Survival Horror or Frenetic Shoot-'em-up?

MyNameDidntFit · June 14th, 2008, 04:16 AM

Well, it seems hat the more we hear the more Left 4 Dead is sounding like its going to be a fast-paced action shooter rather than the initial "co-op survival horror" game that we expected.

So, I ask, is this a good thing? Do you think a fast paced shooter is better than survival horror?
Which would you rather L4D was?

Leroy · June 14th, 2008, 04:19 AM

I would want survival horror more than shooting them up.

Dangar^ · June 14th, 2008, 05:12 AM

L4D was always a frantic shooter, you can't have have a resident evil style co-op shooter with infected - that would be lame, i prefer it to be fast paced.

MyNameDidntFit · June 14th, 2008, 06:04 AM

But they sell it as a "cooperative survival horror".

I know fast paced is good for this, but from what I've seen it looks more and more like it will be another "hold you finger on Mouse1 and run backwards until they're all dead" style of game.

That isn't survival horror.

Leroy · June 14th, 2008, 04:18 PM

Both would be nice together.

MyNameDidntFit · June 14th, 2008, 04:33 PM

You can't have them both together, they're the two extremes...

Leroy · June 14th, 2008, 04:42 PM

Its perfect.

MyNameDidntFit · June 14th, 2008, 05:55 PM

What? If you could it would be perfect but you can't.

You can't have a slow, faced paced game.

You can have a medium paced shooter but that's just boring.

Leroy · June 14th, 2008, 06:05 PM

It's basically both.

Reginald Assblaine · June 14th, 2008, 10:03 PM

Well, it is a survival horror. The aim is to survive, and the horror is provided by the zombies. It's just its not what you expect a survival horror to be. Its also a shoot em up, cause you shoot stufff......up.

Leroy · June 14th, 2008, 10:39 PM

Its slow and fast paced game.

Dangar^ · June 15th, 2008, 04:44 AM

'co-operative survival horror'

Co-operative - Meaning working together with others. Which is what you'll be doing.

Survival - Meaning living, staying alive. In this case surviving against a wave of infected.

Horror - to scare, or frighten. Infected will be popping out left,right and centre, sure to get your heart pounding

I fail to see the problem.

MyNameDidntFit · June 15th, 2008, 06:46 AM

When you think a survival horror game do you think a game where you just run backwards and spray bullets everywhere?

Or, like most, do you think of a game that involves a lot of thinking, conserving ammo and being slow and methodical.

Reginald Assblaine · June 15th, 2008, 09:04 AM

Yes, that is what you think of, but just because most Survival Horrors have been like that in the past, doesn't mean that to be a survival horror a game has to be slow with lots of ammo conservation. Nowhere in the words "Co-operative Survival Horror" do I see where it mentions being slow or ammo conservative.

Dangar^ · June 15th, 2008, 10:21 AM

I agree with comrade Reginald.

Also, what's the problem with 'running backwards spraying bullets'
Did you want it to be 'shoot as few things as you can while continuously ducking in-and-out of cover'?

See, when I sum up game genres like that I can make them sound lame too.

MyNameDidntFit · June 15th, 2008, 10:30 AM

Who said anything about ducking behind cover and only shooting as few things as possible?

You just have to be sensible and not use a whole clip on three basic enemies. You know, like using the very rare skill of aiming...

Besides, what place does cover have in a game where the enemies are trying to melee you?

Sure, you can make the genre sound gay, but you can't do it without twisting it beyond what it is.

As for what you said Reg, isn't that what defines something? Dogs are called dogs because that's what they have been in the past. That doesn't mean I can get a cat and call it a dog does it?

emiac38 · June 16th, 2008, 12:27 AM

how can people play the game if they keep getting killed becuase they didnt work as a team? so im pretty sure its a mix of both

Reginald Assblaine · June 16th, 2008, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by MyNameDidntFit

Who said anything about ducking behind cover and only shooting as few things as possible?

You just have to be sensible and not use a whole clip on three basic enemies. You know, like using the very rare skill of aiming...

Besides, what place does cover have in a game where the enemies are trying to melee you?

Sure, you can make the genre sound gay, but you can't do it without twisting it beyond what it is.

As for what you said Reg, isn't that what defines something? Dogs are called dogs because that's what they have been in the past. That doesn't mean I can get a cat and call it a dog does it?

I think you misunderstood my meaning. Say I call a dog a 4 legged mammal, it doesn't mean that all 4 legged mammals have to be like dogs. If Resident Evil is a survival horror, it doesn't mean that all survival horrors have to be like Resident Evil.

MyNameDidntFit · June 17th, 2008, 08:16 AM

I see what you mean but by that standard almost any shooter with a supernatural enemy is a survival horror, you have to survive and your enemies are of the horror nature.
Take Half-Life 2, there are alien enemies and you have to survive, yet it is not classes survival horror.

The thing I guess I'm saying is L4D is looking more like your average zombie shooter + cooperative...
If certain things do not characterise a genre then is it really a genre?

ieatlions · June 18th, 2008, 12:18 PM

would u care if it was just a zombie shooter with co op if its done really well....?

Survival Horror or Frenetic Shoot-'em-up?

L4D General Discussion: Left 4 Dead general discussion forum.