The Most Disturbing Deaths In Horror Games

Key Takeaways

A beloved character’s death in a game can have a huge impact on the player for years to come.
Horror games in particular excel at both upsetting and horrifying players with gruesome death scenes.
From Silent Hill 2 to The Walking Dead, here are some of the most disturbing death scenes players have witnessed in horror games.

As a seasoned gamer with years of experience under my belt, I’ve seen my fair share of gruesome deaths and disturbing moments in video games. Yet, some scenes have left me shaken to the core, and these are the ones that truly stand out.

Game character deaths can leave an enduring impression on players, spanning over years. Certain deaths might be more distressing than others, whether they involve a casual game NPC, a loyal companion, or the main character themselves.

Despite the fact that these games may be unsettling for some, they still manage to captivate certain gamers, causing them to play repeatedly and rewatch distressing sequences. In many cases, even in video games or franchises not known for gruesome imagery, certain death scenes can feel incredibly jarring, and here is a selection of the most unsettling ones available.

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

10 The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series

The Death Of Lee Everett

The Most Disturbing Deaths In Horror Games

In contrast to other gruesome deaths often seen in video games, Lee’s demise is relatively bloodless if the player opts for a quick, merciful end for him. If not, he meets a different fate, getting bitten by a zombie, thereby becoming part of the undead horde.

In this scenario, the character must choose between parting ways himself or causing the demise of Clementine, a child whom Lee has been caring for after losing his own family. This tragic event, psychologically distressing to many, is often considered one of the most heart-wrenching deaths in video game history.

9 Five Nights At Freddy’s: Sister Location

The Scooping Room

In essence, the game Five Nights At Freddy’s is primarily recognized for its startling jump scares and fear-inducing mascots. However, the fifth installment presents an unusual scenario where the player is given access to a room filled with dismantled animatronics, their endoskeletons removed. If the player manages to survive their initial encounter in this room on one night, they can revisit it at a later time.

As a gamer, I find myself at the controls when it’s time for the “dissector” to perform its grisly task. It strips them bare, leaving only an empty shell, so an animatronic can slip into their skin like a grotesque costume. The cutscene skips over the grim details of my character’s demise, but the unsettling nature of such a death is hard to ignore.

8 Alien: Isolation

The Xenomorph Catches The Player From Behind

In the Alien series, many deaths are brutal, but none seem as intimate as this particular death scene in Alien: Isolation. This scene subtly integrates with the gameplay, causing the player’s camera to suddenly tilt down, revealing a Xenomorph tail emerging from the character’s chest. Then, a dark hand, adorned with claws, emerges from the screen’s top edge and grips the camera.

The striking aspect of this death scene is the abrupt halt in gameplay, without any prior notice, followed by a swift transition to the death sequence. Although not the goriest incident in gaming, it stands out as one of the most intimate, leaving players with a sensation that they are the ones who have been apprehended.

7 Silent Hill 2

Maria’s Dash For The Elevator

The Silent Hill series has been marked by numerous tragic deaths, among which Maria’s demise at the hands of Pyramid Head during her desperate dash towards the elevator is particularly harrowing. This scene is unsettling not just due to the graphic violence, but also because it portrays James’ genuine struggle for survival and his profound despair.

In this scene, Maria and James frantically pull at the doors in an attempt to let her enter. Suddenly, everything freezes, the camera descends, revealing a spear piercing through Maria’s chest. Her expression turns rigid, then she is violently torn away, causing James to collapse onto his knees as the elevator departs. Each time I witness this, it leaves me with a heavy heart and an indelible mark on my gaming experience.

6 Dead Space

Isaac Clarke’s Many Dismemberments

In the game Dead Space, you’ll find yourself immersed for hours, guiding the character Isaac Clarke through gruesome dismantling of the Necromorphs in numerous grotesque manners. Regrettably, this violence isn’t one-sided; each time Isaac succumbs to the monsters on the Ishimura, his death is a brutal spectacle.

Regardless of who the adversary is, Isaac seldom survives his death sequences intact, often getting devoured and shrieking throughout. This can be distressing to observe, let alone endure repeatedly as the game unfolds.

5 The Last Of Us Part 1

Joel’s Death At The Hands Of A Bloater

As a gamer, I can’t help but recall my harrowing journey through The Last of Us Part 1, a game that doesn’t shy away from the grotesque and disturbing. The infected, particularly their grim fates, leave an indelible mark on the mind. Yet, among all the unsettling moments, there’s one character death that truly sticks out – my own, at the hands of the Bloaters. These creatures, infected for a long time, are formidable enemies, tough to beat, and frankly, not easy on the eyes.

The brutal manner in which Joel meets his end when the player loses a fight is deeply unsettling. They sneak up from behind, wrenching apart both parts of Joel’s jaw, causing the screen to fade to black. Though the specifics aren’t explicitly shown, the vivid depiction of bone-cracking and an almost-exploded eye is disturbingly graphic, leaving a lasting impact.

4 Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Deputy David Anderson’s Shovel Incident

In a new twist for the Resident Evil series, Resident Evil 7 is set in first-person perspective, drawing players into the grisly action more intensely than before. Despite being surrounded by mutated creatures and numerous player fatalities, the most unsettling scene occurs early on with the demise of Deputy Anderson.

As the player attempts to flee the Baker residence via the garage, they pause briefly to chat with an officer. However, their conversation is abruptly ended when Jack Baker brutally decapitates the deputy using a shovel, leaving behind a gruesome scene where the detailed model of his head, now empty, falls to the ground before the horrified player’s eyes.

3 Until Dawn

Emily’s Eyes

In the game “Until Dawn“, it’s common to encounter unsettling demises. Each character has multiple paths leading to their potential demise, depending on the player’s choices. Notably, among all characters, Emily seems to have the most varied death scenarios, with a total of four possible deaths spread across the game’s chapters.

Although Emily could meet various gruesome ends such as being burned alive, shot, or crushed by a rock grinder, her demise at the hands of a Wendigo – with her eyes plucked out – is the one that leaves the deepest sense of unease. Among all potential violent deaths for Emily, this one stands out for its unsettling nature.

2 Doki Doki Literature Club

All Character Deaths

In the game “Doki Doki Literature Club,” no death is trivial or uneventful; instead, it leaves the player deeply affected, perhaps even traumatized. Unlike some deaths in video games that may seem insignificant, this game compels the player to grapple with the tragic suicides of two characters they have developed emotional connections with during gameplay.

Doki Doki Literature Club spares no shocks. It initially lures players with the charm of a dating-themed visual novel before plunging them into the disturbing depths of psychological terror it hides within. Eventually, the player is compelled to erase the game’s primary villain, but is warned that there’s no escaping the nightmare once and for all.

1 I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream

The Death Of Humanity

In ‘I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream’, although what happens isn’t technically a death, it can be argued that it is the most harrowing form of ‘death’. Regardless of which character you control in the game, they almost always end up being transformed into a shapeless mass, losing their ability to perform even the most fundamental human tasks.

This individual was Earth’s last surviving human, and their actions often resulted in the annihilation of off-world humans, as well as their captivity in a new, organic form. The person preceding them has been resurrected, which means humanity no longer exists. But what could be more unsettling than that?

2024-10-30 05:34