That issue with horror
Bioshock looks amazing. Too bad I am terrified at the thought of playing it.
Anyone following Bioshock's development can clearly see a game of the year contender brewing at Irrational Games. Cutting edge graphics, unprecedented level design and complex AI all combine to create a stunner of a game. So it goes without saying that I want it. The problem is that I'm too scared to play it.
I've always had a fear of survival horror type games since I tried to play the original Resident Evil. After being utterly shocked by a zombie dog ambush early on, I immediately shut off the game and swore off the genre. The closest I came to videogame horror since then was watching a friend play through Eternal Darkness in broad daylight.
Interestingly enough, horror movies don't provoke the same reaction in me. I am by no means a horror buff, but none I have seen scare me to the extent horror games do. I suppose it is that extra layer of interactivity of games that makes them that much more frightful than film. You can't detach yourself in a game the way you can in a movie.
As the release of Bioshock nears, I am growing more and more anxious on whether to play the game or not. Like I said, the game looks outstanding, and the gamer in me is aching to play it. Maybe with the curtains up and sun shining I might be able to kill Big Daddies and harvest Little Sisters without freaking out too much.