I’ve been playing survival horror games for quite a while now, and while they’re one of my favourite genres of gaming, I can’t ignore the fact that these sort of games give me nightmares. The following is a list I’ve compiled of things in games which have scared the living crap out of me whilst playing on a game. There’s been plenty of games with a “boo” factor about them, such as the Condemned games and Alone In The Dark, but I wouldn’t say that they were visibly frightening. So here’s the list of terrifying creatures/monsters which have induced a state of frequent horror nightmares…

7. Lickers (Resident Evil 2) – Playstation

While Umbrella’s awful experiments aren’t the most physically scary creatures to have graced the video game market, the Lickers have it all as an ultimate horror game monster. They are repulsive, have a clicky sound when they walk as if someone has hole punches for shoes and they’re frighteningly fast. The speed and guile of these in game predators is one of the main reasons why they have made the list, because they can flank you without prior warning and before you know it you’ve got nasty Licker tongue all up in your face! For me it was the paranoia of being able to hear them, but not see them. Lickers tick all the boxes for the architypal horror monsters and have had recurring appearances in the Resident Evil games since then and whether you’re controlling Leon Kennedy or Chris Redfield, these clawed fiends are a scary enemy. It’s definitely the scene in Resident Evil 2, with the interview room and the two way mirror that cements Lickers into this Top 7.

6. Pyramid Head/The Red Pyramid (Silent Hill 2) – Playstation 2

Our friend Pyramid Head does have to have more of a celebrity status these days since gracing the silver screen in Christophe Gans’ dribbled adaptation of Silent Hill the movie and probably would have more frightening impetus were it not for this and his cameo in Silent Hill 5: Homecoming. The comes all the fan art and cosplay in Japan. But I choose to remember the original days of Silent Hill 2, for this is the first time we meet this faceless monstrosity. This 8′ beast wielding a knife the size of a canoe ambles along and scares the bloody hell out of anyone playing the game as you’re controlling James Sunderland. The worst part I suppose is that you can’t actually kill him, you just have to run away. Sure you can slow him down by using the 4 bullets you picked up in the last 7 hours of gameplay but by far the best advice is to leg it. Pyramid Head (or the Red Pyramid as he’s known in Japan), is almost like a dominant male in the sea of female monsters in the Silent Hill games as often if seen molesting a mannequin enemy in the first scene where you see him in SH2. You find out that he is a manifestation of guilt by James for killing his wife, hence the faceless almost executioner type of apparition sent to haunt him. While SH2 kindly explains this, he was ruined by Christophe Gans in the film as being some kind of summoned monster, like an Aeon in Final Fantasy X. Pyramid Head still continues to scare me to this day, I don’t know if it’s the sounds, shape or attack of the thing, but it’s the mystery surrounding him which freaks me out the most.

5. Necromorphs (Dead Space) – Xbox 360

Dead Space was one of the few survival horrors on the Xbox 360 which actually kept the paranoia and ambience which seems to missing from the classic horrors. Subtle background sounds of industrial thumps and moans ring around your head really giving the player a feeling of total isolation. And then a reanimated corpse will leap out of an air duct and slash the crap out of you. These are the Necromorphs. They’re a bit like sci-fi zombies which have mutated in death to come back as a terrifying monster with scythe like limbs ready to eviscerate you without a second thought. Their twisted form and speed of attack make them a horrifying enemy and quite often will leap out and attack you without giving you a chance to react! Necromorphs have several iterations and all are incredibly frightening and will plague you the entirety of the game.

4. DoubleHead/Twin Victims (Silent Hill 4: The Room) – Playstation 2

The Twin Victims are the reincarnation of Billy and Miriam Locane, a pair of twins murdered by serial killer Walter Sullivan in Silent Hill 4. Unlike the other ghosts of victims which ethereally float after Henry Townshend, these have been brought back as a frightening monster with no legs, two infant faces fused on one head and a pair of powerful arms which it walks on. Needless to say that these things are frightening. The move quickly for a large monster and have a devastating slam attack. I don’t know if its pure psychology which freaks you out about them by the fact that this monster is the product of two murdered children, but they definitely have a scary aura about them. Before they attack, you can see them in the distance and one of the hands will point at you and follow your every movement until you get too close or provoke them. They also whisper “receiver” rather eerily. These things seriously gave me nightmares!

3. Broken Neck Woman (Project Zero/Fatal Frame) – Playstation 2

In typical Japanese fashion, this next enemy is just called the Broken Neck Woman, hmm very original. But don’t let that disguise how frightening this apparition is. Japanese horror always seems to be dictated by the vengeful spirits and the Project Zero (Fatal Frame in Japan) games are no different. You’re armed only with a camera which means you pretty much take pictures of the ghost until it disappears, which leads it open to being especially frightening. The camera of course is in FPS mode for attacking which causes you to shift from the usual third person Silent Hill/Resident Evil perspective. The Broken Neck Woman appears in several places in the game and gets more twisted as the game goes on, at some point manifesting with her head completely upside down as she floats towards you. Like the ghosts in Silent hill 4, they float and by not walking makes them twice as scary. I hate this ghost more than the rest because it’s just so twisted! Gah!

2. Cynthia Velásquez (Silent Hill 4: The Room) – Playstation 2

Speaking of ghosts and Japanese horror, this next one royally scared the crap out of me. Cynthia is the 16th victim of Walter Sullivan’s ritual killings and you meet her in the subway in Silent Hill 4, the last time seeing her she’s slashed up to bits and bleeding everywhere before dying in Henry’s arms as her life ebbs away. What you don’t expect is returning to the subway to find her ghost just floating there before attacking you rather viciously. Perhaps riding on the crest of a wave in horror created by the remakes of The Ring and The Grudge for the western market, Cynthia has been brought back pale and her long hair is covering her face. She then zips along the floor at frightening pace chipping away at your health, leaving a trail of black hair everywhere. Look at the picture of her! She’s horrible! Just that picture freaks me out! I was so glad I had one of those ghost pinning swords so I didn’t have to face her late in the game. As the boss ghosts in this game went, none of them were as scary as her, and she was the first one! I can’t even look at this picture without being freaked out!

1. Maria / Resurrection of Mary (Silent Hill 2) – Playstation 2

Bit of a spoiler here for those of you who haven’t completed Silent Hill 2 (come on you’ve had 10 years to complete it now!), but the final boss of Silent Hill 2 gets my scariest vote. After being followed about by Maria the entire game, James’ dead wife’s doppleganger falls victim to a pair of Pyramid Heads at the end after being strapped into a frame and executed. Only for her to come back to life and fly after you. It’s the same as Cynthia in the previous one, its because she floats makes it twice as scary, but upside down all twisted up, spewing hordes of moths after you before hitting you? It’s terrifying! I don’t care if it’s your ex-wife, that’s some scary shit! There’s always a reason in Silent Hill games why you save up all your rifle ammo, and this is when you use it! Maria is fast, frightening and ultimately caused countless nightmares for myself and I’d imagine gamers everywhere. I don’t care how old you are, this is just horrifying! It’s hard to believe how a flying picture frame can be scary, but trust me, it is. But this was the thing which just proves how Silent Hill is the scariest franchise in gaming history and probably won’t be beaten!