Horror games are filled with dread and terror around every corner, but sometimes the most frightening moments come when a beloved character endures a gruesome death. These video games grip audiences with their use of suspenseful storytelling and captivating character building. Of course, not everyone will make it to safety in a horror game, but no amount of tissues can soak up the tears gamers have spilled over their favorite characters' untimely demises.
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In horror games, the objective is almost always to survive. Part of what makes a character’s death so difficult to swallow is the fact they failed this mission. Horror game protagonists suffer through quite a bit on their terrifying journeys, yet they are never quite prepared to lose a family member, a teammate, or even their own life. Warning: Spoilers forThe Last of Us Part IIand other titles ahead!
Known for being one of the sillier zombie games,Dead Risingfeatures a shopping mall under an undead siege for a setting,brilliant and ridiculous weaponslike gumball machines and frying pans, and frivolous boss fights with killer chainsaw clowns and escaped prisoners.
Despite the silly nature of the game, Department of Homeland Security agent and fellow zombie apocalypse survivor, Brad Garrison, suffers a truly saddening death when antagonist Carlito locks him in a dark room with a swarm of zombies. When Frank West finally gets to him, Brad is seriously injured and in the midst of the zombification process. The player can later find a zombified version of Brad wandering aimlessly in the tunnels under the mall. With the series' silly reputation, however, this loss doesn’t cut as closely as others.
Brad Vickers is the helicopter pilot who leaves his fellow S.T.A.R.S. team behind in the events of the firstResident Evilgame. His cowardice in the face of danger dooms his partners to the terrors of a zombie filled mansion, but he still comes back for them at just the right time to save the day.
His behavior acts as a contrast to the strong-hearted protagonists in the series. Unfortunately, Brad meets his bloody demise inResident Evil 3at the hands of humanoid bio-weapon Nemesis, as protagonist Jill Valentine can only watch in terror. Inone difference between the original and the remake of the game,the latter sees Brad bitten by a zombie and turn into one himself instead. Nevertheless, the player wasn’t as close to Brad as they could have been.
9Wolfenstein: The Old Blood: B.J. Is Too Late To Save Wesley
From soldiers to zombies,Wolfenstein: The Old Bloodis filled with death around every corner. One of the most horrifying scenes in the game occurs when protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz discovers Richard Wesley, his fellow undercover agent, tied to an electric chair.
The reunion is bittersweet as vicious warden Rudi Jäger flips the switch on the chair, sending B.J. flying backwards. When B.J. comes to, Wesley is being devoured by Jäger’s ferocious giant dog. Needless to say, B.J. holds a grudge and takes his anger out on an unfathomable number of his enemies (hopefully he levelled up his weapons beforehand; some players don’t realize they can do that in this series).
8BioShock 2: Delta Fulfills His Duty
Big Daddies have been one of Rapture’s most terrifying creatures since the firstBioShockgame. The sequel changes things up by allowing player to experience the story as a Big Daddy by the name of Subject Delta.
Big Daddies are physically bound to their Little Sisters by the experimentation of Rapture scientists. Delta is ripped away from his Little Sister Eleanor through unfortunate circumstances, which sets the events of the game in motion as he tries to find Eleandor in Rapture’s ruins. Eventually, his physical and mental wounds degrade his life force and, in the arms of his beloved Little Sister, he succumbs to the pain.
7Silent Hill 2: Angela Enters The Inferno
Horror games are known for their desolate characters, perhaps none as soul-crushing asSilent Hill’sAngela Orosco. InSilent Hill 2, a highlight of this fantastic horror series,protagonist James Sunderland first finds her searching for her lost mother in the foggy town of Silent Hill. It is revealed that Angela suffered terrible cruelty at the hands of her father and brother, ceasing only when she kills them and runs away.
Angela is last seen by James on a flaming staircase. Her last words before entering the fire and being engulfed are,“for me… it’s always like this.”
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Funny characters in the horror game genre are rare, butLeft 4 Deadis a notable exception. These characters' charisma and sense of humor are as infectious as the zombie invasion. Bill, a main character in the first game, acts as a father figure to his fellow survivors and a valuable ally in the face of zombie swarms.
In the events ofThe PassingandTheSacrifice,Bill offers his life by staying behind to restart the generator to allow his friends to escape to safety. This selfless act left a hole in the heart of players, who can find his body in the generator room with his trademark M16 by his side.
In the face of the most extreme misfortune, the human spirit is seen as an extraordinary bond between loved ones.The Walking Deadexemplifies these morals.Telltale Games have created some excellent titles,and they never gives players easy choices in the face of a zombie apocalypse.
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The most difficult decision could easily be young Clementine’s heart-breaking choice on how to handle protagonist Lee Everett’s fate, after his zombie bite begins to take over his body. She must choose whether to shoot the constrained Lee or run away and allow him to turn undead.
When it comes to the psychological aspect of horror,Dead Spacenever slows down. From hideous alien abominations to the empty blackness of outer space itself, Isaac Clarke faces adversity around every corner as he makes his way through the USGIshimurain search of his girlfriend Nicole.
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As his pursuit comes to an end, Isaac faces an increasing amount of hallucinations, induced by the cryptic alien Marker. When it seems he has at last found Nicole, she disappears. As revealed by antagonist Kendra Daniels, Nicole has been dead the entire time and her appearance was but another illusion. The sheer torment of this one is almost palpable.
2Heavy Rain: Ethan Mars Loses His Son
The mere thought of losing a child is heart-wrenching. InHeavy Rain, tragedy and the suffering associated with it plays a major part in the hunt for the Origami Killer. Ethan Mars seems to have the perfect life with his loving wife and two sons, but all of that changes on a trip to the mall: his eldest son Jason wanders off and is hit by a car.
Ethan is sent into a coma after jumping in front of the car to save him, but his efforts prove futile. The death of his son sends Ethan into a downward spiral and sets forth the events of one ofthe most somber video game stories ever.It’s the realism of it all that makes this loss so horrifying for so many.
