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Horror stories to make into video games

Posted: October 17th, 2014, 10:45 pm
by scotland171
Dave has his list of Halloween video games, but there are almost 100 years of horror movies, plus horror stories in novels, plays, short stories, comics, etc.

What horror story would you adapt into a Halloweem horror game?

As a seed, how about Invasion of the Body Snatchers (especially the 70s film version). A single player campaign would have no pause or save features. If you stop longer than a few minutes, you may return to find you are no longer you. Online multiplayer would slowly have players get replaced, and continue to play on now part of the Invasion. Survival horror where you are never sure if that person nearby is a survivor, or an invader.

Or another seed, birdseed that is, an game of Hitchcocks The Birds. You could preserve the movies relationships or not. Its like an arcade game since you cant really win, and you cant even fight back in any meaningful way. All you can do is try to figure out how to survive, and keep others alive, as long as possible. Kinda like modern zombie tales in a way, but more thinking, less violence (except by the birds).

Finally, the Omega Man. I know there is an I am Legend game, but how you turn a story of a lone survivor into a MMO is lost on me. Instead, follow the original Vincent Price or the Charlton Heston versions of the last man...and become a legend.

Horror stories to make into video games

Posted: October 18th, 2014, 2:57 pm
by txsizzler1
The Shining

The Stand

War of the Worlds

... and now for some remakes...

Halloween

Friday the 13th

Nightmare on Elm Street


Horror stories to make into video games

Posted: October 18th, 2014, 10:33 pm
by BanjoPickles1
I honestly think that there is a great game based around Friday the 13th that has yet to be made. This is my vision of THAT game:

Take the concept of ZombiU where you are weak compared to what you're up against. You're not going to take a whole lot of damage going up against something like Jason Voorhees. If your character, in this case a camp counselor, dies then you start playing as a different character altogether. Like the nes game, each counselor should have their strengths and weaknesses (one character may be able to temporarily manipulate Jason, ala Ginny from Friday 2, while another may be more muscular, another may have more ingenuity, etc.) I picture Jason to be a mix between Nemesis from Resident Evil 3 and one of the Big Daddies from Bioshock in that they will hunt you and they're both relentless! No guns! In fact, I think the game would be more effective if weapons were more environmental and survival is prioritized.

It may sound like a terrible idea for a game, but I think it could work in the right hands.

Horror stories to make into video games

Posted: October 19th, 2014, 5:03 am
by Vexer1

Children of The Corn

Wishmaster

Hostel

Cabin Fever

Dreamcatcher

Ghosts of Mars

John Carpenter's Vampires

Lost Boys


Horror stories to make into video games

Posted: October 19th, 2014, 9:11 am
by Rev1
Awesome topic. As a horror movie buff I think there is definitely a lot of awesome potential out there. Here are some games that might be fun (or at least entertaining in concept):

-American Mary- This movie came out last year about a woman who does body modifications. Now, what if they took that concept and mixed it with the Trauma Center series on the Wii? They could have a motion control game about creating horrific modifications to people's bodies. Obviously there was a lot more from the movie but I think this would be an interesting concept.

-Hard Candy- Having Ellen Page torture and try to drive the Patrick Wilson over the edge to kill himself? This could be an interesting but dark game all about pushing someone over the edge... Sounds horrible (mentally) but could be a fun downloadable game/budget title.

-American Psycho- Christian Bale killing massive amounts of people in gruesome ways? Yes, please.

I'll try to think of some other funny/odd games. I'm interested to see what other people say.

Horror stories to make into video games

Posted: October 19th, 2014, 11:42 am
by scotland171
@Banjopickles - that sounds awesome. Improvised weapons or traps. To use different campers, maybe you have to meet them to unlock them, encouraging exploration and not fortification. Is there a timer, like survive the weekend at the lake?

@Rev Neat ideas from modern horror. Body horror is so different from the slasher films I grew up with. Human Centipede and stuff....shudder. I will have to make an appointment with Dr Giggles for my nerves.

Horror stories to make into video games

Posted: October 19th, 2014, 12:23 pm
by Vexer1

There's already a game kind of like American Psycho coming out next year called "Hatred", needless to say it's stirred up quite a bit of controversy(personally I think it's a really bad idea for a game, not for moral reasons but because it sounds like it would get very boring very quickly):

http://www.polygon.com/2014/10/17/6994921/hatred-the-polygon-interview

 


Horror stories to make into video games

Posted: October 19th, 2014, 12:56 pm
by velcrozombie1
If you're going to do a video game adaptation related to horror, the films of David Cronenberg seem like fertile ground. Imagine a first-person adventure game adaptation of The Fly, with your story starting just after the testing of the teleportation device that sets the story in motion. The game could slowly evolve as you undergo a physical and mental metamorphosis, all the while trying to find a cure for your condition before you become too far gone. If you DO become too far gone, the purpose of the gameplay changes to an animalistic need to survive in NYC as a tragic monster.

Videodrome and Existenz are already riffs on the interaction and merging of the body and technology anyway, with Existenz even being an explicit satire on the conventions of video games logic and the promise of virtual reality. Also, in my head an adults-only mid-90s FMV adventure game based on Cronenberg's film version of Naked Lunch already exists and it's GLORIOUS.

Horror stories to make into video games

Posted: October 19th, 2014, 4:03 pm
by velcrozombie1
[QUOTE=Vexer]

There's already a game kind of like American Psycho coming out next year called "Hatred", needless to say it's stirred up quite a bit of controversy(personally I think it's a really bad idea for a game, not for moral reasons but because it sounds like it would get very boring very quickly):

http://www.polygon.com/2014/10/17/6994921/hatred-the-polygon-interview

 

[/QUOTE]

The thing about American Psycho was that it was a satire on both empty materialism and the shark-like mentality needed to keep up appearances in the corporate world (along with the ways trying to keep up within it can destroy you internally), along with a study of the Unreliable Narrator. Hatred just sounds like straight-up nihilism being marketed as a return to "honesty", although I get their point that the things you do in their game aren't necessarily that different from when, say, Nathan Drake blows away hundreds of guys for the sake of treasure. I do agree that it looks boring.

@scotland17 I just finished reading I Am Legend about a month ago and I agree that it has the potential to be a wonderful game.

Horror stories to make into video games

Posted: October 19th, 2014, 6:07 pm
by scotland171
The 80s The Fly is a great movie {Cheeseburger} of slow transformation.  Casting was spot on, and it just clicked.  The original 50s movie also had a slow transformation, but it was more subtle since the scientist's physical transition was immediate; it was the mental transformation that was gradual.  Not sure if its a metaphor of dementia or what, but its solid scifi that begins to cross the line from traditional horror (I'm coming to get you, my pretty) to more real life horror (becoming physically mutilated in your job).

There was a thread at one time about 'Where are the werewolf games?'.  Kinda the same thing.  How about even Jekyl and Hyde - where the physical transformations go back and forth, although the psyche may not be as malleable. I remember playing Bioshock and thinking splicing was like this.    So, yeah, The Fly has the makings of a good horror game.  I also think getting celebrity voices would be nice too.

Vexer mentioned Lost Boys.  Now that's an interesting suggestion I had thought about.  Several plot lines going on there since it follows two new in town boys.  Again, might get a celebrity voice over.  Would you reimagine the story, or just go with the "New Boy/Girl in Town meets local vampire gang" sort of thing.

Txsizzler mentioned the Stand and War of the Worlds.   The Stand, since its huge, could be mined a lot, but my interest kinda falls off after the plague kills everyone.   If the plague took a lot longer, say months, imagine the horror of that.   Never know if you are immune for much of the game.  Suck if you weren't.   Kinda like modern zombie ficition, but without the zombies - just the chaos of the collapse of civilization.

War of the Worlds would be great, set in the 1890s or so.  Put it in England, and have your character just be an everyman trying to survive.  You could even do a little League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with public domain characters in the story.   Of course, the story's end is a problem - that the invasion is not beaten back by Mankind, but by other forces. For a video game, would you change it (in the show Tripods, the Martians won, didn't they?.  I've read Tripods had a mid 80s video game, but I know nothing about it)