| bouzane said:
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I'm not saying to shoehorn in "bad" controls. I'm saying that the elements that made Resident Evil and Silent Hill the standouts of the survival horror genre were directly brought about by technological limitations. Since those limitations are now gone, games have moved away from those mechanics without, for the most part, finding ways to recreate the dread from those mechanics.
Many would be survival horror titles give the player too much control over the situation by making them too capable, be it in combat, movement, or stealth abilities. Showing the creatures off too much is another flaw. Monster/enemy designs just aren't as frightening when they can be seen. Silent Hill was terrifying because you couldn't see enemies at a distance but you could sure as hell hear them out thanks to the radio. The disturbing sounds of the unseen gave early games their horror.
That's the reason why games like RE4 are almost completely lacking in horror. Those enemies might as well just be regular pissed off villagers and dogs, with the title just made into a spy game. Outside of those creepy regenerators, there's nothing scary about the enemies at all. They might as well be genome soldiers for all the fear they inspire. especially when you can absolutely wreck them with a handful of bullets, a trusty knife, and fighting moves that make Chuck Norris envious.
