Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Scariest Game
sanitysend
Member Posts: 123
Simple question: What is the scariest game (games?) you have ever played and what made them so scary? Was it jump scares, slashers, gore, psychological, or just the general atmosphere?
I only ask because I'm playing through Silent Hill: Shattered Memories on the Wii and while it isn't exactly "scary" it does nail a pretty unnerving atmosphere. I just think it needs danger to not be as predictable (monsters only appear when the world freezes over).
/discuss 
Wildstar:
Phantazm, Pago(PvP), Exiles
Guild: Socks with Sandals
Playing: Wildstar
Retired/Tried: DCUO. The Secret World, Darkfall UW, Darkfall, Mortal Online, DDO, Rift, Fallen Earth, Aion, APB, EQ, EQ2, PoTBS, WoW, WAR, SWG, CoX, Vangaurd, CO, GW, EVE, DAoC, LotRO, SW:ToR, GW2, Dragon Nest
Comments
The scariest game I can remember that I've played recently was Dead Space, on the PC. I played it in a dark room, with high quality sound on my headset and at night. The game itself set an incredible ambiance with subtle (and not so subtle) changes in scenery and good use of startle horror.
I try to get into whatever game I'm playing and really be absorbed into the atmosphere, and this game had no shortage of it. I'm anxiously awaiting the second.
Dead Space gets my vote also.
I even purchased a Nintendo Wii just so I could play Dead Space Extraction.
Can't wait for DS2.
I did love Dead Space, i got it the day it came out and powered through it. Definately caused some big jumps =P
I should pick up extraction, i bought this Wii and I'm not to sure why, I had already sold my old one. Hopefully I'll find something worth while with some of the ligh gun games and other random stuff.
So what else besides Dead Space?
Wildstar:
Phantazm, Pago(PvP), Exiles
Guild: Socks with Sandals
Playing: Wildstar
Retired/Tried: DCUO. The Secret World, Darkfall UW, Darkfall, Mortal Online, DDO, Rift, Fallen Earth, Aion, APB, EQ, EQ2, PoTBS, WoW, WAR, SWG, CoX, Vangaurd, CO, GW, EVE, DAoC, LotRO, SW:ToR, GW2, Dragon Nest
I like scary games but there are two moments that stand out in my memory because they were the only times playing a game where I simply flat out screamed in terror. As such, I have difficulty not giving them the nod as the scariest games I've ever played.
The first - playing the original AvP as the marine. It was incredibly unnerving to begin with; long corridors, sporadic alien attacks, but mostly just the incessant pinging of that damn motion tracker. The room was pitch, I mean pitch black, I could only navigate it with the night-vision, but I couldn't see the enemy my motion tracker was adamantly declared directly in front of me and closing quickly. I began to spin wildly, firing at any object in the room, shooting grenades at the ceiling, but it wasn't until a face-hugger leapt up to cover the entire screen that I found the source of the motion - and let loose with a complete howl of terror as I imagined its slimly little feeding tube descending into my mouth.
The second - when I was trying to navigate through an air-duct in F.E.A.R., only to have Alma materialize a few feet in front of me and quickly crawling closer. That game took a bit of a "battle of attrition" approach with my fear and the mounting Alma moments, but that one time in the duct left my throat sore and my gun curiously in need of reloading.
The morning sun has vanquished the horrible night.
Oh i completely forgot about F.E.A.R.....
That has to be the only game I've ever played that physically made me turn my character around and run and hide, not out of being bested by a stronger adversary, but because i was so damn scared... I remember the demo, when the room turned to blood and alma materialized on the ceiling... I damn near cried lmao...
Wildstar:
Phantazm, Pago(PvP), Exiles
Guild: Socks with Sandals
Playing: Wildstar
Retired/Tried: DCUO. The Secret World, Darkfall UW, Darkfall, Mortal Online, DDO, Rift, Fallen Earth, Aion, APB, EQ, EQ2, PoTBS, WoW, WAR, SWG, CoX, Vangaurd, CO, GW, EVE, DAoC, LotRO, SW:ToR, GW2, Dragon Nest
even today it take a good computer to run it if you want to max it!
silent hill 1, or fatal frame. the 2 scariest games ever created imo. dead space was hella creepy, but it didnt come close to those 2 games. silent hill 2 and 3 also go back and forth for another great horror game.
in order it would be
1)silent hill
2) fatal frame (didnt play either, but that was only because they were hard to get ahold of. but from my readings 1 is better than 2)
3)silent hill 2/3 ( cant decide which was better)
4) dead space
i didnt list resident evil series because, they just werent that scary to me.
I think the most scariest for me is the Penumbra series. Much of it has to do with the great music and atmospheric sound. The graphics are pretty good too. The game plays like the old classic horror for me, keeping you filled with tension until your nerves are strung out, ready to snap. I can hardly wait for Frictional's next game Amnesia to come out soon, looks fantastic.
Archlinux ftw
If you like Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, get Silent Hill 2 (ps2/xbox/pc) it is far more deep, atmospheric, mature and darker than Shattered Memories, Silent Hill 2 is the best Silent Hill and probably one of the best Survival Horrors ever made.
Siren: Blood Curse (PS3) is another great horror game, it is a remake of the original Siren, created by the original Silent Hill "team". It is less deep and emotional than Silent Hill but more focused on pure horror and despair.
Games like F.E.A.R and Dead Space are much more of an action game with horror theme, just an evolution of Doom 3, they are not exacly terrifying and atmospheric like Silent Hill and Siren. In games like Dead Space and F.E.A.R, just like the last Resident Evil, you don't need to fear anything, you have more guns than Rambo and the focus of these games is the shooting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VXouaScN00 Siren: Blood Curse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tysvNGGFN3M&feature=fvst Silent Hill 2
Penumbra had it's moments. I just beaten all 3 and it was fun. Overture was the better of the 3 I thought. Penumbra was witty fun also and not truely a full scary game.
I would say my scariest game to date was DOOM 3, played it max settings like 4 yrs ago and it was late in evening like 3am with headphones on. That was a scary Fkn game haha.
I'm a huge SH fan, but I think that the 4th version, "the room", was the scariest one of all. This is because Walter Sullivan (the main antagonist) and a number of ghosts will follow you everywhere and cannot be truly killed. You get 5 swords to pin them to the ground with, the ghosts that is, but there are far more ghosts than swords - so you have figure on which one will do the least damage while you explore. It wasn't the best SH by far, but the unkillable forces in it made the game scarier than all hell. I just hope they do not go the same route again, because it was a pain in the ass overall.
Siren does the same thing, but to an extent that drove me crazy. I stopped playing in the second part of the first game, where you have to escort some dumb broad while packing a handgun... that does nothing against the unkillable zombie sniper when he is perched. Scary game, yes, but more annoying than scary.
Writer / Musician / Game Designer
Now Playing: Skyrim, Wurm Online, Tropico 4
Waiting On: GW2, TSW, Archeage, The Rapture
Silent Hill 3 is visualy more appealing, it has more straightforward horror than Silent Hill 2, it has also more gore.
But Silent Hill 2 is much more mature, all the feelings James has towards his dead wife, the guilt related to her death and sexual frustration he felt (expressed in some of the game creatures) because of her illness are some of the details that make Silent Hill 2 the most emotionally mature game ever made. All the themes behind the horror of Silent Hill 2 are so rare in video games that I really think it is a superior game than Silent Hill 3.
The ending in Silent Hill 2 is also "unique" and very, very expressive.
Anyway, Siren: Blood Curse, Silent Hill 2 and 3 are all fantastic horror games, but I think S.H.2 is indeed "special".
Silent Hill 4 is worse than SH2-3 and Siren but it is also an interesting horror game, the first Silent Hill is great but unfortunately too dated for today.
I would have to say either Fatal Frame 1-3 or condemned. Actually I'll go with the first condemned. The atmosphere in that game even though it wasn't all that scary made you really feel like something could happen at any point. The fact that it wasn't just monsters that were trying to kill you, it was pretty much anything, and all you have to use is small amounts of ammo and anything you can grab. Confined areas, and very well paced horror made this probably one of the creepiest/scariest games I have ever played.
You should try "Blood Curse", It is a remake based on the first Siren but with far better audio, graphics and gameplay. The original was indeed frustrating and had a bad voice acting, the PS3 ramake fixed these "issues".
Quoted for truth!
I can't stand Penumbra just because it gets me so scarred. I simultaneously love it and never want to play it again. It's all about the atmosphere and the helplessness.
The Clock Tower series for sure
Oh I have played all the Silent Hill games up too Shattered Memories, and I think 2 towers above the rest of them. I am enjoying the helplessness you feel in Shattered due to the inability to defend yourself... running is the only option.
Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason had an incredibly creepy atmoshpere (a destroyed, seemingly abandoned ship that is completely frozen over), although the game itself was not frightening.
What about The Suffering? Anyone play that series? Kind of scared the piss out of me at parts! =]
Wildstar:
Phantazm, Pago(PvP), Exiles
Guild: Socks with Sandals
Playing: Wildstar
Retired/Tried: DCUO. The Secret World, Darkfall UW, Darkfall, Mortal Online, DDO, Rift, Fallen Earth, Aion, APB, EQ, EQ2, PoTBS, WoW, WAR, SWG, CoX, Vangaurd, CO, GW, EVE, DAoC, LotRO, SW:ToR, GW2, Dragon Nest
The Suffering was awesome, but scary?... naw. It can't hold a candle to some because the main character is far and above any monster in the game. I loved the monster designs themselves, but they were simply not scary when you could bust into demon form and wipe the floors with them. Helplessness, as stated above, ties in greatly to the fear level.
Manhunt was scarier than the suffering, and featured zero unexplainable supernatural entities or "boo!" segments.
Writer / Musician / Game Designer
Now Playing: Skyrim, Wurm Online, Tropico 4
Waiting On: GW2, TSW, Archeage, The Rapture
Manhunt 1 was, they butchered the atmosphere pretty good in the sequel
System Shock 2 was a pretty creepy one as well...
Wildstar:
Phantazm, Pago(PvP), Exiles
Guild: Socks with Sandals
Playing: Wildstar
Retired/Tried: DCUO. The Secret World, Darkfall UW, Darkfall, Mortal Online, DDO, Rift, Fallen Earth, Aion, APB, EQ, EQ2, PoTBS, WoW, WAR, SWG, CoX, Vangaurd, CO, GW, EVE, DAoC, LotRO, SW:ToR, GW2, Dragon Nest
i think clock tower and play it on sorround sound^_^
Most disappointing 40$ spent on that one, ever.
The moment I did a tier-3 kill and the screen flooded with colors to disguise it is when I went back for my monay.
Writer / Musician / Game Designer
Now Playing: Skyrim, Wurm Online, Tropico 4
Waiting On: GW2, TSW, Archeage, The Rapture
There is not one person out ther who played resident evil on playstation back in 1996-1997, when you enter the house and you walk down the halway opposite of the zombie that is in the closet, when the damned dogs jumped out of the window. I was playing ansd there was a room full of people like 10-11, (group home) and everyone jumped out of their seats and was scared shitless.
The RE dog-window has been played to death by now. Yes, it got me good back then, but it's like the scene in Friday the 13th where Johnny Depp is yanked through the bed and his blood hits zero-gravity. It's awesome, but has lost it's punch because of the oversaturation.
Plus it was the only scare of it's kind throughout the rest of the game, so a single moment doesn't really put the rest on a pedestal. Plus (again), if you ask me, dealing with hunters on a regular basis halfway through the game was far more scary - because they were hard as nails, and you just didn't want to have to deal with em.
Writer / Musician / Game Designer
Now Playing: Skyrim, Wurm Online, Tropico 4
Waiting On: GW2, TSW, Archeage, The Rapture
Cryostasis, just the atmosphere made me freak out lol
i hate scary games ;p
Well, let's see.
The aforementioned moment in FEAR where Alma appears in the vent and comes after you practically made me crap myself. I have to say I took a nice, long break from the game after that. A few years, in fact lol.
Dead Space was pretty damn creepy overall, but the very first regenerator necromorph encounter really did it for me. You just chop it apart time and time again, and it just keeps getting back up. Forever. Blow its arms, legs, and head off, doesn't matter. Run away and block the route so it can't follow, pfft. It'll just pop out of an air duct in front of you. It was the Jason Voorhees of Dead Space. My nerves were so shot after that sequence I could barely pour a tumbler of whiskey to calm myself.
The absolute creepiest overall game must however be Alone in the Dark. Not the crappy remake, the original with the horrible 3d graphics. The whole thing just reeked of atmosphere, with Lovecraftian horrors lurking around every corner. The backgrounds and music were some of the best I've seen, and really set the mood. Every second of that game was spent trying to keep my heart rate down and think rationally. Absolutely amazing.
It's a damn shame they couldn't just remake the original instead of turning it into some idiotic FPS in New York. I'd love to get my hands on the moron who made that decision. And Uwe Boll for making that Godawful festering shitpile of a movie. Grrr....