While there are some games that specifically set out to terrify you, there's been quite a number of games down through the years that have been nothing short of panic-inducing.

It can be something as simple as simple as falling into a water-pit and not getting out in time or, in other cases, it can be a mutant dog smashing through the window.

Here's seven of the most panic-inducing moments in gaming history.

 

7. BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM - That time you think the game is glitching on you

This might be a nod or reference to Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, which basically patented the idea of breaking the fourth wall in gaming. Basically, the game would throw up random errors and freeze on you mid-game, which would make you think the game was broken. In reality, of course, it was all part of the plan. In Arkham Asylum, the panic set in when Scarecrow's gas hit and you, in turn, thought the game was glitching out. How many people hit the power button almost immediately when this happened?

 

6. METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY - Col. Campbell goes nuts

Metal Gear Solid 2 was already a strange enough game without an entire section of it dedicated to the previously-stalwart Col. Campbell going utterly nuts. "I hear it's amazing when the famous purple stuffed worm in flap-jaw space with the tuning fork does a raw blink on Hari-Kiri Rock. I need scissors! 61!"

 

5. LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME - Meeting the Re-dead for the first time

For anyone who didn't play Ocarina Of Time on the Nintendo 64, here's what was going on. The Re-dead were these zombie-like creatures that appeared and basically froze your character whilst they jumped on you. The panic was always that you'd move near to them and then you'd have to struggle free. That and the high-pitched scream you'd hear every time you saw them. Seriously, this game was supposed to be for kids. KIDS.

 

4. STREETS OF RAGE 3 - That end-of-level boss that kept driving a digger at you

The amount of Sega controllers that were sacrificed trying to knock down those walls so you could escape. At times, it was almost as if Streets of Rage 3 WANTED you to fail. The trick was, of course, in picking the right character. You had to pick Blaze - she was the fastest and was able to smash right through the walls. Also, the music was just as panic-inducing as anything else.

 

3. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 - Drowning in the Chemical Plant Zone 

Seriously, there was nothing more likely to give childhood you a panic attack than trying to get Sonic out of that purple water crap. To further compound matters, you also had that music AND the fact that Sonic was physically strangled in front of you. He'd be calling out for help while you're trying to get him to the top, all while that DUNA-DUNA-DUNA-DUNA-DUNA music blared out.

 

2. SILENT HILL 3 - The Haunted Borley Mansion

It really goes to show how our mind can be just as terrifying as anything else. Silent Hill 3 really played on the fact that our own imagination is just as effective at freaking you out as anything else is. This scene, in Silent Hill 3, sees you going through a fairly tacky / unscary haunted house attraction. Nothing really happens until you reach the end and the exit. Then, you're chased by a red mist and a high-pitched, static noise takes over. It's really simple, but the blind panic you feel as you're playing it is indescribable. It also doesn't help that it feels like you're running in a circle either.

 

1. RESIDENT EVIL - The dogs through the window

This game - and this scene, in particular - is responsible for more broken PS1 controllers and smashed TV screens than anything else on this list. Playing it in the dark, with the volume up way too loud was just a recipe for screams.