While horror games are not beloved by everyone or appropriate for all age-ranges, they are extremely influential in pop culture. Popular shows have parodied beloved horror classics, and there have even been parody movies about horror tropes, proving how influential horror movies have been to popular culture.
Horror video games have had a similar effect on pop culture, but not nearly as far-reaching. Until recently, that is. There has been a resurgence in interest and popularity in horror games that could mean big things for next-gen consoles; in fact, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X horror games could surpass the movie industry in the near future.
After the initial investment in a next-gen console, the cost efficiency of gaming far outweighs movie-going. While the price of horror games can range, this investment is the gift that keeps on giving. If it’s a quality game with lots of chances for replayability, gamers have already gotten their money’s worth for equal to what it would cost to go to the movies between snacks and tickets nowadays.
Plus, all the chaos of planning a group outing to a movie theater is instantly avoided when someone in the group has a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series S/X. Instead of going out, the group knows they’ll gather at the console owner’s house with snacks and drinks in hand. This is the perfect way to stay safe by interacting in a small group and still experiencing a truly scary game, especially with no end for COVID-19 in sight.
Video games, and especially horror games, do something most movies don’t—they give control to the viewer. Horror movies are fantastic on their own, but it’s difficult for anyone to film a horror movie in a second person perspective and give full control to the audience. This is where horror games excel and can feel truly immersive compared to movies.
Games like Until Dawn and the Dark Pictures Anthology add to this experience even more by allowing players to decide the fate of their story. Movies have a set plot line where what audiences see is what they get. Until Dawn and titles like it give players many chances to replay the story and get different, surprising endings.
In addition to local playthrough nights with close friends, horror games are a hot commodity on the internet, especially for reaction videos. These horror reaction videos usually include jump scares and function in two ways. They allow audiences to laugh at the player being scared, but also to gauge how interested they are in playing the game when the video is done. With the amount of reaction gamers getting early-access to upcoming games, it helps sell even more copies when the game and game play video is well-received.
Movies have two basic categories—live-action or animated. While all video games are animated, this animation can come in a variety of different styles and appeal to a wide audience. Some games choose a hyper-realistic approach, while others take some creative liberties and develop a unique style compared to any other game.
Both horror games and movies can utilize common tropes as well. While the Scary Movie franchise has parodied them in the past, there’s also a reason they’re used repeatedly in the horror genre. They’re quintessential to horror and what audiences expect from a horror game or movie. The well-received Blair Witch game used its setting to create an eerie backdrop for the story, but also utilized the found-footage trope just like the movie it was inspired by, The Blair Witch Project.
With all of this in mind, coupled with the constantly improving graphics of next-gen consoles, it’s easy to see how horror games could rival and replace future horror movies. The upcoming horror titles for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X, especially Bloober Team’s The Medium, show a promising future for horror games and their place in popular culture.
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