CGTalk - CNN Review: The scariest video game around

LucentDreams

08-31-2003, 10:03 AM

Originally posted by Floyd Bishop
The scariest video game by far was "ET" for the Atari.

http://www.classicgaming.com/rotw/et2.gif

Hehe someone else actually played that? cool, hey floyd did you ever beat it? Maybe I should pull out the ol' atari 2600 and see if it still runs, I have the cartridge too.

GRMac13

08-31-2003, 12:07 PM

I think ET was actually the "worst video game of all time." From what I remember, it made absolutely no sense and was essentially IMPOSSIBLE. Literally, whatever mundane task it was you were supposed to do (I think it was something about finding pieces of ET's "phone-home" device) was utterly unachievable due to the horribleness of the gameplay. The only scary part about it is that I wasted a few precious hours of my life staring at it confusedly.

As for SH3, I just picked up a copy last week, and haven't had much time to play it because of work. I did play the first level, and it seemed pretty cool, but I have to agree that the story seems very slow and ambigious. Again, I havent played it much yet, but my first impressions were that it looked amazing, played well (in fact the gameplay is nearly identical to SH3), and is pretty damn scary for a video game. Hopefully the story will pick up steam (as the reviewer says it does). I'm mostly impressed by the graphics, though. The character models are great and as always, the textures and lighting really do alot to set the mood. I don't know if the animation is mo-cap, but it looks terriffic as well. Screw Resident Evil, I always found the Silent Hill series much more unique and interesting.

erilaz

08-31-2003, 03:21 PM

I'm still slugging through the start of SH2... I've really got to sit down and actually PLAY that game!

DaKrunch

08-31-2003, 06:41 PM

what about the first Alien vs Predator? (with no save nor cheats)
a couple of times i had to stop playing because i was sweating COLD
:blush:

richcz3

08-31-2003, 06:52 PM

That ET game garnered one the worst games awards by an online gamie magazine recently. I wish I had the link. (Hope to find it.)
The programmers only had something like 4 to 6 weeks to design and play test it. In the end the title helped to usher in the Video Game Console carsh in the 80's.

The 1st Alien vs. Predator was a clear example of a designer knowing what was right for the gamer instead of leaving it up to the gamer to decide. Fortunately when Monolith made the follow up, they realized the 1st person genre on the PC does not take to limited saves very well. That is unless sales aren't important to the publisher.

richcz3

JohnD

08-31-2003, 07:43 PM

I remember that game and I beat it too. You had to call your ship to come pick you up, but I do remember it was nearly impossible to do. Guess that's why I only beat it once.

MikeRhone

08-31-2003, 09:26 PM

Scariest games for me so far have been:

Silent hill 1
Goldeneye. (First time I ever dopped a gamepad: Jungle level)
Halflife 1
Return to Castle Wolfenstein

I dont play many games these days, but I never get scared in a movie like I do in some games.

I cant wait for HL2 and to try Silent hill 3

m

off-center

08-31-2003, 10:36 PM

resident evil 2 was the first for me, i was shocked by the damn zombies that broke through the wall in the police office :)

i can't wait for doom 3, the screenshots are pretty scary :D

John-Stetzer

09-01-2003, 01:00 AM

Fatal Frame had some of the creepiest moments I've seen in a video game; very effectively done. The in game cinematic where we learn the origin of the Blinded Woman, as one example, really creeped me out. Haven't played Silent Hill 3 yet, but unless it brings something new to the table over versions 1 and 2, it'll have a hard time beating Fatal Frame for me.

FloydBishop

09-01-2003, 01:57 AM

I've never played the Silent Hill games, but there were two times I was literally scared by a video game:

The first time was really dumb. My friend and I were playing the game "Zombies Ate My Neighbors" for the SNES, and we were on the shopping mall level. There are all these little Chucky kncok-offs running around, and then, on the corner of the screen, I saw a baby we couldn't get to in time.

"SAVE THE BABY!!" I shreiked like a little girl.

My friend jumped out of his seat and dropped the controller. We didn't get to the baby in time and lost the level.

http://www.zombiejuice.com/zgamz/graphics/zamnsm.jpg

The second time was very late at night... most likely early morning like around 3AM. We were playing the first "Resident Evil" game in the dark, and a dog jumped through a window in a very stark hallway. I just about peed myself.

RazzBlade

09-01-2003, 02:16 AM

that dam dog scard the bejesus outta me too,,, heh

silent hill rocks..cant wait for SH3 SH2 was too short.. =(

manfriday

09-01-2003, 03:29 AM

weird.
that is my wifes name.

i better watch for any knives..

retrovision

09-01-2003, 05:48 AM

Devil May Cry is damn scary. Especially those puppets, they freak me out.

noisewar

09-01-2003, 08:08 AM

DUDE! Alien vs. Predator scared the $#%@^ BEJESUS outta me. Esp. in multiplayer when good Alien players you chase suddenly dissappear into a dark room and then ambush you in the back the second you enter. I'll never EVER play a marine again against an Alien. That damn sound of beep..... beep..... beep..... beeep... beep... beep beep beep beebeebeebeebeeeep!!!! Hard to shoot when you've pissed in your camos.

dotbomb

09-01-2003, 08:15 AM

I'm sorry, but the drug induced nightmares in Max Payne freaked me out. You are in your own home, but it's twisted and warped, your baby and wife are calling out to you for help, but all the doors lead to the wrong place, then all of the sudden you are walking a trail of blood like a tightrope in the pitch black with screams all around you.

That's freaky.

red_oddity

09-01-2003, 10:30 AM

I still think SH1 was the best of the lot...
It was really new then, and it was really scary...in the sequels you know what to expect and find...in SH1 you didn't...

Remeber the Mall scene in SH1?, where the light suddenly go out and the child appears on the monitors...or the phone earlier in the school?...

What about the time you walk on the bridge and suddenly the entire world around you starts turning into this barbwired rusty world (all of a sudden you can see what's under the bridge you are standing on that moment....)

That game really freaked me out...SH2 didn't do that for me anymore...too bad...

Seems to me SH is starting to follow the road of Resident Evil...

alim

09-01-2003, 04:58 PM

Hey i agree wit the alians vs predator thing... but going one step back before that...

anyone play the Alien TFC for doom? it was the first proper mod of a game engine... still a classic in terms of design (hell it inspired tag and strategy in 1st person games)

but the collest thing of all was the sheer horror in it... doom 3 alpha had me kinda scared, but Alien TFC had me shakin back in the day... the sounds and level design were just very well done

and all from a guy who wasnt even doign it proffessionally :)

//

Aearon

09-01-2003, 08:32 PM

a friend of mine with [minor] heart problems didn't even want to see me play AvP, it just had too many shock moments ;)

i'd still say the spookiest game i ever played was undying. plus it also had the most amazing story and the athmosphere was incomparably dense...

Redspective

09-01-2003, 10:13 PM

If you guys want to play a scary game, try Clive Barkers Undying. Its graphics are now outdated but any other game comparable to this is like a walk through a childrens playground.

You can probably find it in the bargain bin but believe me, you will have goosebumps within 5 minutes of playing this game.

Cheers :)

Aearon

09-01-2003, 11:41 PM

hey furious666 read my post ;)

i wouldn't even say the graphics are outdated... still good enough because the textures and models are great, it uses the original unreal engine. i urge anyone who doesn't know it to give it a try :thumbsup:

Redspective

09-01-2003, 11:50 PM

LOL I read every post and then skimmed through the last couple cause no one mentioned Undying :P

I agree with you fist in that the graphics arent really outdated, I meant that most people who know nothing about the game will probably notice that first.

And I'll second that!!! Anyone who reads this post should definately check it out.

I guarantee you'll be changing yer pants if you play this game at night with a decent sound system :thumbsup:

heavyness

09-02-2003, 06:58 AM

1] Silent Hill
2] Eternal Darkness
3] Half Life
4] Resident Evil 1
5] Shadowrun [SNES - not a scary game, but i REALLY got in the cyberpunk universe and was more scared of dying then anything].

MikeRhone

09-02-2003, 07:25 AM

Dude!

Shadowrun ROCKED!

Listen to the song Warren G "Regulate". For some reason it totally reminds me of shadowrun.

m

SheepFactory

09-02-2003, 08:09 AM

I definitely agree with Silent Hill 1 and playing Avp as marine.

silent hill 2 was good too but 3 plain sucks , the game throws way too many monsters at you so there is no "omg what if there is a monster in the other room" factor , you know there are probably 5 monsters in every room.

bentllama

09-02-2003, 08:20 AM

here is a scary game...

http://gamespy.com/previews/february03/knightriderpc/

...it's got me "hooked on a feeling".

puddlefish

09-02-2003, 10:23 AM

agree with sheep factory re: silent hill 3.
the monsters were never what made silent hill scary. it was the sound of a child crying behind a toilet door, the sudden and unexplained sound of glass smashing behind you, transparent babies, the sense of relief when you find a door is locked. even is number 1 the monsters were the least scary thing about it. i think it would be far better without any monsters at all personally.

P_T

09-02-2003, 03:56 PM

have u tried Project Zero?? that game is hella freaky with all the ghost in the haunted house... based on real story too... and u can take photos of the ghosts which u can save and have a look later... brr... don't play that game alone at night...

mattregnier

09-02-2003, 05:38 PM

Did any of you play Phantasmagoria 1 or 2? Wow, those were 2 of the first pc games I ever actually got scared from. The graphics are outdated for today's standards, but there was a lot of movie sequences in which they used live actors for their movies and yeah some of it was cheesy, but a lot of it was downright twisted and scary. I'd really like to hear from any other PHANT players...

samgrice

09-02-2003, 05:50 PM

Yeah AvP as a marine, god. ITS IN THE WALLS!!!! I just can’t play that game, scares the shit out of me, sooo atmospheric.

But goldeneye is the only game that has made me shake uncontrollably with adrenalin. Trying to get those cheats, damn. Caverns with 5 sec to go, no health and 20 guys chasing you down that corridor as you jump into the lift, phew...

Gentle Fury

09-02-2003, 06:03 PM

Konami has always been one of the best game makers and still is!

I must have played thru Snatcher 100 times! I LOVED that game! Wish they would remake it with the graphics technology we have today!

I heard Policenauts (the Snatcher sequel) was really good too, but it never made it to the states.

Guess american audiences dont want it if it actually has a story and makes you think...........well i guess they do now........but back then it was rare!

ragecgi

09-02-2003, 09:21 PM

I and a buddy of mine, used to play AvP all fricken night at our old employer (insert late 90's dot-com here).

He would always play the fricken Alien, and I (being the genius I am) played a Soldier.

There is SOOO much mood, KILLER music, and feeling in that game,
having to listen for the "tic, ticky, tic" of the Alien, and running out
of flares because you don't wanna turn on the Alien-radar
because the moment you do, IT'S RIGHT ON TOP OF YOU!!!!

That game scared the crap out of me so much that I remember it was the reason I doubled my smoke breaks, so I could turn on a light once in a while and relaize I'm not alone:) hehe...

It was funny tho, when the Alien would kill you, you could watch your friend (Alien) rip your head off. (yum)

That game, I remember repeatedly screaming, was SOOO not fair to the common soldier! hehe...

The preditors could use the razor-frisbee around corners, and the Alien was WAAAAYY to damn fast.

...but it was Frogger that scared me most of all. (shivver...)

Dj Petro

09-03-2003, 03:41 PM

I have to agree with Half-Life. Those damn face huggers jumping out of nowhere. Scared the crap outta me. Then your like a little girl with a skinned knee screaming "Get it off" trying to shoot the damn thing.
Since I have finished the game and when I play I still jump at those little turds, even though I know where they are supposed to be.

_

Neil

09-03-2003, 05:26 PM

noone mentioned Nightrap?

LOL

PhilWesson

09-03-2003, 09:55 PM

wow, i remember that ET game...
well, i've never played silent hill, but here are my thoughts
1. AvP scared the hell out of me. wont play it anywhere form 6pm to 8am. nuff said
2. system shock 2 was kinda scary. all the crewmembers who were infected screaming things like, i'm sorry!!! or, RUUUUN!!!' with their last bit of humanity...
3. res. evil dead aim was kinda scary... nothing like being able to shoot zombies and actually be pulling the trigger. it was kinda creepy 'cus they're coming right for you, and you can see their eyes, unlike a 3rd person view...

BiTMAP

09-04-2003, 02:37 AM

Originally posted by Dj Petro
I have to agree with Half-Life. Those damn face huggers jumping out of nowhere. Scared the crap outta me. Then your like a little girl with a skinned knee screaming "Get it off" trying to shoot the damn thing.
Since I have finished the game and when I play I still jump at those little turds, even though I know where they are supposed to be.

_

the headcrabs where quite scary in the orinignal Half-life, but had they been the way that the guys at C4software.net had designed them for there now cancelled DarkTruths mod, you'd shit your pants... I'm a level developer, and I was testing the monster code in-game on a small level i made myself. I knew exactly where the little demon was under the water, and wam, he hit me and its over. They developed it so that if you didn't kill it before it hit you, you were dead. So just seeing one brought shivers to ya (and the twitch of the hands hitting f5).

trence5

09-04-2003, 07:43 AM

Aliens vs. Predator. Hell, I remember waking up as the Marine and you gotta find yo way in the dark. that was scary. I hear Eternal Darkness is very scary....

TheWriter

09-04-2003, 09:06 PM

LOL. Recently I did some research on the old Atari ET. To put things politicaly correct.. it was one of the biggest flop projects and worst crap for the money ever pumped out to a console game.

Not to mention... hyped?

AT the time, they spend over $200,000 just for the game NAME rights! This was way back in 1980's currency, US. Convert that to Canadian, with inflation, and you are looking at a value that will bankrupt even some of the big boys...

A classic example of trying to sell the game on the NAME, and not on gameplay. I agree, the game was utter shit. But what can you do? Parents bought the cartridges, because the kids felt it HAD TO BE GOOD, it was "ET" after all.

4 Weeks to develope the entire game? Well shit, it takes a year just to get a bare minimum demo going.

Pent

09-04-2003, 09:44 PM

scariest game hmm
games:

aliens vs predator 1
system shock 2
the thing
silent hill 2
and I found deus ex kind of creepy

ooooh I just remembered
the UNDYING tops the list.

PhilWesson

12-04-2003, 09:24 PM

ooh, i forgot one

anyone remeber phantasmagoria?

Layer01

12-04-2003, 11:24 PM

Originally posted by John Stetzer
Fatal Frame had some of the creepiest moments I've seen in a video game; very effectively done. The in game cinematic where we learn the origin of the Blinded Woman, as one example, really creeped me out. Haven't played Silent Hill 3 yet, but unless it brings something new to the table over versions 1 and 2, it'll have a hard time beating Fatal Frame for me.

*shiver* ooo fatal frame or Project 0 as its called (why don't ask me) in Australia....sooo scary, i swear i was undergoing minor heart attacks during that game.
SH3 is awesome very scary more like SH1 which was much scarier than SH2....also here's a fun fact did you know that SH3 is acctually the sequel to SH1 not 2 odd eh.
RE on Game cube was also very scary i mean the first crimson head i saw....i still tense up:p and those spiders uggg :eek:

Dennik

12-05-2003, 12:23 AM

I don't know about you, but Slaughter House coin op more than a decade ago, brought me shivers every time i played it. Actually the only reason i was playing it was because i wanted to get out of that house, kill em all and have a peacefull sleep at night. :cry:

Icarus

12-05-2003, 01:36 AM

My all time fav...

AVP 1.

when i first got it, i had a P1-233mhz with a Voodoo2 , i couldnt see stuff from a distance... which made it even more freaky.. scary when u stand there.. and you hear the lile footsteps of aliens on every wall and surface..

*lock and load* *beep beep beeeeeep!*

hehe.. good game thou :D

Tex3D

12-05-2003, 02:21 PM

Well I hope I dont sound like a total tool, but the one that REALLY stands out in MY mind is the 1st Tomb Raider.

I hadn't played video games since the Sega Genesis so I was really out of the loop as far as consoles.

So my buddy at work lends me his Playstation for the weekend to see if I liked it.

I'll never forget...*insert dream music here*

It was late at night and the whole room was dark and I had the stereo cranked up. So I'm walking around and all of a sudden the creepy music kicks in. Im walking around in circles trying to figure out where the "creepy" stuff was. :surprised

All of a suddena freakin bear jumps out at me from nowhere!! :eek:

I had never seen anything like that in a video game before so it really impressed the shit out of me.

Been playin ever since:thumbsup:

-Dave

Max Payne dream sequences freak me out, but only if it's late and the speakers are cranked up.

Dj Petro

12-05-2003, 02:39 PM

Another game that was creepy was Alone in the Dark. I remember being a bit on edge while playing that.

_

percydaman

12-05-2003, 04:50 PM

No game has scared me quite like Silent Hill 2. I STILL cant play that game for too long before my nerves get so frayed that I have to put it down.

That game had a deep psychological aspect that appealed to me. And the beginning letter from the guys wife set it up perfectly...couldn't have done it better myself...

I still think about it from time to time....:scream:

Teardrop

12-07-2003, 04:47 PM

Finally!! DJ Petro mentions a good point...

No one else seems to remember alone in the dark! I still remember moving a chest in an attic when suddenly a demon thing smashes through the window I almost threw my mouse halfway across the room! The game was freaky

Mind you undying and AvP are way up there too...

But Alone in the Dark was still my first and most memorable scary game

Cageman

12-07-2003, 07:08 PM

Originally posted by samgrice
Yeah AvP as a marine, god. ITS IN THE WALLS!!!! I just can’t play that game, scares the shit out of me, sooo atmospheric.

I agree totally! I actually played some levels with the sound turned off, and even then I got really scared!!!

When it comes to movies, The Ring was devastating for me... I still see that girl in the closet with her twisted face. :(

Layer01

12-08-2003, 04:33 AM

Originally posted by Cageman

When it comes to movies, The Ring was devastating for me... I still see that girl in the closet with her twisted face. :(

oh man the ring.....*shudder* yeah i was doing ok in that movie untill the girl-door-face-jumpy bit came along with NO forewarning....after that i was a nervous pile of sweaty mush....or something quite similar

i also bought it on DVD too ( a bad idea lol ) and i watched the extra feature called "don't watch this" with a good friend of mine..and while that was spooky NOTHING compared to the initial dread when i went to eject the movie and the DVD tray was EMPTY :argh:
yeah i won't be forgetting that movie anytime soon....

Cageman

12-08-2003, 08:45 AM

yeah i won't be forgetting that movie anytime soon....

...and now they are doing a sequel... :( My gf will probably force me to see it when its released... :shrug:

Elysium

12-08-2003, 01:47 PM

Phantasmagoria RULEZ!!!

:eek:

Remember the part in the greenhouse????
Where that dude kills a woman pushing a shovel in her mouth,and keeps pushing dirt in her throat???

Or the torture scene with the neck being twisted in the chair??

And the one with that lady strapped in a chair,with a funnel in her mouth,and a dude came over with a plate of bloody raw meat, which he proceeded to stuff into the funnel and down her throat.

Gave me some serious thrills!!!!!

Greetings Dennis