10 Scariest Retro Video Game Moments That Still Terrify Us Today

3. The Motion Detector - Aliens Vs. Predator 2

There's nothing quite like a good beeping motion detector to build up suspense in a sci-fi game. It's the equivalent of creaking floorboards or distant doors opening and shutting in a spooky Gothic mansion, and AvP 2 proves that this minimal way of building up fear is truly timeless. But without otherwise excellent game design, the accelerating beeping of your motion detector - denoting that an alien is getting closer and closer -would not be nearly as effective. Much like System Shock 2, AvP 2 adeptly hides its aged graphics by being mostly set in dark corridors with flickering lighting, ensuring its suspense has remained mostly intact over the years. AvP 2 would tease us with its motion detector, and there'd often be encounters where the beeping would start, get a bit faster, then completely disappear, making you aware that the xenomorphs were crawling in the air shafts all around you at all times. Even though the motion detector would help you anticipate alien attacks, the sheer speed with which you were attacked was always shocking and disorienting, making the motion detector an invaluable survival tool, but never quite preparing you for the inevitable attacks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XYolFDUgAE