Horror has always been an interesting genre for video games to explore. As an inherently subjective medium, much more so than film, at least, video games can leverage interactivity for greater immersion, and thereby produce more scares. Sadly, many horror games waste their potential for true, visceral horror, and clever, unique mechanics such as those found in the likes of Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem feel like a rare breed.
Released in 2002 as a Nintendo GameCube exclusive, Eternal Darkness quickly attained cult classic status due to its singular design choices. Its story is nothing too special, following several different characters over the course of two-thousand years as they struggle against an ancient, malevolent force seeking to enslave the human race. But the methods that Eternal Darkness uses to deliver and present this horror experience are what make it such a memorable and one-of-a-kind title. Specifically, the game features a “sanity effects” mechanic: Eternal Darkness reflects the psychological states of the in-game characters via bizarre visual and audio effects that sometimes break the fourth wall. Nintendo would wind up filing a patent for this feature, barring other developers from implementing it. But now, that patent has expired, possibly opening the floodgates for the advent of similar mechanics.
Related
The Mortuary Assistant Could Predict the Success of an Eternal Darkness Revival
Rising to notoriety thanks to streamers and YouTubers, The Mortuary Assistant could lay the groundwork for a revival of Eternal Darkness.
Other Developers Can (and Should) Finally Use Eternal Darkness’ Sanity Effects
Horror Games Could Use ‘Sanity Effects’ for Incredible Results
There are several ways that Eternal Darkness‘ sanity effects can manifest, ranging from the subtle and unsettling to the outlandish and immersion-breaking. Some of the game’s most notable sanity effects include:
- Statues’ heads turning to follow the player’s movements
- Camera angles tilting unnaturally
- Visual effects mimicking television features, like decreasing volume
- Various glitches, including one that leads the player to believe their save file has been deleted
Naturally, not all of these sanity effects can be copied by contemporary horror developers. For one thing, although the patent in question has expired, the specifics of the aforementioned sanity effects are still protected under intellectual property law: Nintendo could still have a case against a developer who directly replicates one of the aforementioned effects. Moreover, some fourth-wall-breaking effects, like the faux TV volume-reduction, wouldn’t work today due to the broader variety of television UIs.
Having said that, the sky is still the limit for developers interested in learning from Eternal Darkness‘ use of these audiovisual oddities. There’s something uniquely confronting about an unexpected TV glitch, as it can jar a user out of the sense of tranquility they may have been lulled into after hours of regular, uninterrupted TV use. In other words, everyday technology is expected to work as intended, and when it doesn’t, it can be surprising; when a player is already in a heightened state of agitation due to a horror game’s atmosphere, this surprise can easily morph into terror.
But the fourth-wall-breaking elements are only part of why Eternal Darkness‘ sanity effects are so evocative. A common problem with even the most well-crafted horror games is that they inevitably become familiar: after dispatching the 200th Necromorph in Dead Space, the creatures begin to lose their psychological impact, and if they kill the player, they can just respawn and try again. But sanity effects in Eternal Darkness always keep the player on their toes, stretching beyond in-game logic to recreate novelty. This helps to combat the sense of tedium that can set in after so many hours in a typical horror game, which could be a boon for future horror franchises.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
- Released
-
June 24, 2002
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ due to Animated Blood and Gore, Animated Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Silicon Knights
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
Comments
Array