cimerians Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 So...what game scared you the most? There has to be at least one game that creeped you out. Just curious what it was. I have my horror games physical/digital on a shelf, in a category all their own. Until Dawn and of course the Silent Hill games were pretty messed up. Best jump scare were the dogs in Resident Evil 1. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xenomorpher Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 (edited) Alien Isolation is probably number one for me. Before it was the first few Silent Hill games, with the first one taking the lead. Fatal Frame, I can't remember which one, probably was a little bit more scarier than the Silent Hill ones just because of the voices I kept thinking I heard. I never got into them unfortunately besides a rental, but plan on doing so. However, Alien Isolation is the only game that made my heart thump in my chest, and the music helped quite a bit. I haven't played through the DLC, but I definitely need to. They may have done too good of a job capturing the Alien universe. The original Resident Evil games never really scared me outside of the third one. Seven did a fairly decent job, as well as the remake of the original. The crimson heads really helped. The remake of two is probably what I consider the scariest in the series. Mr. X and the sound design of the zombies are big contributing factors. Edited April 19, 2019 by xenomorpher 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youxia Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 Alien Isolation is the only game I have ever had to stop playing because it was just too much. I was absolutely terrified of Alien(s) as a kid and the devs have managed to replicate atmosphere and tension in this game perfectly, so it all came back. I would just run for a locker at a slightest noise and stay there. Headphones, dark room, g-sync monitor and jazz cigarettes might've helped too In the old days, the scariest game for me was definitely Thief: The Dark Project (one of the best games ever btw). There were some moments which would scare the bejesus out of me...mostly thanks to their ingenious sound design and the light meter. Having to creep through some undead-filled mansions and especially the trees-which-move-when-you-are-not-looking level was quite draining. There are also some text adventures that do the trick, akin to books - Lurking Horror, Anchorage, off top of my head. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy B. Coyote Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 Alien: Isolation for me as well. No game has ever managed to fill me with enough dread to make my stomach twist into knots like Alien: Isolation did. After 20 some hours I did manage to finish the game, but from start to finish it wasn't an even remotely pleasant experience... and I mean that in the best possible way. My 2nd place runner up would be the original Silent Hill on the PlayStation, but that game still didn't scare me even 1/4 as much as Alien: Isolation did. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjabba Posted April 19, 2019 Share Posted April 19, 2019 Just started playing RE7, they definitely nailed the atmosphere in the first 2 hours of the game when you're just cluelessly walking around.. haven't been this anxious playing a game for a long time. Silent Hill 1 and RE1 (gamecube remake) still are my favorites horror survival games. The sound design in both games do such a great job creating the right atmosphere. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punisher5.0 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 Every time I see the title of the thread I think of that Ministry song. Anyways the only games that have scared me that I can think of is the original Resident Evil games. Those camera angles really hyped up the suspense. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 The first game I can remember actually making me dread playing for fear of being scared was an Alien game but not Isolation, but rather Alien Trilogy on the original Playstation. Between facehuggers jumping out and aliens sneaking up behind, I was genuinely creeped out walking down the corridors of my derelict and mostly unoccupied (except for aliens) craft. Another later game that really creeped me out was Condemned. To this day I think it's one of the scariest games ever made. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slab0meat Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 I try/allow myself to get more immersed in "scary" games these days, trying to put myself in the shoes of the character. Which usually means taking it slow and wondering what every noise might be etc etc. Sure, anyone can run through a game, see what jumps out, possibly die, and restart that section knowing what to expect. I don't enjoy that. RE2 Remake had great tension, especially from Mr. X. RE7 had me on edge most of the game. The first few Silent Hills were excellent with scares and tension. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xenomorpher Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Another later game that really creeped me out was Condemned. To this day I think it's one of the scariest games ever made. I played through this last month and completely agree. The atmosphere is top notch and playing with headphones is a must. I'm currently going through F.E.A.R. and feel the same way. I really wish Monolith would do another horror themed game because they're incredibly good at making them. Definitely one of my favorite companies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razzie.P Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 Until VR, I've never really had a game scare me. I couldn't play RE 7 in VR, though. Felt like I was gonna have a heart attack. Same with Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. Before that, I can only remember one truly scary moment, but that was due to "real world" location where I was playing. In a small shack in the woods just after midnight. It was a scene in Phantasmagoria (older PC game) where I left a nursery, closed the door, and a baby started crying. I couldn't go back to that room until "real world" daylight. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cimerians Posted April 26, 2019 Author Share Posted April 26, 2019 Every time I see the title of the thread I think of that Ministry song. Anyways the only games that have scared me that I can think of is the original Resident Evil games. Those camera angles really hyped up the suspense. Yeah good song before the 'change', still think Land of Rape and Honey is their best. Wax Trax had some great bands on their label. The original Alone in the Dark was pretty scary but the polygon graphics kind of nullified it. lol. Great musical score though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DracIsBack Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 My favorites: Resident Evil 4 Alien Vs Predator (Atari Jaguar) Midnight Mutants (Atari 7800) ... ok this isn't really scary, but I always love playing it on Halloween every year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casterofdreams Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Dead Space 1&2 were scary the first time I went through them. Jump scares and things following you that wanted you dead. The atmosphere of the first Bioshock was a bit unnerving the first time I played through that as well. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotterpop Posted May 2, 2019 Share Posted May 2, 2019 Yeah good song before the 'change', still think Land of Rape and Honey is their best. Wax Trax had some great bands on their label. The original Alone in the Dark was pretty scary but the polygon graphics kind of nullified it. lol. Great musical score though. I completely agree with you about Land of Rape and Honey being their best album. There are a few moments on Twitch and Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste that reach those heights though. But starting with Psalm 69 they became a little too noisy for me, losing that industrial/experimental edge. Anyone that's a fan of Ministry from this era should check out the album Pure by Godflesh. Very heavy and menacing with some punishing electronic drums and occasionally tight grooves. As for horror games, I thought that Doom 3 on the OG Xbox had some incredibly effective scary moments in it. Very good tension throughout as well. But it was the first Silent Hill that really wormed its way into my psyche and made me a fan of the survival horror genre. Focusing on the psychological horror instead of the survival aspect just opened up a whole new level of immersion for me in gaming. Some other horror themed games I'd highly recommend would be Soma (PS4), Prey (PS4), Eternal Darkness (Gamecube), and the first two Dead Space games (PS3/360). It's been mentioned already but that first Fear game is a truly excellent survival horror experience. A perfect blend of action and atmosphere. I dropped my controller several times because of the perfectly placed jump scares in that game! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cimerians Posted May 6, 2019 Author Share Posted May 6, 2019 I completely agree with you about Land of Rape and Honey being their best album. There are a few moments on Twitch and Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste that reach those heights though. But starting with Psalm 69 they became a little too noisy for me, losing that industrial/experimental edge. Anyone that's a fan of Ministry from this era should check out the album Pure by Godflesh. Very heavy and menacing with some punishing electronic drums and occasionally tight grooves. As for horror games, I thought that Doom 3 on the OG Xbox had some incredibly effective scary moments in it. Very good tension throughout as well. But it was the first Silent Hill that really wormed its way into my psyche and made me a fan of the survival horror genre. Focusing on the psychological horror instead of the survival aspect just opened up a whole new level of immersion for me in gaming. Some other horror themed games I'd highly recommend would be Soma (PS4), Prey (PS4), Eternal Darkness (Gamecube), and the first two Dead Space games (PS3/360). It's been mentioned already but that first Fear game is a truly excellent survival horror experience. A perfect blend of action and atmosphere. I dropped my controller several times because of the perfectly placed jump scares in that game! Eternal Darkness, that was a great game it had some really cool effects like "shutting off" your TV or raising the volume if I recall. I have to try out FEAR... Thanks for the heads up on Godflesh, will definitely check that out. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eltigro Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 I remember back in the day, my sister used to get scared watching me play Tomb Raider. She never knew when there was about to be a monster or enemy or whatever... I told her to listen to the system... that usually, when a pack of wolves or whatever was about to attack, it would start to spin the disc to play the combat music or whatever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCoolDave Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 I'm thinking Metro 2033 (even newer ones too), there has been a few over the years... You need to keep in mind, I play every game in AT LEAST 5.1 audio, so every effect from every corner you can hear. The surround effects in this game really brings it alive. I know for sure it freaked the crap out of me, it kept me on the edge of my seat and many, many seat jumping moments.. I do remember one level, where I was shaking I was so scared about what was around the corner... Yea, I really get into it... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFG 9000 Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 Another vote for Alien: Isolation here. It's such a shame it didn't sell better - it's the best game of the last generation, at least of the many I've played. Yes, the campaign has some pacing issues and is probably 5-10 hours too long. But if a game's biggest problem is that there's too much of it, that's not really a bad thing. Silent Hill 2 was my go-to scariest game until Alien: Isolation came out. But every horror fan already knows about it, so I'll leave it at that. There isn't much outside of the Silent Hill and Alien franchises that I find legitimately scary. Resident Evil, Bioshock, Dead Space, Doom, Haunting Ground, Dementium, Agony, Deadly Premonition, they're all nice and tense at times, and mostly good fun, but not truly frightening. Except Resident Evil 7, maybe, and the jump scares in Doom 3. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glazball Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 Love to see so many nods to Alien: Isolation. Loved that game! The tension was unbearably delicious at times, something that can really be hard to pull off well in a video game. I thought it was neat that you could turn on mic input so that any noise you made in real life could be potentially heard by the Xenomorphs. Very clever and cool, but I kept it off because we have 3 dogs that love to randomly bark. Like other said, the RE's (particularly RE7) and SH's and Dead Spaces are up there too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Thag Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 Alien Isolation is up there for sure, it's terrifying. Glad so many hear are giving it it's due. Way scarier than resident evil, by a mile. Great game. That said, have any of you tried some of the VR offerings? It's a whole other ball game. VR takes jump scares and horror tropes and makes your lizard brain think it's real, it's on a whole other level. I played Dreadhalls on that Samsung Oculus VR set they gave you for getting a phone a few years back. Monsters in the dark and the weeping angel things in VR? I tried. Nope. Not happening. About threw the headset across the room. It rivaled IRL situations I've been in that instilled terror. To the point it wasn't fun, actually. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cimerians Posted May 10, 2019 Author Share Posted May 10, 2019 Alien Isolation is up there for sure, it's terrifying. Glad so many hear are giving it it's due. Way scarier than resident evil, by a mile. Great game. That said, have any of you tried some of the VR offerings? It's a whole other ball game. VR takes jump scares and horror tropes and makes your lizard brain think it's real, it's on a whole other level. I played Dreadhalls on that Samsung Oculus VR set they gave you for getting a phone a few years back. Monsters in the dark and the weeping angel things in VR? I tried. Nope. Not happening. About threw the headset across the room. It rivaled IRL situations I've been in that instilled terror. To the point it wasn't fun, actually. Nice! lol...still haven't gotten a VR let alone even tried it. Can't even imagine how much improved these things will be years from now based on what people say Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Thag Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 Nice! lol...still haven't gotten a VR let alone even tried it. Can't even imagine how much improved these things will be years from now based on what people say The tech is currently quite wonky and early. Most gaming isn't that great on VR. However... horror games are incredible. Alien Isolation in VR would probably kill you, for reals lol 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonGrafx-16 Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 Only fear I've felt in video games has been the fear of losing progress in the game rather than being disturbed by anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cimerians Posted May 12, 2019 Author Share Posted May 12, 2019 Only fear I've felt in video games has been the fear of losing progress in the game rather than being disturbed by anything. MadCatz PS1 memory cards can go to hell. 70 hours of FF7 lost circa 1998, I won't forget that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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