10 Terrifying Characters From Non-Horror Video Games
These guys had no right being as scary as they are.
Video games have the ability to terrify all of us from time to time. Whether it's through a well choreographed level sequence, a devilishly difficult boss battle or just the intimidation oozing from their looks and powers, a great character can leave even the most experienced of players shaking in fear.
However, when such a series of scares comes way out of the blue in a game that looks and acts like a friendly, lighthearted or colourful title, it earns a special place in player's memories.
Whether it's through some pretty questionable graphic choices, or just a simple way of sneaking a playful jump to the audience from the designers, there have been a fair few characters who have popped up in certain games with the aim of leaving a sinister impression, or who were even unintentionally scary.
This article will be looking through the rich history of video gaming in a quest to trigger some seriously freaky flashbacks and memories, exploring through every single creepy level and fighting through every character that honestly had no right scaring us as much as they did...
10. The Master - Fallout
The fact that this guy is voiced by Jim Cummings (from the Winnie the Pooh franchise) will be of very little comfort here.
Bethesda's Fallout series isn't known for its terror and scares, standing mainly as a fairly tame, sometimes even comedic, open world exploration and adventure collection of titles set in a post-apocalyptic world. To stumble across The Master in The Cathedral at the end of the original game, revealed with the level of body horror plucked straight from the set of The Thing, makes for one seriously scary moment for a first time player.
The leader of the game's Super Mutants (who also deserve a mention) and The Unity, The Master is a collection of limbs and body parts collected up from various humans and mutants, hooked up to a large computer where he controls his many factions.
It's hard for us to work out what about him is more scary: his freakish looks and dominating voice, or his fantastical vision for a world where humanity is slowly destroyed from within and overtaken by a new race of mutants.