I finally did my interview with Xtaster the other day and it was posted yesterday. You can check it out HERE or just read the interview below.


Interview with Xtaster

We have been busy interviewing experts in the field of Surival Horror and next up is Bryan Wilson aka CowboyFromHell (pictured) who is the co-owner of the great site SurvivalHorrorOnline.com. Check out what he thinks of the genre, and his favourite games and characters.

What attracted you to play Survival Horror games in the first place?
From the time I was just a little kid, I loved horror movies and my favorite holiday was Halloween. It was just a natural that I fell in love with Survival Horror games or games with horror based themes. I remember watching TV one day and seeing an advertisement for the very first Resident Evil game and being just blown away. When I finally played Resident Evil, I was hooked for life. Then I just started playing everything I could get my hands on just to see who was making the scariest games out there.

Which has been your favourite horror game, and why?
I would have to say that Resident Evil 2 (PS1) and Silent Hill 2 (PS2) are tied. Those two games have influenced me the most and define the entire Survival Horror genre in my opinion.

Which has been the worst horror game to playthrough and why?
Obscure (PS2). Obscure was one of those games that showed much promise and was not without some good moments. But the controls gave you the sensation of trying to control a Sherman tank rather than a character. Sometimes it seemed that the button commands were more of a suggestion rather than an action. The gameplay, storyline, and controls were very dated. I think this game would have done much better if were released 6 years before it was. Having said that, Obscure was much like a budget horror movie. As bad as it was, it was still pretty good.

Which title would you recommend a newbie to play, and why?
Hands down Resident Evil 4. The reason I have to go with RE4 is that if you are are a noob, you probably won't fully appreciate the long moments of no action that can exist in games such as the Silent Hill or Fatal Frame series. The transition from standard action games over to RE4 would feel very natural to most players since the action aspect is very heavy and non-stop. Not to mention, it's just a great game regardless of your gaming preferences.

What are your favourite features in survival games, and why?
Well suited weapons and puzzles. I think that the weapons should reflect the experience of the main character. For instance, James Sunderland from Silent Hill 2 is just an average guy and therefore it would not make sense for him to run around town blowing monsters away with an RPG or a sniper rifle with laser sights. On the other hand, Leon Kennedy from Resident Evil 4 is highly trained in using more complex weapons and it just makes sense that he should be able to use more high powered weapons. And I have to have puzzles. Good puzzles, such as those found in the Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, and the Resident Evil series, break up monotony of constant battle. It allows the mind to rest for a short time which, in turn, makes the next bout of battles seem more intense.

Who has been your favourite character/monster in a horror game?
James Sunderland from Silent Hill 2. James is just an average guy, or so it would seem for most of the game. As you play along, you find out his dark secret and how it ultimately decides his role in Silent Hill. I feel a relation to his character in the fact that he has to overcome his faults if he is to survive his ordeal.

Which region do you think makes the best horror games?
Japan, for the most part seems to have gotten it right. I am not sure why, but Japanese designers know how to play on the human psyche and tap into the fears that we all possess. Anyone who has ever played Fatal Frame (Project Zero) or Silent Hill knows what I am talking about. Those games keep you in a constant state of mental discomfort. It's all about balance and flow and the Japanese designers are masters of this. I am not saying that teams from other regions are lacking in this area, but they do not seem as skilled in the Survival Horror genre overall.

What would you think are the essential ingredients to make the ultimate horror game?
A strong protagonist, a good storyline, and atmosphere. The main character of any survival horror game should drive the story along and not just serve as an emotionless lump that holds a gun and blows away monsters. I want to connect with the character because of his/her strengths or weaknesses. Secondly, every good survival horror game must have a compelling storyline. Without this crucial element, you would simply be playing a hack and slash game. Last and definitely not least is atmosphere. A dull atmosphere would destroy even the best of games. Can you imagine Silent Hill without fog, or Fatal Frame without crumbling, old mansions, or Resident Evil without empty, blood spattered labs? At times, it seems that the atmosphere is more of the main character in these games than the main character.

Are they any upcoming horror games that you are looking forward to - and are there any that you are dreading?
As you can probably guess, I cannot wait to get my hands on Silent Hill Homecoming and Resident evil 5. These two series have been staples and benchmarks of the survival horror industry for many years and deservedly so. I, and just about everyone else, are interested in seeing how well the new game features work in these two games. As far as what games I would be dreading, that would be hard to say. Most of the past games that were simply terrible have long since been discontinued, and I will just have to wait and see what is in store for the next round of new games. I guess I would have to say that I am most dreading Resident Evil 5. I realize that I just finished saying that it was one game that I was looking most forward to playing, so let me explain. I feel that even though Resident Evil 4 was a great game, it was too far removed (in terms of gameplay) from previous RE games. Many of the trailers and reviews that I have checked out over the last couple of years seems to be comparing RE5 to RE4 in many ways. I guess I was hoping for a little more of an old school approach to RE 5.

Our thanks to Bryan for taking the time out to answer our questions. Check out SurivalHorrorOnline.com by clicking here!