Summary
Whether it rises from the dead or comes from a slimy pod, the worlds contained within video games are home to some pretty terrifying aliens. If you have a fear of any kind, you can rest assured that there is an alien species that will leave you feeling horrified and afraid of the universe beyond our atmosphere.
An immeasurable number of alien species has been crafted by game developers throughout the decades, and it turns out that a lot of them want to kill you. Some of them are incredibly good at making you feel afraid in real life, sometimes resulting in collateral damage to your surroundings. Video game monsters were already scary enough, and the great expanse of space only made experiencing them that much more terrifying.
10The Flood - Halo
Ancient Space Zombies
The Flood might not seem too bad when they first appear inHalo: Combat Evolved, but as the lore deepens they become more and more horrifying. A result of the Precursors submitting to corruption, The Flood is a parasite that has one goal in mind, and that’s to infect any sentient lifeform it can reach.
The Flood can spread to anything and everything with sentience, and that’s a pretty harrowing thought. Even the construction of the Halos wasn’t enough to contain and wipe out The Flood, and it gets worse every time it appears. The Flood is one writhing mass of flesh that you’re unlikely to forget about any time soon.
9Chryssalid - Xcom
They’re Called Terror Sites For A Reason
The Chryssalid doesn’t just look terrifying, it is terrifying. These aliens are fast, hard to kill, and can come out of nowhere when you least expect it. If that wasn’t bad enough, they’ll plant an embryo in you after your death that raises you as a zombie. After that, a Chryssalid Hatchling spawns, which isn’t something anyone wants coming out of them.
Not only are they huge heavy-hitters, but they lash out with poison damage as well.Xcomdoes a great job showing us just how terrifying a physically superior alien species would be, and the Chryssalid is the one that brings about the most fear. You’re never safe from a Chryssalid, even after death.
8Terrormorph - Starfield
I Wonder Why They Named It That
Starfieldgave space enthusiasts a wide array of beautiful sights and creative spaceships. There are countless alien species to scan and discover, but one of them will have you a lot more worried than you expect. Although Starfield focuses on exploration and a universal mystery, it delves into horror when the Terrormorph is involved.
Believe it or not, the Terrormorph isn’t some horrific science experiment. It’s an alien creature from the planet Toliman, but that doesn’t stop it from being a hundred times more terrifying than Fallout’s Deathclaws. The sounds they make as they’re hunting you down will haunt your nightmares for weeks.
7Banshee - Mass Effect
I Should Go
The Asari ofMass Effectare a strong species with many biotic abilities, and they’re a beloved race amongst fans. Banshees, on the other hand, are Asari that the Reapers meddled with to create one of the single most frightening experiences of the entire series.
If their damaging shriek doesn’t rattle your bones, their speed and precision certainly will. The corruption within these Asari amplifies their biotic abilities and makes them incredibly hard to take down. They can use their biotics to do something close to teleporting, making them faster than the eye can see. Being impaled by a Banshee means swift and immediate death.
Stay Clear Of The Vents
There’s nothing worse than a creeping, sentient space disease. Except for, maybe, one that’s also being worshiped as a god, like the Necromorphs in theDead Spaceseries. Unitologists aside, the way the Necromorphs keep their numbers going is gnarly on its own. This alien disease infects corpses, transforming them into grotesque, armed and armored alien monsters.
These necrotic horrors come in a lot of different shapes and sizes, and it’s impossible to peg one as any more scream-inducing than the others. Now that they’re in a much higher definition, they’re a lot worse to look at than they were before. Keep that plasma cutter handy.
5Illithids - Forgotten Realms
What Are You Gonna Do, Mind Flay Me?
Illithids, also known as mind flayers, are in many tales believed to be a time and space-traveling alien species. Their living Nautiloid ships are capable of extra planar travel, and they’ve been around so long that no one really knows where they came from, just that they’re a threat.
Mind flayers have shown up in several games based on the Forgotten Realms setting of Dungeons and Dragons, including some pretty terrifying depictions inBaldur’s Gate 3. A mind flayer’s horrifying eldritch looks are backed by its psionic powers, and the sheer numbers that they invade with. To add to the fear factor, they increase their numbers by implanting Illithid tadpoles into unwilling hosts that later turn into newborn mind flayers themselves.
4The Great Ones - Bloodborne
Colossal Beings From Above
Bloodborne’sgreatest horror comes when you start uncovering the Great Ones: extraplanar beings somewhere between godhood and cosmic horror. Some of the Great Ones are unfathomably huge, and others come in horrific, monstrous forms as a way to instill fear in the strongest of players.
The Great Ones are an unexpected adversary in Bloodborne, making them all the more terrifying once you realize what’s truly going on with the world around you. Even giant gods from space can be killed, though, if you’re good enough at hunting them.
3Bugs - Helldivers
Megafauna Gone Interstellar
One of the scariest things about the bugs inHelldiversis possibly the fact that it’s not known how they multiply and get around space. In addition to the mystery of their growth in numbers, some of them can reach astronomical sizes, and take on forms straight out of your worst nightmares.
A giant glowing spider that’s trying to take over the entire galaxy is terrifying, but it’s heart-stopping when there seems to be an infinite number of little space creatures that are all doing the same thing. No planet is safe from these creepy critters, and they’re only getting bigger and stronger from here.
2X Parasite - Metroid Fusion
Are You Strong Enough To Face Yourself?
MetroidFusion gave players one of the scariest aliens of all time in the form of SA-X, a parasite that infects and copies both Samus' abilities and her Power Suit. Being hunted down by a perfect, alien copy of yourself is surprisingly terrifying, especially when you’re more powerless than ever before.
This Samus mimic isn’t the only variation of the parasite, either, but it’s the scariest one. The SA-X goes farther than just a replication, as well, morphing into a monstrosity that’s truly one of the most terrifying boss fights of all time.
1Xenomorph - Alien Isolation
Experience The Horror Of Alien At Home
The Alien films gave us the Xenomorph, a cosmic horror beyond our comprehension, and turned it up a few levels withAlien: Isolation. The Xenomorph was already well known for being the most terrifying alien in fiction, and now you can be chased by it yourself in video game form. The feeling of dread as you make your way through the game, deeper and deeper into danger, is one that lingers long after you’ve turned off the game.
Bringing the on-screen horror of a Xenomorph right into the homes of gamers couldn’t have been easy, but it was pulled off with a flourish, as the Xenomorph stands tall as the single most terrifying alien creature that’s ever been in a video game. You can run and hide, but it’s still going to be out there somewhere.
