Forbidden Forest

I hate pixelated blood. Something about it rings much more true and authentic than the most state of the art CG graphics, and because of this Forbidden Forest is a landmark in how terrifyingly graphic games can be.

You're a lone woodsman lost in the forest and you are being assaulted by various creatures of fantasy, from giant spiders, wasps, frogs, to phantoms, dragons and a big bad boss who is nearly impossible to shoot because he is for the most part invisible.

Your only form of defense is your bow and arrow, as well as running away in a circular loop, to get a safe vantage point from which you can fire back. The creatures will approach you quickly, so you need to land them shots tight, or you'll be cut up or squished to a pulp that will make you cover your eyes. To make matters worse, it doesn't help that the way you shoot enemies also makes gore out of several of them. The gothic soundtrack plays and it does not lament for the innocent. Forbidden Forest is about fight for survival.

I would not say Forbidden Forest is a hard game. Most players will know how to direct their arrows easily, and the game is especially benevolent in its handling of continues. There are several trainers available that also give you infinite lives or let you skip levels(and it's only seven levels long). But not wanting to play it for the incredible violence and the sense of powerlessness it puts the player through is perfectly understandable, and few games manage to make this feeling be so visceral. Whether it wanted to be or not, Forbidden Forest is one of the first truly effective horror games.