10 Dark Video Games Moments That Came Out Of Nowhere
We were all having fun before the game introduced the nightmare fuel.
When you're playing a mature game like Dead Space or Silent Hill, you're expecting things to get violent and grisly.
However, dark gaming moments can leave a greater impression if there is little to no build up whatsoever. If you're playing a platformer, a sandbox or a sidescroller that seems child-friendly, the last thing you'd hope to find is a level, boss, or interaction that gives you sleepless nights.
Even if the game is adult-oriented, these traumatising sequences can leave anybody sideswiped, especially if they follow a momentous victory or an easy-going conversation.
Although some of these scenes were thrown in for shock-value, others had an irreversible effect on the story, urging players to reevaluate everything they thought they knew. A character who seemed comedic or one-dimensional might be shown to harbour trauma or make questionable decisions in certain circumstances. A harrowing curveball could be thrown into an otherwise low-stakes plot, leaving players rattled. By catching you off-guard, these moments are more likely to resonate long after the game is over.
Though there are plenty of unnerving gaming scenes, these ten entries left a bigger impact since they came out of nowhere.
10. Goodbye, Naia - Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is the perfect example of how to pull the rug when players least expect it. The co-op adventure starts with a young boy called Naiee loses his mother in a sea storm. When his father becomes gravely ill, Naiee and his elder brother, Naia, traverse across the land to track down the Water of Life, hoping it'll save their father.
Near the end of the brothers' journey, they rescue a young woman minutes before she's sacrificed by a bloodthirsty cult. The lady invites Naia and Naiee into her cave, seemingly to thank them.
But as they enter, she transforms into a spider monster and prepares to eat them. To stop Naiee from being devoured, Naia must knock the arachnid over and tear off her legs one-by-one.
When Naia rips off the beast's six legs, she's seemingly helpless since she's no longer able to walk. Just as players breathe a sigh of relief, the spider jabs Naia with her upper limb, mortally wounding him.
Although this scene is jaw-dropping, players have a glimmer of hope, knowing the Water of Life is just around the corner. Sadly, Naia doesn't reach the water in time and has no choice but to bury his brother then and there.
Naia's death is more depressing in hindsight when you realise it could've been avoided if the brothers didn't bend over backwards to rescue a supposedly harmless woman.