Noticed that virtually every indie horror game as well as “AAA” horror games that has come down through the pipe within the last few years plays with the type of light and how “dark” the game environment is.
So had a question for the community, do you prefer flashlights or lanterns in your game(s) and why?
For me it is a toss up depending on either the genre the game takes place in or what type of horror factor I am looking to use.
Also how dark is too dark?
I have played with the rendering tools and the level of ambient light on the game levels and felt that 15 across the board for the RGB colors was nice, it was dark yet you could make out some details in the darkness, using 8 across the board for the RGB colors was very dark and only up close can you see “detail” of certain objects, but you could see “shapes” in the distance which can feel creepy as all hell if the shape is moving.
flashlights are good for aiming directly, especially if the flashlight is a weapon against ghosts or something. lanterns usually have a nicer ambient effect, as well they give more of a circle of light around you and not a cone going forward.
i hate it when games are riduclously dark. if i need to turn my brightness up in order to actually see doors and stuff thats just plain retarded.
Games are usually poorly lit. Just setting an ambient light to whatever value looks terrible.
Lots of local contrast and very little ambient light is a much better way to create mood in horror games. It takes a lot more effort than just setting a dark grey ambient value but the payoff is huge. It also gives us much more control over what the player sees and how fast he can see it (more contrast = faster response by our eyes).
Take a look at some movies with great lighting and cinematography.
Name of the Rose: anything that is bright has something dark behind it. Anything that’s dark has something light behind it. Even though we see very bright parts of the image, we feel he’s in a dark environment. The dark areas go to pitch black. CONTRAST
He Walked By Night: classic film noir. Deep, dark shadows. Light on dark, dark on light. CONTRAST
The Third Man
Amnesia was a great game but I think the lighting could use some more contrast. Most of the game looked like this:
And for interest, here’s how lanterns, candles, and torches compare in real life (he has a great channel, check it out).
When I think lanterns I think of situations in the past where they indicated good sense. Flashlights? I think of poorly distributed light that often is an impediment to see well at night then helping see at night. Candles I think of churches and restaurants and the effect is beautiful.
Name of the Rose and The Third Man – great movies. Also the architectural scenes in Citizen Kane – contrast the beginning lighting and the end of the movie lighting.
We often don’t notice how much light actually bounces and how many light sources are really in a room. Because games can’t calculate bouncing GI forever, it means bumping up the number of light sources and a lot of faking – even if using some of the great lighting and shading solutions that are out there. Good lighting typically means really well done lighting design.
The only game I liked where I was basically blind was The Unfinished Swan. Otherwise, give me light of some type to show an environment that looks appropriate to the storyworld you are trying to immerse me in. I don’t care what it is, as long as it fits the storyworld and is FUN.
