April 14th 2024.
It saddens me to hear the news that EA is putting the Dead Space franchise on hold. As a reader and fan of the series, I can't say I'm surprised. Even though the remake was well done, it didn't seem to generate much buzz outside of existing fans. In hindsight, it seems like EA may have overestimated the popularity of the game. Now, not only them but other publishers may also believe that big budget horror games are not profitable. Unfortunately, they may be right.
It seems like EA was trying to replicate the success of the Resident Evil remakes. However, they failed to realize that Resident Evil is not a truly scary game. The last time any of the games had a real horror element was seven years ago with Resident Evil 7. And even then, it was only in certain parts. If I were Capcom, I would continue to tone down the horror aspect, as it seems to be working for them in terms of sales. This goes against my personal desires, but I have accepted the fact that big budget horror games may never be a popular genre.
One of the main obstacles for horror games is the cost of production. Unlike movies, horror games are not cheaper to make. Yet, the audience for these games is limited, as not everyone enjoys being scared or grossed out by a video game. Also, most horror games are single-player, which is not the current trend in the gaming industry. This is why we have seen a decline in truly terrifying horror games, and many recent titles have been relatively mild in terms of fright. For example, I didn't even know that Alan Wake 2 was supposed to be a horror game until the developers mentioned it. And the recent Alone in the Dark game, while interesting, lacked the true horror element.
A horror game without horror can still be successful, as seen with the modern Resident Evil games. However, in order to compensate for the lack of scares, the game must have top-notch action and engaging characters and storylines. Unfortunately, neither Dead Space nor other recent horror games have been able to deliver on these fronts.
As a horror fan, I have my reservations about the upcoming Silent Hill remake by Bloober Team. While I appreciate their attempt to stay true to the original games, I can already predict that it will not sell well. The game is too scary for mass market appeal, and the combat has never been a strong aspect of the series.
Looking back, the first wave of survival horror games, led by Resident Evil and Silent Hill, may not have been cheap to make, but they were created at a time when game production costs were much lower. For instance, the budget for the first Silent Hill game was quite small. This allowed for more experimentation and a focus on creating a truly terrifying experience.
Nowadays, we do see some indie games trying to capture that same feeling, but many of them are too focused on replicating the old Resident Evil games. There is a lack of innovation in the genre, compared to other indie games that are constantly pushing boundaries.
Maybe I am feeling disheartened because of what happened to Dead Space, but I fear that there is not much future for horror games. The high costs, the risk of alienating players, and the current obsession with nostalgia have all contributed to the decline of the genre. It's a shame that these factors have been more successful in killing off horror games than any monster or villain could ever be.
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