Best Horror games you've ever played

[Major_Blackhart]

Resident Evil 1
-When this first came out, me and my buddy played it in the middle of the night with surround sound and the lights off. It fucked us up pretty badly. Plus, the music was fucking phenomenal and incredibly atmospheric. The whole setting just drew you in. Even though the voice acting sucked, the game was still great, simply because there wasn't enough voice acting to really distract you from the terror.
Clive Barker's Undying
-The setting was amazing. It was the first true period piece I had played, not counting the crap WW2 sims that are everywhere since saving ryans privates. The story was great, the little tidbits here and there with the seeing stone were fucking creepy as all hell. Gradually, the game slowly got less and less scary though. But still, it was fucking amazing all the way through (especially Aaron). The voice acting was top notch, and probably the most messed up shit was hearing past conversations between the family members and what not (Ambrose beating his father to death, Aaron yelling at Jeremiah, everything). Overall, a great work, and it truly saddens me that his latest piece, Jericho, was no where near as good. I'd honestly have preferred something akin to a slower type of game like the first one, to allow you to get to know the characters and feel closer to them, etc, etc, and to allow for more horror.

One thing about Resident evil series: the latest one was not really scary, just adrenaline pumping and intense as all fuck. 2nd one was good (if not great) but not scary. Neither were any of the later ones before 4. Anyway, that's about it, not counting Oblivion and FO3. THose aren't so much scary though as just so horrifyingly bad that I'll hang myself. Anyway, bang out the scariest games you've ever played. (The shit that made you jump in the night). I'd put Doom III on the list, but lets face it, it didn't really scare anyone.

 

[Lyric Suite]

The Cathedral level from Thief > all.

 

[kingcomrade]

I'd put Doom III on the list, but lets face it, it didn't really scare anyone.

It scared me. How could the company that made the original Doom and the Quakes have fallen so far so fast?

 

[Astromarine]

Project Zero is the scariest game of all time. I also played Silent Hill 2, but Project Zero beat it hands down. (I think yanks call it Fatal Frame)

 

[coaster]

-Silent Hill (original & 4 scared me most of the four games - I know 4 is a controversial choice, I hated those fucking unbeatable ghosts, but the part in the room itself was very well done)

-I'll second Clive Barker's Undying, and agree the first part is the best/scariest

-Doom 3 and FEAR made me jump a few times, but the overall atmosphere wasn't that creepy - in the latter, the "static" effect was basically an early warning for Alma showing up, which took a lot of the scare out of it. Besides she was a fucking cheap Sadako rip off (see also Silent Hill 4 ghosts)

-the usual honorable mentions go to Thief 3 cradle level & Bloodlines: Oceanside hotel

-changing genres - I found Sanitarium to be very sinister in parts (eg. the bit where all the adults had vanished & the kids became deformed). I'd actually like some suggestions for other horror type adventure games - has anyone played Scratches?

 

[frantic defenestration]

Ecstatica, with that demon fucker popping up from every corner and the fact that you can't kill him and forced to run and hide.
Add to this a scary medievil atmosphere, some claustraphobia overtures, naked lady with goat legs following you playing hypnotic melody and you bet you have classy bonkers horror package right there.
Nice touch was a necessity to slaughter a whole church of monks to get their relic though they did you nothing but help. I love killing monks, never fails to make my day.
Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion
I still remember how I hided under table crying, soiling myself when poor Dave was unfortunate to get a knife between his eyes, ruined my childhood it did.


I'm SO COOL! YAY !

 

[Micmu]

- Silent Hill (played all of them, 1 being the best, IMHO).
Had a lot of "AAAH!!" moments playing these when something creepy caught me off-guard.

- Alone in The Dark 1
I know, it isn't really that scary as SH, but I was much younger back then. I liked those deadly ghosts (composed of rotating circles, with a creepy sound effect) coming after you if you fiddled with something you shouldn't. That worm in the basement was also one badass mofo.

Also, I had some "twitches" on my chair playing Bloodlines' hotel, too, but that's just a minor part of the game.

 

[SuicideBunny]

i second alone in the dark and silent hill 1, which i managed to start playing with lights off, alone, and during a stormy night. didn't touch the game for a week after the alley scene right at the start.

rule of rose was scary in a psychotic kind of way, though some of its scariness comes from the unbelievably terrific controls. wheee! dead. again! dead.

phantasmagoria was somewhat disturbing and nice.

undying wasn't really scary, but it had that nice creepy atmosphere, especially with the way how that true sight ability worked.

also, i recall playing some wild west horror adventure which was really disturbing.. you had to make your won silver bullets, it did have some really disturbing child monsters, and seemed nice, but i only rented it and forgot about it afterwards.. dang it.. anyone remember something like that?

 

[Cthulhugoat]

also, i recall playing some wild west horror adventure which was really disturbing.. you had to make your won silver bullets, it did have some really disturbing child monsters, and seemed nice, but i only rented it and forgot about it afterwards.. dang it.. anyone remember something like that?

http://www.mobygames.com/game/silverload

Looks like Harvester, which sucked to the point of being hilarious.

I'm surprised no-one mentioned System Shock 2. SILENCE THE DISCORD. It's been what, two months since I last touched it?

 

[SuicideBunny]

http://www.mobygames.com/game/silverload

Looks like Harvester, which sucked to the point of being hilarious.

hmm.. yes, i think that's it, though it looks worse than in my memory (damn hindsight).. thanks.

 

[Zinc]

Resident Evil 1
-When this first came out, me and my buddy played it in the middle of the night with surround sound and the lights off. It fucked us up pretty badly. Plus, the music was fucking phenomenal and incredibly atmospheric.

I have to agree. I think I was about 9 or 10, maybe younger, when my brother bought this and I pretty much watched him play it all the way through. I played it sometimes too, but he was better at it, and I thought it was really scary. The funniest thing was when the doberman jumps through the window and my brother almost fell out of his chair. Wesker was one of the greatest characters of all time and yes, the music in this game was incredible. I don't think any other game has ever matched the atmosphere of Res Evil 1. There was something truly ominous about that mansion.

 

[Sarvis]

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem: Granted it wasn't all that scary, but it was very cool in a lot of other ways. How many other games have the hero remove their own head and start quoting Shakespear?

 

[Jasede]

The Cathedral level from Thief > all.

Nyuuh. Robbing the Cradle (from Deadly Shadows) is better still. The pinnacle of level design and if you say it is not that good you are stupid. Stupid! Game over!

System Shock 2 is a (not too close) second but still better than all the "BOO! Monster from the cupboard!!" crap, just because of the setting and atmosphere.

 

[Astromarine]

No, seriously? none of you have ever player project zero (or fatal frame)? really?

Bunch of pussies.

 

[Ivy Mike]

I've never been big on horror games, but Alone in the Dark 1 made me piss my pants once or twice. That was a long time ago though.

And yeah, the Cathedral level in Thief was fucking brilliant. That game was fucking brilliant. Damn I miss that series.

 

[Starwars]

I played the fatal frame games, but I did not like them at all for some reason I can't put my finger on. I think the story just never drew me in, most likely cause I was kinda tired of Japanese horror when I tried them. They were scary though.

Silent Hill 1 is the scariest game I've played. When I played it the first time, I was pretty much expecting Resident Evil (which was scary at its time, but also that B-movie vibe that makes it silly). By the end of the opening "alley scene" my nerves were pretty much torn to shreds. This is the only game I can remember that there was no fuckin' way I'd play at night.

That said, I think Silent Hill 2 is better overall. An extremely nice visual, er vision to it all. The story was also pretty neat, and just not something I expected from a PS2 horror-game. To bad the gameplay kinda sucks, but I still regard the game as one of the best artistic expressions in gaming.

 

[Section8]

Undying is king, because nearly every single scare is lovingly crafted and well misdirected, especially in the early stages. Fucking fantastic. I don't think another game has chilled me to the point where I'd jump at a fidget animation for a weapon.

The Silent Hill games never really did it for me. They did well in terms of creating an atmosphere of brooding unease, but the fact that the cutscenes were all paced for japanese speech made them horribly stilted and robotic when translated.

Resident Evil series is probably worse because they telegraph nearly every scare long before they happen, though I have to admit RE4 is a fantastic action/horror game.

The Thief series really nailed some freaky missions, and I'm one of th few who didn't mind the undead filled non-sneaky levels.

As trashy as it was, the was a 7th Guest moment that freaked me the fuck out. When you click on a painting and hands start stretching the canvas from behind just triggered something in me.

 

[MetalCraze]

I tried to replay Undying recently - and btw I almost forgotten the time when I had completed it.
But I couldn't. It's too fucking scary. I simply can't imagine how I have managed to finish it earlier.
but the atmosphere there - is one of the best atmospheres I've ever seen in games.
Just remember those environments:
the bloody sunset over the ruined church
the moment when you finally getting out of the totally unlit dungeon to the warm rays of sunrise
the world of eternal autumn with an amazing sky
and many more fucking scary and atmospheric locations (I won't name them - spoilers)
and the artwork... god damn it - it's so beautiful there.
just look at the menu art
and level design - when you moving very carefully on the rooftop of the ruined building under the beautiful stormy sky and afraid to make just one step and fall.
can you believe that EA did this?

Silent Hill 1 is the next scary game - and also very neat - that foggy town and all the shit that is going on there. but still - Undying is the king as Section8 have said. And actually a proof that first person view really does much for an immersion.

also the cradle level of Thief3. Mang, it was soo long and scary - I still remember what a relief it was when I finally managed to get out.

 

[Dmitron]

All the games mentioned and:

Aliens vs Predator 1

And from way back, Snatcher for the Mega CD.

 

[Jasede]

I have not tried Undying or Aliens vs Predator 1 yet because I just can't find them in any stores or thrift stores. This makes me very sad.

 

[kingcomrade]

A long time ago, back when Unreal was a relatively new game and I was a jr high student, I actually quit playing after that one part at the beginning where you get trapped in the hallway where the lights go out one by one and the Skaarj warrior attacks you.

 

[Dmitron]

I did the same with Aliens vs Predator 1 (to the extent that I never finished the marine episode).

 

[AZ]

Aliens vs Predator 1 and System Shock 2 for me.
I'm planning to try Undying and Resident Evil.

 

[FrancoTAU]

Silent Hill 1 for me. The school level alone kept me in a constant state of anxiety. Resident Evil 1 was scary, but it was more about the surprise shit jumping out at you scary.

What's Project Zero about? Never even heard of it.

 

[Starwars]

It deals with ghosts. You (I believe in all games) take the role of a japanese youth with a special camera (that can kill ghosts). For whatever plot reason, you then explore old mansions, towns or whatever that are infested with ghosts.
The view is the standard survival horror 3rd person stuff at first, but when you want to defeat a ghost, you look through the eye of the camera and try to snap pictures of the ghosts.

It's actually pretty effective since the game forces you to look those assholes right in the eye through the camera. Ghosts usually have a very strong personality, relating to their manner of death.

Scary games, but if you're sick of Japanese horror then it might put a damper on things.