Three Specific Kinds of Terror
Jacob Geller・21 minutes read
A video on Nebula discusses three games, including Amnesia: The Bunker and "Who's Lila", highlighting their unique gameplay mechanics and terrifying atmospheres. The games focus on mechanics that punish players for making choices, use facial expressions as a gameplay mechanic, and explore the theme of control and responsibility within the game world.
Insights
- Amnesia: The Bunker innovatively combines resource anxiety and decision-making mechanics to heighten the horror experience, setting it apart from traditional horror games.
- "Who's Lila" introduces a unique gameplay mechanic where players manipulate facial expressions to convey emotions, intertwined with a mysterious narrative involving control struggles and identity exploration, offering a distinctive gaming experience.
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What is Amnesia: The Bunker about?
A horror game set in World War 1.
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Summary
00:00
Amnesia: The Bunker - Innovative Horror Game
- The video discusses aspects of three games without revealing everything, best viewed on Nebula with an exclusive companion video.
- Amnesia: The Bunker features a type of terror not unique but effective.
- The first Amnesia game over a decade ago popularized helplessness in horror games, lacking guns or killable enemies.
- The Amnesia series, known for fleeing from monsters, introduces a new game with weapons like revolvers and grenades.
- Amnesia: The Bunker creates terror through mechanics that punish the apparent gift of agency with choice paralysis.
- The game is set in an active no-man's land during World War 1, primarily in an underground bunker.
- The Bunker innovatively integrates the classic horror trope of locked doors by allowing players to shoot padlocks with a revolver.
- The game's resource anxiety and decision-making mechanics heighten the stakes and address the issue of death in horror games.
- The bunker's atmosphere is oppressive, with limited resources like fuel for electricity and ammunition adding to the tension.
- "Who's Lila" is a dialogue-based game where players manipulate the protagonist's facial expressions to convey emotions, offering a unique gameplay mechanic.
14:19
"Who's Lila?" VR game explores control
- The game "Who's Lila" involves a character named Will whose actions are controlled by the player, but sometimes moves independently.
- Progressing through the game allows for expanded possibilities, starting with taking the bus to school and eventually leading to different locations in town.
- The game introduces a web link that downloads a separate program featuring a demon face providing instructions.
- Minimal spoken dialogue in the game includes panting, screams, and a phone call from a character named Lila.
- The game's title poses the question "Who's Lila?" revealing that the player embodies Lila, manipulating expressions and interacting with demons.
- The lore of Lila involves a being that can take over others, leading to a struggle for control and autonomy.
- "The Utility Room" is a VR game focused on the concept of massive objects, presenting a behind-the-scenes view of the universe.
- The game gradually reveals enormous objects in the background, creating a sense of impending dread and fear in the player.
- The game instills a primal fear in players through the vastness and scale of objects, evoking a sense of unease and urgency.
- The game explores the theme of control and responsibility, highlighting the consequences of choices made within the game world.
29:41
"Nebula: Experimental videos, exclusive content, supportive environment"
- Nebula is a platform where experimental videos, like an Alan Wake spoilercast and cooking videos, are housed, along with recordings of live talks; it also offers exclusive content from various creators, early ad-free viewing, and a supportive environment for creators, with a subscription cost of $2.50 per month.
