10 Most Disturbing Sci-Fi Video Games You'll Ever Play

Science fiction and horror are two of the most popular genres in gaming.

Games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the Mass Effect series have perfected sci-fi gaming, whilst titles such Resident Evil 7 and Eternal Darkness are the absolute peak of horror titles.

Very few games, however, manage to successfully bridge the gap between the two genres, resulting in a select, elite core of sci-fi games which are horrifying and disturbing in the extreme.

The original Resident Evil and countless other titles have given us plenty of jump-scares over the years, and games like Manhunt 2 and Mortal Kombat X have certainly taken care of the gore factor.

True, unnerving, psychologically disturbing horror, though, is in short supply.

It's not as simple as just taking Slender: The Arrival or PT and relocating them to space, as many have tried and failed at this cut and paste formula (Phantaruk, anyone?).

What elevates a sci-fi/horror game above the generic into something truly special which stays with you long after you've closed your eyes at night, is the atmosphere it creates, the sheer dread it builds in the pit of your stomach, the anxiety growing and growing until you can't stand it anymore.

You still there?

Good.

Here are 10 of the most disturbing sci-fi video games you'll ever play.

Set in the far flung reaches of the year 2072, the original System Shock tells the story of a nameless hacker who, aboard the dark and oppressive Citadel Station, must hack a malevolent AI named Shodan as penance for previous hacking offences.

Whilst the rudimentary 1994 graphics and complex control scheme leave much to be desired by today's standards, they actually do a great job of conveying the dramatic tension and frequent sense of desperation the title strives for.

Wandering the twisting, labyrinthine corridors and claustrophobic anterooms of this cluttered station, the player will constantly hack into the system, acquiring new upgrades and piecing together the story.

The AI Shodan has taken over the station, reprogramming its robots to kill, and mutating the human crew into similarly nightmarish hybrid enemies.

Whilst the sequel System Shock 2 is definitely a better all-round game, and the upcoming remake of this debut title likely to far outshine the PC original, the emotionless, ghostly voice of the villainous Shodan echoing over the airwaves as the player fights off hordes of twisted enemies, ensures that System Shock remains a tense, stressful, and incredibly disturbing experience to this day.

It also spawned Bioshock...