Games that scare the bejesus out of you

[Reverend]

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. Very atmospheric, very creepy and that bit were you have to escape from the hotel is just sheer terror incarnate. It's very unforgiving too; you don't even get a gun until about half why through.

HL2's Ravenholm deserves an honourable mention, as dose System Shock 2 and certain parts of the Left 4 Dead games.

 

[Reverend]

[EDIT] Double post. That's a first for me.

 

[Deckerd]

Quake 4

Utterly disgusting and scary. A winning combination.

 

[Jax]

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. Very atmospheric, very creepy and that bit were you have to escape from the hotel is just sheer terror incarnate. It's very unforgiving too; you don't even get a gun until about half why through.

That was a great horror game, sadly never finished it but would love a re-make someday.

 

[Evil Twin]

Not entire game per se (I tend to avoid horror in general) but THE single scariest gaming experience I've had was the level "Robbing the Cradle" in Thief 3. Abandoned orphanage/insane asylum? *shudder*

Also was quite awhile before I could work up the courage to play "Return to the Cathedral" from Thief 1 in its entirety. Always used the exploit where you could keep the front doors propped open with a skull or something, then exit out them after you acquire the Eye from the altar.

 

[Yoda]

The original Alone in the Dark.... very creepy atmosphere, the books, the zombies...

The original resident evil and those damned dogs! Very jarring the first time I played it.

FEAR had its ok scary moments, but what can I say, those other games got me when I was like 12-14.

 

[GalaxyX]

One thing I remember was the original Unreal. The thing that scared me about that game was the Tentacles: creatures that hide in crevices or on ceilings and throw knives at you.

I remember Unreal was one of the first games I ever played with a 3dFX Voodoo Card. That was the first time in my entire life that I finished a FPS from beginning to end. Even now the graphics are still helluva impressive. Nothing ever scared me in the game though.

The 2 games that scared me were X-Com, Terror from the Deep. I'd be moving one of my guys around a corridor and out of nowhere this HUGE dinosaur with HUGE teeth is smiling at me! Shit I was playing it at like 4am in the dark. I crapped my pants for sure that night.

The other game that scared me was Wing Commander Privateer, the part where you get the alien weapon from that old alien base, and out of nowhere this absolutely indestructible egg like ship is sniping at you and is totally invincible to your weapons fire. I couldn't sleep that night.

 

[Brandonv]

For the most part I didn't find Unreal scary, but there is one part of the game that sticks out in my mind: I am walking through a corridor, when the lights at the far end start turning off, the darkness coming closer. It is pitch black for a few moments, then the lights turn on and a Skaarj is right in front of me. Youtube video

The Silent Hill games are by far the scariest I have ever played. Some other games that have scared me:

Doom (Playstation port) - This port replaced the PC game music with some really spooky ambient music. It gave the game a much scarier atmosphere than the original.

Doom 3

Half-Life 2 (Ravenholm)

Wheel of Time - Does anyone else remember this game? I remember the part where you have to travel through The Ways (Wikipedia) being really scary.

Super Metroid - When I was a kid I got scared when the statue came to life and attacked me. I think this is the first time I remember a game being scary.

 

[Reverend]

Not so scary by today's standards but back in the day games like 'Another World' (sometimes called 'Out of This World') and the original 'Prince of Persia' both had their scary moments. The death animations in particular had a stark realism (if you can call it that) that really imbued the environment with a sense of menace.

I've honestly never played any of the 'Silent Hill' games so I have to take people's word on how effective those were. I remember the first 'Resident Evil' game having what was back then a jump-out-of-your-seat moment involving a window and a rabid dog (those who played it should know the one I mean.)

 

[Lookingglassman]

Dead Space was very scary at first, but as the levels progressed, I wasn't scared anymore. After getting beat over the head with things jumping out of walls and ceilings for a few levels I got used to it and the rest of the game wasnt that bad.