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

14. Desperately Scrambling For A Light Source - Alan Wake

You know when you're walking down a dark street at night, and you can't shake the feeling that something's following you through the bushes? It's almost like that fear is amplified by every step, until you start to wonder if it's more than just your overactive imagination playing tricks on you. Playing through Alan Wake is a bit like that. There isn't a whole lot that could be called truly horrifying, but what it lacks in 'gotcha'-type scenarios, it more than makes up for in mood and atmosphere. It's sort of like sitting in a chair with your back to a pitch-black room - there's always the idea, no matter how paranoid or unrealistic, that something's going to reach out, grab you by the neck and drag you into the shadows. Except in Alan Wake, that's an actual concern, as the Taken are most powerful when they're shrouded in darkness, and they'll keep coming at you unless you can find a light source to fight them off with. Most of us were afraid of the dark at some point in our lives, and it's such a primal fear that sometimes all it takes is the right set of circumstances to awaken that child-like terror. And in this case, playing the game with the lights off, the sound up and the sun down goes a long way towards setting the mood.