Summary
As far as horror monsters go, Pyramid Head is a top contender for not only being one of the most iconic, but also one of the most frightening. Though his stature is mostly humanoid, the ginormous metallic pyramid placed where the head should be gives him an otherworldly appearance, making him even more frightening to encounter.
His very existence is stringently tied to James and his state of mind, but that hasn’t prevented Pyramid Head from bleeding into other games, franchises, and media, to the chagrin of die-hard fans who cite his role in James’s story. But as such an iconic monster with such a strikinglynightmare-inducingappearance, it comes as no surprise that he earned a place in the movie adaptation and even other franchises.
Dead by Daylighthas snatched several famous IPs, from killer movies such asHalloweenandA Nightmare on Elm Street,celebrities such as Nicolas Cage, and of course, other games, such asResident EvilandSilent Hill. Inducting a collection of new Killers and Survivors, fans saw franchise-famous protagonist Cheryl Mason and antagonist Pyramid Head join the fog. Though there were some complaints about severing Pyramid Head from his role inSilent Hill 2, many more were glad to have the chance to play him or come up against him during their survival endeavors.
Though Dead by Daylight isn’t necessarily terrifying just from what type of game it is, there are thosekillers that are a little scarier than the othersto catch a glimpse of, and Pyramid Head definitely falls into this category. His very appearance, the sheer size of his weapon, the one ability that allows him to damage survivors through obstacles, and one perk that allows him to become undetectable make him one of the scariest killers to run into in the fog, and one of the scariest versions of Pyramid Head.
Most movie adaptations of video games,unfortunately, always seem to miss the mark, as evidenced by series such as the ill-fatedResident Eviladaptations, despite starting off as passable with its first movie. But there are those that arrive as pleasant surprises to their fans, such as the firstSilent Hillmovie adaptation, which largely does a faithful retelling of the first movie. Sharon, adopted daughter of Rose and Christopher Da Silva, runs off into the titular town, and Rose gives chase into a land of monsters, where a human cult takes refuge inside a church, and takes not too kindly to outsiders.
Pyramid Head is the most feared creature in the town, and for very obvious reasons. His presence is always heralded by the giant beetles that swarm every possible surface. Once one sees them, it is likely too late for them. Armed with his iconic giant sword, Pyramid Head isn’t afraid to silently pass judgment on anyone he comes across, sentencing everyone to death. Though Cybil and Rose manage to evade justice, other characters, such as Anna, meet their gruesome fate at his hands. Out of all the monsters that made it into this movie, Pyramid Head is the last one any viewer would want to run into, even those unfamiliar with the games.
4Dark Deception: Monsters and Mortals
A Relentless Stalker
There certainly is no shortage ofmultiplayer horror games on the market, andDark Deception: Monsters and Mortalsentered as a new contender back the late 2020, based on the first-person horror maze-navigation game, which was similar to whatPac-Manwould be, if it were more horror-driven. Such a simple premise could easily be turned into a multiplayer version, and this is exactly what happened, with some excellent DLC to boot.
Silent Hill was one such expansion, which was only available for a limited time. Players who purchased it had the option to play as either monsters or mortals, as the title suggests, running in fear or terrorizing the mortals. Pyramid Head, or the Red Pyramid Thing, served as the boss monster, slow but intimidating as he relentlessly hunts down his prey. Armed with his signature staggering weapon of choice, no mere mortal would want to even give him the chance to put it to use. What’s even worse is that there are two of them, and their arrival summons the dark otherworld into the map, which can make it hard to spot them at a distance.
The legendary first fourSilent Hillgames were handled by Team Silent, but it wastime for new talent, so the torch was passed to other developers, Double Helix in the case ofHomecoming. Returning home from hospitalization following his military service, Alex Shepherd sees that his brother and father are missing, his mother is now catatonic, and his home, Shepherd’s Glen, isn’t quite how he remembered it when he left. The trail for all the answers to his problems leads him to the titular town of nightmares and monsters.
One particular monster players will encounter may be familiar to long-term fans of the franchise due to the triangular nature of its head and the oversized sword it wields. Despite being a creature tied to James’s story, Pyramid Head was brought back, now called the Bogeyman. It is explained that Bogeymen can be made, meaning that there can be more than one, which is evidenced by the double Pyramid Head boss fight inSilent Hill 2. Though his return was met with some contention, the bloody antics and terror his presence brings toHomecomingcannot be denied.
Following on the success of the firstSilent Hillgame,Silent Hill 2had its own standalone story and characters, introducing players to James Sunderland and histale of tragedy. Three years following his wife’s passing from her illness, he received a letter inviting him back to their ‘special place’ within their favored holiday vacationing spot: the titular town itself. Though he is barely able to believe it himself, he does arrive in the city, but finds that it’s not quite a peaceful resort town any longer.
Though he meets a few other unfortunate souls drawn here, he also finds more than his fair share of monsters, including the iconic Red Pyramid Thing. The first time players encounter him is in the apartments, separated by only a few rusty metal bars. He appears sporadically through the story again, until the final encounter sees James release himself from guilt and finish them off for good. Even during that climactic boss fight, the Red Pyramid Thing is never terrifying. His imposing and otherworldly appearance is always sure to deliver frights and nightmares.
TheSilent Hill 2remake was met with much skepticism, as fans were unsure Bloober was able to make a product that could even hold a candle to the beloved original title. Yet, they surpassed all expectations, resulting ina truly fantastic remakethat paid its due and then some to its source material. The game was expanded without it feeling too padded out, leaving a little room for extra time with Pyramid Head.
The remake helps him feel like more of a true stalker enemy, with some extra segments included in which players need to evade his reach, which makes his presence feel even more stifling than usual. Not to mention, the gorgeous graphic gave everyone, including Pyramid Head himself, a makeover. The improved graphics create a more immersive atmosphere, making enemies like Pyramid Head even more terrifying to come across. The remake nailed almost everything across their board, and the new version of Pyramid Head was just another measure of success.
