9 Video Games With Seriously Morbid Background Lore

While Silent Hill may look unsavoury in its visuals alone, the lore behind its terrifying scares is even more shocking. Granted, Pyramid Head and the creepy nurses that stalk the town's eerie hallways are remarkably terrifying, but its the context behind these monsters that makes the world so utterly morbid.

Built from the fears and weaknesses of those they're haunting, what Silent Hill's monsters represent are scarier than how they appear. The aforementioned Pyramid head, for example, represents Silent Hill 2 protagonist James's aggressive, violent thoughts, the monster committing unspeakable acts that reflect his repressed masculinity.

Another enemy in the game, the horrific mannequins, also mirror James's personality, representing his carnal, masculine urges.

There's also the town's backstory itself. Built on an Indian burial ground, Silent Hill started as a quaint town but was soon transformed into a hellish nightmare after a demonic cult attempted to resurrect a demonic presence through the body of a young girl. From here, the story just gets darker and darker, the cult attempting to burn the girl alive to summon the demon before locking her away in a hospital basement for years.

Silent Hill will always be remembered for its incredibly creepy aesthetic, but the deeper lore behind its visuals is far more harrowing.