Scary games

[k-ossuburb]

Snip.

I loved all of the Silent Hills and I'm glad you mentioned them because, even though you mentioned them and ninja'd my choice you left it open to discussion so, yay, I still get to talk about some of my absolute favourite games of all time!

Okay, Silent Hill 3 had its moments, I agree. The part in the hospital where

Spoiler: THAT SCARY THING HAPPENS

The mirror and the blood in the sink try to kill you.

And the bit in that abandoned building where

Spoiler: THAT OTHER SCARY BIT HAPPENS

a) You see a cigarette in an ash tray, still burning.

and

b) That one bit with the bathtub, you know which bit I'm talking about.

As well as that fantastic intro sequence in the theme park that takes you to the roller-coaster and... well you know what happens after that.

However, Silent Hill 3 was also the goofiest out of the series. Silent Hill had its stupid moments (radio... what's going on with that radio?), but it was the first in the series and it was finding its feet. Silent Hill 2 had that "Dog" ending, which was brilliant, but Silent Hill 3 had a flame thrower, an unlimited sub-machine gun, a light saber, the Princess Heart costume, the Douglas underpants code, the "Barbecued Dog" part, the "Toilet Scene" Easter egg and that hilarious bit where you get the golden pipe.

That's why I don't think it's the scariest out of them all, it had some great moments (like the ones I listed above) but all I can really remember the most was the goofy stuff that came in the later stages after you beat the game a few times. I'm not saying it's a bad game, it's still a firm favourite of mine.

Silent Hill 2 is the most solid all-rounder (for me at least) since the story, characters, atmosphere, locations, puzzles and enemies were all so wonderfully creative and enthralling, but Silent Hill 4 had the best story by far in my opinion, especially when you finally meet up with Eileen in the second half of the game and she starts filling out the plot by reading things aloud and acting differently depending on how you treat her and how "possessed" she has become.

Silent Hill 3 was a lot of fun, but, out of all four of the games, I'd say it's not the one I'd pick as the scariest.

 

[Harry Mason]

I've played all 4 Silent Hill games (what? There are only 4!), All three localized Fatal Frame games, Eternal Darkness, and dozens of other horror games ranging from the most obscure to the most mainstream.

But, by far, the game that I've played that scared me (psychically frightened me, mind) the most was Condemned: Criminal Origins. That game has the slowest, most subtle build in terror of any game I've ever played, and if you go into it with no expectations, every corner has a What The Fuck Was That moment hiding behind it. Pure, unadulterated brilliance.

What sequel? Condemned didn't have a sequel!

 

[SammiYin]

Now, every now and then, people love a good fright, so what are the scariest games you folks have come across?

I'm gonna start the ball rolling with Amnesia: The Dark Descent, I just got it and the intro message from Frictional message creeped me out so much I'm having to pluck up courage just to actually start the game...

I haven't even met the enemy in that game yet, and it's given me more nightmares than every other horror game I own.
Speaking of which, S.T.A.L.K.E.R is horrifying. I was being shot at by some guys, so hid down in the sewer, next thing I know my vision is screwing up, there's a horrible screeching in my ear and this dark figure is slowly walking towards me down a corridor. He then proceeded to pull my mind out of my body, up to him and then throw me back.
Needless to say I got the hell out of there.
I'm now in some labs looking for something, and something else keeps throwing boxes at me. Then my screen went all red, I ran away and turned it off.

 

[feeback06]

It's funny now, but the original Resident Evil gave me nightmares when I was a child. I remember not wanting to stay at my Grandmother's house because it resembled a mansion. The gamecube REmake however can still make me tense however.

 

[F'Angus]

Thief. Though it's really my own fault. I was leaning over a corpse when it shot up right into my face and started chasing me...damn zombies.

 

[Yopaz]

5 Days a Stranger, 7 Days a Skeptic and Trilby's Notes. I actually felt a stabbing chest pain at the end of 5 Days a Stranger.

Resident Evil Code Veronica. The part where you can't bring your weapons always get me.

 

[AJax_21]

Snip.

I loved all of the Silent Hills and I'm glad you mentioned them because, even though you mentioned them and ninja'd my choice you left it open to discussion so, yay, I still get to talk about some of my absolute favourite games of all time!

Okay, Silent Hill 3 had its moments, I agree. The part in the hospital where

Spoiler: THAT SCARY THING HAPPENS

The mirror and the blood in the sink try to kill you.

And the bit in that abandoned building where

Spoiler: THAT OTHER SCARY BIT HAPPENS

a) You see a cigarette in an ash tray, still burning.

and

b) That one bit with the bathtub, you know which bit I'm talking about.

As well as that fantastic intro sequence in the theme park that takes you to the roller-coaster and... well you know what happens after that.

However, Silent Hill 3 was also the goofiest out of the series. Silent Hill had its stupid moments (radio... what's going on with that radio?), but it was the first in the series and it was finding its feet. Silent Hill 2 had that "Dog" ending, which was brilliant, but Silent Hill 3 had a flame thrower, an unlimited sub-machine gun, a light saber, the Princess Heart costume, the Douglas underpants code, the "Barbecued Dog" part, the "Toilet Scene" Easter egg and that hilarious bit where you get the golden pipe.

That's why I don't think it's the scariest out of them all, it had some great moments (like the ones I listed above) but all I can really remember the most was the goofy stuff that came in the later stages after you beat the game a few times. I'm not saying it's a bad game, it's still a firm favourite of mine.

Silent Hill 2 is the most solid all-rounder (for me at least) since the story, characters, atmosphere, locations, puzzles and enemies were all so wonderfully creative and enthralling, but Silent Hill 4 had the best story by far in my opinion, especially when you finally meet up with Eileen in the second half of the game and she starts filling out the plot by reading things aloud and acting differently depending on how you treat her and how "possessed" she has become.

Silent Hill 3 was a lot of fun, but, out of all four of the games, I'd say it's not the one I'd pick as the scariest.

Finally, someone who actually appreciates SH4. *high five*

As much as I love SH3, the main plot is its biggest downfall for me.

Spoiler

Hey! let's resurrect an evil demonic god beacuse... we can!

Although, SH3 still remains the most terrifying in the series for me. That damn mirror scene...

 

[Avalanche91]

Penumbra black plague is great (the first penumbra not so much)
Also nightmare house. I believe its a HL mod, but scary as fuck.

 

[VaudevillianVeteran]

Now, every now and then, people love a good fright, so what are the scariest games you folks have come across?

I'm gonna start the ball rolling with Amnesia: The Dark Descent, I just got it and the intro message from Frictional message creeped me out so much I'm having to pluck up courage just to actually start the game...

...Your avatar fills me with joy.

OT: I don't really get scared by games much, but I did get a few good jump scares from the Fatal Frame/ Project Zero games.
My brother on the other hand doesn't do well with horror, he was recently scared by Mortal Kombat's screamer and to this day, he still calls the Silent Hill series one of the scariest and will only watch me play.

 

[llama32]

Clock Tower is and will always be the only game that can successfully keep me awake all night. The constant fear of knowing that a crazed murderer with giant scissors is chasing you around, the 'sching, sching' sound of those scissors whenever he's near, the appearance of scissorman, and of course the claustrophobic feeling you get when you're playing. It will always be the scariest game in my list.

 

[Purplecoyote]

The Fatal Frame series (1,2 and 3 are on the PS2 and 4 on the Wii but you can only import it since it didn't come out in America/Europe). Psychological horror with an emphasis on story and lighting.
The third one is often said to be the "worst" in the series but they're all really great, they have some of the best storytelling in horror games.

 

[henrius]

I agree, a lot of the games posted are very scary. But, did anyone ever play Ex Mortis? It's a flash game I found out about a few years back. It's a point and click mystery with heavy horror elements.
The guy made a sequel which was pretty good though I don't think it was as scary as the first and a third one I never got around to playing so I can't give it any credit.

I'd check it out here's the url for the first one, it'll take only a half an hour to beat. Play it now! But first turn down the lights and increase the volume...
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/189227

 

[TerribleAssassin]

Now, every now and then, people love a good fright, so what are the scariest games you folks have come across?

I'm gonna start the ball rolling with Amnesia: The Dark Descent, I just got it and the intro message from Frictional message creeped me out so much I'm having to pluck up courage just to actually start the game...

...Your avatar fills me with joy.

OT: I don't really get scared by games much, but I did get a few good jump scares from the Fatal Frame/ Project Zero games.
My brother on the other hand doesn't do well with horror, he was recently scared by Mortal Kombat's screamer and to this day, he still calls the Silent Hill series one of the scariest and will only watch me play.

As in an actual in-game screamer? Or one of those 'SECRET SUB-ZERO FATALITY' style YouTube videos.

And I actually wouldn't mind looking into those Fatal Frame games..

 

[Ubermetalhed]

System shock 2/ ATMOSPHERE THE GAME.

For jumps Doom 3 wins outright, it was fucking relentless.

Disturbing goes to Silent hill 2 or Alone in the dark New Nightmare.

Survival scary goes to Resi 2 and 3 obviously.

 

[VaudevillianVeteran]

As in an actual in-game screamer? Or one of those 'SECRET SUB-ZERO FATALITY' style YouTube videos.

And I actually wouldn't mind looking into those Fatal Frame games..

It's an in-game screamer.

And I'd very much recommend it, they're different from the usual survivor horror games where your only weapon is a camera. Pretty interesting story too.

 

[gonzo20]

definitely had to be condemned: criminal origins, the teenager enemys in the sewer who crawled about sent shivers up my spine and the guy that jumps at you from looking over that rail caused most of my friends to put the game down lol i still played on and burts department store, my god, i never look at mannequins the same again....

 

[Mr.White]

Eternal Darkness...the bathtub

It nearly made me literally jump out of my skin.

 

[Xaio30]

System Shock 2.
You'll never hear them coming from behind!

 

[funguy2121]

Now, every now and then, people love a good fright, so what are the scariest games you folks have come across?

I'm gonna start the ball rolling with Amnesia: The Dark Descent, I just got it and the intro message from Frictional message creeped me out so much I'm having to pluck up courage just to actually start the game...

I'm about 6 hours into Dead Space Uno right now and I absolutely love it. It is unfathomable to me how after decades of ripping off the space marine aspects of Aliens and making bad Aliens franchise games, the gaming industry has still never made a creature-horror game of any significance in space. The setting is perfect, and they take full advantage of it. Stasis is creepy but it saves your ass. Innocuous machines can kill you in more gruesome, horrifying ways than some of the monsters. Monsters constantly jump out in front of you and then run off, so you know that they are in the room you're about to enter but you don't know where. They come at you quite literally in the dark - not out of the dark. And your means of discovering that, say, a very big, scary, kill-you-where-you-stand monster can only be harmed from the rear comes in the form of a radio transmission as the sonuvabitch is charging. The music is better than RE4's, and that's saying a lot. It's more moody, more strange, and more atmospheric than Resident Evil's best entry, yet it's not afraid of some swelling strings or piercing, discordant winds.

Put it to you this way: I play this game less than Mass Effect because I refuse to play it during the day.

 

[NoDamnNames]

The thing about scary games is they don't age well. Most "Scary classics" are about as menacing as an onslaught of spooky leggo nowadays.

the Fatal Frame series is one I personally found creepy.

In my opinion the only true realm fear that games manage to pull off well is vertigo, and mostly in platformers ironically enough.