2:15am, too scared to sleep
I’ve spent the past three hours playing Condemned: Criminal Origins on my XBox360. I played it for a few hours just a few days ago too. I knew what I was getting myself into. Except it was daylight when I played that day. Tonight I started at 11:00pm. After the first half-hour I reluctantly turned off the overhead light because the game is so dark, the light in my room just makes it harder to see. Most of the game is spent walking through corridors and checking every corner for crazed madmen… in the dark… with only a small flashlight and a single weapon.
Now, three hours later, it’s 2:15am and I want to go to sleep. My blood pressure and adrenaline are up. I heard all sorts of creaks and other odd noises as I went to use the toilet and then brush my teeth. I kept watching the bathroom door reflected in the mirror for any movement or shift of shadows beyond the crack of an opening. More noises… more blood pressure. I had remembered to lock and bolt the door to the flat before I started playing. I knew I would be paranoid after playing.
I found myself looking around the bathroom as I brushed my teeth. Looking for makeshift weapons like you do in the game. I decided that the shower curtain rod was my only real option. I could get that down in a hurry if I needed to. I touched it… it seems sturdy.
This flat makes a lot of strange noises now that I’m alone here. My imagination loves that. I hope it’s just my imagination. I’m going to go run to the bed and hide under the covers now. I’m just glad that the wardrobes are gone so nothing can hide in them while I fall asleep. And the bed has storage underneath instead of being open space. Something might otherwise grab my ankle as I get in bed.
Maybe I’ll just sleep right here… in front of the computer. Safer that way. I hope….
Tags: Games, video games, XBox360
July 19, 2008 2:26 am 7 Comments
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By Insomnic, July 19, 2008 @ 3:14 am
The call is coming from in the house!
By Abraxus, July 19, 2008 @ 4:59 am
Ah yes…the unique terror of being alone when something eerie is happening. I played the original Silent Hill a long time ago with a friend of mine in much the same way. We played the entire game through in one overnight session. I played then he took over and we leap-frogged like that all night long.
When it came time for him to go home in the wee hours of the morning I followed him to the door, locked it, barred it, shut every single door in the house, double-checked every last window. Went down every hallway with my back against the wall and just kinda sat on my bed until dawn.
By yoshi, July 19, 2008 @ 9:34 am
stop playing those games that scare you!
By cybrpunk, July 19, 2008 @ 9:41 am
@Abraxus that is funny. I started playing the original Silent Hill on my PSP but I think it loses something on the small screen.
@Yoshi I can’t… I like them! But oh, the nightmares….
By Livingdead, July 19, 2008 @ 2:49 pm
I had the sme problem with the Resident evil series and Silent Hill 2. I started playing silent hill 2 at 3 am after a good night of drinking in a pitch black (other than the PS2 and the tv, of course) room with a female friend.
I lasted about 15 minutes before i decided that watching a movie would be less scary. That’s when you know you got a good game.
By PolymorphicGirl, July 21, 2008 @ 10:56 am
Oooh, I’ll have to try this game. I had the same problem with the first Silent Hill. Nightmares, etc., one of the few games I played multiple times. I know I’ve really gone too far when things during the day remind me of video games and I get the urge to shoot them.
By cybrpunk, July 21, 2008 @ 4:43 pm
Everyone mentions the Silent Hill series and #2 seems to be the favorite. I started the first one just recently but I need to keep an eye out for #2….
@PolymorphicGirl – Everyone who plays video games has those moments. It’s not just you. I finished Condemned and it was pretty cool.