LOS ANGELES — As video game developers experiment with virtual reality, one game type stands out as a potential early beneficiary of the change in platform: horror.
Games at the Electronic Entertainment Expo including Capcom's Resident Evil VII Biohazard and Oculus Rift title Wilson's Heart demonstrate how VR's ability to drop players into a digital world can amplify already terrifying moments in horror titles.
"VR is such a perfect fit for horror," says Koshi Nakanishi, director of Resident Evil VII, through a translator. "By literally feeling like you’re in the shoes of the character who’s experiencing the horror, it becomes so much immersive, visceral and direct."
During Monday's Sony press conference, a demo of Resident Evil VII showed a character slowly navigating a mysterious, tattered house. At one point, the character brushes bugs crawling on the character's hands.
The Rift title Wilson's Heart from studio Twisted Pixel was a reminder of how powerful a horror or thriller could become. The black-and-white thriller features players such as a patient in a hospital, tied to a table before breaking free and exploring the mystery inside.
At one point, the character opens a medicine cabinet and a rat jumps out. Later on, as players explore one room in the hospital, they flip on a light switch above to find a dead body right in front of them.
It's one thing to see this unfold on a TV screen. Although frightening, the player still feels a bit removed. It's another to have it sitting so close to you on a VR headset. Watching that rat seemingly leap toward my face left me jumpy. Even watching something like doors shaking as if someone is trying to break through increased my anxiety.
This isn't the first example of the impact of VR on horror titles. Insomniac's Edge of Nowhere and Alien Isolation had little trouble scaring people. For those who like games that get your heart pumping, these will definitely do the trick.
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.
