When I stumbled over Jim Sterling's Jimquisition on The Escapist this afternoon, I found his current video very interesting:
I agree in every single detail.
I tried to use some of those ideas he mentioned in SONAR, especially presenting something unsettling the player is not familiar with and produce horror with that. The description of the enemies is one example. There I went the lovecraftian way in telling the player "you can't sort that [the creature's anatomy] out in your head". The player should be able to be creative, to make his own thoughts about what he is experiencing. In modern AAA titles everything is shown to you in a polished way. There is simply no room left for your creativity. And without room for you to let the horror affect you, there is no horror at all. Horror has to be something that goes beyond the experience. Something you carry with you for some time.
That's the reason why I never played Amnesia again (yet) after I met the first enemy. I was so horrified I told everyone about it. I took it with me after I left my computer. I thought about it. AAA titles have a hard job to do to deliver that kind of experience.
But I cannot say something, Sterling has not already said.
Good job, Jim!
