Survival Horror and the indie game.

Is a genre I don't think gets its day very often. Even in our text book the category is reduced to a small after thought in the corner. However, when you think about it some of the greatest games in recent times have been based in the survival horror category or even give hints to it (a la Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Dead Space and even, ugh, Amnesia the dark Descent). So why aren't they having their day?

Well, maybe its because you don't know about it. Because most of the great survival horror games to come out won't even register on your radar until they have long lost their shock value. Not every video game gets to have its day in the sun and it is very rare for independent companies and off-shoots to get out their product so they have to trust the quality of it. Well I think that's wrong. So I'd like to present 3 indie horror games that anyone/everyone should look into (In no particular order).

However, before that I would like to make a caveat. Seeing as we have to make and present a video game, I recently discovered a game creator called Unity, that has a free version and a 1500 dollar pro version which you can add things like the ability to make an app or make it flash capable. I have yet to use the engine to make a game but when I do, I will do my best to write a blog post about it.

Alright onward:

1. Cry of Fear-  Is a user made mod to the Valve hit Half-Life. It was made by Team Psykskallar A group from Sweden that basically gutted the game and changed it into a new entity. The story revolves around the protagonist Simon, a kid who just woke up in a city in Sweden and now has to figure out what's going on and how he ended up in that alley. The game contains little to no music, and plenty of jump scares as you traverse the air-ducts and empty rooms of abandoned graffiti filled buildings fighting whatever comes in your way. 
2. Rule of Rose- Is a game that came out in September of  2006 by Atlus and has been filled with controversy (at least in the Europe). The game centers around a girl named Jennifer and her dog Brown as she goes back to the orphanage that she grew up in, only to be tormented by past bullies and new horrors. However, many have looked past the basic plot line and only looked at the sexual themes (to which we look at two characters who were harboring a near-lesbian relationship and some minor themes of sexual abuse that tie into one of the boss fights) and violence involving children. It has caused it to be banned in several countries throughout Europe and you cannot buy a new copy on amazon for less than 99 dollars. However, that doesn't change the fact that the game is perfect in its use of psychological horror and as much as we hate to say it the facts are there; children are evil. And what's worst of all is that they don't care because they don't know.
3. Among the sleep- isn't even out nor fully developed and I am telling you to go and look at the trailer. AMS is being developed by Killbrite studios in Sweden and it has all the internet video game sites excited about it from the two minute trailer. So far, all that can be said is that you play as a two year old who decides to leave his crib to explore the goings on in the house, only to be plunged into a scary world of monsters and myth, with a possible teddy-bear companion. Currently they are only holding a beta within Sweden, but have plans to open up for testers world-wide as soon as next year. And as this game develops it should produce some great results. 

For a list of honorable mentions, please go to my Pinterest Board and look into other games, I will try to update that board regularly as new games develop and I remember other hits. And as always

                                                                      Happy Playing