What makes horror games enjoyable? Whether it’s the adrenaline that rushes through you, or the deep feeling of paranoia that keeps you on your toes as you enter the next room, almost everyone has played a horror game or two in their life, and everyone has a reason for why they do, or don’t play horror games.
There are several types of horror games, from psychological horror like Silent Hill, or those infested with jump scares like the Five Nights At Freddy’s Series, from old (Alone In The Dark (1992)) to new (RESIDENT EVIL (2017)), there are still games out there that managed to scare the crap out of us, even if it wasn’t a horror game.
10. Call Of Duty: Black Ops III (2015)
Back in my Xbox 360 days, I was a huge fan of the Call Of Duty Series, starting with Call Of Duty: World At War. The love of the series (As much as I hate to admit) has stayed with me over the years. But after playing the campaign of Black Ops III, I felt as if the series was trying too hard to differ from the previous games.
But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good game on its own. The game actually had a decent story, but felt too rushed. The moment I absolutely enjoyed, on the other hand, was during the mission Hypocenter. Just imagine, having to investigate a distress call that came from your old team, only to discover that the place is overrun by robots who love to pop out at random, whether it’s in the flooded basement, or in narrow corridors.
The feeling of claustrophobia is pushed further when you’re cornered as horde after horde of robots try to make their way to you. And throughout the continuation of the mission is intense beyond words, along with a fantastic boss to finish the mission.
9. Bioshock Infinite (2013)
The debate of whether or not the Bioshock Series is a horror game still goes on till this day. And even though I do agree that the first two games do feel like Horror games, due to their dark, gritty feel and claustrophobic surroundings, Bioshock Infinite differed away from dark and creepy, and turned itself into a bright, beautiful, yet still creepy game.
But the real horrors come later on in the game, after your companion, Elizabeth, goes missing. Your character, DeWitt, travels to the Comstock House, only to be encountered by the most disturbing enemies in Infinite. The Boys of Silence.
The Boys of Silence are young children who wear a type of lantern helmet, emitting an ear shattering screech, alerting your presence to those around you. Though, they do not attack you, they still are a huge threat to you, and are quite annoying while also looking terrifying at the same time. Especially the jump scare you encounter after viewing a monitor.
8. Mortal Kombat 9 and X (2011 & 2015)
The Mortal Kombat Series is one of the most gruesome fighter games of all time. It was even one of the causes of the PEGI rating system you see on video game covers and trailers, and stirred quite a controversy at the time. Now, not only gamers, but almost everyone knows what Mortal Kombat is, and has probably played it before with friends.
One thing that really got gamers the most, though, was the Krypt Demon/Monster found in the Krypt, a place where you could purchase unlockable content with the points you earned in the matches. The Krypt Demon/Monster had appeared in both Mortal Kombat 9 and Mortal Kombat X, though, no one really expected the one from 2011, but still scared players with its first jump scare.
In 2015’s Mortal Kombat X, the Krypt introduced not just one jump scare, but multiple ones, such as the Krypt Spider, still scaring players with different creatures and scares. It’s best to avoid the Krypt, in my opinion.
7. Half-Life 2 (2004)
Half-Life 2 is a well known game to PC gamers, along with being known as one of the best first-person games to date. With a silent protagonist, a crowbar in one hand, and determination, the story expands past cliché, and creates a very unique experience to all players. (Along with a long wait for a third installment… Still waiting, Gabe Newell…)
Though, the game does have both action packed and creepy moments, the most haunting moment in the game, is the encounter with Ravenholm, a town infested with Headcrabs, Zombies, and a strange priest with a shotgun.
Though, not really titled as “horror”, the town and its environments do give off a feeling of being unwelcome, and manages to pop in some slight jump scares. Plus, the burning zombies still give me nightmares. Extra points for playing the audio backwards for more frights!
6. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004)
To not include Metal Gear Solid in this list is almost impossible. The series has its creepy moments, such as ghosts appearing in photos from Metal Gear Solid 2, or the creepy yet oddly amusing “Psycho-Mantis”, who read your memory card and shook your controller.
But nothing had ever compared to the enemy of Snake Eater, “The Sorrow”. From turning into a ghost, to having you “die” while screaming in agony while flashing a traumatizing image of Snake, everything about this guy just makes you want to pull the disk out and drown it in holy water.
What makes it worse, is that “The Sorrow” can bring the dead back to kill you. Why is this disturbing? He brings back the enemies you had killed before, making it very difficult if you had taken the “shoot everything first” path.
5. The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
The Legend of Zelda has really been a big part of my childhood, from learning puzzles to fighting foes, it evolved the way that gamers thought, even without having to look at Walkthroughs or hints at the game, especially at the time the original games were released.
And though, the series itself had really dark moments, nothing ever compared to the first boss encounter inside the Duku Tree. After solving puzzle after puzzle, going deeper inside of the tree, you finally come across a large arena. But no enemies in sight.
As a child, the moment I looked up to see Gohma on the ceiling staring down at me, I turned off the console and refused to play it for almost a year. All the while my Arachnophobia began to increase by each day, waiting to wake up and see Gohma about to pounce me in my bed.
4. Batman: Arkham Knight (2015)
Batman is possibly the most well-known superhero, along with being known as the most badass character to ever face Superman, it was no surprise that Mr. Wayne would get his very own game series (Looking at you Superman… Have you no shame?).
But throughout the dark and brooding games, they have always had a few jump scares or two. From Arkham City having Scarecrows boat and a hidden surprise inside, to Killer Croc’s boss battle, nothing ever compared to the most recent edition, Arkham Knight, and the Man-Bat.
The Man-Bat was originally a scientist, who had transformed himself into a large scale humanoid bat, who loves waiting for Bruce Wayne at the edge of buildings, waiting to pop out, scream in your face, and fly off.
The whole mission (Creature of the Night) is just full of creepy moments, from spotting the Man-Bat through your detective vision, or exploring the ruins of his lab, you’ll never want to grapple on rooftops again once you meet him.
3. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (2007)
With the downfall of previous Lara Croft games (before the reboot), it seemed like we would never get a good exploratory game again. Then, out from the heavens of Naughty Dog, we were given Uncharted, a game where you place as the sly, yet charming Nathan Drake, as he searches for El Dorado, in hopes of discovering more of his ancestors true past.
The game itself had amazing moments, along with unbelievably fast paced action moments, a handful of classic puzzles, and something totally unexpected in the ruins. Towards the end of the game, Nathan Drake discovers creatures known as the Descendants, zombie-like creatures who are just dying to tear you apart.
The moment had scared players, yet caused them to fight to save the rest of their team, rushing adrenaline through the veins of those who want to fight their way to victory.
2. Super Mario 64 (1997)
Before I continue, let me explain why this moment scared me. I was five when I was given my first Nintendo 64, which was passed down from my older brother. The first game he had given me, was Super Mario 64.
I was raised on Super Mario, and Super Mario World was actually among the very first games I had ever played. So, being as psyched as I was, I did not hesitate as I rushed off to play my new game. And I spent days on it. But when I had encountered the Piano Room, I never thought much of it.
Then suddenly, piano comes alive and chases me around as I scream and cry, completely terrified. I have never trusted a Mario game after that.
1. Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
Halo was a game that changed First-Person Shooters completely. Whether it’s the design, characters, weaponry or story, the game made itself the most unique shooter of its time, and still manages to release ground breaking games.
But there were moments that did creep out players, and one moment that kept players on their feet. The Flood. After seeing a strange and disturbing clip of the team before being killed by strange beings, The Flood begin. Keeping you on your feet as you fight wave after wave of parasites and infected, and much like a previous entry on our list, they keep coming, trying their best to get to you.
While counting down the top 10 most unexpected horror moments, we have encountered killer robots, screaming children, zombies, humanoid bats, and the Flood. If you enjoyed this list, then check out GameSkinny for more hit news, lists, and reviews of everything gaming!
Published: Oct 17, 2016 03:13 pm