especially at the monster at the end of the film. Unfortunately the screams were taken out of the game for some silly reason. There is no doubt that this opening trailer sets the atmosphere of Silent Hill perfectly.


3. Silent Hill - Lisa's Death
What's going on?
Harry Mason is in Silent Hill looking for his missing daughter Cheryl and during his search for her he meets Lisa Garland, a nurse at Alchemilla Hospital. We only ever see her in one room within the hospital, never anywhere else until we see her in an area referred to as 'Nowhere'.
In this scene she has realised that she is no longer real and is "just like them" but she still needs someone to care for her. When Harry pushes her away this happens...



Why is it memorable?
Throughout the game, Lisa is shown to be very vulnerable and helpless. She also very likable so to find out that she's actually dead is quite upsetting. After this scene, if you go back into the room, Lisa is gone but her diary is there. Reading about her traumatic experiences makes this scene more upsetting.


2. Silent Hill 2 - Pyramid Head Rape
What's going on?
James has found himself in an apartment complex in Silent Hill where he has come to search for his late wife. Whilst investigating the area he enters a room but someone is already in there doing dirty things.



Why is it memorable?
For one it's the first time we properly see Pyramid Head and the things he's capable of. It's one of those, to quote Henry Townshend "what the hell" moments. It makes you dread having to see him again which you know you will. I remember being quite scared that the Monster's he was raping were going to attack me when I left the closet. Luckily they didn't but this scene is one of the best in the series.


1. Forbidden Siren 2 - Mother Pays a Visit
What's going on?
You have no real clue as to who the main antagonist of this game is, sure the Shibito are giving us a hard time but they're easy. This is the scene where we find out.
Mamouru Itsuki has just been tricked into opening the "7 Gates" for Yuri Kishida - Guys will do anything for a pretty face, and the two descend underground.



Why is it memorable?
Mostly, this scene is memorable because it's freaky. When Yuri opens her blouse you're blown away immediately at the freakiness she's hiding.
This scene also marks the occasion where the Yamirei (soon to be Yamibito) are introduced to the game.
Another memorable part of this scene is that with the young Ichiko Yagura crouching over the now dead, Shigeru Fugita. Throughout the first part of this game, Ichiko comes across as a lost little girl and now, suddenly, she's killed one of our characters. Why did she do that?
We're made aware here that things are starting to kick off now, unfortunately though, this video has more effect on a bigger screen.


Others memorable to me

Silent Hill Homecoming: Scarlet's transformation
Why? Dolls are creepy, I think most people feel the same way and when she appears from the ground, shivers go down your spine.

Silent Hill Homecoming: Asphyxia Arrives
Why? Firstly it makes you jump, secondly the look on Alex's face when Asphyxia grabs Wheeler mirrors your own shock. It's easy to miss but Holloway's face on leaving leaves you wondering.

Silent Hill 4: Ghost Appearances
Why? The most scary parts of this game are when you come across the ghost of the various characters that were murdered throughout. Cynthia's and Andrew's in particular are very creepy.

Arrival of Cynthia
Arrival of Jasper
Arrival of Andrew
Arrival of Richard

Silent Hill 2: Maria's final death
Why? The most gruesome scene of the game and when both Pyramid Heads appear at each side of James means that a hard battle is on the cards.

Project Zero III: Battling Crawling Woman
Why? As soon as you get under those floorboards you know something is going to happen and it does. The detail in her face and the fact that she gets right in your face scares the s*** out of you.

Project Zero III: Shower Scene
Why? This scene will send shivers up your spine.

Condemned: On the Train
Why? Condemned will make you jump but there's few intense scenes. This one however reminded me that this was indeed a horror game.


Other recommended by others

Resident Evil: Jill Sandwich
On the video's You Tube page it seems this is mostly remembered for comedy reasons.

Resident Evil: Attacking Dogs
Well, it makes you jump and scream.

Silent Hill: Meeting Dahlia
She looks crazy and turns out to be just that. The person that recommended this said they didn't know why they liked it but they did.

Silent Hill 2: Wanna watch a video?
This when everything is made clear. I don't find it very memorable myself but these sure do:

"I was so shocked my mouth literally opened and I sat on the couch just like James...I've NEVER played another game and have EVER had the same reaction I had while playing this game. This game is beyond a masterpiece." - YouTube

"Best moment scene in gaming history!" - YouTube

Silent Hill 2: Angela on Fire
I don't like Angela very much so this scene means nothing to me but this is what was said:

"This moment was fantastic 'cause it gives you an insight as to how, while in the other world, minds can connect! Worlds overlap, glitches mix, etc. It was a wonderful scene with wonderful music." - Personal Contact

Silent Hill 3: Heather's Reflection
You're trapped and something bad is going to happen. Threat much?:

"I kept on spamming the x button on the door at this point." - YouTube

"I was in there more 3 minutes I couldn't get out, it was freaky." - YouTube

Silent Hill 3: They look like Monsters to you?
Another scene that is vague... This is what the person who chose this scene had this to say:

"What is really a joke? [it] is a question left open to interpretation." - Personal Contact

Biography

http://gamingissues.blogspot.com/2008/07/7-memorable-survival-horror-moments.html

http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=offtopic&thread.id=649230

http://www.cameraslens.com/forum/index.php?topic=8221.0

One's I've never Finished...Part 1.

Haunting Ground

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released (UK): Apr '05
Released (US): May '05

After completing Project Zero I was bored and no other horror games were due out so I got this one. Haunting Ground sounded interesting to me and even though the critics didn't think much of it, I thought I'd give it a go.


What's it about?:

The game starts off with camera going down to the basement which looks to be used as a kitchen. There's meat hanging all over the place and a large man is seen chopping it up. The scene then goes to a cage that is in the room and in it lays our protagonist - Fiona Belli.
The large man looks at her and tries to touch her but is scared off by some lightning. We see start to see the end of Fiona's dream but she is woken up by the sound of the weather.Obviously she's pretty freaked out by the whole thing - anyone would be. She sees that the cage she's in is unlocked and goes about escaping. A very angry sounding Dog is also there but runs out the room leaving its collar behind. Just before the scene ends Fiona reads out the name - Hewie, our soon to be partner in crime, and our only weapon.



Typically, our female protagonist is skimpily clad in a white satin sheet for the start of the game and this is probably the only decent part of the game as far as men are concerned. At this point you have absolutely no idea what to do except wander around but you do find yourself following a route led by some stone steps which leads you towards a big door which is essentially Fiona's bedroom.
It's here where you are introduced to Daniella (below), the castles maid. She's a little crazy and talks like a robot (a characteristic or just bad acting?). She has some clothes for you to wear - which you change in to, unaware that someone is watching you through an ugly painting.

After a little walk around the castle you meet Debilitas, the big guy from the very beginning of the game. He's playing with a doll which he discards when he sees Fiona - he runs after her.
This part introduces the Evasion process of the game - Fiona can hide from the monsters and crazy people who run after her. Beds, Tables, Closets etc all provide hiding places but if you go to the same hiding place all the time, your stalkers will get wise to it and find you.



In events a bit further on in the game Fiona is distracted by the sound of a Dog whimpering outside. It's the dog we saw, Hewie and he's caught in a trap. Hewie is used to reach high places an to crawl through tight spaces to retrieve things for you as well as attacking the monsters and crazy people chasing you.
Hewie can get in the way though and you'll find yourself feeling guilty after accidentally kicking him whilst trying to break a vase.

Vases can contain various items such as flowers and herbs which can be used to heal yourself or cause damage to Fiona. Location’s known as Recovery Points (usually a sink) restores Fiona’s status, therefore giving her higher energy.
Items such as Jerky can also be found to help restore Hewie’s stamina and speed.

Let's talk about how Hewie works. Fiona gives orders to Hewie such as "Go", "Sit" and "Come Here" an can also tell him off when he does something wrong. Hewie, just like any Dog won't be perfect to start off with. He doesn't know Fiona and although her trusts her (because she saved him from the trap) he doesn't always do as he's told. You have to make sure you praise him when he does good by saying "Good Boy" - kicking him will make him trust you less so don't do it, but as I said - it can be easily done by mistake. As the game goes on you'll find it easier to get Hewie to do as you wish.

There are puzzles along the way some of which can be quite hard to solve and may requires Hewies help. Some example puzzles include an area with spotlights that have to be pointed towards a certain area for a room to be unlocked and the Lunar room which includes panels on the floor that have to be stood on in a certain order - Hewie will help you here.

Enemies in this game are split into two categories: Pursuers and Minor Enemies.
Minor Enemies include the Luminessant, a blue orb that is attracted to Azoth energy (humans have it apparently) and once it hits you, it omits a large sound which attracts a Pursuer. The Homunculus does nothing really except make mumbling noises and standing on their heads, I don't even think they chase you. Failures are like parasites and attach themselves to Fiona’s legs as well as screaming causing Pursuers to come for you.
The Pursuers are the game bosses and Fiona’s biggest problem - These I can go into in more detail.

I've already mentioned Debilitas who's like Quasimodo in appearance. He chases Fiona because he fancies her basically. All he wants to do is hug her and stroke her but he gets carried away (like Lenny in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck) and causes her harm. He's easy to hide from because of his stupidity but he's strong and Fiona or Hewie can't do much damage to him but he does runaway if he gets fed up of fighting.
I've also mentioned Daniella, the maid who becomes jealous her masters fascination of Fiona. She's a bit harder than Debilitas because she has access to various weapons and she's smart to the hiding places Fiona finds. You won't be able to hide from her in the same place over and over again. Daniella also crawls into hiding spaces and can make you jump if you come across her. She's also of a danger to Hewie too because she will hurt him if she cannot find you (Hewie doesn't hide with Fiona in some places). There is a good thing about Daniella though and I remember seeing her in a corridor but she didn't chase after me, she was cleaning. She will talk to you if this is the case and may even give you a useful item. If she's laughing manically then go the other way but if you come across a mirror she will be distracted by it and will stand there and scream for a while.
Riccardo (pictured above with Daniella) is a pain in your behind. He’s a bit more persistent than the other two before and will take forever searching in a room for you and if you hide in the same spot twice, he will find you the second time. On top of this he’s faster than Daniella who just walks after you and he has a gun so he can attack you from further away. Luckily we hardly get chased by this guy before we have to kill him.
Old Lorezo is someone we think is on our side only to turn out to be even more insane then anyone else in the game. He’s disabled so he can only crawl after you but he can be sometimes very fast so be careful. He cannot however open doors so if you close doors after you he won’t chase you no further. Lorenzo later comes back in two other forms but I’ll leave them out as you rarely come across them.

There are a huge array of items to collect such as health items, dog treats and accessories for Fiona to wear. Various boots are available to help Fiona make less noise when walking or to cause more damage to a pursuer when she kicks them. Chokers are available to reduce her Azoth energy so Luminessants don't bother you as much. You can also find Magnesium which blows up when someone steps on it, slowing them down.


Why I never completed it:

This is game is the most frustrating games I have ever played. I just got really fed up with it - I even got quite close to the end too but some of the reasons I gave up contain some spoilers so beware:

1) This is how the game mostly was...You make your way to your destination only for Debilitas/Daniella etc to show up. You run away and hide, wait 5 minutes, make your way back to your destination, get a little further only to be chased again. Very annoying indeed.

2) Sometimes it will take 10 attempts at trying to get Hewie to do something. I remember one spot where I needed Hewie to get a flower for me from behind a gate only he could get through. He just wouldn't go through the hole no matter how close I was to the flower myself. Just as in Project Zero, if you stay in a place too long, your stalker will find you. Debilitas showed up and I had to run away from the area.

3) Fiona can go into panic mode. If she is attacked she goes into a major panic which causes the screen to go into a blurry black and white as well as causing Fiona to fall and bump into walls. Basically, she becomes impossible to control which is bad game design if you ask me - this doesn't supply any form of tension or horror atmosphere - just frustration, pointless frustration.

4) Survival horrors have many staples in them. One staple of a survival horror game is the Map and Haunting Ground has a terrible one. The rooms have no names so it's hard to determine which room is which and it's quite small and feint. I never looked at it whilst I played it because there was never any point.

5) This contains quite a large spoiler regarding the character Lorenzo. When you first meet him he's in a wheelchair and cannot use his legs so he's quite easy to kill. The annoyance is that his character comes back to life and refuses to bloody well die. He comes back as his younger, much more mobile self and chases you all over until Fiona sets him a trap involving a large hole containing some Lava like substance. You think this would kill him but oh no - Fiona finds herself being chased by his burning skeleton. The game just would not end.

6) There's a section at what I believe is at the end of the game which took me ages to figure out what to do. I was being chased by the skeleton of Lorenzo and I died over and over and over again. You know what it's like when you play a game and die all the time - you get frustrated and when you die, you want to do it again as fast as possible just to get it done. This is why the "Game Over" screen is unbelievably irritating. The screen goes red and reads "Acta Est Fabula" with the most annoying music in the background. The whole thing goes on for a minute or two and it won't go away until it's finished. It's the equivalent of someone laughing in your face.

7) The game is 50% running away from your goal and 20% trying to get Hewie to do as he's told...It can take up to 5 minutes just to get him to follow you into a room. That means only 30% is finding out about the story and getting items and clues and so forth. It's very tiring and I found myself getting extremely restless. I could never do the section described in point 6 above so I eventually gave up and I no longer have this game, I sold it for £5. I never did find out how it ended.


You mean there wasn't anything good about it at all?

There were some good things worth a mention in this game and it's mostly aesthetic. The graphics are beautiful and the character models are fantastic, especially when Fiona and Daniella are concerned. The Belli Castle looked great, especially outside in the garden and the cut scenes are some of the best I've seen.

I've been quite harsh on this game - Does anybody disagree with me?
Fiona Belli...Could she be an overlooked competitor for best Survival Horror hero?