Humans need contact with others and find
comfort when in the presence of other people. Having nobody to rely on for aid
can have a psychological effect on the player as nobody has their back. Its
leaves the player relying on their senses. Sound effects, music, and the design
of the environment heightens the player’s awareness to all these parts.
Environments likewise have an effect on the
decisions a player makes as they feel under more pressure being in an
uncomfortable atmosphere. An example of this would be in horror games. The
gameplay is usually dimly lit with a sense of the unknown, which triggers a human’s
fear mechanisms as they are unable to detect what is nearby. The scale of an
environment can also create tension from the user such as being alone in a vast
environment with no other human contact.
Outlast (2013)
Games such as outlast capture the feel of terror very well. The vibrant red of the blood against the dirty, dusty browns allows it to stand out and emphasises the gore.
Within my environment i want to have a contrast like this, by using lighting and vibrant reds against the darkness of the old prison.
