As Halloween looms in the distance an idea sprung to mind, an idea so absolutely unique that never before has the internet seen anything like it. This idea is to create a definitive list of the five most unquestionably and objectionably terrifying video games to ever exist!
Obviously that’s a load of bollocks as these lists always spring up and fear is an entirely subjective emotion. Still, horror seems to be one of those things that everyone is drawn to and I’ve always found these lists to be a good bit of fun. In video games the horror is so much more intense than any other medium because it’s happening to you. Or, at least, a projection of you. It’s not so easy to detach yourself from the spooky shenanigans when they’re a result of your own interaction.
Some games are essentially a handheld tour of a haunted house. You walk through a corridor and something will inevitably jump out of a shadow and scream at you. This is great for a momentary jolt of fear but it’s over very quickly. A truly scary game, at least as far as I’m concerned, is one that never lets you rest. It has an unbearable tension and is filled with deeply disconcerting imagery and themes. It also exploits the fact that it is an interactive experience. That being said, here is a list (in no particular order) of the five scariest video games I have ever experienced.
P.T. (2014)
This one was a very surreal experience for me. It was announced, seemingly out of nowhere, at Sony’s 2014 Gamescom Press Conference posing as a demo for a game called P.T. It was almost immediately available for download through PSN as soon as it was announced. Not long after, videos of the ending popped up revealing its true nature as a promotional demo teasing Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming collaborative game, Silent Hills. Whilst this is only a demo it is absolutely worth mentioning due to just how unsettling it was to play and, in my humble opinion should be regarded as a game in its own right.
The looping corridor that the demo is played in is reminiscent of a recurring nightmare. This residual haunting helps to create an overwhelming feeling of entrapment and the subtle changes in each loop keep the experience partially unpredictable even after multiple play-throughs.
Progression in P.T. solely relies on the player’s ability to solve puzzles. There are no means in which to defend oneself from the ghost residing in the house. There isn’t even anywhere to hide. The player is constantly exposed and although there are ways to avoid jump scares, it’s deeply troubling to know that when she begins groaning, Lisa is waiting somewhere in the game for you.
The final puzzle is particularly challenging as the methods in which to solve it appear to have an element of uncertainty to them. To me this seems like a stroke of genius as players were never truly comfortable with the game; they never really had complete control over it. It wasn’t just the aesthetics or narrative that created the atmosphere but the gameplay too. The game would even have intentional glitch like sequences and whilst this is not exactly new, (see Batman: Arkham Asylum, Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem) breaking the fourth wall is an excellent way of making a video game scary because ultimately, interaction and player agency is what gaming has over other mediums when it comes to horror. Messing with these can leave a player like me shaken for hours after switching off.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010)
Developed by an independent Swedish team called Frictional Games, Amnesia delivered an unforgettable and critically acclaimed horror experience. Players assume the role of a protagonist named Daniel who suffers from self-induced memory loss. Waking in a castle, he finds a note written for him by his former self. Throughout the game, he finds more notes and is haunted by visions from his former life as well as memories that are not his own. For the most part, players are completely alone throughout the game. The dimly lit, claustrophobic and unescapable setting of a decrepit castle ensures the player that there is only one way out. As the title suggests, you must descend further into its dark history and survive encounters with the twisted, deformed creatures that reside within.
You have no means whatsoever to combat these creatures and if seen by them you are aggressively pursued until you stay out of sight for a while. This can be done by crouching in a dark corner or by concealing yourself in a wardrobe. The way the player interacts with objects in the game also adds to the immersion. Instead of merely pressing a button to open the door, the player has to actually pull or push it open, meaning when you are being chased, mistakes can be made in a blind panic. In a game like Outlast, that’s as complex as it gets but in Amnesia there is a sanity meter mechanic at play. Staying in darkness for too long can drain your sanity as can staring directly at the creatures. Tinderboxes are collectible resources that enable the player to light wall mounted candles to counteract the predominantly blackened rooms you have to brave through. You are also equipped with an oil lantern that frequently needs refuelling. These are finite resources that are scattered and scarce throughout the game. Sanity can be restored by solving puzzles and advancing, forcing the player to carry on lest they be the victim of hallucinations as seen below.
All of these things are in play simultaneously. It causes a great discomfort in the player as they constantly have to concern themselves with resource management. Honestly, it’s what makes Amnesia stand above all of the clones that failed to recapture what makes this experience so effective.
Alien: Isolation (2014)
The Creative Assembly bring us the latest instalment in the Alien video game franchise. This game contains only one Xenomorph that hunts the protagonist along with some hostile human enemies and androids. With the admittedly brief time I spent on this game it stood out above the slew of failed clones of Amnesia that simply have the player traverse a hostile environment armed with nothing more than a light source. Games like Slender: The Arrival and SCP: Containment Breach are fun but they seem to have lazy design with the only appeal being jump scares. Alien: Isolation, however, has some very interesting mechanics.
Firstly there is the motion tracker. The good thing about this item is that at first glance it seems like it would be an overpowered gadget that constantly keeps tabs on where the Alien is hiding. However, the noise it emits means that when the Alien is close, it will hear it and seek you out. This can lead to some very tense moments where the only information you are given is that you are close to danger.
It could be above you, below you or behind you and if you seek it out, you will likely be instantly killed. This forces you to hide and pray that it hasn’t sensed you yet.
The Alien itself, as just mentioned, can hear sounds from the protagonist’s gadgets. Not only that but when hiding behind closed doors, players will have to hold their breath in order to remain silent enough to avoid becoming dinner. A number of behavioural features the Alien is equipped with make it an incredibly effective hunter. It can see light from your flashlight and if you stay dormant too long it can even smell you. These abilities create an incredibly dangerous and unpredictable foe and that’s the scariest thing about this game. You will never learn the path the Xenomorph will take because it isn’t predetermined. It can even adapt to techniques used by the player meaning you constantly have to outsmart this enemy.
The level design is deliberately non-linear meaning no two play-throughs will be exactly the same. This proves to be both a curse and a blessing. On the one hand, you have a lot of paths to take to evade the Alien. On the other hand, the Alien has a lot more paths than you do in which to chase you down and brutally murder you.
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999)
Capcom’s third instalment in the seemingly never ending series of Resident Evil games holds a special place in my heart. For me, it oozes with nostalgia and familiarity yet still remains one of the scariest video games I’ve played, even after several play-throughs.
The first three Resident Evil games are all terrifying for the same reasons. The game provides you with minimal resources, meaning fighting enemies is possible but ill-advised. It relies on the ink ribbon save system that makes death a real worry for the player when the loss of progress can be so severe. The fixed camera angles obstruct player view and coupled with awkward controls can make escaping a nightmare in itself. Whilst these sound like cheap mechanics I prefer to think of them as deliberate design choices. The ink ribbon save system specifically forces players to manage their small inventory by sometimes having to make a decision between ammunition, healing items and a means to save your progress.
The games are filled with ambushes, jump scares and a combination of action and puzzles that makes the player really have to think how to approach a situation or if they want to get involved at all. So, why then, did I choose Resident Evil 3 over any of the others? One reason. Nemesis.
Nemesis’ first appearance in Resident Evil 3 involves him murdering one of your squad mates. He then immediately moves towards you and your only real choice is to run away with your tail between your legs praying that you get away from him. Over the course of the game Nemesis will relentlessly pursue you. He can run faster than you can and he can chase you from area to area, an ability unique to him. He is also far more durable and better equipped than you will ever be. I think more than anything else his speed is the most worrying thing to me. I was used to dealing with the shambling walking dead and Nemesis’ mixed power and speed just really left me shaken. It’s also unnerving knowing that his objective is to murder you. With the zombies and other creatures they’re generally looking for food and you’re just unfortunate enough to happen to be there but Nemesis specifically wants you to die.
LSD: Dream Emulator (1998)
LSD is an absolutely bizarre experience. I’m hesitant to call it a video game because it doesn’t really have any win conditions, failure states or any form of challenge at all. I think it’s more of an interactive video experience. Either way, this is a dream journal brought to life by a team called Asmik Ace Entertainment. The journal belonged to a staff member working for the aforementioned team. The reason LSD made my list is because you literally step into the mind of another person and some of what can be seen is downright disturbing. Something about seeing someone else’s subconscious at work really freaks me out, especially when the content can be interpreted in so many different ways.
This screenshot doesn’t even scratch the surface of the oddities found within LSD, it’s just one example of how weird the aesthetics can get. The general gist of this experience requires you to go to bed where you will be transported into the dream world. Coming into contact with any object will transport you elsewhere.
If you walk to your death somehow you will instantly “wake up”. Your dreams are categorised into certain degrees of “uppers”, “downers”, “static” and “dynamic”. This can affect the outcome of the dreams later on. Exploration is the only real objective of this avant-garde journey.
I don’t want to give too much away with this game but I highly recommend checking it out. There are no jump scares (that I’m aware of) but the more time spent in this strange virtual reality, the more messed up things appear to become.