Halloween Special: These game will make you piss your pants, Top 5 most terrifying games

To celebrate Halloween this year, I figured I would do a quick article on what I believe to be the top 5 scariest games
to ever grace our PC monitors and television screens. These are the games that tap into your fear complex and leave
your senses shattered. Playing them alone is a risk that you can only decide to take on your own. I wanted to make this
list unique among other lists so I only included games that actually scared me but trust me.. If they terrified me, they will
definitely terrify you..

5 - Clock Tower 3 (2003) Systems: PS2

The story centers around a 14-year old girl named Alyssa Hamilton living at a boarding school when she suddenly receives
a strange letter from her mother telling her to hide until her 15th birthday has passed. Naturally, Alyssa does not understand
so she heads back home to find her mother, only to realize that she has gone missing. One of the things that makes this
game stand out among many other survival-horror games is that you can't kill any of the enemies. You obtain certain items
that you can use as make-shift weapons such as, a vile of holy water. However, this will only paralyze your attacker for a
short time. The only way to get away from your pursuer is to locate hiding spots scattered throughout the various areas of
the game. This whole flight mechanic gives the game a much bigger sense of urgency and the fear of being caught.

4 - Dead Space (2008) Systems: PS3, Xbox 360, PC

Dead Space is definitely one of those surprise hits that managed to sneak up on gamers. When the first trailer was released,
most people just passed it off as a Doom 3 rip-off and while it did take some elements from that game, it made them it's own.
The premise of the story is that a mining ship known as the USG Ishimura has gone silent. You play an engineer named Isaac
Clarke who is sent with two other members to board the Ishimura, repair it, and figure out what happened on board. Once on
board the massive ship, you quickly discover that something very horrible has happened to the crew. Bodies litter every corridor,
giant fires have consumed massive sections of the ship, and disturbing, disfigured creatures have taken over. The game plays
a lot like Resident Evil 4..in fact it plays exactly the same. The game does rely on many jump scares but it's because of the
creepy atmosphere and echoes of death that imminent throughout the empty hallways that these scares are so effective. You
are immediately drawn into the game's world and begin to honestly feel like your life is in danger.

3 - Resident Evil (2002) Systems: Gamecube, Wii

I don't need to explain the story behind this one as I'm sure almost every gamer on the planet is already well aware of it. This
spot in the list is dedicated to the 2002 remake of the game, not the original PlayStation version which was so laughable that
it makes some comedians look bad. Due to it's use of pre-rendered backgrounds, it was the most realistic looking game on any
at the time of it's release and even to this day, it's dark and gritty environments put some of our current generation of games
to shame. You walk around a corner only to be obscured by the game's horrible "security camera" angles. Just off camera you
can hear the shambling, moaning sounds of an undead attack approaching you but from where? This lack of sight helped make
the game the terrifying experience that it is today. It's sad that a franchise that started off being a survival-horror franchise
is slowly moving away from it's roots with Resident Evil 4 and 5 but for true horror gaming at it's best, give this one a try..

2 - Silent Hill 3 (2003) Systems: PS2, PC

Most people consider the 2nd or 1st installment in the legendary franchise to be the scariest of the group but not me. The
protagonist of our story, Heather, is at a mall when she is suddenly swept into the nightmarish realm we know as Silent Hill.
The visuals are still incredible by today's standards and the genuine fear that you feel in any of the games is still completely
intact. If you can see past the horribly difficult combat system you will be in for a wild ride. It also ties in with the very first
Silent Hill game plot-wise and reveals a very interesting revelation near the end. One moment in particular takes place in an
amusement park ride that appears to be set up to look like a murder scene. I had a pair of speakers hooked into the TV and
they were right beside my ears and suffice to say..I almost needed a change of pants.

1 - Fatal Frame (2002) Systems: PS2, Xbox

Fatal Frame is hands down, the scariest game to ever be created by man. The story revolves around sacrifice, murder, and
legends that force a young girl into the mysterious "Himuro Mansion" in search of her brother, who just recently went missing.
If you have seen any Japanese horror movies and understand what makes them so much scarier then North American horror
films then you you will be instantly sucked into this game's world. It has white-clothed, black-haired girls aplenty and moments
that will make you actually want to put down the controller and leave the room, just so you can make sure your doors are
locked and every light in your house is on. Trust me though, playing this game with the lights off is a must if you want the
experience to have it's full effect. Fatal Frame is a terrifying game that will definitely keep you up at night.

10/31/09 Colton West