Summary
- Bethesda games feature immersive horror elements that elevate the player experience.
- Enemies in Bethesda games are designed to terrify and challenge players, creating tense encounters.
- From Fallout to Doom, Bethesda titles offer nerve-wracking gameplay and memorable scares.
Bethesda is a company that has slowly transformed into one of gaming’s biggest giants, developing some of the greatest open-world RPGs ever made while also acquiring several studios to enhance their library of games. Players love the action-packed experiences in these games that are a joy to play through.
Most of the games published by Bethesda boast immense quality, immersing players and using elements of horror to rattle them. Some quality Bethesda games are full of frightening encounters that can be a challenge to get through because of how scared players are in such instances.
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8
Fallout 3
The Wasteland Is Full Of Mutated Horrors
- Released
-
October 28, 2008
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
Bethesda’s acquisition of the Fallout IP is something that fans celebrated, even more so when their first entry in the franchise dropped. While Fallout 3 lacked a lot of the role-playing refinements players came to expect from its predecessors, it made up for it with some great combat and environmental design.
Some portions of the game were downright horrifying, especially with players being immersed in the action. Being ambushed by a pack of radscorpions or coming face-to-face with a Deathclaw will send shivers down a player’s spine and make them rue the act of exploring an abandoned building or desolate location for some loot.
Old-School Gameplay Makes Certain Encounters Nerve-Wracking
- Released
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May 1, 2002
- ESRB
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T For Teen due to Blood, Violence
The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind was a huge step forward for the series, with Bethesda developing a beautiful open world that fans can’t stop raving about to this day. From the moment players step into the village of Seyda Neen, the outlander embarks on a journey to fulfill a prophecy and become the fated Nerevarine.
However, this journey is fraught with dangers, and Morrowind‘s tough-as-nails start means that something as simple as a bandit encounter can shock players. Even after gaining levels, all players need to see is a Netch exploring the landscape to second-guess their chances of survival, even if these creatures are peaceful and usually don’t harm the player.
6
Ghostwire: Tokyo
Some Enemies Can Be Unnerving To Deal With
- Released
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March 25, 2022
- ESRB
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T for Teen: Language, Violence
Fans expected a lot from Ghostwire: Tokyo, only to be disappointed by the lackluster combat and forgettable story. However, the visual design was unmatched and let players enjoy one of the best-looking first-person action games around.
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The enemy design was unnerving enough to make players panic as they struggled to survive against imposing foes. While the combat was easy to master, the sense of uneasiness players feel whenever they battle an unknown foe is something they won’t be able to get rid of.
5
Fallout 4
New Enemy Behavior Makes Some Foes Scarier Than Ever
- Released
-
November 10, 2015
- ESRB
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M FOR MATURE: BLOOD AND GORE, INTENSE VIOLENCE, STRONG LANGUAGE, USE OF DRUGS
With Fallout 4, Bethesda decided to improve enemy behavior and make them more savage than before. A simple feral ghoul can strike fear in the hearts of players whenever they leap at players with reckless abandon, especially if the Sole Survivor is ambushed when they’re exploring cramped buildings.
That’s to say nothing of enemies like Super Mutant Behemoths and Deathclaws, who can ravage unprepared players to bits if they’re not prepared. Even with Power Armor being more accessible than ever before, that takes nothing away from the impending doom players feel before an encounter against several mutated enemies.
4
Doom Eternal
Demons Can Terrify Players, Even If The Doom Slayer Is Unfazed
- Released
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March 20, 2020
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
Doom Eternal is a game that improves the fast-paced shooting of the 2016 reboot. Players have more options in combat as they use a variety of weaponry to leave enemies open for a brutal Glory Kill.
Some firefights can be positively nerve-wracking, especially against waves of horrific demons and the numerous challenging bosses in Doom Eternal. It’s a must-play for fans of the Doom Slayer’s modern adventures, as long as they can stomach some of the game’s scariest encounters.
3
Prey
The Typhon Are No Joke
- Released
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May 5, 2017
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
After the very first encounter players have against a mimic in Prey, they’ll always be nervous when stepping into a new room where an object is moving for no reason. It doesn’t help that Morgan Yu is incredibly weak early on, to the point where a single Phantom can be a pain to deal with.
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Even after players acquire some abilities and a wealth of powerful weaponry to make regular enemies easier to deal with, they’ll be surprised by the arrival of the Nightmare. This powerful Typhon hunts down the player and will kill Morgan with ease unless players hide and run the clock down, or use their powerful weaponry to take out the Nightmare in a confrontation that will send shivers down their spine.
2
Call Of Cthulhu: Dark Corners Of The Earth
High Difficulty Matches The Game’s Faithful Lovecraftian Horror
- Released
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October 24, 2005
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
It’s only a given that a game that adapts one of H. P. Lovecraft’s scariest and most well-known tales in a video game would be terrifying. Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is an unnerving title with tough combat where every encounter can spell doom for unprepared players.
The title is full of creepy undertones as players investigate a sinister mystery, eventually uncovering a web of cosmic horror that is nightmarish to comprehend. Unless players can stomach the horrors of Dark Cornes of the Earth, they’re better off giving this title a wide berth.
1
The Evil Within 2
A Survival Horror Game That’s Scarier Than Ever
- Released
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October 13, 2017
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
The Evil Within 2 is a massive improvement over the first game, with Shinji Mikami’s twisted mind giving birth to another sinister survival horror title. The game takes a more open-ended approach with its world design, encouraging players to explore vast spaces only to be horrified by the monsters that ambush them.
Players must have their wits about them to take out the many horrors that aim to tear Sebastian to pieces. This is easier said than done, given how scary some of the fights are in The Evil Within 2. Players should be well-equipped at all times to deal with the game’s toughest foes.
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