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Sunday, July 26, 2009

6 More Horror Games

The list of scary horror-survival games continues. These games are slightly more recent, as I have covered all the classics in my Top 10 Scariest Games List. Note that this time, the games are not in a specific order, they are just listed by number for hell of it.


6. Kuon


There's something about ancient Japanese houses that scares the hell out of me. Kuon is set during the Heian period of Japan, and as usual, the game follows a young woman looking for her father, a renegade exorcist, in a creepy mansion. Lighting is constantly dim, and all you have to illuminate your path is a small lantern. The creepy blood soaked environment and ambiance make for a rather Fatal Frame kind of psychological scare, complete with angry ghosts.




5. Siren

Once again, a game set in Japan. This time it is modern times, but the game is set in a rural village that seems to exist in a totally different plane of time and space. The villagers initiate a ritual that involves resurrecting a demon, and of course, it goes horribly wrong, turning all the villagers into zombie like creatures called shibito. The story follows ten survivors who must find their way out while avoiding the hostile shibito. A unique aspect of this game is the ability to sightjack, which is where the player sees through the eyes of a nearby shibito for a limited amount of time. The environment is almost pitch black all the time, with creepy fog further blinding you as the shibito creep around trying to kill you. The main scare comes from the design of the shibito. They are ordinary rural citizens, twisted into pale, ghoulish creatures with blood drizzling from their eyes. When one of them finds you, they alert nearby shibito and initiate a terrifying run for your life through an environment you can barely see. Oh, and these shibito aren't like your traditional zombies, they RUN.



4. F.E.A.R.

FEAR is not a traditional survival-horror game because...well...its not. It's a first person shooter. The game often switches from scary to heated gunfights very quickly, but the horror portions of the game are sure to mess with your head. All the horror involves a little girl named Alma, who seems to has psychic powers and thinks its funny to just fuck around in dark, badly lit buildings. Just see what I mean below. She'll pop out when you least expect it, causing many jump-out-of-your-seat moments.



3. Clock Tower

This is actually the sequel to the first clock tower game on the SNES, but they decided to just call it Clock Tower for some reason. It is, like before, a point and click style game. The game has you taking control of either Jennifer, the heroine from the first game, or Helen, her new guardian. And like before, Scissorman will be hot on your tail wherever you go. This time, he's bigger, scarier, has bigger scissors, and sports a strange limp every step he takes. With suspenseful music and heart-pounding chases as you look around for a hiding spot, Scissorman will, again, scare the crap out of you.



2. Condemned: Criminal Origins

In Condemned, you play Ethan Thomas, an SCU agent who must investigate a mysterious phenomenon that is turning people into vicious, murderous psychopaths. It is played in first person, and the creepy, almost inexplicable occurances throughout rather normal parts of the game really work in freaking the hell out of you. Like this part where 6 foot dolls are following you, but as soon as you turn around, they're not moving...



1. Silent Hill 2

The sequel to Silent Hill, of course, has you exploring the perpetually fog-ridden town of Silent Hill. This time, you are James Sunderland, a guilt-ridden man who receives a mysterious letter from his dead wife to come meet him in Silent Hill. Hilarity ensues...I mean, horror ensues as demonic representations of his guilt try to slaughter him as Silent Hill turns into the hellish world it really is. And as many gamers may be aware of, this game features one of the scariest creatures ever, Pyramid Head.

2 comments:

  1. No love for Dead Space?

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  2. Hadn't played Dead Space when I made this list, but I would definitely include it as number 1

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