Games that Actually Scared You

[Jaebird]

The underwater level from Super Mario 64, with the giant eel. That shit terrified me as a kid, what with the near-pitch black depths and lurking monster, AND the constant fear of running out of breath while trying to do an objective. I had to put that game down for a while after entering that level.

 

[Chocolate Mousse]

Left 4 dead is more pulse pounding and intense than actually scary. it's far too arcade-ish to be scary.

 

[Headsprouter]

The first time I saw I centaur in fallout 3. It....was....magnificent. Whoever came up with that had BAD nightmares. In Fallout: New Vegas the evolved ones were awesome. I was genuinely glad to see them. Easy, though.

 

[ABLb0y]

Haunting Ground. Especially Diana or whatever the hell the android's name was.

 

[Joaquim Guerreiro]

Ive been playing through Metro 2033 again these last few days, its pretty fucking scary at times, I tell you that much. It actually scares me more than Amnesia, although that was pretty creepy too.

Condemned...yeah, pretty much Condemned. Also, Cthulhu, Dark Corners of the Earth.

Dark Corners of the Earth is probably the scariest game I have ever played, no joke.

DCotE is really scary, and not in a slash movie sense. I love the part before you have any weapon, the way it makes you even afraid to explore the world. Too bad it ruins everything as you pick up weapons and start killing squids like Serious Sam.

 

[CRRPGMykael]

FUCKING AMNESIA: THE DARK DESCENT, OK?!NOW STOP WITH THE FUCKING TOPICS ASKING ABOUT SCARY GAMES OR SCARY SITUATIONS IN GAMES OR SCARY AUDIO OR WHATEVER,WE ALL KNOW THAT ABOUT 60% OF THE ANSWERS ARE GONNA BE AMNESIA: THE DARK DESCENT.
With that out of the way, when I was like 5, I was scared of Super Mario Bros. because I didn't want to get killed by a goomba and I couldn't stand that pressure, so I just watched my dad play.

 

[William Dickbringer]

amnesia got me also I got scared in fear 1 and fear 2 got me with one jump scare and resident evil 4 first time playing it dr. salvador snuck up on me and got me which made me jump penumbra overture got me hell can barely bring myself to finish the game and some parts of fallout 3 when I was a low level and a deathclaw comes out of nowhere and attacks me from behind (that's when I started walking in third person mode in that game)

 

[Hungry Donner]

Thief: The Dark Project, the first time I encountered Hammer Haunts

I was wandering through city ruins when I discovered an intact house tucked out of the way. As I was investigating it I inadvertently alerted the Haunts . . . and anyone who has heard a Hammer Haunt knows they're more than a little spooky.

As they were coming down the stairs I dove behind some things, it was poor cover at best and I was tense the entire time the two haunts inspected the area. Eventually they gave up and left . . . I believe I high tailed it out of there.

 

[theguitarhero6]

Some of the parts in BioShock were pretty jumpy...
You're wading in waist deep water, walking down a short,narrow choridor. at the end of the hall you see a shadow being cast of a (presumabley) mad doctor marveling at his instruments of choice. As his sadistic cackle comes to a climax, the lights go out. You are completely vulnerable with no idea as to where he may be. The lights return. The shadow and any sign of the doctor have disappeared. you searcg around the corner where he once presided. Nothing. You hesitantly return to the water to exit the area. As your'e about to leave, the doctor emerges violently form a cadaver shelf and attacks you from behind!
My words can't do much justice, but as a person who doesn't see many horror flicks or play any frightening games, this was the easily freakiest part of any game I've played.

 

[Zinaxos]

Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Even though I've been ninja'd about a hundred times by now...

 

[theguitarhero6]

OH! OR the entire level in Resident Evil 4 with the Regenerators. Holy fuck-balls, that was scary. Especially the jail cell area where you find one, but also open up that garnage and see the cinematic of a blood-crusted bag just.....squirming. Its sooo friggin' unsettling.

 

[Mordekaien]

Some of the parts in BioShock were pretty jumpy...
You're wading in waist deep water, walking down a short,narrow choridor. at the end of the hall you see a shadow being cast of a (presumabley) mad doctor marveling at his instruments of choice. As his sadistic cackle comes to a climax, the lights go out. You are completely vulnerable with no idea as to where he may be. The lights return. The shadow and any sign of the doctor have disappeared. you searcg around the corner where he once presided. Nothing. You hesitantly return to the water to exit the area. As your'e about to leave, the doctor emerges violently form a cadaver shelf and attacks you from behind!
My words can't do much justice, but as a person who doesn't see many horror flicks or play any frightening games, this was the easily freakiest part of any game I've played.

Nah, better one was the

Spoiler

Splicer that stood up behind you when you picked a tonic (dunno rember where it was exactly, medical pavilon I think?)

 

[esperandote]

Fatal frame the tormented, it's the only fatal frame i've played. I'm looking foward lo play the others

 

[natster43]

Bioshock. I couldn't play the beginning, that god damn Splicer trying to break in.
Resident Evil 2. Jump scares. I hate them so. It is also the game that helped me get into Survival Horror.
Dead Island. It does a good job of making me feel less like a god among men and more a person stuck in a zombie outbreak. As well as having a good atmosphere and actually making me panic.
Dead Rising 1. At low levels it is really scary, especially at night.
Fallout 3. The school right outside the Vault. Also the Vaults. Same for New Vegas.
Resident Evil 3 Nemesis. I haven't played it, but when watching someone play it I was scared because of Nemesis chasing the player the entire time.

 

[theguitarhero6]

Some of the parts in BioShock were pretty jumpy...
You're wading in waist deep water, walking down a short,narrow choridor. at the end of the hall you see a shadow being cast of a (presumabley) mad doctor marveling at his instruments of choice. As his sadistic cackle comes to a climax, the lights go out. You are completely vulnerable with no idea as to where he may be. The lights return. The shadow and any sign of the doctor have disappeared. you searcg around the corner where he once presided. Nothing. You hesitantly return to the water to exit the area. As your'e about to leave, the doctor emerges violently form a cadaver shelf and attacks you from behind!
My words can't do much justice, but as a person who doesn't see many horror flicks or play any frightening games, this was the easily freakiest part of any game I've played.

Nah, better one was the

Spoiler

Splicer that stood up behind you when you picked a tonic (dunno rember where it was exactly, medical pavilon I think?)

True, is that the part *spoiler?* in the dentist office when the room fills with steam and then you pick up the tonic from the shelf and you get jumped by the bunny girl who was on the operating table? And that creepy bear was just staring at the tonic.

 

[Nyan Cat]

It's been said a bazillion times in here, Amnesia: The Dark Descent. The entire thing.

Also I recently played Doom 3 and that made me cry myself to sleep, and NOPE! right the hell out of that. >.<

Minecraft is another one. Freaking cave exploring, next thing you know, SSSsssssSSSss BOOM! Dead, and soiled pants to go with it.

 

[Prof. Monkeypox]

Amnesia: The Dark Descent. That game is fucking creepy.

Also, Bioshock could be pretty scary at times as well.

Yup, me too.
I guess I have nothing more to add to the conversation except to affirm that those games are both brilliantly atmospheric and thus lend themselves really well to great scares.

 

[Groxnax]

Bioshock 2 when you have to play as a little sister to save your big daddy self... man that was creepy, and then BOOM reality pops in when a splicer jumps at you or when you had to take ADAM from the corpses.

 

[ardencabbel]

The time that pops into my mind is from Resident Evil 2. The loading screen that was different from the others. ...Jerks....

What happens during a loading screen? I never played #2, but I was always really nervous when the Resident Evil door animations played.

OT: Fatal Frame and Penumbra. Haven't played Amnesia yet, but it looks pretty damn scary as well.

Also that one part in Eternal Darkness. I won't ruin it, but if you've played it, you know the part.

Once you have gotten used to the loading screens, where they are your bastions of safety and a calm influence, a zombie appears in one of them. I am highly susceptible to the surprise scare, and that one got me good. In fact, I still remember which loading screen it was. And I can't remember most of that game. But I remember that...

Spoiler

There is a building like a security station next to the Raccoon City Police Department. The first time you leave that building to go to the rear area of the place, the zombie is waiting for you in the loading screen.

And that reminds me of another, Doom 3. Specifically in the first few minutes of the game. I had become so complacent and comfortable with what I thought was pre-rendered background scenery. I learned quickly that I no longer trust stairs created by id.