8 Tricks Horror Video Games Use To Terrify You
6. Gore, Gore... And More Gore
Horror can also arise through shocking audiences by going all-out on the blood and guts alongside reveling in other abject imagery. Films like Blood Feast, Cannibal Holocaust, and Hostel are prime examples of this breed of horror, and while horror games haven't quite hit the same level of grossness as extreme cinema, similarities do exist nonetheless.
Blood, guts, and other bodily fluids as well as taboos that go against conventional notions of 'good' taste tend to trigger negative responses for us. Outlast is particularly notorious for showing the nasty stuff in great detail to make sure we get a good look.
Likewise, gore is also effectively put to use in the Dead Space trilogy and the Resident Evil series - which was taken to a whole new level of squelchy fidelity with the remake of Resident Evil 2.
Seeing shocking imagery in film is one thing, but when said unpleasantness is happening to the player-character, the effect can be heightened significantly given the connection created between the player and their avatar during gameplay.
Of course, we know we're safe from the nastiness onscreen, and yet watching them happen to our beloved Leon Kennedy will never be fun to watch.