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Games that scare

tnw

Banned
I was playing though SNES shadowrun last night, and I got to a point where I just had to take a break. Something about the atmosphere of the game just really freaks me out. I can only play it in small doses.

Any games do this to you? Obviously Resident Evil did, but let's think of some others.
 
A couple parts of Eternal Darkness freaked me out to the point where I couldn't keep playing it.

Most notably, those things that burrowed into your chest and made you their suit disturbed me so much that I quit playing for like a month. Don't know if I was overreacting or not. But dang. Especially when it was dark and you couldn't see them until they were really close and you heard the bone-crunching.

Resident Evil never really did it for me, oddly enough.
 

VOOK

We don't know why he keeps buying PAL, either.
Far Cry Vengeance, after I played it I was not the same.
 

Blackace

if you see me in a fight with a bear, don't help me fool, help the bear!
Aristotlekh said:
A couple parts of Eternal Darkness freaked me out to the point where I couldn't keep playing it.

Most notably, those things that burrowed into your chest and made you their suit disturbed me so much that I quit playing for like a month. Don't know if I was overreacting or not. But dang. Especially when it was dark and you couldn't see them until they were really close and you heard the bone-crunching.

Resident Evil never really did it for me, oddly enough.

the bathtub scene freaked me out...

I am going to have to go with Siren.. god I hate that sound as well..

and Call of Cthulhu
 

GhaleonEB

Member
There are some sequences in the first Halo that scared the hell out of me. Spoilerz!
The entire 343 Guilty Spark level is still terrifying to me. There's a very, very long build up - you know something is wrong. The mood is creepy, there's blood splattered everywhere, some guy has gone batshit insane babbling about monsters, and then the cinematic where the Flood come out.
I played that sequence in broad daylight and I was terrified. To this day, the memory of that first playthrough is enough to get me jittery.
 

pubba

Member
Sgt. Killjoy said:
beat me to it

Me too..

The first and only game to scare me enough to force me into playing it in small bouts. Fantastic atmosphere and sound design. Hope they make a sequel :)
 
GhaleonEB said:
There are some sequences in the first Halo that scared the hell out of me. Spoilerz!
The entire 343 Guilty Spark level is still terrifying to me. There's a very, very long build up - you know something is wrong. The mood is creepy, there's blood splattered everywhere, some guy has gone batshit insane babbling about monsters, and then the cinematic where the Flood come out.
I played that sequence in broad daylight and I was terrified. To this day, the memory of that first playthrough is enough to get me jittery.

Awesome moment/level.

Also select parts in Shenmue II in the Yellow Head Bldg.
 

Sinatar

Official GAF Bottom Feeder
System Shock 2 scared the ever loving shit out of me. Still does when I replay it.

Condemned is a good choice as well. Really those are the only 2 games to really freak me out, though Condemned was more jump scares whereas SS2 was just all around terrifying.
 

Kevtones

Member
Blackace said:
Call of Cthulhu

The hotel scene when you wake up to the banging on your door is awesome. Definitely one of the most intense moments I've ever experienced in gaming. Game kicks ass.
 

SumGamer

Member
Silent Hill .... its under the car!!!! *runs away*
Although its hard to decide if Fatal Frame freaks me out even more. I can still see the damn kid in my head.
 
I can't play silent hill games because they freak me out way too much. I played and beat the first one and almost finished 2 but got to a point where pyramid head was chasing me in some house and never played another SH again.
 
the game that scared me most that i actually played through to the end was condemned. first off what an awesome game, but christ some of the levels were just freaky. and not the exhilerating resident evil type where bam something pops out and you gun it down. i genuinely didn't want to play through some levels of condemned (the freaking mall with the manequins, the school, etc) but at the end it was awesome. can't wait for the sequel.

also flashback or whatever that game was on genesis/sega cd (can't remember) scared me when those ****ing black blob lions came after you. dammit!

p.s. don't get me started on fatal frame. i honestly made it through about 45 minutes of fatal frame 1 on ps2 and stopped it right there. i can deal with a decent amount of scares, but not the kind of crap that game was pulling.
 
Silent Hill 2. At that time no other game had me so immersed in it's atmosphere. I'd always loved horror films and scary stories, and SH 1 was VERY freaky and very unique in it's day, but I was so intrigued by SH2's story, and so impressed with how skillfully Team Silent created James' mystery, the other characters, Mary and Maria, the whole sense of misery and dread, I got so wrapped up in their F'd up world that I really feared opening doors in the hospital and walking through the prison. Wow.

So many games are just fetch quests dressed up in particle effects, a few fun gaming mechanics and a tacked on story, but SH2 did everything right. And I met it halfway too, only playing alone at night with the lights out and headphones. I've never had so much fun being scared.

Siren did a lot of things right, but they had some pretty broken controls, and that took some of the fun away.

Fatal Frame 1/2; definitely!
 

{Mike}

Banned
I'll try and be original

Phantasmagoria_box.jpg
 
FrenchMovieTheme said:
in that case add Lost Planet for me :D
Wow, seriously? I'm so in love with Lost Planet, I can't believe how great it's setting is. The story is "what what what what", especially the ending, but I can't imagine ever feeling odd playing it.

God damn I love Lost Planet --anyone doing the all-nighter on XBL this Friday?
 

xsarien

daedsiluap
Either I'm old, or the lot of you were just never into PC gaming.

The 7th Guest was pretty unsettling to play in a darkened room, and Gabriel Knight 1 with the lights dimmed gained a whole new level of atmosphere.

Phantasmagoria made me jump a few times, but I was often too busy bitching about how Roberta Williams was claiming how awesome her story was when it was just the bastard child of The Amityville Horror and The Shining.
 

Galactic Fork

A little fluff between the ears never did any harm...
Saint Francis said:
Siren did a lot of things right, but they had some pretty broken controls, and that took some of the fun away.

I think Siren had a lot more going against it than that for me. Things like the plot tree, the giant MISSION COMPLETE! at the end of each plot point, and the general trial and error game play took sooo much of the tension away from me.
 

{Mike}

Banned
GreenGlowingGoo said:
I think Siren had a lot more going against it than that for me. Things like the plot tree, the giant MISSION COMPLETE! at the end of each plot point, and the general trial and error game play took sooo much of the tension away from me.

Siren II is appearently pretty good. Can't find a copy anywhere though
 

Galactic Fork

A little fluff between the ears never did any harm...
I really need to get Fatal Frame one day. I don't know how I've gone this long and never played any of them.
 

White Man

Member
That recent Call of Cthulhu game is pretty much an excellent first effort. Is that studio going to get to do another game? Mind you, it wasn't perfect, but they nailed the atmosphere, which is probably just about the most important thing when making a Lovecraft game.
 

mikeGFG

Banned
Kevtones said:
The hotel scene when you wake up to the banging on your door is awesome. Definitely one of the most intense moments I've ever experienced in gaming. Game kicks ass.

Holy shit. YES.

Call of Cthulhu is the ONLY game that I've ever pussied out of. That scene and "Mommy in the Attic" were far too vivid and intense for me.

Usually I wont admit to that kind of thing, but it's only because the game's atmosphere and direction were so masterfully executed. I'm hoping the read is a less nerve-wracking experience. :lol
 

{Mike}

Banned
Mike G.E.D. said:
Holy shit. YES.

Call of Cthulhu is the ONLY game that I've ever pussied out of. That scene and "Mommy in the Attic" were far too vivid and intense for me.

Usually I wont admit to that kind of thing, but it's only because the game's atmosphere and direction were so masterfully executed. I'm hoping the read is a less nerve-wracking experience. :lol

In fact its worse. The Blood of virgins was supposely infused in the book
 
GreenGlowingGoo said:
I think Siren had a lot more going against it than that for me. Things like the plot tree, the giant MISSION COMPLETE! at the end of each plot point, and the general trial and error game play took sooo much of the tension away from me.


I agree, that's true, But I did love the freaky art design and the whole seeing yourself being stalked thing, never could finish it cause it never compelled me to.

I'd like to know if siren 2 is available in the US. I'm always willing to give it a shot.
 
Loads of games terrify me. Films and books have never really scared me, but games can do it easily. Any survival horror game, or any game with a menacing atmosphere, is guaranteed to have me crapping my pants.


GhaleonEB said:
There are some sequences in the first Halo that scared the hell out of me. Spoilerz!
The entire 343 Guilty Spark level is still terrifying to me. There's a very, very long build up - you know something is wrong. The mood is creepy, there's blood splattered everywhere, some guy has gone batshit insane babbling about monsters, and then the cinematic where the Flood come out.
I played that sequence in broad daylight and I was terrified. To this day, the memory of that first playthrough is enough to get me jittery.

I'm just playing through Halo for the first time now, and man that part scared the shit out of me.
 
GreenGlowingGoo said:
I really need to get Fatal Frame one day. I don't know how I've gone this long and never played any of them.

I recommend BOTH Fatal Frames (1&2, I never got the 3rd one). great atmosphere, fun game mechanic with the Spirit Camera, and lots of good suspense. A little heavy on the back tracking, but not a deal-breaker for me. get 'em used at Gamestop/Eb for pretty cheap these days.
 

Kevtones

Member
Mike G.E.D. said:
Holy shit. YES.

Call of Cthulhu is the ONLY game that I've ever pussied out of. That scene and "Mommy in the Attic" were far too vivid and intense for me.

Usually I wont admit to that kind of thing, but it's only because the game's atmosphere and direction were so masterfully executed. I'm hoping the read is a less nerve-wracking experience. :lol


I had some friends come over to watch a movie the night I was playing that part and even after they arrived, we didn't start watching movies for about an hour. They were all glued because that scene is so utterly intense. Too bad more people didn't play it :(
 
Condemned got me a few times, as did C of C, Silent Hill, etc.

I still count the first encounter with regenerators in RE4 as the scariest moment in gaming for me. I was tense as hell.
 

Blackace

if you see me in a fight with a bear, don't help me fool, help the bear!
Mike G.E.D. said:
Holy shit. YES.

Call of Cthulhu is the ONLY game that I've ever pussied out of. That scene and "Mommy in the Attic" were far too vivid and intense for me.

Usually I wont admit to that kind of thing, but it's only because the game's atmosphere and direction were so masterfully executed. I'm hoping the read is a less nerve-wracking experience. :lol

shoot you made it farther than me...couldn't hang
 
Doom 3 was a nice scary at the beginning, lack of ammo and monsters breaking things and sneaking out at you. By the time you get to hell it's just a shooter.

Condemned is a great game for scares, it took me ages just to beat its demo.
 

alistairw

Just so you know, I have the best avatars ever.
I've never finished Fatal Frame 2, simply because I'm immensely weak when it comes to that sort of quiet unease. I need someone in the room with me. It's pretty pathetic.

Sanitarium scared the living hell out of me too.
 

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
White Man said:
That recent Call of Cthulhu game is pretty much an excellent first effort. Is that studio going to get to do another game? Mind you, it wasn't perfect, but they nailed the atmosphere, which is probably just about the most important thing when making a Lovecraft game.
Unfortunately Headfirst is dead and buried, they went bankrupt before the game shipped :_(

It is a damn shame, CoT is the best Lovecraft games in ages. It is true that it turned into an action game near the end, but it got the atmosphere and the mythos like no other. The hotel scene was particulary terrifying and stressing, it really captured the essence of The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

Definitely one of the best games no one played and an all time personal favorite.
 

{Mike}

Banned
alistairw said:
I've never finished Fatal Frame 2, simply because I'm immensely weak when it comes to that sort of quiet unease. I need someone in the room with me. It's pretty pathetic.

Sanitarium scared the living hell out of me too.

Approved
 
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