My Top 5 Horror Gaming Experiences of all time

I decided because of the nature of  today’s tradition I would compile a list of my top 5 horror gaming experiences of all time. To be clear these are not necessarily my top 5 scariest moments, just experiences, moments I’ll probably remember forever. Ready? Here we go..boo!

5.  God of War III  (Boss Battle — Hades) PS3

Developer: Santa Monica Studio

Publisher: Sony Entertainment

Director: Stig Asmussen

Release Date: March 16, 2010

Note* Following game experiences may contain spoilers. So move with caution.

I know, I know, God of War III is not  a horror game but I sure did have a horror experience. The boss battle with Hades was epic but what made it a horror experience happened when I thought I had the lord of the underworld defeated and as good as dead. As I lined up to jump across the brook, OUT JUMPS HADES!!! Unmasked, totally unexpected. I’m not going to front, I jumped — don’t laugh. He reminded me of Friday the 13th’s own Jason Voorhees when he was unmasked for the first time. He (Hades) was hideous and at that point no doubt  I knew I had a unforgettable experience!

4.  Dead Space (Necromorph babies) PS3, Xbox 360

Developer: EA

Publisher: EA

Release Date: October 14, 2008

Man just from a design and sound standpoint, it was a horrifying experience, these hideous monsters was a site to behold and background sounds was enough to send a chill up your spine. But to actually encounter a Necromorph for the first time and trying to strategically take it down only to mess it up and see it spew out it’s guts and baby Necromorphs which multiplied and chased you down OH WOW!!!

3.   Silent Hill 2 (The Fog) PS2

Developer: Konami

Developer: Konami

Director: Masashi Tsuboyama

Release Date: September 24, 2001

All I can say is THAT — DARN — FOG!!! Maaannn between that causing impaired vision, not knowing what lurked around the corner, plus the loud moaning of the anonymous made a recipe for a  horror experience at it’s finest. It made such a impact that almost exactly 10 years later I still think about it — creepy — to say the least.

2.  Resident Evil 4 (Leon and Luis) PS2

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Director: Shinji Mikami

Release Date: October 25, 2005

First off I love zombies!!! Better than that I love classic ‘zombie moments’. Secondly this is a “classic game” and even though they moved away from the traditional zombies 🙁  It still provided a classic ‘zombie moment’. Leon (me) and Luis trapped in a house going back to back as zombies bust down doors and windows climbing through in droves to leave the player in a state of panic, as you frantically try to board up the remaining doors and windows. Oh yeah I’ll take that everytime — twice!!!  Loved every minute of it. That’s what you call an ‘experience’.

And my number one horror gaming experience of all time is…drum roll please…. 

1.  Resident Evil 2 ( My encounter with the Store Manager — opening cinematic) PS

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Director: Hedeki Kamiya

Release Date: January 21, 1998

Aaaagh the game that shape my life, my gaming career, the game that made me realize  I would game forever — no doubt a classic. But in spite of it’s boatload of moments one of my favorite experiences was a simpler — maybe even surprising to some, featured a sequence between Leon (me) and the Store Manger very early in the game. First let me say again I love “classic” zombie moments and that’s what attracted me to this game — and even though the end got a little crazy, it’s the beginning that set me up for maybe my first true horror experience. So I stumbled upon this store after realizing something is terribly wrong in Raccoon City, after being greeted by The Manager ( He thought I was a zombie at first) he begins to tell me his side of the story in what he feels might be wrong while he locks up to make sure nothing can get in all while peering out the stores window in a dark shadowy atmosphere and BOOM! Zombies bust through the glass and eat him alive in front of me, wow! Now I’m stuck in the store by myself with hordes of zombies and must find or shoot my way out. I felt in something as simple as that Capcom captured the essence on what a zombie game should look and feel like. Hats off to Capcom for not only giving me my number 1 horror experience of all time but for shaping my gaming career and keeping me in this thing call gaming for life!

So there’s my list, what do you think? What are your Top 5 Horror Experiences of all time? Maybe you agree maybe you have a entirely different list. Share it with the gaming community. CCU wants to hear from you.