10 Terrifying Video Game Horrors Nobody Saw Coming

For 75% of the game, Spectre traitor Saren Arterius is the main antagonist. With his skyscraper-sized ship and army of geth in tow, Saren scours the Milky Way searching for the mysterious Conduit. Shepherd and crew pursue him, always one step behind understanding Saren's true purpose.

Then, after tracking Saren to Virmire, the unexpected happens. Saren's ship, known as Sovereign, opens communication with Shepherd. It soon becomes apparent that Saren is just a pawn for Sovereign, one of many Reapers. The Conduit is a hidden Mass Relay that will allow an army of similarly massive Reapers to instantly travel to the Milky Way from their slumber in deep space, with the sole intention of wiping out all sentient life.

They leave behind their technology so future lifeforms follow the same paths, eventually discovering the Mass Relays. Then, after 50,000 years, when intelligent life is in danger of wiping out all life in the galaxy through war, the Reapers appear to 'cleanse' the galaxy once more.

What makes this encounter truly terrifying is Sovereign's total indifference to Shepherd's heroic protests. He barely takes the time to explain what Reapers are, not believing Shepherd capable or worthy of understanding, and his total confidence at the destruction of all sentient life, as evidenced by the many times they have done it before, is utterly overwhelming.