Horror Video Game Cover Analysis

Dead Space
Title - The title of the game gives off that it is from the genre horror from the first glimpse of the cover, the fact that the word dead is involved and a give away while with the word space combined it gives off a dark, silent environment. To enforce this deliberate theory the font of the title is distorted in the sense that some letters are not equal to others, this shows that something is not normal in the game's everyday life and there is a form of evil lurking.

Image - The image portrays the game in space where it is dark, silent and isolated. This is shown through the background that is in deep space and then the wall of the spaceship shows that it will be set in tight spaced corridors. The bloody hand that has broke through he hull of the ship shows that the enemies may be dangerous creatures than just other human characters.

Dead Island
Title - The title is a good example to show the audience that it is from the horror genre. The font is red and around the letters there are blood splatters to show the games has content of gore. A clever aspect of the title to be identified as a horror is the image of a tree from which a silhouette of a person has been hung in-between the two words.

Image - From the image the background is a luxury island with a hotel in the distance while in a brutal storm, this shows a beautiful island that has gone to destruction and chaos. The main features of the image are zombies walking towards the camera from the distance, this shows the main aspect of the game survive a zombie apocalypse.

Horror Trailer Analysis

 

Alien: Isolation

• Set - Futuristic spaceship: high technical machinery corridors, at the same time looks old and unused for a long time. Small dark tight spaces in the vents of the spaceship.
• Event - The protagonist is running through the space ship from the main enemy threat that will be in the game.
• Sound - The music through the trailer is a high screech sort of sound that builds tension when the alien is close and the protagonist freezes with fear. Also the sound of drums fast paced when there is a chase.  Specific sound effects from the environment like water dripping onto the steel works within the spaceship, which gives a sense of emptiness and loneliness. The sound of chains slowly rattling and swinging. Emphasised sounds from the main character when she is moving and handling equipment, from the alien loud shuffling can be heard. Futuristic sound of doors opening when gone through.
• Camera - Slow forward movement and pan of environment its calm and builds tension. Close up angle of protagonist when she hears the Xenomorph near by, fast cut to where the sound came from and then another fast cut of close up of protagonist face. Close up of the main characters hand slide to a button while there are quick cuts of the alien moving. Camera follows  character as she runs away, she hides and there is another close up of her face to show fear and tension. Climbing in a ventilation shaft the camera is a mid shot of the character crawling toward sit until she gets out of the shaft. mid shot of her upgrading tools and a close up of her facial expression when the alien is near by.

 

 

 



The Evil Within

• Set - Abandoned asylum: never ending corridors filled with rusted wheel chairs and hospital beds. Flashes of unusual places like bright fields of sunflowers and children's park during scenes from the asylum. Dark, walls covered in blood, closed tight corridors.
• Event - Main enemy narrating, while the main character is running through corridors while their are flash backs of places that look nice and innocent, shows a psychological aspect of the game. After this it shows the main character facing a variety of enemies before showing his partners dying.
• Sound - The music starts the trailer with a calm mysterious Victorian violin sort of cheerful, until the trailer speeds up and there are loud drums crashing when the scene changes to show something horrifying, while there is a high pitched suspension building behind the drums and then silence. Now the narrator speaks face to face with the main character saying 'you can't keep me here'.
• Camera - Main character running in slow motion while the camera follows him and there are slow cuts to the flash backs. No camera movement just fast cuts of horrifying scenes.