The new "Icy" look

Post by **Terminus** » 27 Sep 2009

I do not see how one of the most oppressive and dangerous environments possible could not be unsettling. It should be very easy to make such a horrific environment frightening; failure would most likely be the result of a deficiency of imagination on the developers' parts.

Post by **LanceS133** » 27 Sep 2009

I'm hoping to atleast feel the cold while playing.

Post by **Fidchell** » 27 Sep 2009

Terminus wrote:I do not see how one of the most oppressive and dangerous environments possible could not be unsettling. It should be very easy to make such a horrific environment frightening; failure would most likely be the result of a deficiency of imagination on the developers' parts.

Um, because it ISN'T unsettling. You get a sense of danger, yes..maybe, but disturbing? No. Not the least bit. I can't imagine ice contributing to a disturbing atmosphere, but that's just me.

Post by **Koshercrackers** » 27 Sep 2009

Good news to all you ice-haters! According to the lovely single new picture, you'll be getting at least a little of blood, rust, and bears.

Post by **Koshercrackers** » 27 Sep 2009

Well, we know from the new "bear" picture that there will be a few bloody, rusty places.

Post by **Falconv1.0** » 28 Sep 2009

Koshercrackers wrote:Good news to all you ice-haters! According to the lovely single new picture, you'll be getting at least a little of blood, rust, and bears.

Um, got a link for us?

Post by **Terminus** » 28 Sep 2009

^This is the bloody-bear in the red light: http://shshatteredmemories.com/harry-cr ... s-screens/

Post by **Falconv1.0** » 28 Sep 2009

That's not really the 'blood and rust' look, that's just a creepy bear.

I'm still not sold. The game doesn't look scary at all to me, maybe 'tense', but not scary.

Post by **David01** » 28 Sep 2009

Be great if that bear came to life, and tried to attack your ass.

Highly doubtful that that will happen though, but maybe my wish will come true.

Post by **SilentObserver** » 28 Sep 2009

I am interested to see if the icy look changes as you progress further into the game. What we've seen is most likely just from the first half hour - hour of the game.

You can be terrifying in SH without rust. Blood and ice would make a spectacular combination. Anyone whose ever accidentlly hurt themselves in winter and bled on the ice knows that it's a pretty terrifying sight.

I'm hoping they shove bloody bodies and stuff under the ice, have frozen blood patches everywhere, perhaps even the whole place one icy bloody mess... but we'll see.

And I live in the northern part of the US, where it gets cold - VERY cold - in winter. It's a lonely place for about 6 months. This game is going to scare the living piss out of me.

Post by **Burning Man** » 28 Sep 2009

SilentObserver wrote:I am interested to see if the icy look changes as you progress further into the game. What we've seen is most likely just from the first half hour - hour of the game.

That may be true, but traditionally, the otherworld wasn't all that different from one scene to the next.

Blood and ice would make a spectacular combination.

It's odd when you say it that way because ice bags are generally used as first aid measures for external bleeding.

Post by **SilentObserver** » 28 Sep 2009

Burning Man wrote: That may be true, but traditionally, the otherworld wasn't all that different from one scene to the next.

Except in SH4. I remember each "otherside" world getting progressively worse the further you went down that spiral staircase, until it culminated in a bloody mess at the apartment building. But I could be wrong, I'm playing that again right now anyway

Also, in Origins .. the Hotel was the worst in terms of otherworld violence.
I think it's an interesting idea, I mean, we all get it, the reason why everything's so burned up and bloody. I see no reason why one person's nightmare should carry over into another game if that game has nothing to do with the person who created the nightmare. Isn't SH supposed to be a town that feeds on your fears? That's what this game is going to do .. and who knows, maybe new Harry just doesn't like being cold

But we'll see, ice is slow-moving, and it would be great if the game's otherworlds progressed at a slow pace.

Post by **neonblack** » 28 Sep 2009

I'm actually kind of shocked at the amount of people who cite a lack of blood and rust as exemplifying this game's failure. How auspicious.

Is that really all that's made Silent Hill important to you? Blood and rust?

Post by **SpaceProg** » 28 Sep 2009

Not for me. SH2 is my fave so far and it contains far less blood and/or rust than the others.

Post by **LanceS133** » 28 Sep 2009

Hell yeah man, me too.

Post by **_Drake_** » 28 Sep 2009

Nope, I never really cared for the graphic amounts of blood and rust, hell I like 2 for that reason. How it seemed to be a purgatory and not a hell. But, I don't mind it, I found 3's otherworld to quite grotesque

~Drake

Post by **Burning Man** » 29 Sep 2009

neonblack wrote:Is that really all that's made Silent Hill important to you? Blood and rust?

I thought we were comparing "otherworlds," actually, and which is more horrifying. However, I don't necessarily believe that the "otherworld" must have blood and rust to bring the point home. Angela's staircase on fire - the one the developers cited as inspiration for the icy otherworld - is devoid of these elements, but it does its job. Then again, fire has strong imagery. Certain religions believe that fire cleanses one's soul, so there's that religious aspect, too.

An icy otherworld in itself reminds me of Eddie's otherworld, if you can call it that. I thought it was the weakest of the three.

SilentObserver wrote:I see no reason why one person's nightmare should carry over into another game if that game has nothing to do with the person who created the nightmare. Isn't SH supposed to be a town that feeds on your fears?

Certainly. But I think part of the point in the otherworld is so that the general audience can relate to it as well and share the horror behind it. Unlike rust and blood, fire even, ice is bit touchy because not everyone can relate to it easily. You live in the North, so you have a better idea of isolation that ice can convey. But for people who've lived in the South for most of their lives, they barely see snow at all, and on a hot, sweaty day like this one, ice gives you an image of an ice-cold beer... which is ironic when you think of how Climax puts all these images of alcoholic beverages depending on your psyche profile.

Post by **neonblack** » 29 Sep 2009

I thought we were comparing "otherworlds," actually, and which is more horrifying.

I was only commenting on the excess negativity on the forum regarding the otherworld and its apparent lack of traditional elements. Sort of arbitrarily sparked by recent posts in this thread. Sorry for the confusion.

Being a southerner myself, I can't relate to the snow - but I could imagine the isolation and terror that must accompany such storms. It'll be effective, I'm sure, but regardless I'm more interested in the supernatural nature of the otherworld than the horror it will provide - the way it manifests rather than the manifestation itself - and I can't wait to see what's in store for each of us.

Post by **Apocali** » 29 Sep 2009

Burning Man wrote:
neonblack wrote:Is that really all that's made Silent Hill important to you? Blood and rust?
Certainly. But I think part of the point in the otherworld is so that the general audience can relate to it as well and share the horror behind it. Unlike rust and blood, fire even, ice is bit touchy because not everyone can relate to it easily. You live in the North, so you have a better idea of isolation that ice can convey. But for people who've lived in the South for most of their lives, they barely see snow at all, and on a hot, sweaty day like this one, ice gives you an image of an ice-cold beer... which is ironic when you think of how Climax puts all these images of alcoholic beverages depending on your psyche profile.

On the other hand, people who have never experienced snow would be much more frightened of a blizzard than people who lived through them their entire lives. An important component of fear is the unknown, not knowing what to do, what's going on, or what will happen for instance. But as you said, its more to the individual. Personally, I'd be more terrified of getting attacked by monsters in a blizzard than a building with rust and blood. At least rust and blood can't kill you, unlike the cold can.

Post by **Jecht** » 29 Sep 2009

You could get lock-jaw from Rust and AIDS from blood...Sorry I didn't mean to be a smartass

I live in Ohio so I've lived through many blizzards and snow storms, so I'm not quite as afraid as most would be. One thing I think I would fear would be flooding.