The 7 least-scary moments in scary games

Even the creepiest survival-horror loses its edge eventually - we'll show you how

Words: Mikel Reparaz on October 31, 2006

6 Comments

Share / Save

Share / Save this Article

Email this Article

To:

From:

Comment:

As any horror-movie director can tell you, keeping up a tense atmosphere for 90 minutes of screen time isn't easy. So imagine, then, what it must be like to try and keep up that same level of tension over 40-plus hours of a survival horror game. No matter how intense you make it, sooner or later, your carefully constructed atmosphere of terror and despair is going to fall flat.

This Halloween, we'll explore seven of the least scary moments from some of the best horror games ever. Be forewarned, however, before you delve into our anti-spooktacular: spoilers lurk in the pages ahead. That goes double if you decide to hit the Movies tab above (or click here) to see all these decidedly un-grisly moments in motion.

7. Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly (PS2, Xbox) - Ghostly hit points
With its first-person camera-combat sequences, genuinely creepy ghosts and cursed-village setting, Fatal Frame 2 is one of the most immersive, atmospheric horror games we've ever played - at least until the first time you fight a ghost, and big hit points and encouraging messages start popping up onscreen. The action is still scary, but the reminder that we're playing a game jerks us right out of our frightened reverie.

We can wrap our heads around the idea of fighting a ghost with a magical camera. We can even accept that a ghost could absorb multiple hits from said camera, or have its remaining energy displayed in our viewfinder. But popup numbers are too much even for our stretched ability to suspend disbelief.

Games:

Platforms:

Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, PC, PSP, DS, PS1, Xbox, GameCube

6 Comments

Order Comments: Newest First | Oldest First

Pocotron - 5 months, 2 weeks ago - Report

Did I just find the beginning of the internet?

Reply
jessicasmiley - 1 year, 3 months ago - Report

"I was weak. That's why I needed you...Needed
someone to punish me for my sins..."
—James Sunderland, Silent Hill 2,
The pyramids are a version of James meant to
punish him for the murder of his wife. when James
finally admits to himself what he did to her he
doesn't need that constant reminder because he has accepted what he did and what he is in Silent Hill for! Thats why they kill themselves. sorry it wasnt an epic battle but it was meant to be symbolic of him taking responsibility.

Reply
seniorpain - 3 years, 3 months ago - Report

this is the first comment

Reply
Narudude360 - 2 years, 7 months ago - Report

Numb Bodies scared me because of the fear of that clammy gross skin coming into contact with mine. *Shudder*

Reply
misfit119 - 2 years, 11 months ago - Report

So the jesters were the ones that killed it for you? It wasn't the fact that the two teenage leads acted like such idiots that if they had died, instead of the bad guys, it would definitely have been worth cheering about?

Reply
AA95mp - 3 years, 2 months ago - Report

why did they add the numb bodies?

Reply