AT's Top 10 Scariest Video Games

Nowadays, when it comes to horror and fiction, you'd think we've seen it all. In literature, writers like Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft managed to gain the favor of horror fans. Back in the 1960's and 1970's horror movies were on the rise and directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and John Carpenter provided what many consider to be classics in the genre - think "Halloween," "Psycho" and "Fog." Archetypal scary movies usually convey stories of serial killers, zombies, monsters, ghosts or vampires. (Or the IRS. - 2Lions)

Times have changed and audiences are harder to scare, which is why most Hollywood movies, more than ever, resort to extreme violence and the (ironically) predictable shock-effect.

With video games, it's a slightly different story. The interaction makes the experience more personal, heightening the fear factor and emphasizing the shock-effect. On top of which developers get to use all the technological possibilities we are blessed with today. As a result, many Hollywood movies don't seem half as daunting as some of the latest console and PC games. Although in most cases, it's still about slaying countless monsters and zombies, development studios like Valve (Half-Life) and Irrational Games (BioShock) have taken things a few steps further.

Rummaging through the pages of gaming history, I've picked, what I believe to be, ten of the scariest video games on the market.

10. The Thing

In homage to John Carpenter's movie The Thing (1982), Vivendi and UK based developer Computer Artworks created a multiplatform squad-based shooter and continued the story (which begins several hours after the film). Although it wasn't exactly groundbreaking in terms of gameplay, it was acknowledged for its effective horror-like ambience. Sometimes it's easy to get scared when a mutant or any type of foe leaps out of the shadows and starts clawing at you. That's more or less common in video games. The Thing, however, had a few original twists, stressing the importance of your team. For example, hearing your AI-controlled teammates scream out in agony can be more than enough to send shivers down your spine. Also, each of your squad members is prone to panic attacks if they allow themselves to be contaminated by the alien species. They become anxious and paranoid, at which time fear should kick in and overwhelm the player. All in all, The Thing is a fun ride through creepy settings, most of which stays true to its source material.

9. Sanitarium

Entering the world of a madman... Actually, I remember this one quite well and to this day it remains one of the weirdest and eeriest games I've ever played. Sanitarium, created by ASC Games and DreamForge Entertainment, hit the market in 1998 when the once exceptionally popular P&C (Point & Click) adventure genre was on thin ground. Largely praised for its originality, this adventure, arguably, had all the elements of a good psychological thriller. I'll never forget the beginning of this game. You start off the journey locked away in a peculiar insane asylum. The nearby inmate smashing his head against a brick-wall, leaving bloodstains all over it, is the first gruesome scene that awaits players. Coupled with its traditional P&C gameplay, Sanitarium also featured numerous puzzles, most of which were rather challenging. With Sanitarium, it's not so much about classic horror setups, but rather coping with the inner struggles of the main character and helping him overcome insanity. Half the time you'll just be bewildered at the mere sight of some of the environments and completely bizarre characters you interact with throughout the game's nine chapters.

8. Clive Barker's Undying

By the year 2001, the gaming scene was already packed with shooters. That same year, gamers were treated to Clive Barker's Undying, a co-project between Electronic Arts and Dreamworks Interactive. At any rate, you could say we're looking at another horror themed classic. But aside from these well-incorporated horror elements, the game had also been recognized for character design and animation. Character models looked very believable and quite frightening, which, along with the game's excellent audio, helped maintain a horror-like ambiance. Although the game was heavily influenced by Clive's writings, it was later confirmed that he had very little to do with the game's development process. He joined the team to provide details on the plot and backstory and to donate his voice to Ambrose, one of the characters in the game. In early stages of development, Clive insisted on changing the main character, whose name up to that point, was Count Magnus Wolfram. Claiming that the average gamer might have a hard time identifying with such a character, he convinced the developers to make a more down-to-earth type of chap - which eventually brought them to Patrick Galloway.

7. Doom 3

Waiting for Doom 3 to come out seemed like an eternity. When id's sci-fi/horror action game finally arrived (2004), after being in development for almost four years, it swiftly became a commercial and critical success. However, gamers are still divided as to whether Doom 3 lived up to its massive hype. The game had plenty of back-tracking, so it didn't offer much innovation in level design. Also, to a lot of people it just wasn't scary enough. Although visually quite impressive in its day, the game had been widely criticized for relying too heavily on horror-movie clichés (pitch-black areas, limited use of flashlight, ect.), but then again, so has every other horror game on the market. In any event, horrific monster design, creatures jumping out of the darkness when least expected, dead silence broken by ruptured vent pipes, may all be regarded as cheesy ingredients, but the fact is they work overall. Plus, everything had been encased into a powerful and addictive cinematic atmosphere. Who can forget the game's starting sequence?

After all, stats don't lie. Activision and id sold millions of copies worldwide, both in PC and Xbox variants.

6. Half-Life

Although it doesn't necessarily fit into the long list of conventional horror games, the original Half-Life had some genuinely frightening moments. Now, there are many reasons why Half-Life became one of the most popular shooters of all time and any true-hearted gamer should know them all by heart. Its memorable ambiance, original setting and exciting gameplay turned it into an instantaneous classic. The scary bits and the game's overall creepiness are partially rooted in the works of prominent horror and fantasy author Stephen King. Some time before the game's launch (1998), Gabe Newell, Half-Life creator and co-founder of Valve Software, uncovered that initial inspiration for their game was found in Stephen King's novella The Mist. You'll find that both stories involve top-secret government experiments that lead to alien presence on Earth. Fundamentally, of course, experiencing each story is different. With Stephen King's tale the fate of the central characters are predetermined, whereas in Valve's shooter Half-Life gamers are more in control of what will happen to the protagonist; in this case, the crowbar-wielding scientist Dr. Gordon Freeman. (We are?! - 2Lions) In short, this genre-defining shooter will always be among the scariest games ever created. Much of its coolness and atmosphere was perpetuated in the insanely popular sequel, which successfully took every aspect of the game to the next level.

5. System Shock 2

Looking Glass Studios and Irrational Games have literarily struck a chord with System Shock 2 (1999). The game was hailed as a unique mix of RPG elements, survival horror and first-person action. In terms of technology, the game relied on the so-called Dark Engine, also used to power Looking Glass Studios' Thief game. Avoiding horror-movie-style tackiness, SS2 appealed to players in a different manner, using psychological terror and top audio design. SS2 utilized the famous audio logs and diaries of characters who were usually met with a gruesome death (a feature later used in Doom 3, BioShock and other games). Assisted by Looking Glass, this was Irrational's first endeavor and a highly successful one at that. However, as far as commercial success goes, System Shock 2 was overshadowed by the dominant shooter Half-Life, which hit the market the preceding year (a similar thing happened with the original System Shock, which had been eclipsed by Doom II).