Video game monsters run the gamut from ravenous zombies and bloodsucking vampires to truly original, nightmare-inspiring monstrosities. While anything can be scary with the right atmosphere, some games take it a step further. These four video game monsters are unique inventions that might have you sleeping with the light on after you "save and exit."

Silent Hill 2's Pyramid Head Terrifies Through Sheer Intimidation

Silent Hill 2 is an iconic game in the survival horror genre for a variety of reasons, one of them being the numerous horrifying video game monsters it brought to life. Between the shambling nurses and unnerving mannequins, there's more than enough original horror to be found in this title, but that's not where the grotesqueries end.

Pyramid Head is the kind of creature that can strike fear into the hearts of the boldest gamers and horror movie fans. Sure, anybody walking around with a giant sword is bound to be intimidating, but this one's angular, unnatural head and lumbering yet determined bulk make it extra frightening. Even without the symbolic meaning given throughout Silent Hill 2's story, Pyramid Head's seeming embodiment of pure violence and terror make it one of the most frightening video game monsters there is.

Amnesia's Gatherers Lie in Wait for Unsuspecting Gamers

Amnesia: The Dark Descent's atmosphere of psychological horror would be enough to make it creepy even without the horrifying monsters that roam the depths of Brennenburg Castle. Armed only with dwindling sanity and a handy lantern, Daniel must explore the castle to attempt to find his memories as well as an escape.

The darkness and depravity Daniel encounters over the course of the game would be bad enough, but the Gatherers make it even worse. These slack-jawed monsters lurk around corners, waiting to surprise you and send you running. Without weapons, Daniel is defenseless—stumbling upon a Gatherer means you'll have to run to the nearest safe place and hope they don’t catch you first. To up the ante, these video game monsters are sensitive to sound and light—two things Daniel often needs as he flees for safety.

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Up Next: These Video Game Monsters Will Give You Nightmares

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Regenerators in Resident Evil 4 Wheeze Their Way Into Your Worst Nightmares 

Calling Resident Evil 4's creatures zombies is a bit of a misnomer. These fearsome enemies aren't the slow, deteriorating corpses from movies like Night of the Living Dead; they are human beings infected with a parasite that grants superior strength and stamina in exchange for little things like intelligence and free will.

The souped-up humans of the game are intimidating enough, but the game's Regeneradors (called Regenerators in the English version) take it a step further. Most of the game's enemies are infected with a single parasite, but these monstrosities have several, making them feel almost invulnerable by comparison. Throw in a wheezing audio cue that they're stalking you, a freakish ability to regenerate limbs, and a face only an eldritch abomination could love, and you have a recipe for one of the most terrifying video game monsters there is.

Bloodborne's The One Reborn is a Beast of a Thousand Corpses 

Bloodborne is no stranger to horrifying, Lovecraftian enemies. Whether it's weird, slug-like creatures, giant pigs, or the terrifying Winter Lanterns humming their off-kilter tune, every moment of the game is fraught with enemies just ready to send you into a frenzy.

While the bosses certainly aren't pleasant to the eye as a whole, there's a special level of creepy reserved for The One Reborn. He's not the game's most difficult enemy, but the body made of thousands of corpse pieces coupled with the vile puking and body part shedding make him more than a little unsettling. His entrance doesn't help matters. Rather than simply sitting there waiting for your arrival, the One Reborn shimmies and squeezes his way through a portal in front of the moon, complete with dripping goop and twitching that looks like a grotesque parody of childbirth. Gross.

Which video game monsters have disturbed you the most?