While horror isn’t used a lot in the video game world there are some pretty scary games out there. Actually you think there would be a ton of horror survival games since its probably easier to feel fear when you are in control of the character than when you see some dumb teenager head out alone to check on that noise coming from the woods. “So long kiddo!”

But you as a video game player aren’t that stupid, you’d never go into the woods to check on strange noises armed with a weapon that the audience knows can do nothing against the impending monster/killer. Or would you? That’s the beauty of horror themed video games despite all of the logic we’ve learned from watching horror movies the games usually force you to be “that guy” and venture in. Basically you are forced to be brave/stupid for the sake of advancing in the game.

So now I present to you in honor of the month of October which houses the spooky Halloween the top 15 scariest video games out there. Now I may miss a few because I won’t list a game off of reputation, it will be only games that I’ve at least played for a few minutes. Feel free to leave a comment on how you feel about my list, especially if you don’t agree. My feelings will not be hurt.

15. F.E.A.R.

“F.E.A.R.” the game’s title and acronym for the special unit you play a soldier in “First Encounter Assault Recon” is really when it all boils down to it a First Person Shooter (FPS). But it adds in a few horror elements like an always creepy little girl with psychic powers who will cause you to see visions of horror. The game is on the same vein as a “Doom” but its truly chilling atmosphere is incredibly effective.

14. Doom 3

“Doom” is one of the most popular franchises in history loved by gamers and also hated by the world for spawning the awful “Doom” movie. Imagine you are battling monsters, that’s scary, imagine you are in space fighting monsters, that’s even more scary. Imagine you are in space fighting monsters from Hell itself, super scary. Imagine that you are in space, fighting monsters from Hell, and you can’t wield your gun and flashlight at the same time! Well now you are just about ready to crap your pants roll into the fetal position and wait to be eaten alive. “Doom 3″ may not be the scariest game in actuality but its so intense and heart pounding you have to rank it, even if its final cutscene is a bit of a let down for all your hard work.

13. Sanitarium

I’m a sucker for point and click adventure games so when I actually played “Sanitarium” over a friend’s house as a young lad I was scared out of my mind. The game isn’t outright scary and its so bird eye’s view its hard to feel that initial shocking fear, but the music, environment and authentically creepy characters make it all the more frightening. For those who don’t know you play a man with amnesia who awakens in a sanitarium, and must find out how he got there and how to get out….alive. A lot of people may not even remember this game, but for me it offered me up one notable nightmare as a child. That’s enough to make my list.

12. House of the Dead

This arcade game was eventually adapted for the home console but its probably the scariest arcade game out there and deserves a lot of credit for going so far to even create a movie franchise. A bad movie franchise, but a franchise at that. House of the Dead is more exciting and action packed than it is scary but still its pretty disturbing to shoot fat landscapers wielding chainsaws and the fact that mistakes could get innocent doctors and people killed. Its more of the fun scary than it is the wet your pants scary, but its frightening none the less.

11. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

“Resident Evil 3″ much like “House of the Dead” is more action than horror. Though RE: 3 gets a boost above “House of the Dead” due to its moments of actual terror and fear. Plus every time you heard some more intense music you knew a zombie or even worse Nemesis was near. It created tension and delivered with (sometimes cheap) scares but it always worked and it made the game fun. Nemesis remains one of the most memorable and downright intimidating video game baddies of all time, and Jill remains one of the hottest under pressure. Can you really lose? Actually yes you can, via being eaten alive by a horde of zombies.

10. Siren

Leave it to the Japanese to scare the living daylights out of you. (They are sill waiting for an official apology on the American remakes of “The Eye” and “The Grudge”.) Siren is survival horror where you as a gamer truly feel the need to survive. Getting a game over is not fun, and the game makes sure you want to avoid it all costs. The game requires you to play 10 different characters to complete a mission. Each mission is scarier than the last and success heavily relies on stealth. An interesting feature of the game allowed you to see what the zombie like monsters could see. Its like “Jaws” but in Japan, on land and with undead monsters who want your soul.

9. Alone in the Dark

While the graphics no longer hold up in most cases the original “Alone in the Dark” was ground breaking in the world of horror video games. The game is a period piece taking place in 1920′s Louisiana where a man has committed suicide and while the police and the majority of townsfolk seem quick to side step all investigation due to the man being rumored to be connected with hauntings and evil spirits a private detective decides to take the job of finding out what really happened. The game is terrifying but incredibly cerebral and a must own for any fan of the genre. Its been remade but you know how remakes are….

8. Left 4 Dead

“Left 4 Dead” is one of those lightning in a bottle games, the idea of pure unadulterated zombie survival seems so simple that it should have been done in this style before, but its game developer Valve’s execution of gameplay and atmosphere that makes “Left 4 Dead” so addictive and so terribly fun. Its scary, but in the sense of you are usually playing with your friends or online and need to survive. Its just wave after wave of zombies and situation after situation to get out of. It requires; quick thinking, cooperation and nerves of steel.

7. System Shock 2:

While much like “Alone in the Dark” where the graphics dont really hold up anymore “System Shock 2″ was a terrifying game that must be played. Its script and environment are superb as the protagonist must fight his way inside a ship over run by mutants. This game I believe laid the groundwork for games like “Dead Space” and it cannot be ignored for its spine chilling gameplay.

6. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem

For anyone whose actually played this game which was heavily marketed when Nintendo’s Gamecube first came out knows that this videogame will mess with your head. Playing several characters throughout different time periods you’ll find yourself never wanting to play this game alone or with the lights off, or even dimmed. Heck its pretty creepy with the lights on. The music and the monsters will leave you terrified and while the final cut scene is a bit underwhelming the game is still worth a play if you are behind the curve.

5.The Thing

John Carpenter’s “The Thing” is one of my favorite horror films of all time, its a movie that caused me to sleep with the lights on in the hallway for weeks and caused me numerous nightmares. To this day I’m afraid to rewatch the movie because of the terror it arose in me. I couldnt even finish the game, I put down the controller and left the room about 10 minutes into playing it, I couldn’t handle it. Its a shame more people don’t know about this pseudo sequel to the classic movie, but hopefully more will check it out after reading this and watching the trailer.

4. Fatal Frame 2

Two Japanese sisters travel to an old spot they used to play at when they were little. “Awwww how cute” but one of the sisters being stupid travels to this seemingly abandoned city, but guess what?…Its haunted! And these poor little girls have nothing to defend themselves with except their….camera? That’s right you exorcise ghosts and spirits with your camera. Fujifilm would be proud. This game is scary because you have to let a ghost get near you enough to take a good picture, thank goodness its not a video camera otherwise all the white balancing you’d have to do would get you killed. (High five to anyone who got that joke).

3.Silent Hill 2

To call “Silent Hill 2″ chilling and disturbing would be like saying “The Godfather Part II” was a decent sequel. This game is seriously messed up and I honestly am saying that I cant in good faith recommend this to everyone. There is literally a scene in this game where the evil Triangle head rapes two deformed mutant zombies. As far as I know this is the only game to feature a rape scene and good gracious is it terrifying. The whole game is one giant mind trip and it will leave you with nightmares. I remember a nightmare I had with me being trapped in a closet as Triangle head attacked me. This game is beyond scary, its horrific.

2. Dead Space

“Dead Space” is nothing short of a modern day masterpiece in video games. You want to make the case that video games are art, this is a game you have to mention. In a game that offers a sense of brutal isolation and desperation you must battle your way on an overtaken miner’s ship similar to the vein of “Alien” or “Aliens” you battled mutated and ravenous mutants in quite possibly the most heart pounding game ever created. Hats off to Electronic Arts for this game, you literally just want to sometimes scream when you become trapped in a room that becomes quarantined and then must battle hordes of Necromorphs alone. This to me is the closest thing we’ll get to a sequel/remake of the underrated “Run like Hell”.

1. Resident Evil:

The original “Resident Evil” may not be the best in terms of gameplay but it was pure innovation. 90% of the games listed in my top 15 wouldn’t even exist if it wasnt for the critical and financial success of this game. While the true original’s opening cutscene is admittedly cheesy (Albert Wesker wears sunglasses at night? Why?) The game is very scary in its raw sense, open doors, keys to find, puzzle to solve and of course lots of zombies. But the classic slow zombies, which prove that it is possible to overrun by them even with all our superior logic. Mix in classic moments like Barry’s “Jill Sandwich” line and you have the ultimate horror survival classic. The remake is also very well done and if you dont want to be bothered by the crude graphics of the original the remake is a good supplant. In closing “Resident Evil” is the king of horror survival.

October 3, 2010
Categories: Commentary, Editorial, Reviews, Video Games . Tags: albert wesker, alone in the dark, brutal, dead space, disturbing, doom 3, entertainment, eternal darkness, eternal darkness sanitys requiem, f.e.a.r., fatal frame, fatal frame 2, fear, gore, hell, horror, house of the dead, isolation, japan, jill valentine, left 4 dead, matthew robinson, mutants, necromorphs, nemesis, of all time, onsters, quarantine, rape, rape scene, resident evil, resident evil 3, rfmp, run like hell, sanitarium, scariest, sexy, silent hill 2, siren, sunglasses, survival, system shock 2, the thing, top 15, top scary, traingle head, Video Games, zombies . Author: iconmatthew1

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