Kamiya: Resident Evil developers lost sight of how scary their games are
In the world of survival horror, where jump scares and relentless tension are the primary tools, a veteran director is calling for a radical shift in player experience. Hideki Kamiya, the director behind the acclaimed Resident Evil 2, believes that the developers have perhaps forgotten the fundamental goal of the genre: to evoke genuine, paralyzing fear.
Kamiya is advocating for a change in design philosophy, suggesting that players should have the agency to dial up or dial down the level of horror they experience. This isn’t just about tweaking settings; it’s about giving the player control over the psychological intensity of the game, allowing them to calibrate their own level of dread.
The sentiment stems from a feeling that modern horror games, while successful, sometimes rely too heavily on pre-set intensity levels. Kamiya feels that the true power of a horror title lies in the player’s ability to navigate uncertainty and fear on their own terms, rather than being subjected to a fixed, overwhelming experience.
By allowing players to adjust the horror factor, the developers could transform the experience from a fixed sprint toward terror into a dynamic, personalized psychological journey. This approach suggests a deeper engagement with the mechanics of fear, making the tension more personal and unpredictable.
It is a call to revitalize the core concept of survival horror, pushing developers to think beyond simple scares and focus instead on crafting environments where the player determines the narrative tension. If the goal is to make players truly feel the weight of the darkness, then giving them the control to modulate that darkness is the next logical step.
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