Summary
Staying alive is a key aspect of survival horror, especially in a genre that threatens to kill the player in as many ways as this storied style of game does. Whether it’s the shambling hordes of zombies inResident Evilor the horrific Necromoprhs ofDead Space, finding ways to stay on the right side of the dirt is crucial, and some survival horror games have done so in some pretty spectacular ways.
Some of them feature unique spins on traditional healing items, while others have opted for more direct ways of maintaining health. Whatever system the game is going for, survival horror games often rely on healing systems as a way to further cement the player into the world. As players come to depend on health and healing items, these systems play an important role in the overall pace and structure of anygood survival horror game.
Putting players in control of one of four survivors,Dead Islandtakes place onthe fictional island of Banoiand pits its main characters up against an indefinite supply of aggressive zombies. But it isn’t just the strong selection of impressive melee weapons and guns that helps, as the game offers a unique and fun healing item in the form of energy drinks.
If the player is low on health, grabbing one of the many energy drinks scattered around Banoi will heal the player. There are traditional medpaks, but they require the use of the menu and can be a bit awkward when players are fighting for their lives against zombies. The energy drinks are a quick button press that can restore health and keep the player moving.
After the events of the firstParasite Eve,Aya Brea began tosuppress her powers and, in the sequel, had to find a way to reinvigorate them. As a result, the new version of Parasite Energy is manifested in the form of elemental powers, with certain colors being coded as either offensive or defensive.
This is where Water comes into play, as this blue-coded ability set is used to heal Aya during the course ofParasite Eve 2. These range from healing and protective spells, all of which can be leveled up three times. It’s a fun system, one that contextualizes Aya’s darker, more complex journey through the sequel in a wonderful way.
Among the many creative thingsAlan Wakedid in terms of storytelling, writing, and story presentation, one of the other things this landmark title did to set itself apart was the healing system. AsAlan is the lone forcestanding between the darkness and the rest of humanity, it stands to reason he would need to use light itself as a way to recover his wounds, which is something that the absolutely fantastic sequel kept intact.
Newcomer Saga Anderson also uses light to her advantage, both as a weapon and as a way of healing her wounds. It’s a fascinating concept, one that ties both into the lore of the world itself and also acts as a guidepost for players to use. It is a terrific little mechanic, one that feels both natural and a fit for the spooky world ofAlan Wake.
Resident Evil
From the first harrowing to the Spencer Mansion inResident Evil 1, all the way to escaping Lady Dimetrescu’s grasp inVillage, the concept of herbs as a healing system has been ingrained into the iconic survival horror series. The Red, Green, and Blue herbs have been a staple of the series since the beginning, as S.T.A.R.S. members Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield showed the raw power of these healing items.
As the series started to evolveand reach more platforms, combining the different colors offered more advanced rewards, withResident Evil 4allowing the Yellow Herb to increase Leon’s maximum health.Revelations 2allowed Claire to combine multiple herbs into a tourniquet, while the Blue Herbs have been used as a way to heal poison effects. It’s a diverse system, one that has served the long-running franchise well over nearly three decades.
