Boo! Scariest moments in gaming history

by Alan Rose { Oct 31st 2006 at 12:02PM }

It's customary at this time of year to pay tribute to all things that go bump in the night, so the GameSpy staff has indulged us with a list of their scariest experiences in gaming. The classic Resident Evil and Silent Hill entries are mentioned, along with the more recent Fatal Frame, Call of Cthulu, and sweet little Alma from F.E.A.R.

My personal scariest moment comes courtesy of Rebellion Software, circa 1994. The original Alien vs. Predator on the Atari Jaguar was one of the first shooters I had ever played (along with Marathon, but that wasn't very scary). I recall creeping around the empty corridors of the Space Marine base with the ambient sounds of machinery in the background, and no warning that you're about to have company. Suddenly, you turn around, hear that familiar screech, and see a pack of Aliens approaching -- which really sucked when I was entering a turbolift and had nowhere to run. The Predator's trademark rattling sound also scared the bejeezus out of me because you never knew when he was going to decloak and start whaling on you.

Let's hear your scariest moments.

Tags: alien vs. predator, alma, alone in the dark, Call of Cthulu, doom, eternal darkness, f.e.a.r., Fatal Frame, gaming history, pinky demon, Resident Evil, scariest moments, scary games, Silent Hill, system shock, vampire masquerade

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

Mike P @ Oct 31st 2006 12:09PM

eternal darkness on the game cube. Their was one moment in that game where a ghost jumped out at you and it litterly made me jump in my seat. The first time EVER i was fightened by a video game.

Silver @ Oct 31st 2006 12:10PM

The scene early in the original Unreal where the door slams shut, the lights flick out one by one, the red light starts to flash and the siren wails, and the alien comes out of nowhere to start slashing the snot out of you.

That's one of my most memorable moments of gaming intensity.

I still consider Unreal to be the greatest game of all time.

Chachi @ Oct 31st 2006 12:12PM

The Shalebridge Cradle in Thief: Deadly Shadows. Not one moment, I guess, but a long string of terrifying moments.

JodyAnthony @ Oct 31st 2006 12:13PM

Hearing the price for the PS3

I kid, I kid

scariest for me was playing the original doom way late at night when I was a kid, that game freaked me out, seeing dead bodies hanging from ropes and whatnot

KilgoreTrout XL @ Oct 31st 2006 12:13PM

It's a tie, but it's within the same game.

Either chasing x around the upstairs of the apple farmhouse, or searching the locker room. (Condemned: Criminal Origins)

Greg S @ Oct 31st 2006 12:16PM

System Shock 2 was probably the scariest game I ever played.

Koekoenutt @ Oct 31st 2006 12:17PM

I was glad to see System Shock 2 and Alone in the Dark up there in the list. I think Resident Evil is a little over rated, but in RE4 when you have that city and the chainsaw guy chasing after you was pretty intense.

Brought memories of old computer games I used to love, and even makes me want to play F.E.A.R., not to bad of a post.

Koekoenutt @ Oct 31st 2006 12:18PM

@6 - Greg S

System Shock 2 has to be one of my favorite games from my past. Never has a game got me so immersed and involved with the game, putting me on the edge of my seat constantly. I really wish they made another one. It was by far the scariest game I ever played. The sounds were awesome, and always having to run away instead of going in the room guns blazing is always fun too.

Stuart @ Oct 31st 2006 12:19PM

When I was a child, I was terrified of the ReDead in Ocarina of Time. I Hated going anywhere near them, and I used the Sun song every chance I got. Hyrule Castle town was just painful for me. One play through I flat out refused to get the sun song from Kakariko! I think the Shadow temple has largly been blocked from memory

ReDead still creep me out.

John @ Oct 31st 2006 12:19PM

Metal Gear Solid 2 when the colonel tells you to turn the game console of nd ur stoned and its 3 in the morning! scary stuff lol!

mupwangle @ Oct 31st 2006 12:19PM

Half life - Original

First time you turn around in the dark and a head crab gets you.

Halo - if you hadn't read reviews that told you about it - the first time the flood appear (en masse)

tracked @ Oct 31st 2006 12:20PM

Scariest moment EVER. Was in Star Trek Elite Force II. Half way through the game. Your stuck in a ship. The lights have turned off. The corridors are damaged and have holes in them (this is space guys. Holes in corridors is dangerous). You keep hearing weird noises around you and the music is eerily and it would have made the X-files producers proud. One of your team mate is kidnapped through the one of the holes in the walls. There is alien vomit around you. The tricorder (a scanner) shows that you are surrounded by creatures. Oh and the moment they attack you the music changes and you get attacked from all directions.

Now thats scare.

Usedtabe @ Oct 31st 2006 12:22PM

Fatal Frame 2 is the first game that had me truly terrified, especially considering I thought it was going to be a joke and not scary at all. RE4 had some "jump" moments, but Condemned:criminal origins is the scariest game I've played so far

El Hajjish @ Oct 31st 2006 12:22PM

I've got two:

The first was in Resident Evil, when the dog crashed through the window and started chasing you.

The second was Eternal Darkness, which had many moments, but the best were the random noises, suddening yelling, as whispering that went on as you got more and more insane.

Told You St. Louis Would Win @ Oct 31st 2006 12:22PM

@10

Game were so much more fun back in day. Makes me wish I was ten again. The kids today are spoiled.

LittleJoe @ Oct 31st 2006 12:23PM

Myst (the original)

dont ask.

Agent MOO @ Oct 31st 2006 12:24PM

Doom 1... First time an imp sneaks up behind you, piss your pants moment.

Knoxximus @ Oct 31st 2006 12:26PM

I was playing through Zelda II late one night when I was supposed to be sleeping. I was in some castle, just crusing along, no lights on, when all of a sudden this HUGE ass blue gel/slime monster with these HUGE evil eyes appears out of nowhere from the ceiling and falls right on my head. I turned off the NES.....as I was done playing for the evening.

The Intangible Fact @ Oct 31st 2006 12:27PM

Doom 1. The best. I remember playing it with DOS.

melcrose @ Oct 31st 2006 12:29PM

F.E.A.R.
Not a console game, but still.

I was on a business trip playing that in my room and I was SO freaked out. That little girl needs to die in a fire.

But, yeah.. . AVP was awesome. I still have my Jag just for that game and Tempest 2K.

Fish @ Oct 31st 2006 12:30PM

What threw me for a loop as far the panic-style goes was definitely Super Metroid. At the very end, you're blasting motherbrain and it just starts exploding then drops, you'd assume it's over, having played Metroid for NES. Then it gets back up again with that freaky exoskeleton thing with the scary music and you start the fight you can't win.. f'ing brain laser thingie.

Resident Evil 2, and the Tyrant randomly busting through the damn walls was scary as shit.

KingOfGods @ Oct 31st 2006 12:31PM

The first Resident Evil – When the dogs came crashing through the windows.

Condemned – I opened a cabinet to look for some health and this crazy woman dashed out and hit me with a board……..I was in a voice chat with a friend and scared him half to death when I screamed.

rinks @ Oct 31st 2006 12:34PM

The opening scene of UNREAL, when the ship crashes and your crawling through the dark hearing screams...

and the entire System Shock 2.

Condemned also had a couple moments that made me jump.

Andrea @ Oct 31st 2006 12:34PM

Agree with #2, Unreal was great, that part (near the beginning of the game) was really scary!

ZombieCreep @ Oct 31st 2006 12:35PM

I'm going to vote for the giant spider on the ceiling in Resident Evil that turns into a thousand little ones after you shoot it.

TommE @ Oct 31st 2006 12:36PM

I Have to agree with KilgoreTroutXL. I remember a few times having to shut down Condemned:CO at night because I was sick of getting scared. Between the druggies jumping out at you, the eerie music, and the F*d up crap that suddenly appears at times I'd have to say it was just a genuinely scarey game. Maybe that game will finally get some replay value tonight in light of Halloween...

Seroth @ Oct 31st 2006 12:38PM

Resident Evil 2. Magic mirror + Licker = scariest moment in gaming for me.

Knoxximus @ Oct 31st 2006 12:41PM

I remember what freaked me about in Super Metroid was when 'all-grown-up' baby metroid zooms in outta freaking NOWHERE and just sucking you dry. This was BI (Before Internet), so spoilers weren't as readily available as they are now, so I literally yelped and started to bomb like crazy! Of course I didn't know it would finally figure out who I was at exactly 001 energy point.

To make matters worse, my TV's RF connection was broken, so I had to push the TV against the back of the cabinet at juuuuuuust the right angle to get a clear picture (or any picture at all, FTM). When the metroid flew out (it was a 13", BTW, so I was pretty damn close), I jumped and bumped the TV, which of course ruined my alignment, when then of course phucked up the picture.

To this day, I still don't know which was scarier....the metroid sucking all of my juice as a rapid pace, or the face that the picture was all wonky whilst it was doing it hahaha.

Prolly the TV was the scariest.

Intangible 360 @ Oct 31st 2006 12:43PM

@mupwangle:

The first time I played Halo was at a friend's house where we played through the whole game in co-op. When we got to that part it was about midnight (also my friends house is really old and creepy) and when the flood first came out it was the most frightening moment for me.

It's not so much that it was terrifying but it just seemed so realistic and awesome at the time, me and my friend battling our way out of the complex after hordes of vicious alien things attacked us. Definitely one of the best moments in gaming.

Ryan @ Oct 31st 2006 12:43PM

Yeah, seriously... another vote for Condemned, all the way.

There have been quite a few games that have made me jump or scared me a little (including AVP on the Jag), but Condemned is the ONLY game that I've had to take breaks from repeatedly because it freaked me out waaaay too much.

cynic79 @ Oct 31st 2006 12:45PM

Level 32 of Doom 64. Cat and mouse between you and a cyberdemon. Seeing one come out from behind the corner ahead of me always scared the heck out of me.

Bodie @ Oct 31st 2006 12:46PM

I'm dating myself here, but...Phantasmagoria. When the dead old lady hanging from the fan comes to life and screams at you. Can't get that out of my head.

Seventh guest had its moments too. When all of the hands pop out of the painting at the top of the stairs and the high pitched music plays.

jayntampa @ Oct 31st 2006 12:47PM

I loved AvP on the Jaguar ... and, you're totally right about the predator sounds. It was totally creepy.

Kuon had some really creepy moments -- one where a body falls out of nowhere ... and another when you're looking through a peephole.

TheKingInYellow @ Oct 31st 2006 12:48PM

How can this list not include Clive Barker's Undying?

There are just hundreds of moments in that game to freak you out...

Dave @ Oct 31st 2006 12:48PM

Resident evil.

The hallway, when the dogs crash through the windows, definitley caught me off guard. I've had people drop the controller on the floor and scream because of this moment in the game.

Also the leaping hunters. If you didn't catch them in the air or blow their head off; they'd take you out with one leap and swipe. The tension was definitley high when having to face them.

Baba @ Oct 31st 2006 12:49PM

Smurfs for the Atari 2600

I don't know why, but the screen of the cave with the bat scared the crap out of me.

Huzzah!! @ Oct 31st 2006 12:49PM

Ocarina of Time-

I just started playing it for the 6th time (Yes, I do sign autographs :) ), and I nearly shat myself when Navi came out of no where and said "LISTEN!!!" right as I was about to sprint and avoid those moving spike things.

Navi... one day I WILL get you...

James @ Oct 31st 2006 12:51PM

The Quake Alpha. I spent so long downloading it on my 9600bps modem (from Compuserve, no less) that it was already midnight when I started playing. Lights off, so as not to alert my parents. Headphones on, for the same reason.

Damn, it was boring. A few rooms to wander round in, and some weapons to try. Then I heard that someone had posted a patch to unlock the monsters! Another 2 hours and, blinking back sleep, I restarted the demo. First room - same as before. Walked out the door and WHAT IN THE HOLY-

That would probably have been your reaction if you'd just seen a Shambler blast your head off too.

R @ Oct 31st 2006 12:52PM

When I was much younger, I had a fear of the water, mostly of the things living in it. So the first time I played Mario 64 in a room all alone at night with the lights off, I dove down to the sunken ship in the third world. Just as I get to the very bottom and start poking at the window of the ship, the polygon cutting stops and suddenly the giant, big toothed face of the giant eel appears RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME AND SHOOTS OUT. I almost fell over backwards.

Later on in life, I played the orignal Galerians with my cousin on his PS. That entire game was pretty screwed up, but the whole hotel sequence in particular would mess with ya.

unimental @ Oct 31st 2006 12:53PM

I used to love watching people jump in their seat the first time you introduced them to remote mines in Goldeneye multiplayer matches. Hehe... worked every time.

mrandrew @ Oct 31st 2006 12:53PM

Splatterhouse for the TG-16 when your reflection jumps out of the mirror at you.

Destin @ Oct 31st 2006 12:53PM

Resident Evil 4--the sequence where you're controlling defenseless li'l Ashley, and the suits of armor come to life. The nearly complete darkness, the sickening sound design of those clanking footsteps that never stop being right behind you, the fact that all you can do is run as fast as you can... I've played through the game three times, and each time, I dread reaching that level and it never fails to scare the hell out of me when I do.

Spore @ Oct 31st 2006 12:54PM

This might date me: but Alone in the Dark. Sitting in my parents unfinished basement, all the lights out, creeping around this house with all those forced perspective cameras.... SO CREEPY

scott @ Oct 31st 2006 12:55PM

i gotta go with the dogs crashing thru the window in resident evil...

and just the overall experience of RE4 - it's like it immerses you in the worlds of that scary-as-hell cover of the first black sabbath album and the scarier-than-hell world of the mob rules cover... places i've wanted to check out since i first saw them.

natureboy46 @ Oct 31st 2006 12:55PM

For me it's a tie.

The first time the dog jumps through the window in RE - I'd never seen anything like that before.

The first time you see Pyramid Head in Silent Hill 2 - he's having his way with a mannequin or something. It scared the crap out of me.

Destin @ Oct 31st 2006 12:55PM

Oh, and for that matter, whenever you hear the labored breathing of a Regenerator in that game... I still get a sick feeling in my stomach every time.

makattack @ Oct 31st 2006 12:57PM

It was a game on the Atari 800, from LucasArts. At the time, it was called "Rescue on Fractalas" it was the first 3D-ish flight-sim type game I had ever played. Kinda like a first-person version of "Defender" -- You flew around this alien world of jagged peaks, shooting at mountain top gun emplacements, searching for other downed pilots. You would land, and wait for a pilot, who could actually be an alien who killed your pilot and wore their uniform in disguise. The first time I experienced one of the aliens dressed as a pilot, I nearly fell over, because they jump right on your windshield and start banging on it. You had to immediately take-off in order to shake it off.

Awesome game!

Also featured the first "open world" type of environment, in a video game, since it was all dynamically generated using fractals.

Kroms @ Oct 31st 2006 12:59PM

Scariest moment? The Nemesis in Resident Evil 3.

Or thinking that my memory card hadn't saved my progress in Resident Evil 3.

Which is scariest? You choose. Both scared me shitless, though.

- Kroms

SuicideNinja @ Oct 31st 2006 1:00PM

ALIENS references are always welcome. You should do more of them. AVP2 is one of the best FPS' of all time. There's a lot of moments in AVP/AVP2 that will definitely get you. The developers did a great job.

As far as "scary" goes, I think Condemned has done the best job of any game I've ever played. It's not that it's so much deathly frightening, but it really puts you on edge with the lighting, purposeful flicker, and disgusting environments/enemies. It's the perfect setup for scares. One of my room mates won't even play the game.