You know that moment: the screen goes dark, a light flickers, and you hear the most monstrous howl. Maybe you reach to turn on the lights or you pause the game and take a deep breath. You’ve just entered the arena with one scary-ass creature.
RAT KING – THE LAST OF US 2
The Last of Us 2 was met with universal acclaim upon its release in 2020. Not only had gameplay improved, but there were a number of new enemies. Perhaps one of the most challenging additions was the Rat King boss.
FEMALE TRIPOD – DEAD SPACE 2
With a Dead Space remake on the distant horizon, it’s a great time to revisit the palpable dread and fear of Dead Space. The enemy design throughout the series continues to still be some of the most gruesome and disturbing.
T-00 OR MR. X – RESIDENT EVIL 2
Some bosses scare you in part for how they look. While others are just so persistent in trying to kill you that they have to be considered one of the scariest video game bosses. This creates a tense and frightening atmosphere.
PANZERMÖRDER – CALL OF DUTY: WWII
Call of Duty isn’t one of those games synonymous with horror, but WWII’s zombie-based co-op mode is full of some gruesome surprises. The premise is that Nazi Germany is trying to turn the tides in the war and has created an army of undead to help them.
DEAD HAND – THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME
It’s not often that a game rated Everyone 10+ is scary, but Ocarina of Time puts players in some pretty dark situations. There are already a handful of non-boss enemies that will make you squirm with disgust.
LAURA – THE EVIL WITHIN
The Evil Within 2 is a horror game that does a great job of creating creatures in its world that are born from torment. The creature version of Laura was born from her fiery death at the age of 17.