Tarkov is a Horror Game.

What was the last horror game you played? In recent memory there haven’t been any high-profile horror games that have been released, but the indie scene always has tons of games that are meant to give you a fright. But I can say for myself personally, that the last real horror game that I have played would be Escape From Tarkov. Yes, I know that sounds silly, but there is actual merit to this statement. Tarkov is an unconventional horror game; there are plenty of opportunities for this game to catch you completely off guard. Whether it’s a random ricochet to the helmet, a scav yelling at you when you turn a corner, or Tagilla chasing across Factory with his hammer and manic cackling, there are tons of ways Tarkov is out to get you. So, I thought it would be fun to go over some of the highlights this game offers that can unintentionally be conceived as horror elements in an immersive first perron shooter game. Now, some people might still not think Tarkov is a horror game or have any elements that could scare you. And hopefully, by the end of this, your perspective on the matter might change. So, if you enjoy these conversations be sure to subscribe and check out the full Talking Tarkov playlist, for more conversations about the game we play.

Whether it was intentional or not (I assume it’s the latter), the use of light and absence of it across the game can really stimulate the parts of your mind that would be going off when you play a horror game that focuses on the light, or lack thereof. Day and night cycles help always give you the choice of whether you want your raids to be under the sun, or the moon; which is a shame because for the longest time I’ve always thought that forcing players to engage with nighttime raids more often might be an interesting idea. Instead of having two different times to select from, just make it one and have the days last longer than the nights. Because maps and more specifically raids play very differently depending on both the weather and time of day that they occur in. What I have always had the most enjoyment experiencing in Tarkov, is being in a raid for so long, that you can actually see the sun begin to set and the visibility across the map get worse. That for some reason has always relayed the message to me that hey you’ve been in this raid for a while, it’s time to go. And it goes even a level deeper when it becomes fully nighttime. The raid kind of quiets down, you hear the cricket chirp, the wind blowing across the foliage, and maybe a distant flashlight from a scav or two. But as somber as the moments might feel, they are usually when people are on the highest of alert. Because if you go into a raid that is beginning to get dark, there’s a chance you didn’t bring night vision with you. Which means you’re down to just flashlights, if you even have one on you. So, the lack of vision is usually what begins to set fear into people who raid in Tarkov.

Not being able to see in this game can be the death of you. Literally. Whether it’s a dark corner, or the entire map is pitch black, the darkness that can quickly surround you, and give that sensation that you are not alone. And the feeling that someone is looking at you is even more prevalent than normally during day raids. A lot of people avoid night raids because there is a higher chance of either high leveled players in the same raid as you, or more.... unsavory folks playing. Regardless, they can be an interesting experience with the right gear set, and a small roll of the dice going in your favor. I still find myself going into night raids every so often just for a change of pace, and whether it goes well or poorly for me, it’s always refreshing to have to play the game ever so slightly differently. But sight isn’t the only sense you rely on in Tarkov that can create the sensation of fear.

Sound is arguably more critical in some circumstances in Tarkov than your ability to see, because the audio of gunshots, footsteps, and floor materials can give away people's locations and give you important information where you might not be able to see them, but you know roughly where they are based on their footsteps and the material they are walking on. But where audio can become scary is when you are slowly approaching enemies in the middle of combat or looting. And they don’t know you are there. The tension begins to build, as you realize not only do you have the drop on them, but at any point they could run straight into you, and then it comes down to who is ready faster. So, it becomes this weird game of pseudo cat and mouse, where only one side has the critical information. And usually, things come to a head when one person finally spots you or figures out what's going on. But it’s that buildup of tension that really creates the atmosphere of horror. A lot of good horror games utilize this idea; of dragging out the inevitable. You know something is going to happen. But not telling you when is arguably scarier than the actual moment when it arrives. Of course, in horror games, if you take too long then the reveal can sometimes feel deflated. But when timed just right, it can really give you the scare you needed, not wanted. And Tarkov can do something similar. But it really does come down to tension.

Tarkov being as stressful as it normally is, you usually don’t associate horror and being scared because something caught you by surprise. It happens, of course, like when a random bullet hits your helmet giving you that nasty crunch sound before you die. That always makes me jump a little. But it’s usually you’re scared because you have quest items and don’t want to die here and have to restart. That’s where your anxiety comes from most of the time with this game; the act of having to do a quest over again more than once. But there are more traditional jump scares in the game. Whether they are intentional or not; a lot of people will say they have been scared by a random scav appearing where they don’t expect it or having a grenade land next to them. There’s an old clip of Tarkov from years ago that I always think back to. A player was on night factory slow crouching to the hole that leads into the hallway on the third floor. No flashlight, no night vision, he peeks the hole and then instantly dies, and it scares the shit out of him. It makes me laugh because that is the pinnacle of Tarkov horror experience. Nothing exemplifies the point better than that clip. He might’ve been a new player at the time, I’m not too sure, but going into what I’d think is the wrong time because let’s be real, we all did this at least once when we first started out. Going nighttime by accident. And then not having even just a flashlight to help illuminate what is in front of you before subsequently dying to a loud gun which in turn scares the crap out of you. That’s a Tarkov core memory for a lot of people at this point. I’d have to search around for it, but if I find it, I’ll leave a link to it in the description so you can see it.

Tarkov has its moments where it can absolutely feel like a horror game. Again, whether any of this was intentional by BSG or not, I think the rare moments when it does happen are appreciated by the masses, because as scary as they are in the moment when they happen, afterwards it’s a great story to tell your friends. And a moment in your time with the game you probably won’t forget. And while for the most part the game is about exploring, looting, action, and survival, there are moments where your life is in peril; and the genuine but wrenching fear begins to take over. You hope you don’t die; you hope it isn’t loud, or out of nowhere. Because if it’s any of those, then it’s a good old fashioned jump scare. And many people want to avoid that as much as possible. But it’s going to happen eventually. So, embrace it, get scared, laugh it off, and keep going. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to watch this video, be sure to leave your thoughts down below about your scariest moments in Tarkov, and subscribe for more videos about-