There is going to be some pretty extreme controversy over this one from the underworld of cyber-nerds, so I’m already hesitating to post this. Of course referring to them as cyber-nerds certainly didn’t help. Who am I to judge though? I’m writing this while I wait for my PS3 to load since I’ve already beaten every computer game I own. Get ready for the Top 10 Scariest Video Games to Play Today right after one more introductory paragraph.
Everyone has played at least one of the games on this list before in their life. Maybe not every day though. Occasionally going outside for oxygen and some sun can be beneficial so you don’t end up looking like one of the Pale Kids from Recess. Or so I’ve read online. Still, these are games that we are all familiar with either because they are damn fun to play or because they are beyond terrifying. Before you read this list though, I want to make one point very clear. I’m comparing apples to oranges with this one. A game from 20 years ago that was revolutionary and absolutely terrifying for its time does not stand up to something that was released 3 weeks ago. I’m basing this list on “If you were going to play this game right now. Today. Which one would be scarier?” Obviously, you can’t have a modern day game without it following (copying) its predecessor, but a game from the late 1990’s isn’t as scary as one from 2012 for a multitude of reasons. So, without further ado, let the controversy begin with the list of Top 10 Scariest Video Games to Play Today.
10. Donkey Kong 64 – The game itself is actually pretty good. You go around collecting bananas and whatever else you feel like doing because you eventually have to go beat King K. Rool in a boxing match. Because that makes the most sense. Along the way, however, you encounter two of the scariest bosses I have ever seen in my life. The first: an evil clown that lives in giant jack-in-the-box. Extremely similar looking to IT (while still maintaining that this is a supposed to be a kids game) he laughs maniacally as he attempts to crush you. To make matters worse, you are playing as a tiny ape with blonde pigtails. You never stood a chance. The second enemy is a creature from the black lagoon. Quite literally. It’s this puffer fish that becomes visible once the light on your small boat starts working again and can expose the eyes that are staring at you from the deep waters.
9. Heretic – A game that a lot of people have never heard of. Perhaps because it’s nearly two decades old…but it’s still fun to play today. The game itself is basically just DOOM, but let’s leave the nitpicking aside and consider what makes the game scary. First of all, there is atmosphere of the game itself. Compared to games that were released last week or last year, there is something odd about the feel of this game. The pixilated enemies, the walls with no dimensions or shadows and the ceilings that aim to crush you at any given moment all seem to add to a common theme which is helplessness. The game itself seems so primitive that you feel almost trapped from the moment you start playing. Some highlights include mummies with movements that just don’t seem natural, ghostly faces that come straight at you, an axe-wielding executioner, and large skulls that chase you down.
8. Star Fox 64 – For one reason and one reason only: Andross. When you fight that gigantic head with hands that turns into a skull, you can’t help but want to shut off the game and cry. Not to mention, prior to being face-to-face with him, he says things like “You will die…Just like your father” which on its own is as depressing as it morbidly terrifying. And he’s supposed to be somebody’s uncle! The other enemies aren’t exactly rainbows and unicorns either. A lava monster, a man that dies due to a train crash, this weird skeleton looking plant thing and a robot that wants to kill. Then, of course, there is Slippy.
7. COD – Let me be clear, this is NOT about the campaign or online game play about war itself. Yes, that can be pretty scary (Just watch Saving Private Ryan) due to the extreme levels of violence, but I’m talking about one particular add-on to the game. The little part with the zombies. Yes, zombies. A craze that has infested the nation (awesome wordplay, I know) and is featured in almost every new movie, game, or TV show. The game features you in a boarded up building with zombies pushing to get inside. And let me tell you, those boards don’t stay up for very long. Within minutes, you are overwhelmed with dozens of zombies that surround you and…Well, you know how it ends.
6. Resident Evil – Survival Horror games have been around since gaming first took off several decades ago. None are more prominent than Resident Evil. The movie(s) was pretty good. The first one came out around the time when movies like Cabin Fever, Carrie and The Ring were also released so the movie wasn’t able to take the foreground that it might have deserved. The movies then (ironically) took away the stardom from the video games that came out nearly 10 years prior. The video games started a trend of horror-based gaming that continues through today ( See #1) and have no intention of going anywhere. The game play itself features an infestation of zombie-like creatures that surround and attack the main character. Once you run out of bullets, you’re as good as dead.
5. Silent Hill – It’s basically just a horror movie. That you play and are a part of. Another great example of how a Survival Horror game influenced so many of the great games today. You aren’t playing as a military-trained assassin or someone who was even prepared to face the evil before you. You are simply playing as an average Joe (well, actually your name is Harry) who has to figure out how to survive as he searches for his daughter. In a town where everything seems to be lost, things only get creepier. You wander around aimlessly trying to find out answers to questions that no one wants to answer. The music is creepy, but you prefer it over the utter silence that sometimes occurs. All around, this game leaves you shuddering and wishing you never turned it on.
4. Left 4 Dead – One of the great zombie games out there. In a world surrounded by cheap knock-offs and poorly developed concepts that were only thrown out there to jump on the bandwagon, this is a great game that shines above the rest. A truly chilling game though. Consider the cover of the game itself: a hand, missing a thumb. Already chilling even before you put the disc in. Once you are playing, there are zombies everywhere. Some noteworthy zombies are the ones that spit a disgusting bile at you and one zombie that pulls you in with tongues; dragging you across the floor so you can meet your demise. Then, of course, there is the witch. The seemingly harmless sound of what appears to be a little girl crying. It gets louder the closer you get to her until you see her huddled in the corner of a dark room. By then, it’s too late and she lets out a truly bone-chilling scream.
3. Dead Island – First of all, this is a great game. Really great. Though there is a lot of overlap with L4D, this game has a great story line and sucks you in for hours at a time. That is, if you don’t mind bloodthirsty zombies sprinting at you, trying to claw at your flesh. Some of the zombies let out a piercing scream before they run at you. Consider it a courtesy before they attempt to rip your organs out. While others simply walk towards you with these tumors pulsating, bulging out of their skin as they whisper “help…me…” When you hear a zombie scream but can’t see where it’s coming from, you know you have a problem. You spin around to find that it is RIGHT THERE, teeth exposed, looking at you right in the eyes. Try playing this one alone at night with headphones on.
2. BioShock – Very similar to L4D and Dead Island but with a twist that is absolutely unique and original. It takes place in a futuristic, underwater city in the 1960’s. Yes, a futuristic civilization from 50 years ago. The music adds an element of creepiness that can’t even be described through simple blogging. Hearing one of the male “zombies” singing softly to himself, or a female “creature” whispering to what you would expect to be her child, are two examples of things that make this game beyond terrifying. Listening to a tape recording of someone being eaten alive or seeing someone being torn apart by these “monsters” right in front of you also tops the list. The reason why I keep referring to the enemies with parentheses is because I’m not 100% sure how to categorize them, to be honest. They don’t exactly fit under the realm of zombies but they certainly aren’t humans. I blame Andrew Ryan and Plasmids for this one.
1. Dead Space – Just so eerie. The concept of walking around a spaceship deep within the unknown that is outer space on its own is scary. You wander this seemingly abandoned ship- with blood-soaked walls and floors that you were sent to explore and end of having to fight these creatures that spawn out of nowhere. All of the cut scenes that display images like friends being attacked by said creatures or just seeing people on the verge of becoming infected or dismembered. This game is one of the few out there that was designed to scare. The level of gore is second to none. A great game, sure, but the primary focus was on the horror itself.
Editors Note: Forget everything. This is the #1 Scariest Game:
1. Five Nights at Freddy’s – Drop everything you are doing and go play with these Chuck E. Cheese rejects. The concept of the game is you are one singular person in a tiny room responsible for ensuring the animatronic creatures that come to life at night do not kill you. In order to accomplish this, you need to monitor the cameras, close the doors when needed and listen to the sounds of breathing and movement coming from throughout the facility in order to know when to hide. It’s the perfect blend of jump scares, creepy music and cutesy critters who don’t like being watched. Play this game!
And that was the list of the Top 10 Scariest Video Games to Play Today. Disagree with me? Let me know why either via email or you can publicly call me out.
