Scariest Moments in Gaming (For Me, At Least) Part Three

For your reading pleasure: “Part Three” of my scariest moments in gaming!

6. Intro sequence – Dead Space

As a huge fan of the Alien films and Event Horizon, I was ecstatic for a survival horror game to take place in space (by the way, that’s the place where no one can hear you scream; in case you didn’t know), and deliver both the physical and psychological fears the previous mentioned films had. Well, that wasn’t exactly the case, as the game followed in the vein of new Resident Evil games and focused on being a more action-based horror title. This was fine, of course, as the game still delivered a great amount of scares, featured, for the most part, smooth controls, and contained a very interesting concept: the requirement to dismember enemy limbs. Due to all of this, the Dead Space franchise has become one of my favorite horror titles ever. Sure, it is much more action-packed than other horror games, and it thrives on jump-scares (some people call these cheap, but they do work and I love ‘em); but the game is a great thrill ride filled with dimly lit corridors and startling sounds that always keep you moving towards the next objective while remaining on the tip of your toes.

But I digress (apologies for the rant; but since each part of this segment is only containing two entries, I might as well make the best of it). The one moment that truly caused my blood to rush and my heart rate to excel was in the introduction sequence of the game. Isaac Clarke, an engineer and the game’s protagonist, boards the broken and the seemingly abandoned mining ship, the USG Ishimura, along with four other members of the USG Kellion. In a predictable move, the game forces you to separate from the others in your crew to operate a console (but don’t worry; you have full view of your shipmates through a large window). Suddenly, the lights go out and shadowy figures drop down to quickly, and brutally, incapacitate the security members. “Damn, that sucks,” was my interrupted thought as Clarke’s superior officer told him to run. Caught off guard, I swiftly turned Clarke and saw a similar shadowy figure appear in the same hall as me. The grotesque monster charged at me and I almost lost control, running around praying for the dicovery of a safe haven. You see, this was a priceless moment because this was one of the few moments where survival horror broke through and shined brightly. You had no weapons, no clear idea of where to go, and necromorphs (the grotesque monsters) were hot on your tail. Your only option was to run, and I ran. I ran like hell and never looked back.

5. The Grizzly Bear – Condemned 2: Bloodshot

As you near the latter half of the game, the investigation of a cult leads Ethan Thomas, a resigned FBI agent, to a cabin in the middle of the boonies during a cold, snow-filled winter. While you search the cabin, bodies of government men lay dismembered throughout. However, what killed these men is still in the house; which is evident from the cries of dying men echoing through the cabin walls. Tension builds quickly until you enter a small room and finally discover what has been causing all this chaos. You pause for a second, attempting to fully comprehend what stands before you… It’s a freaking grizzly bear! What the hell are you doing just standing there?! RUN!!!

In a game featuring drugged up psychopaths, weird cult traditions, and supernatural powers, the scariest part for me was when a giant, angry grizzly bear was right on your tail. This isn’t like Dead Space, Resident Evil, or Silent Hill where fictional, disfigured beings are lunging at you. This was an animal based on real life. When you’re stuck in a corner and you see a hulking bear just out of reach, clawing and roaring its way inches closer to you, you feel one thing: fear. The fact that Monolith Productions (the developer of the Condemned franchise) were able to make a real life animal as scary as fictional monsters is an amazing feat in itself.

Closing comments

That marks the end of “Part Three.” I really hope you all are enjoying these brief segments. I felt it was good way to show the type of gamer I am and what moments in my gaming career I hold dear. Stay tuned for “Part Four” coming soon. As always, thank you for reading!

P.S. - Developers, make more games featuring parts like the Dead Space introduction sequence. Thanks!