Dualshock & Horror

Serial thriller Jess Kinghorn counts down ten moments that put the ‘shock’ in DualShock

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This is the most wonderful time of the year: Halloween. In this feature, we flout Horror Protagonist Rule Number One and look back at some of the scariest moments on PlayStation. Peppered with developer insight and more than a few unexpected appearances – a mix of spine-chilling moments that sneak up on you and eviscerating blasts from the past – we celebrate one of gaming’s best-loved genres this spooky season.

10 Control

One quiet revelation could make you lose it

Getting jumped by the Hiss or coming a cropper at the furry hands of mold zombies are always nerve-wracking experiences, but it’s not just the telekinetic action that gets your blood pumping in Control. As you dive into internal documents and explore the Oldest House to tackle an extradimensional invasion, many scares are slow burners drawn from, in-game director Mikael Kasurinen’s words, “the mundane meeting the strange”.

A case in point is the NSC power plant. It’s central to the day-to-day operations of the Bureau but no-one will tell you exactly what ‘NSC’ stands for. No, you’ve got to go digging – or rather levitating – on your own to uncover that appalling little titbit. The revelation, which we’re sure will be the cause of another lockdown one of these days, is made worse by an off-hand comment made by security chief Simon Arish you can overhear post-game. We don’t want to spoil the unsettling discovery, especially as Kasurinen stresses that “trusting the player” was a key part of the team’s design philosophy. We hope we’ve given just enough hints to pique your interest.

On a totally unrelated note: former Director Northmoor… what a guy!