Favorite horror based video game

[jdbailey1206]

With Halloween approaching I just wondered what everyones staple horror games were.  Those we would play until our fingers bled.  Mine would have to be RE4.  The story line of rescuing the presidents daughter was lame but the creep factor was great!  Enough out of me.  Lets have 'em.

[Slippyblade]

Never really got in to the horror or survival genre all that much.  Not because I don't like it, more due to lack of time.  Though I did just complete RE5 with my daughter over the summer.  As a co-op game it was good, though it felt like it would have not been so good as a single player.

Never played any of the other in the RE franchise except for 4, enjoyed what I did play of it though.

I even own a copy of Amnesia: Dark Descent.  Have yet to fire it up and play.  Some day though.

[shponglefan]

I like horror games, although admittedly have played so many that I've largely become desensitized to them.  That said, here is my list of games I found scary:

Fatal Frame series - Fatal Frame 2 is probably the scariest game I've ever played.  Creepy atmosphere, disturbing ghosts and plenty of jumpscares.  By the time I got to the third game, I was somewhat desensitized, but it's an overall very creepy series.

F.E.A.R. - Lots of jumpscares and atmosphere the first time through.  Second time through, not so much.  By now I've played it 4-5 times and it's not scary at all anymore.  Ditto with the expansions and sequels.

Silent Hill 3 - My personal favorite of the series and arguably the most atmospheric.  A lot of people pick Silent Hill 2, but I've always found 3 to be my fav.

Penumbra 2 - The first Penumbra game had mediocre combat.  So they removed it for the second game.  As a result, you can only hide from enemies and pray they don't find you.  Predates games like Amnesia and Outlast with this game mechanic.

Five Nights at Freddy's - A quasi-horror/puzzle game, this game creates a lot of suspense, especially watching your power tick towards zero as you keep hoping for the sun to come up.

One Late Night - As if working late in the office wasn't scary enough, then mysterious supernatural things start to happen...

[pbj]

If you have a PS4, download P.T.

Only game that's caused me to launch a laptop across the room while my wife was playing.

The last puzzle is a pile of crap but it's terrifying throughout.

the "didju rike it" video played through the mic solved it for us

[eds1275]

Ha the PT game. I was ready for anything, but I did jump out of my seat when I got grabbed by the ghost woman. Not that it scared me, but the guy next to screamed at the top of his lungs.

[pbj]

Friend of mine made it about three minutes into P.T. before he turned the system off.  The atmosphere that game creates is horrifying.

[Ginsu Victim]

P.T. (Playable Teaser for Silent Hills) is the first thing to make me really want a PS4. I can't wait for the full game.

[Vigo]

eternal darkness. Game deserved a sequel.

For a horror spoof, Maniac mansion. required game.

[DaveMMR]

Ghost Manor for the Atari 2600 of course.

[Louis Tully]

.

[eds1275]

For a horror spoof, Maniac mansion. required game.

This is an excellent and free version of the game for PC.

http://maniac-mansion.en.softonic.com/

I read about an ending I haven't seen yet where you blow up the garage, then get the meteor and run all the way up to the man-eating plant and feed it the meteor. I might try it tomorrow night!

[pbj]

Did they actually ever rerun the NES cartridges to remove the ability to kill the hamster?  I never believed that claim.  The Nintendo power map had the nude statue that didn't make it though.

[SNAAKE]

resident evil 4

close second would be the last of us

rest of the RE games are amazing too and so is silent hill 1-2-3.

[Le Chuck]

I never really got into horror games but I have a huge affinity for games where you play as skeletons.  Just realized it while I was reading this thread, some of my top favs ever:

Grim Fandango
MediEvil
Death Jr.

[jdbailey1206]

I never really got into horror games but I have a huge affinity for games where you play as skeletons.  Just realized it while I was reading this thread, some of my top favs ever:

Grim Fandango
MediEvil
Death Jr.

Yeah.  I was definitely going for a broad spectrum.  I wanted anything that involved the horror genre.  No matter how minimal.  Like say Rampage.  Its not scary but involves the player being transformed into a monster and reeking havok. 

I watched the PT for Silent Hills.  Though I dont have a PS4 it looks awesome.  Good ensemble of people working on it.  Like I have to name names.  The baby in the sink really turned my stomach being a new father and all.  Otherwise it really captured the idea of Silent Hill.  Maybe Ill have a console by the time it comes out.  Hallowen 2016?  Now it may come sooner.  Heres to hoping.

[Vigo]

Did they actually ever rerun the NES cartridges to remove the ability to kill the hamster?  I never believed that claim.  The Nintendo power map had the nude statue that didn't make it though.

Yeah that's true. In the nes version they just say something like "that would be cruel" instead of nuking the hamster. They did other things like take out Edna talking about tying you to her bed.

For a horror spoof, Maniac mansion. required game.

This is an excellent and free version of the game for PC.

http://maniac-mansion.en.softonic.com/

I read about an ending I haven't seen yet where you blow up the garage, then get the meteor and run all the way up to the man-eating plant and feed it the meteor. I might try it tomorrow night!

Thanks for that link. I think that is the version I played a few years ago, but the website was taken down. Didn't know it was still available. I played the plant and meteor ending. It works!

[eds1275]

Also, IMO, the skin colours in the NES game ruined it.

[Vigo]

Agreed, that was weird

[thomas_surles]

I loved the suffering on ps2

[jfunk]

Phantasmagoria (1995) by Sierra On-Line. I still have the CDs around here somewhere...

[Speed Racer]

I really liked RE2 when it was released. You never really knew what was around the next corner in that game.

More recently I though the first Dead Space was pretty good. Very intense atmosphere.

[pbj]

Yeah that's true. In the nes version they just say something like "that would be cruel" instead of nuking the hamster. They did other things like take out Edna talking about tying you to her bed.

You could nuke it on my NES copy.

 

[Generic Eric]

No mention of splatterhouse?

[Sheirstles]

My personal favorite is Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Very terrifying game with an insane atmosphere, scary monsters and a sick story going on.

[jdbailey1206]

No mention of splatterhouse?

Thats what prompted this Eric.  I saw a great custom Splatterhouse cabinet I want to emulate (with a little custom tweaking of course) but I want to turn mine into a "Maim" cabinet with all my favorite horror or horror related games. 

[HaRuMaN]

F.E.A.R. was pretty scary, I had to play that one with the lights on...  that little girl... 

[Vigo]

Yeah that's true. In the nes version they just say something like "that would be cruel" instead of nuking the hamster. They did other things like take out Edna talking about tying you to her bed.

You could nuke it on my NES copy.

 

Sigh...now i am gonna have to pull out my copy to test it. I am 99% sure I tried it myself with no luck nuking the hamster.

[Vigo]

Wikipedia saved me from having to dig out my copy:

The ability to microwave a hamster remained in the game, which Crockford cited as an example of the censors' confusing criteria. However, Nintendo later noticed it and demanded its removal. Originally, there was only one printing of the NTSC version of the game, meaning that only PAL-region copies were affected. A second run of the game for NTSC regions then removed this content. After the first batch of cartridges was sold, Nintendo made Jaleco remove the content in future releases.

I would assume you have the first revision, and I have the second revision.

[pbj]

You think there'd be two different versions of the NTSC ROM floating around out there,  but there doesn't appear to be.  Are you sure you tried nuking the hamster with one of the characters that will actually do it?

[Vigo]

You really want me to drag out my NES.    I'll give it a go. I am pretty sure I tried with Razor, but I could have made a mistake by trying with someone like Bernard.

[lamprey]

Not sure if you have seen this, but this was a topic (albeit about arcade horror games) over at KLOV:

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=317556

[jdbailey1206]

Maniac Mansion huh?  I was never a big fan of point and interact adventures but I watched a youtube video last night.  Looks like fun.  Reminds me of a more comical version of The Colonels Bequest.  I should try it out.

[eds1275]

Maniac Mansion is a great game. I think part of the fun is that there is so many things to do, each of them a puzzle in itself. Lots of different endings.


Speaking of Amnesia: The dark descent, some drunk idiot told me about that game in a pub a few years ago and it sounded interesting but then i forgot all about it. I will have to find a copy and play it.

[pbj]

Yeah, I got about 10 minutes into the sequel to Amnesia. 

Unlocked cages over the beds along with creepy Victorian kids running around in dark attics saying crap like, "duddy, what's wrong with mummy" = NOPE.

[Generic Eric]

Nothing strikes fear like CGA colors

[horizon]

What was the game with the aliens invading the slumber party?  Night stalkers?  Night watch?  You controlled the cameras and traps to catch said aliens.

Best horror game for a 14 year old ever.  Ever.

[spoot]

What was the game with the aliens invading the slumber party?  Night stalkers?  Night watch?  You controlled the cameras and traps to catch said aliens.

Best horror game for a 14 year old ever.  Ever.

I assume you're talking about Night Trap.

[Generic Eric]

What was the game with the aliens invading the slumber party?  Night stalkers?  Night watch?  You controlled the cameras and traps to catch said aliens.

Best horror game for a 14 year old ever.  Ever.

I assume you're talking about Night Trap.

Is that the one with the girl from Different Strokes?

[pbj]

Yes, yes, Dana Plato RIP

[shponglefan]

Speaking of Amnesia: The dark descent, some drunk idiot told me about that game in a pub a few years ago and it sounded interesting but then i forgot all about it. I will have to find a copy and play it.

Amnesia's a good game, but it does have one glaring flaw present in many horror games.  Namely, the over-reliance on scripted events.  In fact, the game inadvertently pulled me out my suspension of disbelief on a couple occasions due to the scripting.