Five Games That Scared Me

My recent review of Fatal Frame got me thinking about other horror games I've played. In the interest of adding more lists to the blog, I thought I'd throw together the five scariest games I've personally played. Not just games with a scary atmosphere, but games that legitimately caused me to jump. The list comes after the jump.


5. Alone in the Dark (PC DOS)

So much about a good horror game is sound. This blocky, plodding game about a detective investigating a murder in an old house might seem pretty clunky by today's standards, but when I played it about 1996 or so it scared me to death. The creak of your detective's feet on the wooden floors, the gibber of the monsters, the occasional whipser, it would send chills up your spine. The killer for me, though, was the alert sound. Whenever a monster was about to attack you, there was a sudden audio cue and then the music would change to let you know there was trouble. I'd be walking around in a quiet room, and that alert sound would hit, and my heart would skip a beat. Sitting, alone in the dark, naturally, it was enough to make you scream. It was mostly about the sounds. Well, except for the tunneler worm at the end. That freaked me out on sight alone. If you can find a copy of Alone in the Dark, it's well worth the time to get it up and running on DOSBox or an older game machine. However, avoid the



4. Aliens vs. Predator 2

As an Alien or a Predator, this game is just pure fun. Especially if you make it a challenge to collect the heads of everyone you kill as a predator. The scary part is playing as the human Marine, single handedly trying to survive attacks from both xenospecies. Running down empty metal corridors, with acid burned and blood stained walls, listening to the chitter of invisible predators and the hiss of angry aliens; it's enough to make you look over your shoulder in real life. A good pair of headphones, a dark room, and a sweaty mouse hand are all you need. Just as in the movies, aliens will burst out of almost anywhere, charging for you and making you spray machine gun bullets in random patterns of fear. Sincerely, this game gave me nightmares. It desperately needs a sequel, too.



3. System Shock 2

Are you afraid of zombies? Killer computer programs? Cyborgs? Don't play this game then, because it has all three. There are few games with as much atmosphere, nuance, and superb story telling as SS2. The first game was touted as a sleeper hit, crushed by the power of DOOM. Personally, I can't play it because I played SS2 first and the control and look of the original just can't compete. This is an epic space game with horror wrapped around it. A combination of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Aliens, Virus, and Carrie. Talking monsters, taunting radio messages, screaming psionic monkeys, and a generally desolate atmosphere make this a great game. It's also not just a run and gun FPS, but a real fleshed out thriller with data tapes and a constant encouraging voice helping to tell you the tale of the alien infestation you wake up to from cryosleep. Find this game, play it. You'll be glad you did. Unless you have a heart attack from the terror of the talking mutant zombies!



2. Eternal Darkness

Fight an evil that spans generations. Witness your characters die or be imprisoned in almost every chapter. Begin to wonder if this game is even winnable. Eternal Darkness is the only reason I own a GameCube. I purchased it exclusively to play this one game. A multi-tiered tale cut from the same cloth as the stories of HP Lovecraft. Giant other-worldly gods do battle and you're stuck in the middle of it, trying to imprison them all back beyond the veil. Wield an assortment of medieval and modern weapons. Be a priest, a fireman, an archaeologist, or a blond girl of indeterminate profession. The story is linear, but fantastic. The surprises are, surprising, and they'll make you jump. Oh, and did I mention the game screws with you based on your sanity meter? From turning off the TV, turning down the volume, or claiming your save games have been erased, this game is out to get you. Have a Wii? Buy Eternal Darkness.



1. The Thing (XBox Version)

This was a hard decision, but this game frightened me the most I think. It cheated constantly, having your people turn out to be infected with the Thing, even if you had checked their blood for it only seconds before and they'd had no contact with anything, they'd still have extra arms burst out of their head when you least expected it. You'd be talking to a character, having a very subdued discussion about something, and suddenly they'd explode into some hideous monster. It was disturbingly faithful to the film, and impressively frightening as a result. Perhaps I pick it because my memory of it is getting more and more vague, and if I played it again I would no longer be frightened. For now, though, it stands atop the heap as the scariest for me. Got an XBox or XBox 360? Ever wondered what happened at the end of John Carpenter's The Thing? Buy this game and find out. Seriously, it resolves the ending of the movie.


Perhaps Dead Rising or Bioshock will unseat these games once I've had a chance to play through them. For now, this stands as my list. Oh, for an honorable mention I'd throw in American McGee's Alice and Clive Barker's The Undying. While not really scary, they are disturbing and atmospheric. Good horror themed games, just not the scariest.