Scariest gaming moments of all time

[gman72]

The first time I saw Lara drown in the original Tombraider. I got stuck in an underwater cavern frantically looking for an air pocket, a sense of fear and panic rising in me. She writhed and stuggled before slowly drowning... horrible, sadistic and down right scary.

[SpockIOM]

Call me a wuss for this if you like, but in Halo when you release the flood, the mission brief simply says "ESCAPE!" and you have to run like bloody hell whilst being chased by parasites was a pretty creepy moment for me.

[Boulder]

When I was a small kid, it was Forbidden Forest on the C64 right from the beginning. As a result, I've never gotten around to playing it properly even if it is a classic.

In the later years, System Shock 2 and the first time a zombie/mutant/whatever starts screaming and attacks you. Nearly sh*t my pants.

[ianpmarks]

Call me a wuss for this if you like, but in Halo when you release the flood, the mission brief simply says "ESCAPE!" and you have to run like bloody hell whilst being chased by parasites was a pretty creepy moment for me.

Completely agree. The flood were really scary the first time you discover them, with a really good build up story adding to the atmosphere, and you not knowing what you will find. Forgotten how good that bit of Halo was.

Then it all goes wrong with the repetitve library level and they just become a pain in the backside.

[gunbladelad]

Resident Evil on PS1 when the dogs jump through the windows when played the first time it I've never expect it!

I knew that would be mentioned. It's one of the most iconic "jump" moments in gaming, followed by RE2's Licker in the evidence room.

Being stalked by the SA-X in Metroid Fusion is pretty good for raising the pulse rate.

[Liamh1982]

The boxart for Karnaaj Rally - scary use of Photoshop...

[HalcyonDaze00]

The first time you are invaded on Dark Souls, you have a load of souls, you are not a high level, and you get a message that a dark spirit has invaded, sh1t!!

[Dave300]

Project Zero on the PS2 without a shadow of a doubt, when Miku slowly looks through the Camera Obscura, and 'Hanged Man' comes flying at you from the creaky stairs. I actually screamed.

Then it's the rest of Project Zero.

[paranoid marvin]

The scariest moments are always the first time you see them

Dungeon Master - thinking you can sleep safely behind a door - then finding a monster can open it! Also being chased by a mummy as your torch dims to darkness

Rescue on Fractulus - Meeting a Jaggi for the first time trying to hammer it's way into the cockpit

[paranoid marvin]

The first time I saw Lara drown in the original Tombraider. I got stuck in an underwater cavern frantically looking for an air pocket, a sense of fear and panic rising in me. She writhed and stuggled before slowly drowning... horrible, sadistic and down right scary.

Same with Mario in Mario 64. Frantically he scrabbles at his throat for air before succumbing and floating limply in the water. This is the cheerful Italian plumber It's-a-me-MArio, it's not meant to be a dark or scary game, which makes his suffocation even more gruesome to witness.

[Nemesis]

Project Zero on the PS2 without a shadow of a doubt, when Miku slowly looks through the Camera Obscura, and 'Hanged Man' comes flying at you from the creaky stairs. I actually screamed.

Then it's the rest of Project Zero.

Yeah Project zero was one scary game throughout. The blinded woman is particularly haunting, especially when you witness the ceremony of how she was blinded in the first place and then she comes after you!

Dogs jumping through the window opinion RE. Very iconic moment in the survival horror genre. The stabbing skinless infants in the Silent Hill demo. (Shudder)

[Mayhem]

Encountering the first mutant in Project Firestart, with the cut scene picture and sound effects blazing...

Resident Evil on PS1 when the dogs jump through the windows when played the first time it I've never expect it!

When Capcom changed the position of the dogs jumping through the windows for the Gamecube remake!

[silvergunner]

Another shout for alien resurrection for the psone. What a fantastic use of a soundtrack to crank the tension up ten fold.

Another game to really get my heart pumping in later years was condemned for the 360. Man did that game genuinely nearly give me a heart attack So many moments all the way through to mention, but the library basement with no lights was one of the worst. One of the only games that made me turn it off after thinking "that's enough for tonight my heart cannot stand anymore".

[SonicTheHedgehog]

It would have to be a toss up between Project Zero particularly where you hear that voice coming from the closet which turns out to be a voice recorder and the Resident Evil Remake where you are in that hut in the forest and you hear the door open and an old lady groaning with the sound of chains rattling. I remember being to scared to come back out of that back room i was in and into the main hut area to confront whatever had entered.

[Negative Creep]

Dead Space, where you are being chased by that invincible Hunter through the sleeping quarters. Only time I can remember having to take a rest after as my nerves were so on edge

Resident Evil (GC) - those horrific crimson head things, and suddenly realising you have to awaken one if you want to continue

System Shock 2 - those infected who could spawn behind you, then charge right at you whilst screaming for you to kill them. Or the homicidal robots who would say something like "please don't hide" or "I can't help you if you hide"

Doom had some jumpy moments, and Doom 3 made great use of sound design in the early stages but I wouldn't class them as outright horror