1. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem - The Ability To Incite Madness
In a game that revolutionised the idea of 'sanity' as a gameplay mechanic, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem was successful in truly maddening and perplexing the player. Tasked with investigating the murder of her grandfather, players follow the journey of Alexandria Roivas as she delves into haunted mansions, temples and cathedrals in a bid to unravel her grandfather's demise. Besides the course of the investigation, it is the player's necessity in maintaining Alexandria's sanity throughout the journey that infuriates and haunts players to this day. Psychological Effects As Alexandria delves deeper into the haunted locations, her grasp on reality flails, and so too does the player's hold on the game. The effects of insanity within the game are widespread enough to break the fourth wall and effect the player - with audio distortions, blue screen glitches and visual anomalies disrupting gameplay, cryptic messages whispered from the darkness and attempts to delete the save file. A deep sense of panic takes hold of the player. Although not necessarily terrifying, Sanity's Requiem successfully infuriates and puzzles players, tricking them into believing they have performed certain actions, like harmlessly sitting on the remote or that the console or television has encountered problems. Which other gaming moments left legitimate wounds? Share your suggestions below in the comments thread.