Slideshow: A History of Horror in 20 Scary Games
The chills, they're multiplaying
Complimented on the cobwebs, skeletal remains and general stench of death in my flat the other day, I suddenly remembered it was Halloween this week, so here's another nostalgic slideshow to celebrate.
This time it's a collection of 20 pant-cacking games, titles that raised the hair on the back of our necks or at least raised the bar somewhat in the genre as a whole.
Here, we've only included what we think to be the most frightening game in a franchise, hence the omission of the original Resident Evil in favour of its spine-tingling sequel, for example.
And of course, we can't get them all in. Those who remember the likes of Chiller and Terror House in the 1980s will surely agree that for once, things aren't always better in the olden days.
If you exclude the naughties trend of confusing horror with gore, titles nowadays have far more sweaty palm potential. This year's petrifying free indie game Slender, shows that realism and impressive graphics aren't always the reason, either.
Here's 20 creepy titles from the last few decades for you to sink your vampire teeth into tonight. If you have the guts, of course. ®
How the heck could you have missed the... ?!?!?
Brings back memories, does it? Post your recollections in the Comments section. Ditto any games you think we should have included.
COMMENTS
"Limbo", especially the audio
See http://limbogame.org/ (winner of a 'Best Horror' award from IGN).
More about the audio here:
https://www.develop-online.net/features/1434/Heard-about-Limbo
("How easily the ‘nothingness’ – the ‘notional silence’ – could have been tromped on and thereby the intensity and involvement diminished.")
Foolishly, I was expecting that there would actually be a slideshow here
Silly old me
Someone needs to mention Thief
They really do, the first game scared me witless - the bits in the haunted cathedral.
Re: Half Life 2
The black poison headcrabs being the scariest. I read that during testing Valve found that subjects would freak when they heard the hissing rattle of a poison headcrab and turn all their attention towards hunting it down. They got so focussed they'd completely ignore anything else, even though a poison headcrab can't actually kill you on its own.
Half Life 2
Personally it's the head crabs wot done it for me. I know the game as a whole isn't that scary but I freaking hate head crabs :( and by extension most of Ravenholm
