Cry of Fear

Cry of Fear has honestly been a torture for me from beginning to end. The horror and survival horror genre is one of my favorites in gaming, and I feel like I'm somewhat of a masochist because, despite it being one of my favorite genres, games like this make me suffer far too much, to unimaginable levels. I get overwhelmed, I get scared, I scream, but despite all of that, I laugh and have a great time through all that suffering. I laugh at myself, and it's genuinely enjoyable. It still amazes me that this game is free and was made using the Half-Life engine. It's basically another Silent Hill, but in first person. It's literally the same idea, but more intense and less enigmatic. Every enemy represents a different side of Simon, a part of his subconscious trying to trap him. This entire journey is a world created inside his mind, an introspection meant to accept the events that happened in reality, forcing him to confront himself through a nightmare, just like in Silent Hill. The story itself isn't very complex, but its execution is outstanding, which adds a lot of points to the game. It keeps you under constant tension. There are barely any puzzles, and the few that exist leave a lot to be desired. The gameplay is terrible, and the enemy AI is completely stupid, but that's understandable for a game like this. This game honestly deserves to cost money, but because it's free, everyone can enjoy this terrifying masterpiece, since, despite being psychological horror, it also has plenty of jump scares and works perfectly well as a traditional horror game. Cry of Fear is an unforgettable experience for me. It took me months to finish it, just like Outlast did, but at least I finally gathered the courage to see it through.