Video games are a different breed.
Simultaneously, they are both harder and easier to deliver horrifying moments than that of
a well told ghost story or a classic horror flick - and so in the majority of cases, get
an unfair wrap when held against the other media of the genre.
But - they have one massive advantage.
Us - the player.
What better way to experience a horror story than by actually being in it - making split
second choices as to whether you’ll run away or keep playing, despite your heart pumping
so loud that you can hear it in your ears.
What’s going on horror fans - and welcome back to the scariest channel on YouTube - Top
5 Scary Videos.
As always, I’ll be your horror host Jack Finch - and today, we’re changing it up
a bit - as we take a look at the Top 5 Scary Video Games You Need To Pray Before Playing.
Roll the clip.
Ahhh - I so wish that game, Silent Hills, would have made it out of development.
Hideo Kojima, Guillermo Del Toro - and Silent Hill?
Sign me up.
Oh well, what is dead may never die.
The thing is with video games - pretty much anything can be scary.
Whether it’s Metal Gear Solid after a guard accidently walked into your cardboard box
- or Cuphead when you’re running Perilous Pier for the 57th time and you’ve just gotten
a little further than you ever have before.
Larry the Lobster man.
But actual horror games?
Well, they’re one of life’s greatest joys.
If that’s your kind of thing, anyway.
Before we dive into this list - you know how it is by now horror fans - if you’re a fan
of this video, horror video games - or just Top 5 Scary Videos in general - be a dear
and hit that thumbs up button, as well as that subscribe bell so you can stay up to
date with our latest and greatest uploads.
Make sure to show some love in the comment section down below, and stick around till
the end - where I’ll be reading out some of your most creative comments from the past
few days.
Kicking off at Number 5 - Bloodborne
And this game is pretty much a must play for any horror fan or - better still - a fan of
the works of H.P Lovecraft - you know how we feel about the granddaddy of cosmic horror
here at Top 5 Scary Videos, what did you expect?
If you’ve ever played any of the Dark Souls series, then this game will undoubtedly be
familiar to you - but the thing that sets it apart from its predecessors is the horror
filled world that it draws its theme from.
Released in 2015 by FromSoftware - Bloodborne is a third person ARPG where you play as The
Hunter - a figure tasked with eliminating an entire city of vile creatures and monsters.
The real horror of the game is its setting.
Bloodborne takes place in Yharnam, a Gothic city whose inhabitants were obsessed with
the scientific properties of blood.
Well, things go bad obviously - and their obsession with blood corrupts the city - the
result being an insane mashup of H.P Lovecraft, Bram Stoker and the end of the world.
Not going to lie - this game is HARD - and the majority of the fear in this game comes
from literally how punishing it is.
Literally even the most minor creatures are essentially boss battles - and you’re going
to die, over, and over, and over, and over.
And the whole time, you’ll be terrified.
Coming in at Number 4 - Darkest Dungeon
Alright, we’ve just got to get the Lovecraftian ones out of the way - because as we all know,
I’m biased - but I also want to deliver you guys the best of the best in this humble
hosts opinion.
And Darkest Dungeon, is definitely up there with the best of the best as a video game
horror experience.
The thing that makes this game so damn good - is its atmosphere, and it’s ability to
tell a slow burning psychological story through otherwise simplistic gameplay.
But - despite that, it’s also one of the hardest games you’ll ever play.
Nothing simple about it.
Released in 2016, Darkest Dungeon is a roguelike, roleplaying dungeon crawler where the player
inherits an estate from a mysterious relative, who - while seeking fame and fortune, began
excavating dungeons and catacombs beneath their manor.
And in typical Lovecraftian fashion - of course they unearthed portals to dark dimensions,
releasing a number of horrific demonic creatures into the world.
The player must recruit a roster of adventurers and heroes - who continuously suffer from
the horrors of the dungeon, permanently leaving them with mental and physical scars.
Also, if they die - they’re dead - there’s no extra lives in this game - and because
of that, it’s awesome.
Definitely one to pick up.
Next up at Number 3 - Until Dawn
And this is probably the truest game out there when compared to a fully-fledged horror movie.
Because essentially, that’s exactly what it is.
It’s an interactive horror movie with hundreds of different outcomes, and a love letter to
every teen slasher film you’ve ever seen.
It’s relatively simplistic in gameplay, but where it hits the mark is in it’s atmospheric
story telling - and also its insanely tense.
Also Wendigos.
Released in 2015 - Until Dawn centres around a group of eight teenagers on their annual
trip to the remote Blackwood Mountain in Western Canada.
We’ve heard this one before, right?
Teenagers.
Remote location - what comes next?
Of course - they get stalked by a creepy madman.
But the stereotypes end there, because what Until Dawn actually relies on is its idiosyncratic
strength - and its most important function - the players choice.
It’s jam packed with a fantastic cast - Rami Malek, Hayden Panettiere, Brett Dalton - and
legit, it’s a horrifying pleasure to look at.
Until Dawn is a beautiful game.
It’s atmospheric, it’s sound design is fantastic - and it’s replayability is priceless.
You probably won’t feel the fear after the first few playthroughs - but that first impression
will be some truly tense hours of gameplay.
Great game.
Swinging in at Number 2 - Amnesia: The Dark Descent
I’ll admit it.
This is a game that I never actually finished.
Simply because I couldn’t do it.
I never even made it to the Inner Sanctum, and I’ve learned to live with that.
Because when people say horror video game - that is exactly what Amnesia: The Dark Descent
is.
It’s a terrifying video game.
Period.
It played on the same kind of mechanical fear that Fatal Frame employed, which would of
made this list but - eh, I dunno - I’m not a massive fan.
There are no weapons in this game, other than random stray objects that you can throw in
vain - that also kind of do nothing.
Your only real combat against the darkness is light - a lamp, a candle, a matchstick
- which constantly burn down.
Of course.
You’ve never known fear unless you’re walking down a corridor with a smidgen of
oil left in your lamp, and the sounds of shuffling feet behind you.
Released in 2010, Amnesia: The Dark Descent takes place in 1839 - following the character
Daniel, a young man from London that awakens in the dark empty halls of the Prussian Brennenburg
Castle.
Also, he’s got amnesia - and can’t quite remember why he’s there.
No spoilers - of course - and going into this story completely blind is the only way to
play this game.
It’s a fantastic horror experience, and I’d implore you to test your mental fortitude
against it.
Also - please play it in daylight because - there’s no need to be a masochist.
And finally - at our Number 1 spot - Silent Hill 2.
The greatest horror video game ever made.
End of story.
Silent Hill 2 is perhaps the most tense, beautiful, strange, isolated, bleak - and every other
existential adjective out there - video game experience ever.
It’s a game that time and time again has had horror fans and video game enthusiasts
equal parts perplexed and equal parts transfixed by its narrative.
Mechanically speaking, there are so many things going on that it would take an entire video
to cover - but it's technically difficult simplicity is where it shines.
For the most part it’s an inaccessible game - and I’ve heard stories of people just
straight up quitting because they can’t figure out where to go next.
It doesn’t hold you by the hand - it forces you to break through the town of Silent Hill,
punishing you at every corner - giving you no obvious clues or instructions as to its
next step.
And that’s why it’s a fantastic horror experience.
Play this game - purely for it’s sound design and soundtrack.
Just listening to it back still gives me the spooks.
On the surface, this is a game about a man exploring the abandoned and mysterious town
of Silent Hill - but in actual fact is a psychological confrontation of one man's inner demons.
It’s themes are a slow crawl through regret, failure - isolation, the burden of responsibility.
It’s emotionally draining - and more importantly, it will leave its mark on you.
And it's a game that still hasn’t been surpassed as a horror experience.
Pick it up, play it - and good luck.
Well - there we have it folks.
What do you guys think are the scariest horror video games ever made?
Speak your mind in the comment box down below.
Before we depart, let’s read out some of your most creative comments from the past
few days.
Ty Dshock says - hey guys big fan from across the pond - keep up the creepy videos always
a pleasure watching them!
Well Ty thanks so much my dude - but if you’re from across the pond, and I’m technically
across the pond - which side of the pond are we actually on?
CeetjeBeetje says - Don’t know if you’re into gaming, but have you played Bloodborne?
The Old Hunters DLC specifically.
Especially the last area of fishers hamlet oozes Lovecraft from every pore.
Well good buddy - I definitely hope you enjoyed this video, and I hope you got your answer.
Well - unfortunately, that’s all we’ve got time for in today’s video - cheers for
sticking around all the way till the end.
As always, I’ve been your host Jack Finch - you’ve been watching Top 5 Scary Videos
- and until next time, take it easy.