11 Times Video Games Did Horror Better Than Movies

3. Amnesia: The Dark Descent - Knowing There's Something In The Room

Although development would switch hands and last year's A Machine for Pigs didn't have an enemy that could do the series justice again, previous title The Dark Descent introduced one of those "so obvious it hurts" gameplay mechanics that expertly forced you to avoid looking directly at your opposition. Thanks to the implementation of a 'Sanity Meter' characters Daniel and Justine will gradually get worse just through the very act of seeing the various set-pieces and demons that populate the world you're exploring, as well as being overcome with fear if you spend too much time cowering in the shadows. In short it's a shockingly effective tactic that forces you to press on almost as much as it does to take your time and prepare for what's ahead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5uoZh_uatQ One scene that tends to get mentioned a lot online is when you find yourself in a pretty expansive chamber that's been partially flooded. Many characters in horror films will utter that immortal phrase surrounding the idea that "there's something in here with us", and in Amnesia it's the surrounding water that gives the creature away. Connoting the childhood game many of us have played where 'the floor is lava' and you have to try and stay on 'high ground' (or a couch), the only way to escape from this invisible horror is to clamber up on a set of boxes across the room - leading to many instances of bracing for impact whilst screaming if you happen to fall back in.