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研究称休闲玩家更易受惊吓且融入恐怖游戏

发布时间:2011-09-18 01:29:29 Tags:,,,

作者:Joel Windels

[易用性工作室Vertical Slice的成员使用四款Xbox 360恐怖游戏测试了6名玩家,结合生物测定技术研究休闲玩家、硬核玩家对相同游戏的反应及其反应方式,并根据研究结果评选出四款游戏中的“恐怖之最”。]

易用性和用户体验工作室将此次研究作为一次内部调查。因为研究结果不具商业目的,并且用于测试的游戏已经发行,所以“最恐怖”的Xbox 360游戏的评选不是出于批评或全面分析游戏的目的。

研究方式

本次研究,Vertical Slice工作室综合采用了不同的方式,包括采访、思考、研究者/参与者后期游戏分析和生物测定反馈等,旨在评估不同游戏的体验。参与研究的6名玩家是从一个单位超过500的数据库中挑选出来的。研究人员要求他们玩4款不同的游戏——各30分钟,或根据游戏的内容确定接近的时间长度。

Vertical Slice在英国布赖顿的实验室开展了本次研究。实验室特地布置成自然条件下的游戏环境。玩家可以像在自己家里一样玩游戏,可以像平时一样选择跳过过场动画、自由选择游戏难度。游戏也定在一天当中稍晚的时候,这样房间就会比较暗,而这个时候也正是玩家所习惯的游戏时间。

游戏规则对所有玩家都是相对平衡的,这样可以减少游戏规则可能产生的偏见。

生物测定技术

本次研究选择的测定对象是心率、皮肤表面温度和皮肤电反应(GSR)。对某些玩家还使用了呼吸测定技术。GSR可以完美地测定激励,即兴奋和挫折感,皮肤温度可以指示快乐或悲伤和波动,而心率可以突出玩家的投入程度。在图表中,上方的蓝线表示GSR,中间的绿线表示皮肤温度。

游戏的选择

通过社交媒体工具、投票和小规模非正式调查,我们得到了一份Xbox 360最恐怖游戏的名单。这份名单上最终削减至4款候选游戏用于测试。这4款游戏分别是《Alan Wake》、《生化危机5》、《死亡空间2》和《死刑犯》(游戏邦注:《Left 4 Dead 2》、《战争机器2》、《死刑犯2》、《FEAR》(1和2)、《死亡空间1》、《寂静岭:回家》、《鬼屋魔影》和《质量效应2》也是可以考虑的游戏,但最终没有用于本次研究)。

玩家的选择

6名参与玩家来自不同的游戏和人群背景。6名参与者均没有玩过这4款测试游戏,为了达到研究目的,他们被分为硬核玩家和休闲玩家。

Kira:33岁的中级玩家,每周至少5小时的游戏时间。虽然游戏历史颇长,但没有Xbox 360。自称对游戏很投入,容易受惊吓。[硬核]

Rosalind:31岁的高级玩家,每周到至少5小时的游戏时间。自己拥有三台主要的通用游戏机,坚称不是休闲玩家。[硬核]

Rob:34岁的游戏新手。刚脱手自己的 Xbox 360,所以最近没有花时间玩游戏。[休闲]

Mike:42岁的休闲玩家。每周少于2小时的游戏时间。限制游戏时间已有一段时间了。自己拥有家庭Xbox 360设备,但很少玩。[休闲]

Olivia:20岁的休闲玩家。玩不少游戏,但持续时间不长。没有通用游戏机,自称喜欢慢节奏的或派对游戏,玩动作游戏有压力。[休闲]

Matt:29岁的硬核玩家,每周玩自己的Xbox 360超过20个小时。是游戏《Fable》和《辐射》的粉丝。[硬核]

《Alan Wake》

《Alan Wake》的故事始于主角对噩梦的叙述,这也充当游戏的入门指南。一开始,玩家控制着主角Alan Wake,不久,他就被一个持斧的黑影追击。在出现黑风以前,玩家必须一边击败一小摄敌人,一边穿越恐怖的梦魇环境,然后到达一间光亮的小屋。

游戏的开场先是一个过场动画(显示了模糊的杀戮画面),里面出现了一些场景和阐述。在游戏难度上,只有一个玩家选择了“困难”,其余玩家都选择了“正常”。一旦玩家抵达灯塔,噩梦即结束,游戏也告终。

玩家的游戏分析

对抗。在开场影像部分,玩家大多无动于衷,但在口头上肯定了游戏的场景和简介。第一个重要的打斗是,当Alan环顾四周寻找那个声音低沉的非正常人时,那个人先口头吓唬他,之后又挥舞着斧头向他砍来。5名玩家在此毙命,其中2名玩家拖延了时间,似乎是没有反应过来此时的行动应该是转身逃跑。

从相对安全的开始突然变成出乎意料的惊慌打斗,激发了所有玩家的反应,休闲玩家的反应尤其激烈。玩家表示这既不是积极反应也非消极反应,尽管生物测定读数表明,玩家的反应确实很突然很强烈。4名玩家称这个场面确实使他们感到震惊,2名玩家同意这部分很吓人。

Rob游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Rob游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

持斧人的出现让Rob吓得不轻,从GSR读表上可以看出明显的尖峰。

出人意料的是,黑影的重复出现不再激发玩家任何强烈的反应。最初的打斗改变了玩家的呼吸状况,但之后,呼吸又恢复成稳定的放松状态。只有1名玩家的反应一直很激烈,直到抵达中点——Alan暂时安全的地方。

杀戮场面。正是在这个时候,过场动画上演了非常血腥的戏码,相当恐怖。5名玩家的GSR在这时候出现变化,各个尖峰分别对应不同的打斗。然而,后期分析和发言表明,这些尖峰是出于游戏的沉浸感加深,与恐惧无关。但有1名玩家(Olivia)称自己确实觉得这部分很吓人,而另一个人(Mike)则认为他的反应到达尖峰是因为情绪缓和了,因为过场动画播放(陌生人正在被打)时,意味着此时是安全的。

Mike游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Mike游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Mike的GSR反应明显,但温度下降,呼吸平稳。他否认自己此时受到惊吓,表明图表上所示的反应与其他东西有关,如感到放松或兴趣。

房屋场景。游戏接下来的镜头是玩家被困在一间小屋里,外面是虎视眈眈的黑影。休闲玩家和硬核玩家在这部分的表现差别相当大。硬核玩家意识到这个环节是剧情活动,根据以往的游戏经验,此时玩家是安全的。后来的交谈证实了这个猜想。 Matt甚至称:“我知道我不可能在这个关头挂掉的,所以我一点也不怕。”当被灯照得通亮的出口出现时,三个硬核玩家都没有反应。

在此期间,两名休闲玩家的生物测定表明,这个场景引起了他们的极大恐惧感。从GSR和呼吸测定上可以得出这个结论。休闲玩家均称他们觉得这部分很恐怖。当出口出现时,这个结论再次得到证实——我们观察到了强烈的反应,既是恐慌也是舒缓。

Matt游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Matt游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

虽然游戏的显著目的就是为了在这个场景吓到玩家,但对硬核玩家Matt来说,这反而成了激励,他还对这房间的布置做出了不以为然的评价。

结局。游戏的后半部,因为玩家面对数量庞大的敌人,所以动作就明显增多了。被敌人突袭时,2名休闲玩家当场跳起来,都是在非剧情环节。第3个玩家说:“太吓人了……没子弹,讨厌的持斧凶手盯上我了:吓死我了!”但测定呈现紧张的反应,而不是突然的“惊吓”尖峰。

游戏的最后一分钟,玩家终于抵达灯塔,但突然闯进了一帮黑旋涡似的东西,新的追击场面又来了,在这里,2名玩家“阵亡”。最后一分钟激发了大部分玩家的激烈反应,算是一个紧张又不失兴奋的结尾。皮肤温度随着游戏的进展冷却下来,反映了这是一个积极体验,5名玩家均证实了这一点。

Olivia游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Olivia游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

与其他玩家相比,Olivia的GSR反应相当平和,表明了她对游戏的投入因为高潮和关卡而增强了,伴随着颤抖和恐慌。

发现

《Alan Wake》的测试中,存在四个重要的时刻。最初的对抗激发了所有玩家的恐惧感,玩家普遍认为这是一个令人恐惧的时刻。过场动画旨在吓倒玩家,但玩家的反应很大程度上与恐惧感无关。接下来的时间,即玩家单独呆在小屋内时,只有休闲玩家受到惊吓,而硬核玩家则没受影响。最后的时刻,在一定程度上,休闲玩家比有经验的玩家更害怕。

玩家的体验阶段图

比较玩家自画的《Alan Wake》体验过程,表明休闲玩家比硬核玩家更投入。之前描述的关键时刻也说明,硬核玩家只在某些时候受到惊吓,而休闲玩家却认为整个过程都很可怕,显然,后者也比前者更享受这款游戏。

玩家体验阶段图1(from gamasutra)

玩家体验阶段图1(from gamasutra)

玩家体验阶段图1(from gamasutra)

玩家体验阶段图2(from gamasutra)

《生化危机5》

《生化危机5》的开场是一系列的过场动画,显示了各种不是太恐怖的画面,阐述了非洲背景。玩家进入控制和背景时,游戏的节奏非常慢。不久之后,主角Chris Redfield就碰上僵尸了,玩家不得不采取行动。在决战以前,玩家得与更多僵尸展开殊死搏斗。

另一个画面,详细描述了Chris遇到的一个人的殉难过程,紧接着凶手朝主角的方向狂扑过来。紧张的打斗开始了,玩家在此阶段必须击败许多常规僵尸和一个挥斧的超级僵尸。玩家完成关卡或死亡,游戏就结束。

玩家的游戏分析

在开场慢悠悠的《生化危机5》中,前10分钟都没有重要的事件发生。

初次交锋。与僵尸的狭路相逢就是玩家遇到的第一件大事。第一次交战影响了玩家的呼吸和其中2名玩家的GSR反应。之前的过场动画创造第一个尖锋,之后的尖峰随着玩家与僵尸的战斗此起彼伏。

尽管这个场景看似吓到了玩家,特别是它突出了血淋淋的惨状,但没有玩家承认自己在这时候被吓倒了。玩家认为它激发了自己的兴奋感,更渴望下一波动作。

Mike游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Mike游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Mike对第一只僵尸的反应平平,但他渐减的投入感被武器再次点燃了。他的GSR稍微升高了,同时呼吸加深,皮肤温度的下降意味着他正在享受这款游戏的体验:他本人也证实了这个说法。

遭遇成群的僵尸。下一个重要打斗发生在玩家面对一大波僵尸,不得不正面抗击时。4名玩家的GSR读数突然升高,呼吸也同时变短促。只有2名玩家称这个场面一点也不吓人。另外,硬核玩家和休闲玩家之间的反应没有明显差别。

当玩家选择射击僵尸时,我们可以看到玩家的投入感增强了;当玩家选择“弃尸逃跑”时,害怕是普遍的情绪反应。有些玩家称这个场面至少有点让人惊恐。

Kira游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Kira游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Kira选择抗击迎面而来的僵尸群。她的心率改变了,GSR的波动表明她在游戏中的融入感加深了。然而,她否认自己那时受到惊吓,而称这是战斗的先知先觉反应和战斗本身引起的兴奋。

集会和杀戮。过场动画的主要高潮大约发生在20至25分钟后。所有玩家选择完整地观看视频,其中3名玩家对展开的事件产生了反应,特别是杀戮场面。玩家表示这段视频蛮惊悚的,恐怖的话,就是一点点吧,但Matt犀利地补充道“确实很恐怖,不止只是让人担忧。”

Rosalind游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Rosalind游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Rosalind对杀戮场面的反应比较突出,而过场的其他部分对她影响不大。震动和血块让玩家对即将发生的事件产生了恐慌,一种独立于“恐怖”之外预感型的恐惧产生了。在视频的结尾,我们看到了另一个反应尖峰。

最后的战斗。在这个高潮部分,我们可以看到玩家先是非常兴奋,因为能打这么多僵尸。大多数玩家称他们很喜欢这个场面,休闲玩家尤其享受。因为各个玩家应对战斗的策略和技巧不同,所以没有发现明显的反应。在这整个过程中,甚至是陷入求生挣扎时,也没有玩家表现出强烈的生物测定反应变化。

Kira和Matt 还发现,群涌而出的僵尸削弱了恐怖感、打不死僵尸的挫折感和战斗的难度,取而代之是其他情绪。Matt是唯一通关的玩家。

Matt游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Matt游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

尽管Matt显然是周期性地陷入危险的境地、受到僵尸攻击,但他基本上没有明显的反应。他甚至淡定地说,这个结局比较平淡,原因是僵尸不太灵光了。

发现

参与者认为《生化危机5》中没有太多恐怖的地方。大多数玩家认为这款游戏好玩,场景和打斗部分都可圈可点,然而否认自己曾感到“非常恐惧”。

“这太奇怪了。怪异多过恐怖。”——Matt

“蛮酷的,但我没有被吓到。”—— Kira

尽管恐怖成分有限,但《生化危机5》确实展示了非常有氛围的场景。

“氛围感确实相当强。”——Rob

“那些黑洞洞的通道非常有气氛,虽然不太恐怖。”——Kira

血腥的场面激发了某些玩家的反应,特别是休闲玩家,大概是受氛围的影响而产生的恐慌。在事后的采访中,至少2名玩家赞同这个说法。之后,有些玩家自称有融入感,且在结尾部分的强度最高。而事实上,《生化危机5》的恐怖之处都出现在中间部分,也就是敌人仍然未知的时候。

玩家体验阶段图

首位登场的僵尸有幸刺激到所有玩家。这很大程度上是一种兴奋反应,但也有害怕的成分。休闲玩家的反应与硬核玩家的无异,但前者的融入感不断增强(虽然未必是惊恐),而后者的融入感则随着关卡的进展不断衰落。

玩家体验阶段图(from gamasutra)

玩家体验阶段图(from gamasutra)

《死亡空间2》

《死亡空间2》的开场波澜不惊,但颇有悬念,玩家从中可以慢慢明白,主角Isaac Clarke经过第一部游戏后,精神已经饱受推残。在开场部分,事件很快就变成半幻觉的恐怖,还好Isaac一下子就被一个医护唤醒了。

医护被莫名其妙地攻击致死后,主角被迫跑过一系列充满名为Necromorphs的走廊。敲打完微型反应系统之后,Isaac达到医院内相对安全的另一边,开始冷静地调查情况。很快,若干错误的警报之后,其他Necromorphs开始进攻Isaac。

玩家的能力不同,所以结束的进程也不同,但都坚持找到心灵遥感枪。没有玩家挨到获得等离子枪的时候。

玩家的游戏分析

开场恐怖和玩法启动。这部分没有激发玩家的兴趣,直到Isaac目睹自己死掉的妻子化身为恐怖的Necromorphs。

当医护被奇形怪状的东西杀害时,至少4名玩家觉得这部分很伤感很害怕。这些场面,因为震惊来得太过突然和强大,让玩家感到恐慌,也因为随处可见的惨景和血腥,再次加强了恐惧感。这个说法没有得到普遍认同,但3名玩家强烈同意这个假设,其他玩家则只是一定程度上赞成。

Mike游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Mike游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Mike的呼吸和GSR反应在视频中的“妻变”场面之后恢复正常,但医护被突然刺死时,Mike的反应又激烈了。他的惊叹声和事后的询问证实了,他那时被吓到了。其他玩家也在此时产生了相似的心情。

逃亡。这段追杀场面在不少地方都吓到了玩家,最终玩家的进程也结速在不同的地方。仅有一名玩家(Matt)死在最接近相对安全的房间的地方,而其他玩家中有不少都是在微型反应系统的剧情部分被Necromorphs”扑“死了。玩家在这部分非常投入。

引发惊恐反应的第一种情况是玩家身体受到攻击——这是影响最深远的,而且次次见效。当玩家命值不多时,惊吓效果就更好了。

然而,Matt对Necromorphs的生物测定反应虽与其他玩家一致,他却称:“我没顾上我是死是活。”这也是一种对恐惧的狡辩,抑或是玩家的另一种情绪,尽管他不记得当时的感受。

Olivia游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Olivia游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Olivia首次受到Necromorphs的直接攻击。显然,不规则的GSR曲线正呼应了这个场面。那时她正在惊叫:“天啊,我的天啊,吓死我了!”

引发玩家恐惧感的第二种情况是,当玩家知道自己被敌人尾随时,而怪物并没有出现在屏幕上,Isaac也还没受到伤害。这种“隐式危险”是让玩家恐慌的主要原因。一路尖叫的Olivia 表示,知道怪物正跟在她背后,确实相当恐怖。

最后一种受惊的情况发生在开场的追击,那时候玩家还不清楚怎么摸索出去。4名玩家因为走错了路线而死。其中3人称这让他们感到惊慌,从而使追击更可怕。Kira却表示,迷路让她觉得受挫,游戏反而没那么可怕了。另一名玩家(Rob)同意她的观点,当然,那是在他反复找不到路时。

这种惊慌/受挫感又来了——当玩家到达微型反应系统处,最初的恐慌很快就变成受挫感,因为玩家得千方百计地接通它。

Rosalind游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Rosalind游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

摸索黑乎乎的走廊和门时,Rosalind连挂四次。她害怕的尖叫变成了受挫的呐喊,因为她没办法出去。

非战斗惨景。经过头五分钟的惊慌,玩家就习惯了接下来更悲惨的10分钟了。血花四溅的房间并没有让玩家有太多反应,但不少令人震惊的场面不同程度上惊吓了所有玩家。

恐惧感的主要来源是:当一个明明静止不动的病号突然就抓住Isaac的时候;当地上的通风口突然陷落的时候;当奇怪的、警戒的声音响起来的时候。

以上情形吓倒了几乎所有玩家,只有Kira和Matt这两位玩家被hold住了,尽管他们也被其中至少一种情况吓到。另外,GSR发生了显著变化,呼吸情况也有所改变。玩家们遇到《死亡空间2》的惊悚场面时,叫得特别凶,所以我们很容易瞄准特殊情绪点(恐惧)的时刻,且玩家事后受访时仍然记得各个特别惊吓的地方。

Rob游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Rob游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

“我觉得非常怕——哇!”Rob已经被《死亡空间2》中的前面几个惊悚场面吓到了,但游戏相对平静的部分加重了他的恐惧。他坚信这时候游戏也不会让他好过,可能地板就快陷下去了。

有趣的是,许多恐惧感在产生以前,生物测定反应就已经不稳定了,如心率增加和呼吸加深。这种“预感”性的恐慌让玩家紧张,从而成为实际上生成恐惧感本身的关键因素。这个说法是Mike和Rosalind提出的,其他玩家也赞同。

心灵遥感枪和打斗。所有玩家都到达的最后一部分是Isaac得到心灵遥感枪。有些玩家不知道怎么战斗,所以非常沮丧,这种反应在GSR的尖峰和渐升的确皮肤温度上可以看出来。但是,在遇到necromorph时,知道怎么战斗的玩家感到的反而是恐怖。

只有Matt和Rosalind成功地使用心灵遥控枪打中敌人,所以就没有那么惊恐。Kira和Olivia不知道怎么控制战斗,称重复死亡后,与其说是恐惧,不如说是受打击。

Matt游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Matt游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

面对突然袭来的尸变魔,Matt几乎没有反应。他在房间里踱步寻找着出口,终于找到了电梯。虽然他相当冷静,但呼吸仍然不规律,可能一定程度上他还是被吓着了——或至少些时他正沉浸于游戏中。

我们从中可以发现,那些可以从容地对付敌人的玩家基本上不受惊吓,而那些完全没办法反击敌人的玩家则受挫到几乎忘了害怕。那些一心想靠混战杀掉尸变魔的玩家反而是被吓得最厉害的,可能是因为生还的机会很小,却又不是不可能。

与玩家对话发现,他们感到特别惊慌,但只有混战的玩家(Rob和Olivia)称被吓倒了。Matt再一次对场景感到迷惑,事实上决定只是绕过necromorph而不是与之死磕,不回应任何重要关头的威胁。

发现

《死亡空间2》中吓倒玩家的场面很多,还向我们揭示了不同类型的恐惧反应。如,对抗的预感增强了游戏中的恐怖感,经过一阵子的紧张的,增加了恐怖感的潜在影响。

声音和假恐怖(即不会威胁玩家的地方)的运用爆发了玩家的恐慌。此外,玩家以为自己要展开战斗时,心生惶恐,而事实上,当真正的战斗上演时,玩家反而不那么害怕了。

“我受不了了,太吓人了!”——Olivia

再者,游戏的快节奏与逼真的场景的配合。当玩家置身于一个恐怖的场景(战斗/逃跑,受惊)时,此时出现的怪物就更加恐怖了——相比于在安全的场所(过场动画、NPC自杀)遇到怪物。

血腥画面只有与其他恐怖元素搭配时才显得恐怖。总体上说,《死亡空间2》至少有一次成功地吓倒所有玩家,此外还包含即刻的恐慌、预感性紧张和挣扎于战斗和逃跑之间的恐惧。

玩家体验阶段图

玩家画下的《死亡空间2》体验表,比其他游戏更富动态,甚至一向淡定的Matt画下的线也呈波浪状,说明他在游戏中也很投入。另外,玩家很容易就回想起自己受到惊吓的各个事件。

players(from gamasutra)

玩家体验阶段图(from gamasutra)

《死刑犯》

《死刑犯》是这几款游戏当中资历最老的,但也是公认的著名的恐怖游戏,所以仍然适用于本次研究。这款游戏的开场是一宗刑事调查,随着案情的进展,玩家对角色的控制程度也增加。玩家利用各种小玩意、倾听其他人物的话语,会越来越了解手头上这宗谋杀案的来龙去脉。

10分钟的游戏时间后,玩家独自在一座黑暗、废弃的建筑内搜捕在逃嫌犯。之后玩家因为幻觉的作用,感到自己被一名蒙面人袭击。经过一段长时间的调查后,玩家又遇到更多敌人。

玩家的进程到接过另一名警员的斧头后就停止了,没有人迎来一场拿硬家伙混战的时候。

玩家的游戏分析

犯罪调查。《死刑犯》的游戏节奏是所有参与研究的游戏中最慢的,开头的10分钟什么冲突打斗场面也没有。玩家得设法处理调查工具,但这个时候没有什么吓人的东西出现。倒叙风格的过场动画确实让至少3名玩家的生物测定有了反应,但Mike和Rosalind否认自己害怕了,反而希望快点进入游戏内容。

Mike游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Mike游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

在倒叙动画的过程中,Mike的GSR达到峰顶,但他那平稳的呼吸率又证明他只是单纯地产生了兴趣,而不是害怕:“太肮脏了,不过我还没产生危机感。”

第一次交锋。玩家开始独自探索那座建筑后,几乎马上就遭到出乎意料的袭击。5名玩家被吓着了,因为他们受袭时还走错了路。Matt一枪就解决掉敌人,非常幸运地走到了正确的方向,所以遭到袭击时的反应没有那么强烈。面对突如其来的袭击,其他玩家的激烈情绪均在生物测定曲线上反映出来。2名玩家(Mike和Olivia)惊声尖叫,大多数玩家认为这是该游戏最最恐怖的时刻。

Rob游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Rob游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

当迫近的袭击露出苗头时,Rob沉浸其中——警员发出的刺激的声音和警告,崩紧了他的神经,那时他正准备战斗。被身后的敌人袭击时,他的反应非常惊恐。

探索和休息。每一个玩家在探索建筑方面犯难。这整个环节下来都没有什么突出点,但不同的玩家各有受惊的地方。Olivia听到大声的呻吟时,吓得又叫又跳;Rosalind被另一个蒙面人袭击时,几乎吓呆了——这两人的生物测定都有明显反应。

有些玩家认为过场动画的部分比较恐怖,有些认为在剧情事件时受到攻击让人非常恐慌。尽管如此,这款游戏没有哪个地方把几乎所有玩家一起吓倒的。

脚步声、玩家自己的影子和敌人的线索都多多少少让玩家产生了反应,仔细看的话,这些微妙反应还是可以观察出来的。“有气氛”、“毛骨悚然”、“凶兆”等词都可以用来形容这个阶段。10分钟后,渐增的疲惫感、毫无进度的事件,都让玩家大感沮丧。没有一个休闲玩家撑到事先约定的测试终点——从警员手中得到斧子,此外,玩家在这部分游戏进入尾声前就过早地竭尽了紧张感。

Kira游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Kira游戏行为分析(from gamasutra)

Kira虽然摸索得很辛苦,但完全沉浸在游戏的氛围里。甚至在没有大事件发生的10多分钟里,她仍然饶有兴致。她表示,游戏的气氛非常紧张,她渐渐地感到有那么些害怕了。

发现

有趣的是,这款游戏对硬核玩家的挫伤并没有休闲玩家那么厉害。确实,硬核玩家的震惊反应更加强烈,且他们对游戏保持专注的时间也比没什么经验的玩家长。他们更快在这道关卡中取得进展,也理解了开篇的阐述。因为游戏缺少描述或明显的事件,所以比较没经验的玩家大约会感到困惑,相反地,游戏透露太多,硬核玩家就会没兴趣。

Mike、Rob和Olivia这3名休闲玩家均表示感到困惑不解,特别是在调查这方面,他们在游戏开头产生的恐惧感最后渐渐被挫败感磨掉了。Matt和Rosalind却认为,随着进程,游戏越来越恐怖,紧张感也越来越强烈。

player(from gamasutra)

player(from gamasutra)

players(from gamasutra)

玩家体验阶段图(from gamasutra)

硬核玩家直到游戏的最后还是很投入,他们的反应产生了明显的尖峰和低谷。休闲玩家的兴趣就没有那么浓厚了,当然也没有那么害怕,不过仍然认为第一次交峰确实让人印像深刻。

结论

实际的战斗没有对战斗的预兆那么令人恐惧。最大的恐惧感谢来自无实际战斗的时刻——玩家自以为或害怕将要战斗,但结果并没有发生战斗。

过场动画一般不能让(大部分)玩家产生恐惧感,但相比之下,休闲玩家的反应比较激烈。硬核玩家鲜有被过场动画吓到。大多数玩家认为过场动画是游戏本身的缓和阶段,不过,绝大多数人看恐怖影片时也会吓得半死。

首次对抗几乎总是最恐怖的。在所有游戏中,所有玩家首次抗击敌人时产生的恐惧,总是比后来的对抗更强烈。

重复失败会消磨恐惧感。无论什么时候,玩家重复死亡或摸索太长,受挫感就会取代恐惧感。如果玩家手头上有更实用事要忙活,他就不会那么害怕了。

单纯的血腥场面可能有刺激作用,但起不到恐怖的效果。有些时候,如果还有其他可怕的元素相佐,奇形怪状的东西就会让场景更加恐怖。一般恐怖的东西搭配让人恶心或令人震惊的内容会更容易吓倒玩家。但单纯的血淋淋元素是不能吓唬玩家的。

休闲玩家比硬核玩家更容易受惊吓,但也更享受游戏。有经验的玩家对游戏的熟悉度,和固有期望,决定了他们不太可能比休闲玩家更害怕。第三人称、紧凑的事件对休闲玩家来说更可怕,但有经验的玩家更容易在第一人称、衍生型事件的游戏中感到惊慌。

强烈的氛围可以加重紧张感。这会让玩家更投入,从而最终使玩家更恐惧。在没有事件发生的时候,如果游戏还能吸引玩家的注意力,那么当事件确实发生时,玩家更可能受惊吓。

敌人数目过多反而削弱了恐怖感。一旦要求玩家一次解决的敌人超过二个,玩家就没那么害怕了,因为对敌人熟悉了。

最恐怖的游戏排名:

根据我们的观察研究,结合对玩家本人的直接提问,现结果如下:

硬核玩家                         休闲玩家

《死亡空间2》             《死亡空间2》

《死刑犯》                  《Alan Wake》

《Alan Wake》             《生化危机5》

《生化危机5》                《死刑犯》

以下是生物测定的图表

《Alan Wake》生物测定图表(from gamasutra)

《Alan Wake》生物测定图表(from gamasutra)

《死刑犯》生物测定图表(from gamasutra)

《死刑犯》生物测定图表(from gamasutra)

《死亡空间2》生物测定图表(from gamasutra)

《死亡空间2》生物测定图表(from gamasutra)

《生化危机5》生物测定图表(from gamsutra)

《生化危机5》生物测定图表(from gamsutra)

结论和分析:Joel Windels 、Graham McAllister、Adam Smith、Gareth White 和Pejman Mirza-Babaei(本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译,如需转载请联系:游戏邦

Scary Game Findings: A Study Of Horror Games And Their Players

by Joel Windels

[In this feature, usability studio Vertical Slice measures player reactions to four Xbox 360 horror games to find out which game is the "scariest," how casual and core players react to the same games, and whether or not they are scared in the same way.]

This study was undertaken by usability and user experience studio Vertical Slice as an internal investigation. As this piece was not for commercial use, and used games that have already been released, it seeks to determine which Xbox 360 game is the “scariest,” and is not intended to be a criticism or full analysis of the games in question.

Study Format

Using some of Vertical Slice’s unique approaches to user research, the study used a number of methods including interview techniques, think-aloud, researcher/participant post-play analysis and biometric feedback in order to evaluate the player experiences with each game. A group of six players, selected from a comprehensive database of over 500 individuals, was asked to play four different games — each for 30 minutes, or an otherwise similarly appropriate length of time, depending on the game’s content.

The study was conducted in Vertical Slice’s labs in Brighton, UK, which are designed to emulate natural gaming conditions. Players were invited to play exactly as they would at home, skipping cutscenes and selecting difficulties as they usually would. The sessions also took place late in the day, so that the room was darker and the play took place during a more familiar time of day for the gamers.

The order of games was counter-balanced across all players, as this helps reduce any bias that may have arisen from play order
Biometrics

The biometrics chosen for this study were heart rate, skin surface temperature, and GSR (Galvanic Skin Response). Respiration biometrics were also used for some of the participants. GSR is ideal for measuring arousal (excitement or frustration), skin temp is an indicator of valance (happiness or sadness) and fluctuations in the other two can highlight key moments of engagement. GSR is the top blue line in the graphs, and skin temperature is the middle green one.

Games Selected

Using social media tools, polls and small-scale informal investigation, a short list of the scariest Xbox 360 games was created. This list was whittled down to four candidates, which were then used for the final study. The selected games were Alan Wake, Resident Evil 5, Dead Space 2 and Condemned. Other games, such as Left 4 Dead 2, Gears of War 2, Condemned 2, FEAR 1 & 2, Dead Space 1, Silent Hill: Homecoming, Alone in the Dark and Mass Effect 2 were considered, but ultimately disregarded, for use in this research.

Players Selected

Six players were used, from a variety of gaming and demographic backgrounds. None of the participants have played any of the titles beforehand, and for the purposes of this study, they are broadly classified as either core or casual.

Kira – A 33 year old intermediate gamer, who spends at least five hours playing a week. She doesn’t own an Xbox 360, though has a rich history of gaming experience.

Claims to become very absorbed in games and scares easily. [core]

Rosalind – A 31 year old advanced player, who also spends at least five hours a week gaming. She owns all three major current consoles and insists she is not a casual gamer. [core]

Rob – A 34 year old novice gamer. Recently sold his Xbox 360 so currently does not spend any time playing gamers. [casual]

Mike – 42 year old casual player. Spends less than two hours a week gaming. Does have limited experience with games, and has for an extended period of time (since ZX81). Also owns a family Xbox 360, but rarely plays it himself. [casual]

Olivia – A 20 year old casual gamer. She plays a lot of games, but seldom for long sessions. Owns no current consoles and professes to enjoy slower-paced or party games, finding action games quite stressful. [casual]

Matt – 29 year old hardcore gamer that plays his Xbox 360 over 20 hours a week. He is a fan of titles in the Fable and Fallout franchises. [core]

Alan Wake

Outline of Play

Alan Wake begins with a narrated nightmare experience that also serves as the game’s tutorial. It starts with the player assuming control of the eponymous Alan Wake, who before long is pursued by a shadowy axe-man. Combat and light-wielding dynamics are introduced and the player must defeat a handful of enemies and navigate a horror-infused nightmare environment, before being chased by a massive black storm-like entity.

This opening sequence also features a cutscene (showing the non-explicit severing of another man’s head) and includes some narrative framing and exposition. All players chose to play on the “normal” difficulty rating, except for one one (opting for “hard”). The play ended once the participants reached the lighthouse, thus ending the nightmare.

Analysis of Play

Confrontation. Players were largely unresponsive to the opening cinematic, but were generally vocally positive to the setting and introduction. The first significant beat is when Alan turns around to the deeply-voiced supernatural form of a man, who then threatens Alan vocally and then appears in front of him, before lunging at him with his axe. Five of the players died at this point, two of them multiple times, seemingly unaware that the correct course of action would have been to turn and flee.

This sudden change from the relative safety of the start to the panic of a supernatural conflict provoked a response from all of the players, with the casual players reacting more significantly. Players suggested this was neither a positive nor negative response, though the changes in biometric readings implied a sudden and sharp reaction. Four of the players stated that the scene came as a shock to them, with two agreeing that the moment was scary.

Rob was frightened as the axe-man approached, as a clear peak in his GSR reading confirms.

Perhaps surprisingly, the repeat appearances of the shadowy figure failed to provoke any significant response. Changes in respiration rate were attributed to tension arising from the initial combat, but relaxed into a more stable pattern. Only one player continued to react strongly until the mid-point was reached, a house within which Alan seeks safety from his pursuer.

Decapitation cinematic. It is at this stage when the cutscene depicting a non-graphic decapitation is played, which features intense horror scenes. Five of the players elicited a change in GSR at this stage, with multiple peaks each corresponding to different beats in the scene. However, post-analysis and speak-aloud connote that these peaks were the result of heightened engagement not relating to fear. Although one player (Olivia) said she did find this part scary, though another (Mike) said his response spike was the result of relief, meaning all the while the cutscene was playing (and the stranger getting mauled), he would be safe.

Here, Mike elicits a medium GSR response, but his temperature drops and breathing remains steady. He denies he was scared at this point, indicating that the response was related to something else, for example, relief or interest.

House scene. The following moment in the game sees the player trapped in a house, surrounded by dark spirits, eager to get in. This part saw a marked difference between the casual players and the core ones. The core gamers recognised this section as a period of scripted action, in which they knew through prior knowledge of gaming language that they would be safe. This was confirmed after talking with them, with Matt even offering “I knew I couldn’t die at this bit, so I wasn’t scared at all.” When an illuminated exit appears, the three core players did not react.

In juxtaposition to this, two of the three casual players’ biometrics indicated that this scene was very tense. The GSR and respiration metrics indicated stimulation, and the casual players all stated that they found this part to be scary. To reinforce this notion, a strong response was observed once the exit appeared, provoking both panic and relief in these casual players.

Despite the game’s clear intention to scare during this scene, core player Matt fails to become stimulated and makes idle comments about the decor.

Final sequences. The second half of the demo features increased action, as players face larger numbers of enemies. Two players jumped when surprise attacked by enemies, both at unscripted moments. A third said, “very frightening… no ammunition, nasty axe murderer after me: that’s frightening!” but registered sustained intense responses rather than sharp “surprise” peaks in biometrics.

The final minute sees players wander towards the lighthouse, but are interrupted by a black swirly mass. A chase scene ensues, in which two players died. This last minute provoked strong responses from most of the players, and was an incredibly tense, exhilarating finale. Skin temperature levels cooled as the game progressed, indicating a positive experience which was confirmed by five of the players.

Olivia, a player with generally mild GSR response compared to the other participants, demonstrates a marked increase in engagement for the climax of the level, accompanied by shrieking and admissions of fear.

Findings

There were four significant moments in the Alan Wake sessions. The initial confrontation provoked a scare response from all types of gamers, and was universally a scary moment. The horror cutscene was possibly designed to scare players, but responses were largely unrelated to fear. The following moment, which sees the players alone in the house, was interesting in that it scared only the casual players, with the core players unaffected. The final moment also managed, but perhaps to a lesser extent, to scare the casual players more than the experienced gamers.

This disparity in the player experience between core and casual gamers is illustrated by the post-session player experience diagrams. Most players, especially the casual players, enjoyed Alan Wake. It was a popular choice for the players when they were asked which title they wished to continue playing after the session had ended.

More player experience graphs displayed overleaf

Comparing the self-drawn player experiences for Alan Wake shows that casual players found the game more engaging than core players. The previously described key moments also illustrate that while core players were scared at times, the casual players found the experience generally quite scary throughout, and also enjoyed it more than the core gamers did.

RESIDENT EVIL 5

Outline of Play

Resident Evil 5 starts with a series of cutscenes, showing various acts of mild terror and providing exposition for its African backdrop. The play is very slow-paced, as the player is introduced to the controls and the setting. Before long, the protagonist Chris Redfield is confronted by a zombie, thrusting the player into the action. After this encounter, some fight/flight scenarios with further zombies are played out before a final showdown.

Another cinematic is shown, depicting in graphic detail the decapitation of one of Chris’s acquaintances, followed by the ringleader’s wild gestures in Chris’s direction. An intense fight scene ensues, within which the player must defeat dozens of regular zombies and an axe-wielding superzombie. The play ended when players either completed this section (and thus the chapter) or when they died at a late stage in the chapter.

Analysis of Play

The slow opening of Resident Evil 5 meant that no significant events occurred until around the ten minute mark.

First contact. The primary contact with a zombie was the first major event for most players. This initial encounter made players modify their breathing and two players also showed a GSR response. The preceding cutscene was the cause of an initial peak, followed shortly after by another, when the player is left to fight the zombie.

Though it seemed that this scene may have been scary for players, particularly as it features some gory horror, none of the players agreed that they were scared at this point. The stimulation was deemed to be of a more excitatory nature, with players keen to engage in the upcoming action.

Response to this first zombie was mild, but Mike’s gradually dwindling engagement was rekindled by this call to arms. His GSR rose slightly and his breathing became heavier, while his lowering temperature suggests he was enjoying playing the game: a sentiment he agreed with.

Mob encounter. The next key beat is when players face a large mob of zombies, prompting a flight-or-fight decision. GSR readings jumped for four players, and a shortness of breath/gasp was also observed. Only two players stated that this scenario was not scary at all, and no particular difference in reaction was noted between the core and casual gamers.

When players chose to shoot the zombies, a gradually decreasing level of engagement could be seen, while players that chose to flee the mob experienced a greater degree of emotion, with fear being the most common feeling. Some of the players said that this scene in general was at least mildly scary.

Kira chose to fight the oncoming horde of zombies. Her changing heart-rate and fluctuating GSR reading indicated she was engaged with the game much more than before this moment. However, she denied it was fear she was experiencing, and instead described this as anticipation of combat and the exhilaration of the combat itself.

Rally and beheading video. The main cutscene and precursor to the climax of the level is met around the 20 to 25 minute point. All of the players chose to watch this video in full, with three players demonstrating a reaction to the events unfolding, most specifically to the beheading. Players described the video as quite horrific, and perhaps a little scary, though Matt was keen to add “it’s not really scary, more just alarming”.

Here Rosalind’s reaction to the beheading is the solitary response to the cutscene, which otherwise fails to provoke her very much. In this case, shock and gore manage to make the player feel fearful of the upcoming events, an anticipation-based fear that is independent of “scariness.” We see another peak at the end of the video as play resumes.

Final shoot-out. The climax of the chapter saw players initially become very excited to be fighting against so many zombies. Most of the players stated that they were enjoying this scene, with casual players especially engaged with the action. There were no standout signature responses from the players, as each player approached the conflict with different tactics and skillsets. Even when struggling to survive, no player displayed any major biometric changes during this stage of the playthrough — though sustained, minor stimulation could be observed.

Kira and Matt also noted that the flood of zombies actually detracted from any scariness they may have felt, and frustration at the size of the horde of undead, as well as difficulties in combating them, replaced any other emotions. Matt was alone in completing the level.

Although Matt is evidently regularly in peril and constantly attacked by the zombies, there were few moments where he was noticeably aroused, this bit being the most so. He even went so far as to say that parts of the finale were boring, due to the desensitization of the enemies.

Findings

Resident Evil 5 did not have many moments considered scary by the participants. Most players agreed that the game was enjoyable, and appreciated both the spectacle and the fun in the combat parts, yet denied they were “very scared” at any point.

“This is weird. More weird than scary.” – Matt

“It’s quite cool, but I’m not scared.” – Kira

Despite limited amounts in the way of scariness through jumps or fear, Resident Evil did present a very atmospheric setting.

“It’s really quite atmospheric actually.” – Rob

“These dark tunnels are atmospheric; not really scary though.” – Kira

The moments of gore also provoked a reaction in some of the players, particularly the casual gamers, which likely heightened the atmosphere and generated fear. This is a sentiment that was echoed by at least two of the players in post-play interviews. The game followed an upwardly-rising level of self-declared engagement amongst some of the players, with intensity high for the closing stages, though any scariness Resident Evil 5 managed to convey was during the middle sections, when the enemy was still an unknown.

Player Experience Graphs

When looking at the player experience graphs on the following page, it can be seen that for all players, they were stimulated by the first encounters with the zombies.

This is largely an excitement response, but also moments of fear too. The casual players also responded to these moments in the same way as the core, but they continued to be engaged by the game by increasing amounts (though not necessarily scared), whereas the core players’ engagement waned as the level progressed.

Dead Space 2

Outline of Play

Dead Space 2 begins with a calm but interrogative cutscene, in which it becomes clear that the protagonist from the first game, Isaac Clarke, is mentally ill. During the opening, the events soon turn to semi-hallucinatory horror, and soon Isaac finds himself woken by a medical orderly.

A grotesque attack upon the orderly means Isaac is forced to run through a necromorph-infested series of corridors, bound by a straightjacket. Isaac reaches the relative safety of another part of the hospital after beating a mini-QTE, and embarks on a quieter fact-finding role. Shortly, after a number of false alarms, other necromorphs attack Isaac.

The sessions ended at various stages depending on the player’s abilities, but never earlier than the part where the telekinesis gun is found, and no players succeeded in reaching too far beyond the point at which the plasma gun is sourced from the device operating upon a screaming man.

Analysis of Play

Opening terror and start of gameplay. None of the players’ interest was stimulated during the cutscene that played at the start, at least not until Isaac witnesses his dead wife become a necromorph in a horrific fashion.

At least four of the participants found this moment distressing, and were frightened further still when throttled by the orderly, only to have him gruesomely slaughtered by a grotesque creature.

It was suggested that these scenes were not only scary due to the abruptness and potency of the shocks, but were also heightened because of the liberal presentation of horror and gore. This was not universally agreed upon, but three of the players strongly agreed with this hypothesis, with another player agreeing to some extent.

Mike’s breathing and GSR had returned to normal following the wife-horror of the intro video, but is again interrupted as the orderly is unexpectedly impaled from behind. An exclamation of “Oh wow!” and questioning confirmed that this moment was scary for him. He was not alone in this thought, as other players also experienced similar emotions at this point.

Straightjacket flee. The chase scene provided a number of scary moments for the players, arriving at different stages for each player. All but one of the players (Matt) died at least once before reaching the relative safety of the next room, with players especially struggling on a scripted mini-QTE sequence after being pounced upon by a necromorph. The points at which players were most engaged were at three definable but partially generative beats.

The first type of scare-inducing moment was whenever players were physically attacked by an enemy. This was most profound in the first instance of attack, but remained significant on each occurrence. The response was also elevated when players had little health remaining.

However, for one player (Matt), although his biometric reactions to necromorph attacks were in line with the other players, he did state “I couldn’t really care less if I lived or died”. This is either a case of participant denial of fear (for any number of reasons), or an alternative emotion felt by the player to what the other participants were feeling, though he was unable to remember what he was feeling at the time.

Olivia suffers her first direct attack from a necromorph. Clearly, her irregular GSR patterns are aligned with this moment, and she was shouting, “God, Oh my God, this shit is so scary!”

The second feature of the scene that regularly prompted a fear response was when players were knowingly pursued by enemies, but said aliens were not visible on-screen, and Isaac was just out of harm’s way. This “implied danger” was a key cause of scariness for the participants, with Olivia suggesting, amongst screams, that knowing they were behind her was really scary.

The final cause of scariness in this opening chase was observed whenever players had trouble navigating. Four of the players took the wrong route, often resulting in death. Three of them said that this caused them to panic, making the chase even scarier. Kira, however, said that losing her way was frustrating and made the game less scary, which another player (Rob) found himself in agreement with, though only after he repeatedly had trouble with navigation.

This panic/frustration theme recurred when the mini-QTE part was reached, with initial fear soon dissipating into frustration as players took multiple attempts to survive it.

Rosalind died consecutively four times whilst struggling to navigate the dark corridors and locked doors of the asylum. Her shrieks of fear became cries of frustration as she failed to work out where to run to.

Non-combat horror scenes. After the panic of the first five minutes, players settled into the more somber pace of the following 10. The blood-splattered rooms and scenes of implied disgusting violence didn’t elicit much response from the players, but there were a handful of shock-inducing moments that managed to scare every player, although, of course, to varying degrees.

The main sources of scares were when a screen abruptly blares on; when an apparently stationary patient suddenly grabs Isaac when he approaches; when the floor of a vent falls through; and a more subtle point when strange, alarming noises can be heard.

All of these managed to scare almost every player, with only Kira and Matt resisting, though even they were scared by at least one of these moments. Again, at all of these points, a dramatic change in GSR could be seen, and a modified respiration pattern could also be observed. Participants were particularly vocal during the scary parts of Dead Space 2, which helped with pinpointing specific emotions (fear) and they also remembered some of these individual scares in the post-session evaluation as being especially scary.

“I’m feeling very vulnerab — woah!” Rob had already been scared by previous shocks in Dead Space 2, but the relative calmness of the game had heightened his expectations of fright. His suspicions that the game was about to throw another scare his way were confirmed when, mid-sentence, the floor fell through beneath him.

It is interesting that many of these scares were preceded by a period of unstable biometrics responses, such as an increased heart-rate and heavy or stunted breathing.

This “anticipation” fear served as a key factor in building up the tension leading to the actual scares themselves, which was commented on by both Mike and Rosalind; an idea that other players also agreed with.

Telekinesis gun and combat. The final part that every player reached was when Isaac first receives the telekinesis gun. Some players couldn’t work out how to progress, which made them frustrated, observed by both a peak in GSR and a gradual rising of skin temperature. Regardless, once they were confronted by a necromorph, those that worked out how to fight it using melee combat found it very scary.

Only Matt and Rosalind managed to use the telekinesis to impale the enemy, and were less scared as a result. Kira and Olivia were unable to figure out the combat controls, and claimed they were again more frustrated than scared after repeatedly dying.

Matt barely responds to the imminent threat of a sudden appearance of the necropmorph. He wanders around the room searching for an exit, and makes his way to the lift.

Despite his relative nonchalance, his respiration is still irregular and it is possible that he is somewhat scared — or at least engaged with the game — at this point.

We can see from this that players that could comfortably dispatch enemies were barely frightened by the confrontation, and those that were entirely unable to fight back were too frustrated to be scared. The players that depended on melee combat to kill the necromorph(s) were the most scared by this part, perhaps as the chances of survival were low, but not impossible.

Speaking to players suggested that they felt a great deal of panic, but only the melee-using players (Rob and Olivia) said they felt scared. Once more, Matt remained nonplussed by the scenario, and actually decided to simply walk past the necromorph instead of engaging with it, not responding to the threat in any significant amount.

Findings

Dead Space 2 not only had numerous occasions in which players were universally frightened, but also revealed multiple types of fear response. The anticipation of a confrontation heightened the scariness in the game, and increased the potency of the scares when they followed periods of tension.

The use of sound and false-scares (whereby the shocks represented no threat to the player) generated short bursts of fear in the players. Despite this, for some of the times when genuine conflict occurred, players were actually less scared than they were for when they thought they were going to be engaging in combat.

“Pretty spooky in here… Oooh… That was horrible!” – Mike upon seeing NPC slit throat

“I can’t take this, this is so scary!” – Olivia

Furthermore, the fast pacing of the game was coupled with scenes of graphic violence. These depictions of the grotesque were far scarier to players when they were presented at moments that were also scary in another respect (fight/flight, surprises), than when presented during a sequence in which the player is safe (cutscenes, NPC suicide). Gore is apparently only scary when it is featured alongside another scary element. Overall, Dead Space 2 managed to scare every player at least once, and also had moments of immediate fright (surprises), sustained anticipatory tension and fight/flight conflict-based fear.

Player Experience Graphs

The player-drawn graphs for Dead Space 2 were more animated than for any other game, with even the usually-disinterested Matt drawing a fairly wavy line showing his engagement with the game, including a number of peaks. Participants also easily managed to remember isolated incidents during which they were scared.

Condemned

Outline of Play

Condemned is the oldest of the games in the study, but it was agreed that it was renowned as a scary game, and is certainly still appropriate to examine. It opens with a criminal investigation, within which the player is given increasing degrees of control. The player finds out more about the context of the murder at hand, using various pieces of gadgetry and by listening to the other characters.

After 10 minutes of play, the player is left alone to investigate the dark, abandoned building to find the fleeing suspect. The player is attacked by a hooded man, under an implication of otherworldly influence. Long periods of navigation through the building follow, before further encounters with enemies occur.

Players generally stopped playing around the point at which they are handed an axe by another detective, but never before they have experienced the weapon-based melee combat.

Analysis of Play

Criminal investigation. The pacing of Condemned is the slowest of the games studied, and the opening 10 minutes feature no conflict whatsoever. Players got to grips with the investigative tools, but were not scared at this point.

The flash-back style cutscenes did evoke biometric reactions from at least three of the players, but Mike and Rosalind countered suggestions that they were scared with the notion that their intrigue was piqued, and had become eager to embark upon the game proper.

Mike’s GSR peaked enormously during the flashback cutscene, but his regular, unchanged respiration rate backed his claim that he was merely intrigued, rather than scared: “It’s all very nasty, but I don’t feel any immediate peril”

First combat. Once the players were left alone to explore the building, they were almost immediately confronted by a surprise attack. This scared five of the players, as they were facing the wrong way at the time of attack. Matt dispatched the enemy in a single shot, and was lucky enough to be facing in the exact correct direction to witness the attack comfortably, so did not react strongly. The other players all elicited a strong biometric reaction to this surprise encounter. Two players (Mike and Olivia) yelped, and most of the participants said this was the scariest moment of the game.

Rob is engaged as the cues for the imminent encounter play out; the provocative noises and warning from the officer both make Rob tense as he prepares for the impending fight. He is attacked from behind and responds in an accordingly frightened fashion.

Exploration and rest of level. Every player struggled with navigation as they explored the building. This whole sequence had few standout moments, but different players had specific parts at which they found to be scary. Olivia jumped and shouted when she heard a loud moan, and Rosalind was shocked when she was attacked by another hooded enemy — both backed by an observable biometric response.

There were also some players that found the flashback cutscenes to be scary, and others that found the scripted non-controlled attack upon the player very frightening.

Nevertheless, there was no one standout moment that universally scared the majority of the players.

A great number of subtle responses were also noticed, with the noise of footsteps, the player’s own shadow and hinted-at enemies all provoking mild responses in the participants. The adjectives used to describe this stage were “atmospheric”, “spooky”, “sinister”, and “haunting”, among others. After 10 minutes of this, fatigue set in, as players became frustrated at their lack of progress. None of the casual players reached the predetermined end point of the test, receiving the axe from the officer, and much of the tension experienced earlier on had faded by the end of the session.

Kira found navigation slightly frustrating, but remained absorbed in the atmosphere. Even 30 minutes in to the game, and over 10 minutes since any significant event, she was still responding to the game. She said that she found the atmosphere to be very tense, instilling a “medium” level of fear in her.

Findings

Interestingly, the core players were far less frustrated with the game than the casual ones. Indeed, the shocks and jumps were greater in core players, and they also retained their engagement with the game for a longer time than the less experienced participants. They were quicker to progress though the level, and also to absorb the exposition at the start. It is possible that the relative lack of scripted or obvious events confused the less experienced players, and the unpredictable nature of the game unnerved the core players.

Mike, Rob and Olivia (casuals) all said they found it to be confusing, especially in terms of navigation, and any scariness they felt at the start began to wane by the end. Conversely, both Matt and Rosalind said the game got scarier as it developed, with the tension in the building rising gradually as they progressed.

The core players were still engaged by the end of the session, and also demonstrated greater peaks and troughs, with the first encounter and later tension both proving memorable. The casual players were less engaged, and also less scared, but still found the first encounter particularly memorable.

Conclusions

Actual combat is not as scary as the implied threat of combat. The biggest cares result from moments devoid of any physical combat; instances in which players anticipate or fear they are about to fight, but do not actually end up doing so.

Cutscenes are generally not sources of fear for most players, but casual players react more strongly to them. Core players seldom find cutscenes scary. Most players find cutscenes to be a respite from the game itself, though a minority of players is capable of being scared by some videos.

The first confrontation is almost always the scariest. In every game, across all player experience-levels, the first encounters with the enemies are much scarier than later ones.

Repeat failure prevents scenes from retaining any initial scariness they may have had before. Whenever players repeatedly die or spend too long struggling with navigation, frustration replaces fear. If major usability issues exist/occur, then players will be far less scared.

Gore in isolation can be provocative, but not scary. In some cases, the grotesque can make scenes scarier, providing there are other factors also contributing.

Players are frightened even more when normal scares are accompanied by disgusting or shocking content. This gory material alone, however, fails to scare players.

Casual players are more easily scared than core players, but also enjoy the games more. Experienced gamers’ familiarity with the medium, and their existing expectations of it, means they are less likely to become scared than casual gamers.

The closer a game resembles film, the more casual players are scared. Conversely, the less scripted a game is, the more the core players are scared. Third-person, tightly scripted events are scarier to casual players than to core gamers, while first-person, generative events are scarier to experienced players.

Heightened tension can be created by a potent atmosphere. This will keep the player engaged and ultimately make the scares bigger. Games which keep players engaged even when events are not occurring (by presenting a stimulating atmosphere) are more likely to scare players when those events do occur.

Large numbers of enemies makes games less scary. Once players are asked to dispatch more than two or three enemies at a time, they become less scared. Familiarity with enemies renders them less scary.

Scariest Game Rankings: “The scariest game on the Xbox 360″

Based on our observations and analysis, as well as direct questioning of the players themselves, the following order was determined:

CORE                     CASUAL

Dead Space 2    Dead Space 2

Condemned                     Alan Wake

Alan Wake    Resident Evil 5

Resident Evil 5    Condemned

Biometric Storyboards

(Where conflict between player experiences exist, core players were used for these storyboards rather than casual)

Conduction and analysis by: Joel Windels with Graham McAllister, Adam Smith, Gareth White and Pejman Mirza-Babaei(source:gamasutra


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