Being an avid fan of both horror and video games, I've played my fair share of horror games over the years. To this day, the scariest game I have ever played is Outlast. I like that there's an active element of danger; you are hunted at almost every turn, and rarely ever safe. The chase sequences are always full of tension and suspense. Overall, the game is hectic, intense, and panic inducing; all crucial parts of horror, in my opinion. I know many people aren't huge fans of Outlast, and there are some people who don't consider it as horror at all. But to me, it's one of the most terrifying video games I've ever experienced. It still sticks with me today, and I often find myself itching to play it again.

It was difficult to choose just one game, so I'm going to mention a few others I think are pretty scary. I think Dead Space and Dead Space 2 have many great moments, and both games do a fantastic job of maintaining a creepy atmosphere. Resident Evil 7 is also terrifying at times, especially towards the beginning. Stealthing around Jack and Marguerite is a stressful, tense ordeal that never stops being so. And last, but not least: the Resident Evil HD Remaster. Once Hunters first appear, there's the constant fear they could pop up anywhere. Around any turn, from any dark corner, even through a window. And wow, is it scary. I jumped more times at a Hunter emerging, than I'd like to admit.

Unfortunately, due to my busy, busy schedule, I’ve never truly had time to play the games, but that doesn’t change my love for them. Instead, I watch them while I work on school or whenever I have a free moment. I’ve seen many different games, but my two favorites would be Until Dawn or Layers of Fear. The thing I love about horror games is the story and the lore they possess. The further you dive in, the more twisted it gets. The reason I love these two games so much is because of this and all the intrigue they bring.

Until Dawn. The story is complex and simple all at the same time. However, the best power is how easily they confused the player. Unless you’ve been playing your whole life, it doesn’t make sense until the very end. Also, the undertones of the internal struggles of the characters, especially one character. Josh, the brother, suffering and grieving for his long-gone sisters. The thing is though, what I seriously loved, was the inclusion of wendigos. Wendigos don’t always get a lot of representation in stories, despite having incredibly interesting lore. They’re some of my favorite creatures and it really excited me to lay this game. These are what making is bone-chilling and creepy. You don’t outright scream, but you get goosebumps and chills from the story as you play.

Now, about Layers of Fear, the story is even MORE complex than Until Dawn but is just as creepy, maybe even more so. The story of This game is told more through nightmarish scenes and situations. Often as if he’s hallucinating or is drunk, which as we find out through the game, he often is. The story is often told through imagery and symbolism, making you piece together the story, which by itself isn’t scary, just... sad. Layers of Fear does actually have a sequel and it’s pretty much just as good as the first. More imagery, another complex and saddening story, but the same chilling effects.

All in all, these two games are not only some of the scariest and creepiest games I ever have seen but two of my absolute favorites. I highly recommend these games to anyone interested in and looking for something weird and scary to play.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a first-person survival horror game released back in 2010, and it truly is one of the most terrifying video game experiences I ever had. It was developed by Frictional Games, who at the time were only known for developing the Penumbra game series. This game pretty much defined the genre first-person survival horror. Games like Outlast and Blair Witch wouldn’t be like they are without this game.

The premise is simple. You play as a protangonist named Daniel, who wakes up in a dark, foreboding castle with a bad case of, you guessed it, amnesia. As you explore the castle, you start to uncover mysteries about your character, who may have been in to some shady shit, all the while you’re trying your damnedest to avoid monsters and maintain your sanity as the light fades further away in the dark.

The terror factor comes in when you start playing the game and you realize that you don’t have any means to defend yourself. That’s right. No weapon. No traps. Nada. You’re at the mercy of this game. All you can do against the monsters in this game is run and hide. You can’t even look at the monsters in this game otherwise you character looses their shit.

That’s right, there’s a sanity meter in this game where if you’re in the dark for too long or if you stare at a monster for too long your character goes insane and then it’s game over. Your point-of-view starts going blurring and it’ll get worse and worse until all you see is the game over screen. And that right there is what makes the game scary. Having to fall into utter insanity is probably the scariest thing that could happen to anyone, and that’s why I love this game so much. In order to keep your sanity alive, you gotta avoid the monsters as much as possible, and you gotta keep your lantern, your only source of light, lit at all times, which you can do so by finding oil and matches scattered throughout.

The only other mechanic you can do is physics. What I mean is you can grab objects and carry/throw them, which aids you in solving various puzzles. And these puzzles are pretty challenging and fun.

Now when you first play this game you’ll probably think the graphics are pretty date by 2010 standards. But keep in mind that Frictional Games is an independent studio. They don’t do any Triple A style games like Call of Duty or some shit. I say, for an independent game, especially one that does excellently well with lighting and shadows, the graphics are great.

I also really like the deep mystery behind this game. Some times you’ll come across notes and diary entries that give you hints to what kind of bad shit your character may have gotten into. Plus there are moments when you are exploring where you hear voices, like its his memory trying to come back but it’s messing with his head. All part of the growing insanity of the game.

In truth, talking about this game really doesn’t do it much justice. If you really want to experience the true horror behind this game, you gotta play it yourself. It’s available on PC, XBox One, and Playstation 4. Definitely give it a play around Halloween. Just don’t do it in the dark.

Positives:

-Terrifying

-No combat

-Depths of insanity

-Puzzle solving

-Graphics

-Lighting & shadows

-Mystery in the story

Negatives:

-None

Final Grade: A+

Hell, don’t just take my word for it. You should check out the best review of this game done by Zero Punctuation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXuIZstyM7E

So those are my thoughts on Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Have you played it? What were your thoughts? Please be kind, leave a like and comment, and check out more reviews here on Prose!

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