As the snow begins to fall this winter and people take to the slopes, nerds know there's more lurking out in the white tundra than ski-bunnies. Abominable creatures abound, always just out of focus, and they even stalk us in our video games. Be sure to prepare if you plan to go mountaineering in one of these game worlds.
5. Sasquatch - Red Dead Redemption
When Rockstar decided to make a Red Dead Redemption expansion about zombies, they went whole-hog and tossed in the Four Horses of the Apocalypse, the Chupacabra, and the Sasquatch. The Sasquatch race is hunted by John Marston at the behest of a haggard old man. I know these aren't technically yetis, but given that they live on snowy mountains they're only a few evolutionary cycles away from developing white fur. Or they would be, at least, if Marston hadn't driven them to extinction. Oh well.
4. Zombie Yeti - Plants vs. Zombies
There must be a thing about pairing zombies and yetis. In a night-level, if you're lucky (or unlucky, depending on how your outing is going), the yeti will rear his ugly head and wreak havoc on your garden. To many players, the yeti in Plants vs. Zombies is a mere myth, much like the creature itself, since there's never a guarantee that he'll show up. But between flashes of lighting you can clearly make out the thick mane of this twisted Frosty.
3. Wampas - Star Wars: Battlefront 2
Battlefront is awesome, and it's all the better for letting you play as the Wampas of Hoth, clobbering rebel for your very survival. With a ton of health, surprising speed, and the ability to murder a soldier with a light swipe of their massive paws, these snowmen strike fear into the hearts of nerds everywhere. Where is Luke Skywalker when you need him? Probably cowering in a Tauntaun corpse.
2. Abominable Snow Monster - SkiFree
One of the simplest games for old computers is actually one of the most terrifying. There you are, skiing down an endless slope for the glory of a high score, and as soon as you hit 2000 meters (where the famed Man Who Skiied Down Everest stopped) an abominable snowman rushes out of the woods to eat you. The stakes are instantly raised, and it's all you can do to make it a few more meters before you're inevitably devoured. Good thing Yuichiro Miura knew when to cut and run.
1. The Beast of Golmund Peaks - Battlefield 4
This has to be number one, purely because it's such a well-executed Easter egg. There are mysterious footprints in the snow around the mountains on one level, but following them too far will take you off the battlefield. It's impossible to go any further, but as one Youtuber discovered you can blow up the mountain with a long-ranged rocket to hear the distressed roars of a now-homeless yeti. You never get to see him, but you know he's there - just like the yetis in the real world.
Honorable Mention - Far Cry 4
Far Cry 4 has confirmed the existence of the yeti with its upcoming Valley of Yetis DLC, and that's sure to be exciting, but Bigfoot's tiny cameo in the main game leaves a hell of an impression:
https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3607085/type/dlg/sid/UUhgUeUpU48279/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2JigGbW_Sg