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adipocere · 08-09-2010, 11:36 AM

1. Scratches
hands down....Make sure you get the directors cut version! It's a bit of a graphics patch and there is an small add on chapter at the end that sucks by itself *but* it answers a few nagging questions. Amazing atmosphere, the whole game is very quiet and it makes you feel very alone, and you get to explore freely without loading (clever use of the 3d environment) It's like the difference between a haunted house you can walk through vs. a ride.
What really makes it scary is that it relies on real psychology to be scary...the immersion in the environment, the music, not shocking graphics or gore. And the puzzles are not inane and irrelevant, most of them are actual common sense..You probably will need a walk-through handy because the game doesn't exactly hold your hand through it.

2 Phantasmagoria
The first Phantasmagoria was so amazing that it been the benchmark that I have always compared horror adventure to (Scratches is the only other game that I played that was an all around 10 for me)....but unless you get an emulator I doubt it will work on any computer made after 2000. It was a big deal when it came out, and definitely *the* game that set the standard for scary. It would be awesome if another company with a budget could buy the license for it and make sequels. (phantasmagoria 2- puzzle of flesh was fail)

3.Sanitarium
Another older game that was delightfully weird. I didn't really care for the bird's eye perspective, but the game was truly demented. It's pretty old too so getting it to run may be difficult.

4. Lost Crown
This game is really just awesome all around...there are parts that really are spooky as hell. And you really get your moneys worth in game time. The environment is stunning (most of it is real), and it has amusing easter eggs, and lots of attention to detail, such as the newspaper ads and so on. The only downside is the amount of time you spend walking around a pretty vast area and getting trapped in a zone because you didn't inspect a pinecone or something and eventually you have to pull out the walkthrough. Many a forum is full of "HOW DO I GET OUT OF HERE???" And back up your game too...this is one where if you lose your progress the idea of starting over seems like punishment. But there are are a lot of savegame files out there in case of emergency.

5. Darkness Within (pursuit)
This game is done very well...first person (which I like)...very creepy. And you can die in it! Avoiding death is sometimes the puzzle itself...but you can always reload it. The second one is out, and I've not started it yet, but I am definitely looking forward to it.

5. Dark Fall: Lost Souls
This is really scary in a very in-your-face sort of way. It has a nightmarish quality in virtually every area. You actually sort of dread exploring it. Some of the interactions are extremely scary. And each area has a uniquely disturbing setting. It relies a lot on startling events, which is old hat, but done effectively. I like the first person viewpoint and being stuck in a frightened persons role. Only problem is the game leads you around on a leash and while the puzzles are not stupid, the game play is extremely linear. Same guy who did The Lost Crown (and Barrow Hill)

- I recall Shivers being good...it's old. Maybe it actually sucks, but I did get the first and second and enjoyed them. They were around with Phantasmagoria and were straight up adventure games.
-Barrow Hill I didn't finish. It was creepy but the encounter with the dude in the office was done so hilariously badly it ruined it for me. I played a little after it, and it had potential but all I could think about was that stupid guy. They should have put in David Hasslehoff playing air guitar instead, that would at least be a really awesome way of ruining it.
- Black Mirror was good but had the unforgivable programming flaw of allowing you to make dead-end decisions and free saves with no clue Which equals perma-stuck.

Essentially you could be 10 hours in and make one goof that you saved and all your progress is gone. game over. The only way to really avoid it by reading a walkthrough like an instruction manual while you play. Not fun.

08-09-2010, 11:36 AM	#49
adipocere grave wax Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Dixie Posts: 14	1. Scratches hands down....Make sure you get the directors cut version! It's a bit of a graphics patch and there is an small add on chapter at the end that sucks by itself but it answers a few nagging questions. Amazing atmosphere, the whole game is very quiet and it makes you feel very alone, and you get to explore freely without loading (clever use of the 3d environment) It's like the difference between a haunted house you can walk through vs. a ride. What really makes it scary is that it relies on real psychology to be scary...the immersion in the environment, the music, not shocking graphics or gore. And the puzzles are not inane and irrelevant, most of them are actual common sense..You probably will need a walk-through handy because the game doesn't exactly hold your hand through it. 2 Phantasmagoria The first Phantasmagoria was so amazing that it been the benchmark that I have always compared horror adventure to (Scratches is the only other game that I played that was an all around 10 for me)....but unless you get an emulator I doubt it will work on any computer made after 2000. It was a big deal when it came out, and definitely the game that set the standard for scary. It would be awesome if another company with a budget could buy the license for it and make sequels. (phantasmagoria 2- puzzle of flesh was fail) 3.Sanitarium Another older game that was delightfully weird. I didn't really care for the bird's eye perspective, but the game was truly demented. It's pretty old too so getting it to run may be difficult. 4. Lost Crown This game is really just awesome all around...there are parts that really are spooky as hell. And you really get your moneys worth in game time. The environment is stunning (most of it is real), and it has amusing easter eggs, and lots of attention to detail, such as the newspaper ads and so on. The only downside is the amount of time you spend walking around a pretty vast area and getting trapped in a zone because you didn't inspect a pinecone or something and eventually you have to pull out the walkthrough. Many a forum is full of "HOW DO I GET OUT OF HERE???" And back up your game too...this is one where if you lose your progress the idea of starting over seems like punishment. But there are are a lot of savegame files out there in case of emergency. 5. Darkness Within (pursuit) This game is done very well...first person (which I like)...very creepy. And you can die in it! Avoiding death is sometimes the puzzle itself...but you can always reload it. The second one is out, and I've not started it yet, but I am definitely looking forward to it. 5. Dark Fall: Lost Souls This is really scary in a very in-your-face sort of way. It has a nightmarish quality in virtually every area. You actually sort of dread exploring it. Some of the interactions are extremely scary. And each area has a uniquely disturbing setting. It relies a lot on startling events, which is old hat, but done effectively. I like the first person viewpoint and being stuck in a frightened persons role. Only problem is the game leads you around on a leash and while the puzzles are not stupid, the game play is extremely linear. Same guy who did The Lost Crown (and Barrow Hill) - I recall Shivers being good...it's old. Maybe it actually sucks, but I did get the first and second and enjoyed them. They were around with Phantasmagoria and were straight up adventure games. -Barrow Hill I didn't finish. It was creepy but the encounter with the dude in the office was done so hilariously badly it ruined it for me. I played a little after it, and it had potential but all I could think about was that stupid guy. They should have put in David Hasslehoff playing air guitar instead, that would at least be a really awesome way of ruining it. - Black Mirror was good but had the unforgivable programming flaw of allowing you to make dead-end decisions and free saves with no clue Which equals perma-stuck. Essentially you could be 10 hours in and make one goof that you saved and all your progress is gone. game over. The only way to really avoid it by reading a walkthrough like an instruction manual while you play. Not fun.