I’ve always had a soft spot for games that use peripherals. Perhaps it’s just the novelty of having the medium move beyond the typical mouse and keyboard or controller setup, but I grew up smashing electronic drums while playing Guitar Hero World Tour andplaying Dance Central with the Xbox Kinect, and it always excited me when video games explored atypical ways to play.
In the same vein, I’ve always loved it whenhorror games integrate microphone detectioninto their gameplay. WithAlien: Isolationback in the news,because of Alien: Romulusanda freshly announced sequel in development, I’ve been thinking about this more. Alien: Isolation can pick up sound from your mic, and if you’re too loud, the Alien has a better chance of finding you –Fears To Fathom: Norwood Hitchhikeis similar.
This is a pretty typical use of the microphone, but other horror games have used it more creatively.PhasmophobiaandDemonologist, both paranormal investigation experiences, allowing you to speak directly to ghosts and have them answer you. Stifled is particularly interesting in that it only reveals the world to you through sound waves, meaning each sound you make highlights the world around you, but sound also makes it easier for enemies to locate you.
Personally, I was particularly taken with Hotel 626’s use of peripherals, and it’s stayed with me decades after I first played it. If you’re younger than me, you probably have no idea what this is, considering it’s a flash game that no longer exists. It popped up in 2008, when I was a tender twelve years old, and it wasn’t just a regular old horror game – it used your webcam, microphone, even your phone. I very specifically remember having to sing a creepy demon baby to sleep, and if you sang too loud, it would attack and kill you. You also could only play it from 6pm to 6am, hence the name.
Bizarrely, Hotel 626 was actually a publicity stunt by Doritos, who created it as a campaign to announce it was bringing two flavours “back from the dead”. you’re able to’t say it wasn’t memorable.
I can’t personally tolerate horror games, but I love this in theory – it’s always cool to see video games getting a little experimental with their concepts and implementation. While the use of peripherals isn’t always executed that well, I respect the commitment to making a game that’s unlike anything else. I just wish we saw it more outside of the horror genre, because I want to get in on the fun too.
You don’t really see modern games using peripherals anymore, outside ofVRand specific genres like racing games, and even then they’re expensive add-ons and not must haves.There used to be more interest in peripherals and microphone integration– for example, there were quite a fewNintendo DSgames that used the microphone. You could teach your pets verbal commands inNintendogs, and yell “Objection!” inPhoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. I also distinctly remember playingSkyrimwithXbox Kinectintegration and bellowing “Fus Ro Dah!” at my television to blast my enemies away from me, which got me into trouble with my long-suffering mother several times.
The usage of peripherals has largely fallen out of fashion now, even though PS5 controllers have in-built microphones. Nowadays, microphones are mostly used for voice chat in multiplayer games, if at all. While it’s true that microphone integration has historically mostly been used as a novelty and not fully integrated into gameplay, therearestrategy games like There Came An Echo and Radio General that made voice detection part of the integral gameplay loop. Also,Before Your Eyesuses eye-tracking webcams in its core mechanic. I’m hard-pressed to think of many others.
I get that not everybody cares about peripherals, but the fact that most people have a webcam and a microphone in their laptops already makes it strange to me that more games aren’t using them as a tool. Technology has advanced so that these things can actually be more than novelties and can be better utilised, but the culture has also moved on. I want everybody tomove back. I want games to surprise me with how they use tech and I want my voice to be used in games that won’t scare the pants off me.
Alien: Isolation
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Alien: Isolation is a critically acclaimed survival horror title from Creative Assembly. As Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen, you must investigate the space station Sevastopol — which hosts a deadly threat.
