Top 10 Horror Game Survivors

Scary games give us a lot to talk about, from life-saving
weapons to nerve-jangling scares.

Scary games give us a lot to talk about, from life-saving
weapons to nerve-jangling scares. We, the players, are on the receiving end of
these experiences, but so are these games' enduring protagonists. In the spirit
of our October celebration of horror games ( check out our cover story reveal), we're
ranking the very best survivors in horror games. The list is varied, from an
antihero who killed for a second chance at life to another who has seen the
horrors of space travel. These are the Top 10 Horror Game Survivors.

10. Point Man – F.E.A.R.

The Point Man was destined at birth to become a bad-ass soldier, and thusly a very capable survivor. He's handy with a variety of weaponry and heavy artillery, giving him an edge when facing off against the opposition. His creepy origins also give him a unique perspective on the battlefield. His mother, the series' creepy Alma, left him with some unique psychic capabilities (though muted in comparison to his brother, series antagonist Paxton Fettel). Point Man can slow down time to better mow down his enemies, which he owes to his mom according to F.E.A.R. 3. When it comes to taking down waves of armed foes and enduring psychic disturbances from a ghostly little girl, Point Man is expert.

9. Frank West – Dead Rising

Mr. West's photojournalistic experience covering wars comes in more than handy during a zombie outbreak in a Colorado mall. The beefy shutterbug can snap pictures on the fly one moment then bash a zombie to pulp with a mannequin torso the next, all while wearing nothing but his underwear. The sheer number of zombies on screen at once in this Xbox 360 title makes Frank's ability to survive even more impressive. What's more, he had a strict, unyielding time limit ticking down the entire time.

8. James Earl Cash – Manhunt

Survival isn't generally a viable option for someone sentenced to death, but James Earl Cash gets a second chance at life thanks to a demented film director. Starkweather, an unhinged filmmaker with a taste for snuff, offers Cash a free get-out-of-jail-free card if he can kill his way through various gangs of murderous criminals. Death is a sure thing in prison, so Cash has nothing to lose by getting his hands bloody. Living through the final showdown with a fat, chainsaw-wielding *** in a pig mask is no small task, but Cash manages to squeak by with a fresh shot at life on the other side of the prison bars.

7. James Sunderland – Silent Hill 2

Harry Mason explored Silent Hill looking for his daughter, who last he saw was alive and well. James Sunderland is in a different boat, traveling to the creepy town after getting a freshly penned letter from his dead wife. Where Harry battled terrible, knife-wielding ghost children and skinless gorillas, James confronts the demons of his subconscious. One of the worst manifestations of his brain is Pyramid Head, a terrible giant that pursues James when he expects it least. Whether you look at James as a true survivor depends in part on the ending you earn, but at the very least he's a man dedicated to the survival of his marriage. Death be damned.

6. Clementine – The Walking Dead

This star of Telltale's The Walking Dead series has the severe disadvantage of being a defenseless child when the zombie apocalypse hits. Sure, she has Lee's help for the really rough bits, but she would've have made it long without her wits and a keen survivor's sense. How many little girls would be smart enough to hide in their treehouse during an outbreak? Even more, Clem has impressive amounts of grit that allow her to shoulder past traumatizing events and significant loss. She's the type of person her ravaged world needs.