Top 5 Scariest Games – Adam Cook
It’s Horror Month here on GodisaGeek.com and our writers are going to be telling you about the scariest games they have ever played. No doubt there are a few missing, like the first Doom game (or Doom 3), Amnesia : Dark Descent (too scary to play) or even Condemned, and I’m sure everyone will have their own personal feelings about the standout titles from within a series, but these are the 5 scariest games that I can recall playing.
So, sit back and reminisce with me as I remember all those petrifying moments in this “Top 5 Scariest Games”, but do yourself a favour and leave the lights on, we don’t need any soiled underpants today.
5. Silent Hill 2
Pyramid Head. That is all. Actually no, it isn’t. This game built on the already horrific themes of the first Silent Hill game, but added in a character that would do the nastiest things, such as violating other enemies and constantly stalking you.
The Silent Hill franchise is without question, utterly messed up, but Pyramid Head just about takes the biscuit. Just thinking about the sound of the radio crackling is unsettling. When you add the eerie fog and those monsters into the equation, you have one horribly great game.
How do you feel about ghosts? What if you were a young girl and they were terrorising you, but all you had was a camera? Welcome to Fatal Frame. Whilst it may not appear all that scary nowadays, at the time, Fatal Frame was genuinely unnerving.
The only way you could stop these malicious ghosts was by taking photographs of them, and you’d get better scores by taking close ups of these enemies. Combining subtle scares along with good old fashioned “jump out of your skin” moments, this is a true horror game.
Talking about the game is all well and good, but this video (containing shrieking and swearing) does it more justice, even if it is rather hilarious. Oh and let’s not even talk about the “Doll” room please.
The sound design in Dead Space plays a massive part in how the game goes about scaring you, it’s incredibly well done. The silence of space coupled with the intense atmosphere, pierced only by the explosive sound of a Necromorph coming at your from nowhere is sure to produce a “brown pants” moment or two!
The atmosphere in Dead Space might be second to none when it comes to horror games, and combined with the aforementioned incredible audio design and stonking visuals, you have a game that every horror fan must experience.
Issac Clarke’s adventure isn’t over though, Dead Space 2 is surely one of the most anticipated games of the year. Don’t forget, you will be able to read the GodisaGeek review nearer to the release of the game.
It’s quite possible Siren: Blood Curse is a game that hasn’t been played by many people, having originally only being released on the PlayStation Network and eventually on disc, but this title contains elements that are unbearable, excruciating even.
Utilising the clever idea of split-screen visuals, you can be hiding in a cupboard when the camera splits in half and you can see your point of view along with the enemy’s points of view, searching for you. You can hear them breathing and it is absolutely terrifying. Combined with gritty visuals and a story that is just as scary, this is a game that will cause you to fill your pants very quickly indeed.
It’d be easy to say that Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is the scarier game for the constant stalking of the titular character, but the first Resident Evil game came to our shores at a time where not many people had experienced titles like this.
Tell me that you don’t remember that first cut-scene, with the zombie looking over his shoulder, you with limited ammo or just a knife! What about the first time the dog jumps through the window down that corridor? How about the hunter making its first appearance? What about the finale, on the roof, panic stricken with sweaty palms just trying to survive until the rocket launcher drops!
It’d be great to say people will have “fond memories” of those moments, but I for one remember the first time I encountered the Giant Spiders. “WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME GAME?” My internal monologue there. Terrifying. Utterly terrifying.
Given a new lease of life with the Nintendo Gamecube remake including the introduction of Lisa Trevor, it’s worth playing both the original and the remake if you have the chance to.
That’s one of our writers take on horror/scary games, look out for many more over the coming weeks. Whilst you wait, why not head on over to our forums and tell us all about the games that have scared you senseless!