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Video games bring with them plenty of challenges. But nothing in games, nothing at all, is more harrowing than being chased.
If you're running away, it means you can't fight back. If you're running away for a long time, it means the thing you can't fight back against really wants to mess you up. Thus, chase sequences are the most stressful set-pieces in all of games, if not all of life.Developers have been using that knowledgeto disempower us for years, removing everything we've learnedabout their game, and all the confidence that comes with it, in order to keep us on our digi-toes for extended periods of adrenaline-overdose. It's a cheap trick, but it's one that really works in terms of mixingup pacing and tone. It's also great for making a player poop him or herself, which is always good. So we've collected together and rated the 29 best bloody scary chasing things, by way of a misty-eyed tribute.
One or two of them aren't even meant to be scary, but they are. Which is itself a massive testament to the power of chasing.
1. A bloody big spider ofseethingeldtritchhorror
Chasing the crap out ofyou in: Limbo (XBLA)
Chasing method of choice: Using horribly spindly leg animation to horrify you into a coma.
Scare rating:
2. A truck
Chasing the crap out of you in: Uncharted 2 (PS3)
Chasing method of choice: Squeezing down a tight alley, threatening to squash you into dual-dimensionality. Exploding quite quickly.
Scare rating:
3. The angry sun
Chasing the crap out of you in: Super Mario Bros. 3 (Multi)
Chasing method of choice: Swooping down out of the sky at regular intervals trying to burn your ass with its starry gases.
Scare rating:
4. The Descendents (similarities to anything in the film The Descent entirely coincidental)
Chasing the crap out of you in: Uncharted (PS3)
Chasing method of choice: Skittering around dark tunnels in mobs and trying to eat your severed face like a taco.
Scare rating:
5. Nemesis
Chasing the crap out of you in: Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (Multi)
Chasing method of choice: Appearing out of nowhere every so often with a guttural grumble of “Staarrrrrrrs”. Being huge and really hard, having tentacles.
Scare rating:
6. Salazar's right-hand
Chasing the crap out of you in: Resident Evil 4 (Multi)
Chasing method of choice: Looking and acting exactly like the alien in Alien. Dropping out of the shadows with spikey tail-flicks. Taking advantage of crap elevator technology.
Scare rating:
7. The Scissorman
Chasing the crap out of you in: Clock Tower (Multi)
Chasing method of choice: A pleasant game of hide ‘n’ seek, with the fun additional bonus of a shear-based death if you lose.
Scare rating:
8. The Liberty City Police Department
Chasing the crap out of you in: Grand Theft Auto IV. And III. And I. (Multi)
Chasing method of choice: Cars, boats, helicopters, guns, crashing into things a lot.
Scare rating:
9. A boulder
Chasing the crap out of you in: Crash Bandicoot (PS1)
Chasing method of choice: Rolling after you through a suspiciously narrow, fence-and-telegraph-pole-strewn jungle, having his mates turn up just as you think you’ve escaped.
Scare rating:
10. Another boulder
Chasing the crap out of you in: Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures (SNES)
Chasing method of choice: Rolling down a tunnel after you with no respect for gravity or basic physics, exemplified by its ability to roll up-hill. The monster.
Scare rating:
If you're running away, it means you can't fight back. If you're running away for a long time, it means the thing you can't fight back against really wants to mess you up. Thus, chase sequences are the most stressful set-pieces in all of games, if not all of life.Developers have been using that knowledgeto disempower us for years, removing everything we've learnedabout their game, and all the confidence that comes with it, in order to keep us on our digi-toes for extended periods of adrenaline-overdose. It's a cheap trick, but it's one that really works in terms of mixingup pacing and tone. It's also great for making a player poop him or herself, which is always good. So we've collected together and rated the 29 best bloody scary chasing things, by way of a misty-eyed tribute.
One or two of them aren't even meant to be scary, but they are. Which is itself a massive testament to the power of chasing.
1. A bloody big spider ofseethingeldtritchhorror
Chasing the crap out ofyou in: Limbo (XBLA)
Chasing method of choice: Using horribly spindly leg animation to horrify you into a coma.
Scare rating:
2. A truck
Chasing the crap out of you in: Uncharted 2 (PS3)
Chasing method of choice: Squeezing down a tight alley, threatening to squash you into dual-dimensionality. Exploding quite quickly.
Scare rating:
3. The angry sun
Chasing the crap out of you in: Super Mario Bros. 3 (Multi)
Chasing method of choice: Swooping down out of the sky at regular intervals trying to burn your ass with its starry gases.
Scare rating:
4. The Descendents (similarities to anything in the film The Descent entirely coincidental)
Chasing the crap out of you in: Uncharted (PS3)
Chasing method of choice: Skittering around dark tunnels in mobs and trying to eat your severed face like a taco.
Scare rating:
5. Nemesis
Chasing the crap out of you in: Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (Multi)
Chasing method of choice: Appearing out of nowhere every so often with a guttural grumble of “Staarrrrrrrs”. Being huge and really hard, having tentacles.
Scare rating:
6. Salazar's right-hand
Chasing the crap out of you in: Resident Evil 4 (Multi)
Chasing method of choice: Looking and acting exactly like the alien in Alien. Dropping out of the shadows with spikey tail-flicks. Taking advantage of crap elevator technology.
Scare rating:
7. The Scissorman
Chasing the crap out of you in: Clock Tower (Multi)
Chasing method of choice: A pleasant game of hide ‘n’ seek, with the fun additional bonus of a shear-based death if you lose.
Scare rating:
8. The Liberty City Police Department
Chasing the crap out of you in: Grand Theft Auto IV. And III. And I. (Multi)
Chasing method of choice: Cars, boats, helicopters, guns, crashing into things a lot.
Scare rating:
9. A boulder
Chasing the crap out of you in: Crash Bandicoot (PS1)
Chasing method of choice: Rolling after you through a suspiciously narrow, fence-and-telegraph-pole-strewn jungle, having his mates turn up just as you think you’ve escaped.
Scare rating:
10. Another boulder
Chasing the crap out of you in: Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures (SNES)
Chasing method of choice: Rolling down a tunnel after you with no respect for gravity or basic physics, exemplified by its ability to roll up-hill. The monster.
Scare rating:
