Like most fans of horror films, I find myself becoming increasingly less-scared by them as the years go by, and so I've deferred more and more to the challenging world of video games for my visceral thrills, what with its interactive and generally less-predictable nature. From when my parents would - rather irresponsibly - let me play Resident Evil at the tender age of 8, to the present day, where I still can't shake the thoughts of
that creepy little girl as I try to get to sleep, terrifying antagonists in video games have defined some of my most memorable and enjoyable gaming experiences to date. Here's the ten that shook me up the most...
10. Witch (Left 4 Dead)
Like the very best video game creeps, you probably won't forget the first time you heard this character's deafening yelp in the marvellous Left 4 Dead. Generally lying around and letting out an unbearable whine, she can be evaded on occasion but often you'll be forced to square off against her, and it's not pretty. At this point, she usually lets out a blood-curling scream, charges the player and tries to remove your face with her Freddy Krueger-like claws. Skilled players will likely have realised that she can be killed with a head-shot but frankly, my hands are never steady enough after the pant-wettingly scary noises she lets out, and the unsettling, stifled movements she makes. And it only gets worse in the second game; she does less sitting and more moving. Oh, and there are a load more of her. Fun.