10. Splicers (Bioshock)
While the Bioshock series isn’t the most terrifying game out there, Rapture would be a far less frightening environment without these crazy bastards running around. While the Big Daddies provide the intimidation factor anytime you enter a room with one of these bulking behemoths, the Splicers have a tendency to jump out when you least expect it, in the darkest, bloodiest rooms of the game. If their sudden appearances when you thought you were alone isn’t enough of a reason to fear these psychopaths, just listen to one’s conversation with itself when it hasn’t yet noticed you. These mutants have clearly lost their minds long ago, and they can be tough to deal with when they travel in a pack. Splicers earn the ten spot as one of the most iconic monsters from this generation in gaming.1. Witch (Left 4 Dead) The original Left 4 Dead was released back in 2008 and introduced gamers to plenty of terrifying zombies and infected monsters, but the worst had to be the first infected most gamers seen in the opening scene of the game. Fans were greeted to the chilling sounds of a girl crying in the background only to learn the sound came from an undead girl with razor sharp claws on her hands. Startling the witch was the one frightening moment that even the most experienced Left 4 Dead players feared, and it was one of the most exciting moments in the game. The Witch is likely the most avoided monster in gaming history and with good reason. That’s why she is the scariest monster in gaming history.
9. Slashers (Dead Space)
Dead Space is a survival horror game filled with plenty of horrifying monsters throughout. In fact, you could probably make the case for any necromorph in the game to make the top ten list, but we decided to go with the slashers based on their looks. No monster in the game would make you crap your pants faster than the slasher. With a face that doesn’t quite exist and body that looks created only for the purpose of killing with the two massive blades attached to the beast’s forearms, the slasher is as intimidating as they come, and meeting these creatures in the game with less than ideal equipment will soon have you reloading from your last checkpoint. The Dead Space series is truly one of the most frightening of all-time, and the slasher is quite possibly the scariest monster in the entire series.
8. Alma (F.E.A.R.)
Alma may take a few design ideas from classic Japanese horror films and modern horror films such as The Ring, but this little lady is truly her own character and one that will keep you from falling asleep at night after playing the F.E.A.R. series. Alma is a powerful psychic that was experimented and tortured as a young child and a major pain in the butt for the protagonist of the games. Alma is truly frightening to look at, and the visions she creates while playing through the game make her one of the scariest monsters featured in any game. Just looking at the cover of a game in the series will send a chill down your spine as you quickly determine Alma is no ordinary little girl. Alma is the star of this series and the scariest monster in the game by far.
7. Dracula (Castlevania)
Dracula is the king of vampires and the final boss in most games that make up the Castlevania series. Numerous vampire hunters have tried to take down Lord Dracula over the years and most have failed. With the series being named after the infamous monster’s home, you have an idea of what you’re getting yourself into long before you complete the game, and yet, the monster and his multiple forms are always a surprise at the end of each game and provide you with the most exciting battles in the history of the series. Dracula is frightening for his battle prowess as much as anything, but it would be hard to create a list of monsters from the history of video games without mentioning one of the most iconic series in gaming history and the most memorable monster from the series.
6. Hydra (God of War)
The Hydra from the original God of War will always stick out as one of the most iconic boss battles in gaming history. The epic boss encounter was the first of many encounters in the game with massive creatures that were far bigger than the game’s protagonist, Kratos. Making the battle even more intense and surprising were the first two heads that were significantly smaller than the third and final head that would appear later in the fight. The boss battle gave players a good idea of what to expect in the rest of the game and introduced new game mechanics that would soon become standards for the greatest PlayStation series in the future. Still, the battle stands the test of time as one of the most frightening and intimidating fights in the history of gaming and comes in at number six on our list for these reasons.
5. Wallmaster Hand (The Legend of Zelda)
The Legend of Zelda series is all about crawling through numerous dungeons full of deadly monsters and obtaining powerful artifacts in order to stop the great wizard Ganondorf, and while the pig sorcerer is scary in his own way, the Wallmaster Hands are probably the scarier enemy. Whether they appear through dungeon walls to grab you and transport you back to the beginning or fall from a ceiling with only the growing shadow beneath your feet to warn you of an incoming attack, these things will scare the crap out of you, damage you and annoyingly transport you back to the beginning of stages in one fell swoop. Anyone who has faced these horrible enemies can tell you about the dread they feel just for being in the same room with them no matter how powerful their character is at the time making them one of the scariest monsters in gaming.
4. Zombies (Numerous Games)
Everybody loves zombies, and sure, they help make some of the best games ever and make other games better for their inclusion, but they’re still frightening creatures to deal with at times. Zombies are typically an enemy you can easily breeze through in any game with nearly any weapon, but when you encounter a whole horde of zombies, the adrenaline kicks in and you know it will only be you or them that survives the encounter. Zombies are featured in plenty of games and can bring on all kinds of emotions from the exciting Call of Duty Zombies to the creepy zombies in the Left 4 Dead series to the bizarre “rape” zombies in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Zombies are becoming more a mainstay in popular culture than ever before, and yet, they still scare the crap out of us in plenty of games.
3. Nemesis (Resident Evil 3: Nemesis)
Nemesis is a special programmed version of the Tyrant boss from the earlier games in the Resident Evil series, and this new monstrosity cannot be killed and relentlessly hunts you throughout the entire game. Nemesis could also deal an incredible amount of damage with each attack whether with melee attacks or by firing his rocket launcher. Umbrella programmed Nemesis to hunt down S.T.A.R.S. members as his only objective. Nemesis is the impediment of intimidation, and anyone who played the game back in the late 90s could tell you a story about how Nemesis scared the crap out of them numerous times through the game. Nemesis also made his way into the Resident Evil fan series as the film’s main antagonist which only propelled his popularity and made him even scarier on the big screen.
2. Pyramid Head (Silent Hill)
Pyramid Head is easily one of the scariest monsters in gaming history. Nobody truly known who or what the Pyramid Head is; the monster wields a massive knife that drags along the ground behind him and wears a huge helmet that always hides his face, and both make his a terrifying sight to behold especially in the creepy world of Silent Hill. The series is one filled with grotesque monsters that anyone would be afraid of, and Pyramid Head is nearly impossible to kill in addition making him slightly more frightening than the iconic nurses from the series. Of course, you can see both in the upcoming Silent Hill: Revelations film, or you can head back in time and replay the classic games such as Silent Hill 2 to get up close and personal with the second scariest monster in the history of video games!
1. Witch (Left 4 Dead)
The original Left 4 Dead was released back in 2008 and introduced gamers to plenty of terrifying zombies and infected monsters, but the worst had to be the first infected most gamers seen in the opening scene of the game. Fans were greeted to the chilling sounds of a girl crying in the background only to learn the sound came from an undead girl with razor sharp claws on her hands. Startling the witch was the one frightening moment that even the most experienced Left 4 Dead players feared, and it was one of the most exciting moments in the game. The Witch is likely the most avoided monster in gaming history and with good reason. That’s why she is the scariest monster in gaming history.