Survival horror video games can be as terrifying, strange or totally bats$#t crazy as they wanna be, but they'll always have some key gameplay components in common.
The shiny item in the corner, the health item hoarding, the save point, and the windows that reveal the horror lurking around outside will be a part of pretty much every survival horror game ever made.
But don't think of these staple elements as cheesy or predictable, think of them as your guideposts in the gruesome world you're trying to help your character navigate through and your only link to the real world.
And you can think of this illustrated guide to the 10 Commandments Of Survival Horror by Julia Lepetit as a primer on how to play survival horror, or a reminder of what to look for while you're playing.