Difficulty in Horror Games

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

A bit of a general topic but...I was thinking about it. How difficult do you think a horror game should be? And what ways are best to implement difficulty?

 

Personally I think it might be better to have an easy horror game than hard. Because easy you can still build up tension and horror with proper design but if you make it too hard it becomes less scary more annoying. Plus if you die once then the scares being repeated just make it seem less scary overall the farther you go.

 

Of course that's only if the choice is "really easy game" or "really hard game" in between is likely better if done correctly.

 

Anyway, thoughts?

[The Nyx Avatar]

Depends really on the horror game in question.

 

There's games like Dead Space, a lot of the Resident Evil franchise, and Alien: Isolation, where you can at least make an effort to fight back.

 

Then there's stuff like Slender and Outlast where you can't fight back; just run.

 

In the former, I think it's based on resources (ammo and health for example), while the latter bases its difficulty on the enemy and perhaps how well versed you are with the game's layout.

 

An easy horror game would work in one that's more of an experience rather than trying to survive. Something surrealistic or something you kind of walk through rather than encountering enemies.

 

I think there should still be some challenge with a horror game, as with an easy one, you eventually realize there's nothing to worry about. Even Slender has a little difficulty, which slowly rises with each page. Resident Evil 2 wasn't too hard on Normal, but you still had to use your resources wisely and fight a few bosses. However, the level design and music helped build the atmosphere.