As the title says what are the best game moments for giving you a "I'm so screwed" sense of panic?
For me it has to be Twisted Metal Black and the final boss: Warhawk.
The game is pretty tough from the word go and then you get to the end.
Now you're a wheeled vehicle on top of a roof. If you fall off you're dead. The boss is a freaking attack helicopter, with a shield that you have to figure out how to break (and shooting at it won't work). Let's just say you have to take your attention away from the helicopter for a bit while it tries to kill you.
Now shield aside picture the battle. It's a completely open roof except for these two places of cover that have 2 walls opposite each other and a roof. The copter usually stays in the center turning and taking shots at you. If you drive/turn at the right angle you'll avoid most of the fire so that it just misses you. Wong angle you take a beating. It's not always in the center though sometimes it flies off still taking shots, sometimes it tries to ram you off the roof. You can stay in the cover while it bombards it with missiles but it can easily fly around it so that it gets a clear shot at the side without walls. Later the roofs come off and now the covers become even less useful.
It's harder than it sounds.
And it's all set to this.
I remember sitting in the cover with little health left as the copter bombs the walls, trying to plan my next move, knowing that it'll soon fly to the open side of it and start shooting me.
I've seen other games, hell even other PS2 games top that in terms of scale but I can't remember the last time I felt that much panic while playing a game.