Horror has always been an interesting genre for video games to explore. As an inherently subjective medium, much more so than film, at least, video games can leverage interactivity for greater immersion, and thereby produce more scares. Sadly,many horror games waste their potentialfor true, visceral horror, and clever, unique mechanics such as those found in the likes ofEternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiemfeel like a rare breed.
Released in 2002 as a Nintendo GameCube exclusive,Eternal Darknessquickly attained cult classic status due to its singular design choices. Its story is nothing too special, following several different characters over the course of two-thousand years as they struggle against an ancient, malevolent force seeking to enslave the human race. But the methods thatEternal Darknessuses to deliver and present this horror experience are what make it such a memorable and one-of-a-kind title. Specifically, the game features a “sanity effects” mechanic:Eternal Darknessreflects the psychological states of the in-game characters via bizarre visual and audio effects that sometimes break the fourth wall. Nintendo would wind up filing a patent for this feature, barring other developers from implementing it. But now, that patent has expired, possibly opening the floodgates for the advent of similar mechanics.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiemwas developed by Silicon Knights, the same company behindLegacy of Kain: Blood Omen. It would appear that the studio has a penchant for cult horror classics.
Other Developers Can (and Should) Finally Use Eternal Darkness' Sanity Effects
Horror Games Could Use ‘Sanity Effects’ for Incredible Results
There are severalways thatEternal Darkness' sanity effects can manifest, ranging from the subtle and unsettling to the outlandish and immersion-breaking. Some of the game’s most notable sanity effects include:
Naturally, not all of these sanity effects can be copied by contemporary horror developers. For one thing, although the patent in question has expired, the specifics of the aforementioned sanity effects are still protected under intellectual property law:Nintendo could still have a caseagainst a developer who directly replicates one of the aforementioned effects. Moreover, some fourth-wall-breaking effects, like the faux TV volume-reduction, wouldn’t work today due to the broader variety of television UIs.
Having said that, the sky is still the limit for developers interested in learning fromEternal Darkness' use of these audiovisual oddities. There’s something uniquely confronting about an unexpected TV glitch, as it can jar a user out of the sense of tranquility they may have been lulled into after hours of regular, uninterrupted TV use. In other words, everyday technology is expected to work as intended, and when it doesn’t, it can be surprising; when a player is already in a heightened state of agitation due to a horror game’s atmosphere, this surprise can easily morph into terror.
But the fourth-wall-breaking elements are only part of whyEternal Darkness' sanity effects are so evocative. A common problem with even the most well-crafted horror games is that they inevitably become familiar: after dispatching the 200th Necromorph inDead Space, the creatures begin to lose their psychological impact, and if they kill the player, they can just respawn and try again. But sanity effects inEternal Darknessalways keep the player on their toes, stretching beyond in-game logic to recreate novelty. This helps to combat the sense of tedium that can set in after so many hours in a typical horror game, which could be a boon for future horror franchises.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
WHERE TO PLAY
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem is a Nintendo GameCube exclusive psychological horror game with heavy sanity elements. Created by Silicon Knights, this M-rated horror game sees players guide Alexandra Roivas through a spooky mansion. The game also lets players explore other time periods as other characters in order to flesh out the mysterious narrative.
