Good Game
Article by Bindi Lavelle

Thanks to the 90s smash that was Doom (still an amazing game today), the doors were flung open wide for horror as a part of the video game industry. And what began as games emulating classic horror convention has turned full circle with horror films based on the games trying to recreate rather than translate the gaming experience.

In the Resident Evil films we see careful attention paid to the setting of the film; as much of the suspense of the games depend on the player exploring a particular building or area. To make Resident Evil work as a horror film it was necessary to use the elements which made the game successful, which was basically the maze/dungeon atmosphere of Doom.

On the other hand, there is Dead Space: Downfall, a prequel to the game, Dead Space. This film is not only nicely animated, showcasing the creature designs from the game but also serves to develop the plot of the game. Dead Space, is a very clever film, it uses the in-game story to expand itself into the medium of film.

Yet another contrast within the game adaption sub-genre is Silent Hill; which varied greatly from the game in many aspects yet kept key elements such as pyramid head. French director (and Silent Hill fan) Christophe Gans, took the premise of the game and turned it in to a dark fantastic nightmare; Silent Hill is strong as a stand alone film.

With video games becoming more mainstream which as a result means more marketable, we can expect to see a higher quality of adaption. And with horror games becoming more popular, we can expect to see more horror films using gaming elements to expand the genre.