19 Scariest Video Game Moments Of The Decade (So Far)

4. Playing Cat And Mouse With The Xenomorph - Alien: Isolation

In space the only thing that can hear you scream is the 8 foot tall alien with the razor-sharp teeth, so you'd better get a handle on those nerves, grip that flamethrower tighter, and keep quiet. Your initial encounter with the titular alien is guaranteed to leave your nerves shot for the remainder of the game, and the very act of crossing even a pocket of shadow becomes unthinkable as you stealth your way through the Sevastopol. And while you'll have to contend with other sources of danger in addition to the monstrous Xenomorph - murderous androids, and gun-wielding lunatics, for instance - those threats pale in comparison to a creature capable of sniffing you out in a nanosecond. Given the largely randomized nature of the encounters, there was just no way of knowing when the Xenomorph would crawl out of a hole, drop into a room, and sniff around mere inches from the desk you were huddled under. And considering that the xenomorph's usual method of travel was slithering through the vents, even hiding in one ran the risk of alerting the creature to your presence. The atmosphere in Isolation was so terrifyingly palpable that the slightest noise would leave you rooted to the spot as the alien crept through the vents above. The urge to dash to safety was tempered by the knowledge that the xenomorph would close the distance between the two of you in mere seconds, and leave you impaled on the end of it's tail. Never mind when you threw in a checkpoint system that guaranteed your last save would have you replaying a half hour's worth of progress.