Anska Posted August 15, 2013 Share Posted August 15, 2013 I am a bit surprised nobody mentioned "Shalebridge Cradle" in regard to scary things in games yet ... Apart from that, the zombies and Lucien's mangled corpse from Oblivion weren't scary, they were disgusting. There's a fine line and I'm quite glad they didn't try too hard to cross it in Skyrim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robynah Posted August 15, 2013 Share Posted August 15, 2013 (edited) In morrowind the possibility of corpus infection and being turned into a sleeper (with a tentacle growing out of your face) was pretty horrifying. TES being short on jump-scares (BOOOO!!!!) is a good thing. Cheap and boring; why 99% of horror movies suck. Edited August 15, 2013 by Robynah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lehcar Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 (edited) I noticed this too. There are no really "scary" monsters in Skyrim, like previous games. The zombies in Oblivion were much more macabre looking, with rotten flesh, blood, open wounds, missing limbs, etc. And the sounds they made were really creepy. Skyrim's Draugr have a shriveled, emaciated appearance, but no really "gory" details, so I find them a lot less undead and scary looking. And their sounds aren't as zombie-ish either. The only monster in Oblivion that really scared me though, were the ghosts. The first time I encountered one of those, I almost peed myself... I was in a crypt under one of the chapels, and suddenly I heard a whooshing sound... I turn around and suddenly there's a specter that's missing the lower half of its body, with hollow eyes and a gaping hollow mouth rushing toward me. Wraiths could sometimes creep me out like that too. Floating torsos with no legs, I find VERY frightening. But Skyrim doesn't have any generic ghost monsters... just regular NPC's with ghostly effects applied, which I don't find anywhere near as eerie. Edited August 16, 2013 by Lehcar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lachdonin Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 I honestly found zombies in Oblivion to be goofy. I've seen my share of bodies over the years (yay forensic anthropology courses) and flesh in various states of decay, and i've never seen anything so... mossy green. Really, the shriveled, desiccated Draugr are far creepier than the zombies. Admittedly, the lack of wraiths tips the scales, but they were more of a one-off scare because of that damn shriek. I have, however, encountered several genuinely creepy scenes with the use of various ENB's, however. Denser fog and darker environments leads to a far more unsettling atmosphere, particularly in crypts. One in particular, that excavation with the necromancer raising an army of Draugr, had a memorable moment. I heard the shuffling of feet, so of course pulled out my trusty crossbow, when through the fog i saw a shadow. I took aim, only to see another from the side. And then another, and another. Despite knowing i could probably take them all on without needing to pop a single potion, it was still a far creepier scene than anything i've experienced in any other TES game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lehcar Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Well... corpses do become somewhat green and bloated, then a mushy pungent mess, unless of course some kind of mummification has been done (which appears to be the case with the Draugr, making them much more like mummies than zombies.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lachdonin Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Depending on the environment, the decay differs. Dry environments cause the body to go yellowish, into a light brown or tan. Very wet (such as under water) usually take on a pale white-grey tint. Areas like bogs and marshes typically blacken the tissue and preserve it wonderfully. Cold tends to slowly dry the body, almost tanning the flesh to create a dark brown. A 'temperate' (i'm using an overly generic distinction here, as there are dozens of different temperate environments which cause different coloration) typically causes the body to go grey-green. I have never seen anything like the moss green of the Oblivion zombies. Except for in really, really bad horror movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lehcar Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 (edited) Well I believe the Draugr do look better and more realistic, and I like them more in a way (they're definitely a more unique and challenging foe), but I simply don't find them as "spooky". I feel the sounds they make are more animal like than zombie like.. but that's just me I suppose. :tongue: Edited August 16, 2013 by Lehcar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lachdonin Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 True, the sound doesn't lend its self as well to the atmosphere as the groaning of the zombies. Most of the sounds the Draugr make seems better placed with the Bloodmoon Draugr than the armoured and armed Skyrim counterpart. It would have been far better, IMO, if the Draugr had sounded like they were still trying to shout long lost battle cries through lips sewn shut centuries earlier. Dry and husky, yes, but muffled, and with less of the grunting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomriis Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Install the deadly dragons mod. Remember having a quiet drink and a fistfight at the winking skewer :laugh: went out and hadnt noticed the humongus storm dragon sitting on the roof behind me, The brave dovahkin had to hide cowardly behind the nearest tree while soiling his best pants :ohdear: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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