Horror games actually horrifying?

[Hadrian]

Super Mario Bros. 3, playing on a NES, when you're on the last world and suddenly you've used all the power ups you have saved and you've fucked up so badly that a few more deaths mean having to start that World all over again.

Not much scares me at all, They Hunger (Half Life mod) had some creepy zombie moments, as does the Fatal Frame series too.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Here's a list of some horror games, with an explanation of WHY they're scary, that many people may not know about.

I didn't watch the video but I saw Alan Wake as the display image.

Because Alan Wake had bad graphics?

 

[bowser]

First time I played Half-Life 1 (at age 14) I was pretty scared. It was my first ever zombie game. Heck it was my first ever "grown up" game.

 

[XDel]

I have never heard of Slender, will check into it.

 

[Celice]

I didn't watch the video but I saw Alan Wake as the display image.

Because Alan Wake had bad graphics?

Dude--that's kinda sad. "Don't judge a book by it's cover" ring any bells?

I'm guessing that frame was used sometime at the beginning of the video as a reference to other recent horror games that aren't so bad, but not the kind the uploader was talking about, which are horror games both good AND potentially unknown. I don't know if YouTube allows certain users to selectively choose their preview frame, but every time I've uploaded something, YouTube forcefully guesses captivating/popular images for their videos and gives the uploader two or three choices, or to have no preview thumbnail whatsoever. If this is the case, I wouldn't doubt that the uploader put up with the two horns and chose Alan Wake, as opposed to some other, less-exciting thumbnails.

Though, I suppose you missing out on the games is your just deserts in the end.

 

[Issac]

I didn't watch the video but I saw Alan Wake as the display image.

Because Alan Wake had bad graphics?

Nah, Like Celice said, the thumbnail wasn't from one of those games. The Alan Wake footage was running while he talked about "mainstream horror games", though I'm not sure if he meant that it wasn't scary at all. (He did say stuff about games with good graphics forget that they're supposed to be scary, or something).

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Nah, Like Celice said, the thumbnail wasn't from one of those games. The Alan Wake footage was running while he talked about "mainstream horror games", though I'm not sure if he meant that it wasn't scary at all. (He did say stuff about games with good graphics forget that they're supposed to be scary, or something).

Oh god I feel glad I didn't watch the video if he says such stupid things and uses terms like "mainstream".

Also implying Alan Wake was a mainstream game.

 

[Issac]

Oh god I feel glad I didn't watch the video if he says such stupid things and uses terms like "mainstream".

Also implying Alan Wake was a mainstream game.

Yeah you didn't miss out on anything... Maybe the first two games he talked about seemed interesting, but otherwise it was pretty lame. Oh, maybe he didn't use the word "mainstream", but it felt like he did at least
But it was all really really really slow. often it was a lot of gameplay footage, without any talking or anything... didn't even show interesting parts.

 

[duffmmann]

Silent Hill Shattered Memories horrifies me. And this all boils down to one reason, you can't fight the horrors that haunt you. All you can do is run. And they can catch you and kill you. The game also features the ability to look behind you as you run. I remember so often pressing that button in hopes of not seeing anything, yet always freaking out when sure enough there's something right on my tail.

 

[batman]

Never been real scared by any game.
But silent hill I think is the closest one to actually scare me.
Nothing scares the batman (except bats).

When I was a child, The land before time (movie) scared the hell out of me though. I found Sharptooth very frightening. It was the 1st movie I saw on cinema. Only 5 years old or so.

 

[XDel]

I doubt this will work any more for a scare, but when DOOM released for the Playstation, I made sure to pick one up just so I could play through it with all the new lighting enhancements, ambiance, and what not.

I'd pull up my lazy boy in front of the TV, hook up my Sony to my 70's Hifi Cabinet with 70's head phones that fully covered my head, turned out all the lights, smoked out, and played DOOM till I could not hold my eyes open any more.

This would scare the crap out of me, and it did not help that my friends would just walk in and sneak up behind me either.

I miss those days!

 

[Hells Malice]

I have never heard of Slender, will check into it.

Don't bother wasting your time. Slender is about as scary as Super Mario Bros, except it isn't even fun to play.

 

[koimayeul]

There is this old PsOne game, Galerians which is actually totally creepy with genetic experiments, a mad IA and a teenager taking drugs to survive and shoot mental waves, exploding brains on overdose.. Akira style.

 

[XDel]

Don't bother wasting your time. Slender is about as scary as Super Mario Bros, except it isn't even fun to play.

I looked it up... I think it would be an interesting concept if done under an advanced DOOM engine, but ya...

...coming from someone who was saying Amnesia was crap. It is strange that they should suggest a game that appears to be running on the same general concept of game play, except on a much more primitive level and with inferior graphics.

 

[Chary]

I remember Resident Evil and Silent Hill being scary as a kid. (They still kinda are) The Zombie level in Simpsons Hit and Run also terrified me. (When I was REALLY little)

Fatal Frame is a decent horror game that I can think of, I guess. Can't really think of many horror games that aren't, "jump out, SCARE, eek!"

 

[leic7]

Define 'scary' please. Like, what type of movie would you consider 'scary'?

Rule of Rose (ps2) wasn't actually billed under the 'horror' genre, but it freaked me out more than any of the so-called horror games. It's a pure psychological drama that can get under your skin and you will feel it throughout the entire game. Unlike the horror games that rely on cheap tactics to startle you, this one fucks you up through the sheer power of its storytelling. An example of a movie in this category is: Sister My Sister.

The Mirror Lied (pc) is a very short game made by the people who made To The Moon, it's also NOT a 'horror' game, but...well, you'll see. It's about ~20min long, if you have the time, give it a try and see if you'll like it.