Scariest way to die in a game.

[CrystalShadow]

So... I'm sure just about anyone that's played games has died. A lot.

But, if you're like me, then those deaths probably don't seem like much of a big deal.
Maybe kind of annoying, but it doesn't really result in much of a reaction.

Or maybe, you could call it an annoyance, or irritation, or... depending on the game, and your saving habits it might be a pretty big setback.

However, it probably doesn't feel much like how you would expect actually dying to feel. It certainly doesn't usually feel much like a big deal to me.

But then I played Mirror's edge. And suddenly I was dying, and it actually scared me. Yes, falling off of something, and watching the ground rush towards you in mirror's edge actually scared me.

And I can't think of any other game that's managed that.

So... Have you ever found dying in a game scary? Does death in any game you've ever played provoke any kind of emotional reaction other than frustration?

Any other thoughts on this? Should death in a game feel more like it matters? Or is it not important?

 

[TheGreatAndPowerfulZOG]

Getting impaled by a giant spider in Limbo scared the piss out of me.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I'm scared of heights, so I couldn't even get to the part where I die in Mirror's Edge. I was too busy trying to calm my bowels just from basic running around.

 

[Andy Shandy]

Also, there was this one puzzle on Onimusha 3 that you had to solve otherwise the character (yeah, this was a while ago) drowned. I couldn't solve the puzzle quick enough so I watched him drown.

I do not like drowning in games. Well I don't particularly like drowning in real life either, but this is on the topic of games =P

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

I have to say ether dying in Penumbra; Overture (when you have a weird penis in your face) is most terrifying, but something is terrifying about dying in Call of Duty Zombies to me. I can't pinpoint what it is, but it terrifys me.

 

[DanteLives]

Eye-scanner in Dead Space 2. Nothing can beat that.

 

[Dr Pussymagnet]

Maybe it had to do with the fact that you play as the most vulnerable, frail, protagonist ever where almost everything is out to kill you, but I really got scared of dying in Oddworld when I was younger.

 

[VincentR]

Sudden and/or loud deaths can make me jump - but so can most jump-scares. I particuarly remember shooting at the first(?) lake in Resident Evil 4 on the advice of a "friend". I can distinctly recall knocking over my seat.

The very first monster encounter in Dead Space - I can't recall if it was more scary or exciting because of the atmosphere in the room I was in; I was with a friend, and I know HE was yelling "Oh my god! Run! Run!" and then his panic became contagious.

By the way, I'd like to point out that I thought Dead Space's "tutorial", and beginning overall, (a.k.a. run like you stole it from Walmart) was brilliant for its simplicity.

Edit: Also, games can evoke desperation and a little fear if real loss is on the line; when I played Tibia (2D MMORPG), I was in a constant state of at least a little fear for my gear and level/skills. I could run into a kited Giant Spider, or get ambushed by a group of PK'ers; or just be murdered for speaking English on certain servers (I think I picked up on - admittedly very rough - Portuguese faster playing that game than I would have in a class).

 

[Jynthor]

It doesn't exactly scare me, but I really hate drowning, the deeper it is, the creepier it gets.

 

[Zhukov]

I'm tempted to bring up Amnesia here. However, truth be told, death in that game often came as a relief.

"Oh damn it all, I'm dead. I'm no longer being pursued through a dilapidated dungeon by a gasping, mutilated monstrosity... oh wait. Hooray, I'm dead!"

 

[SoranMBane]

All of the death scenes in Dead Space 2 that give you a nice close-up of Isaac's face, like the tripod in the church, the eye poke machine, or getting grabbed by Marker-Nicole during the final boss fight. They just disturb me to no end, and I usually pause and reload the checkpoint if I mess up during those bits rather than continue to watch. It's strange, because all of the other death scenes, where Isaac's helmet stays on, are usually pretty entertaining to me. It's just being forced to watch his terrified face (or not-so-terrified in the case of the final boss fight, which actually just makes it worse) while it happens that gets to me.

 

[Iwata]

By far, Echo Night: Beyond.

You see, you die of a heart attack. But it's not immediate. You're on your bulky space suit, unarmed, with only your heart rate monitor beeping to keep you company.

Then you enter the fog... and then your heart monitor starts beeping faster, indicating the near presence of a hostile ghost. And then you see it, coming out of the fog, a human shape, hands reaching out to you. You try to turn and run but your suit is too bulky, too heavy. The screen starts shaking, your heart rate monitor goes frenetic, your hearbeat becomes audible, a loud thumping sound, and as you try to run, you lose sight of the ghost since your helmet cuts off all peripheral vision.

And that's when your heart explodes, the screen goes red and you fall over dead, the monitor flat-linning.

For a survival horror game, that game does a great job in making me want to stay alive.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Well getting killed by the facehugger in Alien Vs Predator often result in a heart attack for me. Sure you know where it is located but they friggen suprise you all the time with the sudden jump to your face.

 

[Amethyst Wind]

First time I fought the Tyrant in the original Resident Evil I freaked out when he killed me.

 

[DigitalAtlas]

Sneak-attack chainsaw in Gears of War multiplayer. That seriously messes with you.

That's not really the scariest though. To be fair, nothing makes you more at a loss for words than decapitation.

 

[putowtin]

Alone.....

Oh wait in a game!?!.....

Death in general, knowing there's nothing you can do.... and then realising you haven't saved in an hour!

 

[Frission]

Time limits which end in your death are panic inducing.

I'm tempted to bring up Amnesia here. However, truth be told, death in that game often came as a relief.

"Oh damn it all, I'm dead. I'm no longer being pursued through a dilapidated dungeon by a gasping, mutilated monstrosity... oh wait. Hooray, I'm dead!"

I'm of the same mind. It was like falling asleep. I was actually happier when the water monster finally killed me. I wouldn't have to listen to THAT SPLASHING anymore.

 

[Chester Rabbit]

Being liquidated in a Collector pod.

Think about it. Locked in a small confined space, suddenly you feel this mild burning...it begins to intensify becoming stronger and stronger to the point that you are grabbing at yourself trying to figure out why you are in such pain and then you see your hand start to melt away before your very eyes, and soon all of you is doing the same.

 

[Sean Hollyman]

Being chased down a dark corridor by Pyramid Head then being gutted by that big ass sword of his.