10 Video Games That Made You Face Your Own Worst Nightmares

So here we are, at the end of a list about videogames that made us face our deepest fears, and it’s topped by a skating game?

Bear with me.

If you were around in 1999, there’s a very good chance that your life was changed by the release of Tony Hawk’s Skating. Its mix of care-free attitude, hardcore arcade fun, and the absolute ridiculousness of its mad-catchy soundtrack probably had you begging your parents for jeans large enough to hide six of your friends in and trainers that were so fat your grandma would obsess over the fact you were going to trip over them and fall down the stairs. Back when the game came out, we were young, we had our whole lives ahead of us, and man, the sun shone bright in the summer.

With the advent of THPS 1+2, a wave of nostalgia grabbed us all and though it was just as awesome – if not better – than we remembered, when that wave finally crashed on the shore of 2020, we were left with a startling revelation: we’re getting old.

The fear that we face in playing this game is the fear of loss. Friends we used to share bunk beds and a multi-tap with, dreams that have fallen by the wayside, the immortality of youth, and the time that we were sure we had so much of. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 isn’t just a window into the past, it’s a window into your past, who you were, who you are, and who you hoped you would be.

There’s nothing scarier than looking at yourself and feeling like you don’t measure up.

But like any fear, if you face it, if you really stare it down, if you punch it in the nuts and kickflip over its face as it lies grasping itself on the floor, you’ll find the means to conquer them all: hope.