11 Times Video Games Did Horror Better Than Movies

WC: For many the first experience of having their horror-cherries popped would have been with either the first Silent Hill or Resident Evil games. Both operating in a manner that’s become known as ‘tank controls’ where your characters could only rotate before heading forward or back, this limited movement actually increased the horror element thanks to restricting how well you could get away from what surrounded you. However, recently we’ve seen a huge amount of first-person horror titles emerge, from the latest entry in the Amnesia series to the meme-based cult-hit Slender: The Eight Pages, featuring everyone’s favourite elongated stalker.

All the games above are very enjoyable for a number of cross-medium reasons, but the unique thing gaming has offered horror fans is that feeling of not wanting to press on, but knowing that only you are able to. In itself it’s a terrifying concept, and one that’s personified in some of the best titles in the genre.

[scark92]

Very interesting read, I believe interacting with Horror is better than watching it and I find horror video games much more scarier, so glad at some of the games mentioned,

especially Metal Gear Solid, there is a similar scene in MGS2 just before you encounter Vamp and Pliskin!

Nemisis really made Resident Evil 3 what it is, Pure survival horror for its time and has always scared me.

[DarkOcelet]

Yeah i remember the first time he broke the windows in the police department , or his first encounter ... it was so goddamn scary , i wish they go back to their horror roots one day .

[scark92]

That one moment.. That moment!!! That's what I miss, that scared the crap outta me!! same!

[SaveFerris]

What the heck is that in the picture?

[nope111]

My mother in-law.

jkjkjk

[plmkoh]

Shibito brain from Siren Blood curse.

[Darkwatchman]

Pretty much any video game horror will be scarier than a horror movie. It's just the nature of the medium. Passively watching a film has never scared me, but plenty of games have turned me into 3 year old girls.

[Summons75]

It depends on the movie. Most movies won't even bother me but they're fun to watch still. Some movies really know how to get under your skin, like Psychological thrillers and naturally Del Toro really knows how to make things work. A lot of games, the BEST horror games take the Psychological approach. They will work to get under your skin, make you fear what isn't there and leave you defenseless when there is something there. Games like Slender just take advantage of jump scares which isn't real horror.

[skydragoonity]

Honestly horror games scare me more than movies cus in games the character represents you so there's more connection. Resident evil nemesis did the the most damage damn nemesis was scary AF!!!

[Pozzle]

STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARS

[jollygoodchap8]

I agree with most on the list.

A more recent game I'd add to the list is....Five Nights at Freddy's

Soooo psychologically screwy :s

Watch out for the fox!!!

[Clown_Syndr0me]

IM a big horror fan,but in terms of movies the genre has been going downhill for years. Its rare to get a horror rated higher than a 5/10 these days on IMDB. There is no originality or iconic characters anymore.
However, it seems that with all the upcoming horror titles that fans of the genre may be able to get their fix through video games, which is fine by me!
After playing PT demo I am, for the first time in a while, optimistic about the future of horror!

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

They do and they don't in my opinion. When God-tier horrors such as The Thing, Jacob's Ladder Hellraiser and Audition are brought in, I feel that they pretty much close the gap between the mediums in bringing fear to the viewer but in different flavors.I find it hard to choose one over the other because each have their own methods of rattling my senses.

[Darkwatchman]

in most cases, both films and video games have their own strengths and weaknesses in terms of telling different stories, but video games I feel will ALWAYS have the advantage when it comes to horror. Just the fact that it is interactive and you intrinsically have to worry about death and in most cases with horror games, resource management, will always instill more fear than a movie.

I own The Thing and Jacob's Ladder and while I like both as movies in general, especially Jacob's Ladder, they pale in comparison to decent horror games. The Silent Hill series has been influenced by Jacob's Ladder brand of psychological horror and honestly, even with the rudimentary visuals of the original Silent Hill on PS1, THAT scared me more than any movie I've ever seen. Interactive horror is so much more terrifying than passive horror. Watching someone play a scary game probably won't scare you, but playing it yourself is terrifying. Horror is the ONE instance in which I truly believe gaming has the advantage and film can do nothing to surpass it in any way.

[Summons75]

Does the author realize that Metal Gear Solid and Heavy Rain are NOT horror at all....even remotely...

And if anyone thinks Slender is scary then you clearly have no idea what true horror is, hell it's worse than B-horror movies.

[scark92]

MGS has some horror-esque elements, such as the Sorrow fight in MGS3.

[SP4CE_C4PT4IN]

Very good list! I've played all but Siren and Amnesia.