gaming Games that made you scared because of their atmosphere

[SolyWack 482]

What are some memorable games for you, where you were scared because of the atmosphere, level design, and enemy AI. Not cheap jumpscares like in FNAF, Oulast, Amnesia, or other cheap horror games.

 

It doesnt even need to be a horror game. I got scared in dark souls a lot because i never knew were the next bonfire was.

 

The game i was thinking of while posting this was Metro:2033. That game was horrifying, and there was only 1 jump scare the entire game (in the library). Especially the first time you walk out into the surface and get separated. You never knew when a Watchmen would jump you. My heart was pumping the entire time.

Edited July 6, 2015 by AppleJack_Wack

[Discordian 6,013]

Hey bro, jumpscares are literally the only thing that scare me anymore. Atmosphere is for mood only.

 

When I was younger and didn't know what to expect Eternal Darkness had me riled every time I turned a corner or heard something. After you beat the game once or twice that shit ain't scary anymore though since you know you can literally kill everything in every chapter, sometimes from long range, and never have to worry since you have near-infinite healing. Dat first playthrough though.

[SynBassilicious Pony 322]

....................

Edited January 30, 2023 by SynBassilicious Pony

[Alto 437]

The last of us ~ very atmospheric, it has zombies and stuff but no cheap jump scares, i highly recommend it for the story and visuals

 

Old resident evil games - running out of ink ribbons is no joke you cant save without

 

Dark souls series and bloodborne- every corner is a danger,every enemy can potentially kill you, blood pumping boss battles, agonizing death over and over and over and over and over again

[Discordian 6,013]

Old resident evil games - running out of ink ribbons is no joke you cant save without

Is that a thing people do? I always had more than enough ink ribbons and you could find more every two or three saverooms.

 

I guess that's the difference between playing them at 10 and playing them at 24 though.

[Alto 437]

@@Discordian, err yeah i played it when im between 11-13

 

no quick save back then so had to save at every save point not to mention some kids have a time limit at playing

[VengefulStrudel 1,486]

Doom 3 for me, one of the few horror games I played. I remember the haunted office bit had some really disturbing music, and Hell Knights always gave me shivers down my spine, especially hearing their footsteps from a distance, combined with the screenshake...it was that feeling of imminent doom, you could say.

 

Another game that got me scared half the time was Shadow Warrior 2013 on Heroic difficulty; the terror of accidentally dashing off a ladder and dying to fall damage D:

[Biggybrony 244]

Well, you say 'not Amnesia' but the atmosphere in that game was very spooky at first. Walking around a creepy old victorian castle? Spooky. As soon as I started throwing loaves of bread at the monsters it started to die down a bit.

 

I suppose Eternal Darkness had some scary atmosphere as well.

[Floofie 799]

Definitely Metroid Fusion. Scariest non-horror game I've ever played. It doesn't scare me now, but when I was a little kid, that sh*t was CREEPY. Especially that music you hear when you're right next to a boss...

 

[Megas 27,062]

Metroid Fusion. Eberything is good until the FUCKING SA-X SHOWS UP, AND YOUR JUST PRAYING THAT YOU DON'T GET CAUGHT

 

Edited July 6, 2015 by Megas75

[PoisonClaw 8,153]

Most recently I would say Bioshock since holy crap, that game is terrifying. Take your pick, the claustrophobic and decrepit city of Rapture, the muttering Splicers that can jump out at any moment or even the music that can switch from pleasant to "you're going to die" at a moment's notice.

 

Mass Effect 3 also has the monastery level, which is utterly dead quiet. You just know something's about to pop out at you, and the level has a few jump scares littered throughout of things like cans falling over just to keep you on your toes.     

Edited July 6, 2015 by PoisonClaw

[GuyNamedEarl 1,332]

Most recently I would say Bioshock since holy crap, that game is terrifying. Take your pick, the claustrophobic and decrepit city of Rapture, the muttering Splicers that can jump out at any moment or even the music that can switch from pleasant to "you're going to die" at a moment's notice.

 

Mass Effect 3 also has the monastery level, which is utterly dead quiet. You just know something's about to pop out at you, and the level has a few jump scares littered throughout of things like cans falling over just to keep you on your toes.     

Bioshock scared the crap out of me, especially the part in the Dentist's Office.

[MLPFanatic34 3,234]

Amnesia Dark Descent and Spooky's House of Jumpscares, I sadly didn't finish Spooky's because I got to the point I was being chased and got too spooked to finish, but in terms of a game, it lures you into a false sense because the game seems cute and innocent and then throws these horrifying images and monsters at you. It's a good game and definitely one I'll attempt to try again.

[Magic Note 2,738]

I remember Metroid Fusion really well and being startled by the SA-X. You'll be playing, hearing footsteps. I would say: "Where is it? I know you're hiding somewhere" and then suddenly, it attacks you with no warning.

 

It gets even worse: Sometimes, it just attacks you with no provocation and you have to run for your life, lest you want to be frozen by an ice beam.

[Lunatic Cake 1,618]

Definitely Fatal Frame/Project Zero

 

That game is pretty much based around it's atmospheric horror. :3

[Blackened 512]

Resident Evil RE:make. I got into this game when I was 12, and I remember being scared of how dark it all looks. The mansion truly looks abandoned and it makes me feel like something will jump out of the door (which does happen!). I'm nearly 18 now, and the atmosphere still scares the shit out of me.

[VulpineTaco 525]

I know this sounds really silly, but Gone Home.

Now, hear me out. I played it not knowing anything about it, and I thought it was a horror game. I spent almost the entire game paranoid out of my mind, expecting something spooky to happen. I even had to stop when I got to that upstairs area with the red light because I got so freaked out.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,273]

This one might sound a little bit lame but hear me out. Slender the Arrival. I just played it for the first time recently with a stereo headset and while the jumpscare aspect of that game is cheap, the game does a surprisingly excellent job at creating extreme tension and dread. The sound design and environments are top notch.

 

Another game that does this well early on is Resident Evil 4. That game has a very dark atmosphere to that is pretty freaky.  

[Magic Rasin 180]

I have a couple of experiences from various games.

 

     Minecraft - Playing late at night with the sound on max and mods that make caves pitch black makes spelunking really scary at low health. You feel like you're being watched all the time.

 

     Fallout 3 - Walking through a dark vault/subway/building armed with only a 10mm pistol and a sawed off shotgun not knowing what's up ahead.

 

     Half Life 2 - Ravenholm only using the gravity gun. Enough said.

[Shift 4,271]

I would say Amnesia but you banned that (And how dare you call Amnesia a cheap horror game!). Minecraft always scared me during the night with the mobs and the music. Also, Fire Emblem Awakening's final boss scared me shitless when I first played it due to the music, the buildup, and the imagery. Jesus, Grima's face-jaw-thing (Awakening Spoilers) was the scariest thing I could imagine at the time. It still gives me the creeps, and the titantic, ancient, godly atmosphere didn't help, because it gave me a feeling of helplessness against a deity-like figure when I first played it (Id - Purpose remains to this day as one of my favorite final boss themes). I was definitely creeped out.
 
Also, this may seem silly, but Bowser's Inside Story's final boss. Jesus, the music has been for years my favorite final boss music bar none (In The Final / Grand Finale was so good it got into Smash Wii U!), no I don't care that it's repetitive, the mood it gives off is just that good. Anyway, the atmosphere the entire battle gives off due to the sheer amount of buildup is utterly scary. Especially if you're younger, you honestly feel scared against Dark Bowser, who has a really terrifying design for Mario games. Also... during the Mario & Luigi parts of the final battle, Fawful is... just... well, the little giggle he gives off combined with his look combined with his size combined with Dark Bowser combined with the music is just plain terrifying.

 

Edit: Also Majora's Mask entire game is obligatory when talking about scary moods in games

Edited July 16, 2015 by Shift

[Guest]

Either Condemned: Criminal Origins or Manhunt. They both have A LOT of intense and creepy atmosphere.

 

.. Condemned especially.

 

[LadyCoco 130]

I remember when my mother gifted me Silent Hill: Shattered Memories as a kid. I was with one of my best friends and we decidex to play it. We start good, but at some point non of us wanted to grab the controller. The music, the images, everything about the game gave us nightmares

Edited May 29, 2021 by Sochy
Correct my english.

[Sky Knight 1,172]

Haven't played many but there was this one game my cousin made me play along time ago. I think it was called Dead Space and it was very scary with lots of strong atmosphere. It's even more scary when you play in the darkness of night with headphones on at a very high level of sound. I almost had many heart attacks from the space monsters that would chase you.

[SolyWack 482]

I would say Amnesia but you banned that (And how dare you call Amnesia a cheap horror game!).

How expensive was Amnesia?   Plus Amnesia had so many jumpscares, as well as the entire game was meant to scare you, that was its purpose. Not that that's a bad thing, it sold well after all, but Im trying to get games that scared you as a side-effect of the games excellent atmosphere, like Metro or Dark Souls.

[Shift 4,271]

How expensive was Amnesia? Plus Amnesia had so many jumpscares, as well as the entire game was meant to scare you, that was its purpose. Not that that's a bad thing, it sold well after all, but Im trying to get games that scared you as a side-effect of the games excellent atmosphere, like Metro or Dark Souls.

Yeah, I know, I was joking around and Amnesia was pretty cheap, now that I think about it.

 

I've never really found Dark Souls scary actually, sure I felt the fire of adventure and frustration but I've never been truly scared. Well, when i'm desperate for a bonfire I can get a little panicked, but it's nothing atmospheric.