Necromorphs, Dead Space
Dead Space is absolutely frightening, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up with its eerily sparse environments and ominous sound design. And while I could very easily say the whole game scares the hell outta me—and it does, don’t get it twisted—it will always be the grotesque necromorphs that make me tremble in my shoes. Mutated corpses infected with some extraterrestrial disease, these monsters are the epitome of body horror. Deformed in the worst possible ways, with protruding bones reconfigured to resemble talons and lanky arms extending out from a gaping chasm of a stomach, the necromorphs are nigh unkillable creatures hellbent on tearing you apart. They also come in a variety of archetypes depending on how the virus affects its host, meaning you’ll see numerous different versions that’ll give you plenty of nightmare fuel. Yeah, I hate these things. Always have, always will. —Levi Winslow
