There are tons of games that feature creepy or scary characters. Not all of them are so terrifying that they permanently burn a hole in your brain so that you have to see them every night while you sleep. I love horror so it takes a truly horrific character to keep me up at night with every light possible on in my apartment. Here are video game characters that haunt my nightmares.
Dr. Salvador (Resident Evil 4)
There is no scarier moment in gaming than when Dr. Salvador is running straight for you wildly swinging his chainsaw for the first time. The anxiety of trying to kill him as he charges makes me want to pull my hair out. It's almost a relief for him to finally catch you and cut you in half with his chainsaw. I'm not really sure where he got his medical degree, but I think using a chainsaw for surgeries should get you disbarred.
Pint Sized Slasher (Fallout 3)
The Pint Sized Slasher is a character in the Tranquility Lane virtual reality simulation. In it, you have to dress like him and then proceed to kill everyone in sight. I'm terrified of creepy little kids that want to murder you. The only thing scarier than a little kid serial killer is a little kid serial killer who always wears a creepy clown mask.
Voldo (Soulcalibur)
Soulcalibur has a lot of really insane characters so it really says something that Voldo stands out above them all. He's a blind, mute contortionist who also happens to be completely insane. One of his go to moves is to spiderwalk like Linda Blair in the exorcist. There is a very good chance that Voldo is possessed by a demon and not one of the good kinds.
Daniel Lamb (Manhunt 2)
This character gets in to your head. In Manhunt 2, you play as Daniel Lamb, an escaped mental patient. The reason this guy invades my nightmares is that the Wii version of this game had some of the most brutal violence I've ever seen in a video game. They took advantage of the Wii motion controls and you have to act out every kill. It's rare when I don't finish a game because it makes me feel too bad about what I'm doing, but Manhunt 2 is that rare exception. I'm pretty sure that if you complete the game then an e-mail is sent to your local crazy house to let them know that you need to get picked up.
Sackboy (Little Big Planet)
This is the only character on this list that some people actually consider cute. I think he looks like the little brother of Oogie Boogie from A Nightmare Before Christmas. If you pull down the zipper on his front, he is definitely filled with bugs. HOW'S THAT FOR CUTE!?!?!?!
Little Sister (Bioshock)
Little Sisters are little girls who have a gross sea slug implanted in their bellies so that they produce ADAM, the stem cells that give you all of those sweet powers. If they weren't creepy enough, they feed on the dead bodies of splicers to get more ADAM. The game gives you the option of either killing them and getting all of their ADAM or saving them and only getting some of it. I say, KILL THEM ALL! Their glowing eyes freak me out.
Headcrab (Half-Life)
Headcrabs are the gross little crab things from Half-Life. They want to jump on your head, suck out you brain, and turn you into a zombie. They're not so bad if you only have to fight a few of them. It's when a whole swarm is heading towards you that you know they're going to wind up in a dream. The zombies they create aren't any less creepy. Their long, disgusting fingers know how to reach right in to my soul.
Which video game characters haunt your nightmares? Let me know on twitter @zachlunch or in the comments below!
