Fans of horror games will rememberResident EvilandSilent Hillfor their signature creatures, thrills, and unique, definitive brands of horror. However, hardcore horror fans looking for new (or even old) experiences might want a change of pace for Halloween — after all, the spookiest time of year practically demands some quality time spent with a great horror game. But what to choose?
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Thankfully, there’s more to horror gaming than the mainstream success of popular titles today. Fans of Japanese horror could look atFatal Frameto dive into some of the scariest moments in the medium. If that’s your idea of a good time, here are other must-play titles any horror fan should try out.
10Fatal Frame
Thanks to the success ofSilent Hill, folks fromKoei Tecmocreated the firstFatal Framegame for thePlayStation 2with Japanese horror at its center. This critically-acclaimed titlehas a focus on psychological terror, suspense, and thematic narratives related to ghosts and the supernatural.
At its core,Fatal Framegames center around various locations plagued by supernatural events. Each protagonist will have to use the Camera Obscura to capture and pacify ghosts they encounter. In turn, the game features a unique “camera” mechanic where players need to comeface to face with ghosts and creatures.
9Siren
Fans of Japanese horror should trySirenfor its unique take on survival horror and stealth. While its main titles follow different stories, each one centers around a location and the mysterious supernatural events that happen there. Each game in theSirenseries takes place across various chapters, most of which intersect with each other and leading to various endings.
Of note would be the eponymous siren, usually heard asan omen for the malignant forcesto come. Moreover, the game features unique enemies called the shibito, corpses that bleed from the eyes.
However, perhaps most unique to the series would be the Sight Jack ability. With this ability, characters can somehow find the “psychic frequency” of various enemies and NPCs. This ability allows them to keep track of enemy movements and find special items needed to progress.
8Clock Tower
Horror fans considerClock Toweras one of the first survival horror video games — beforeResident Evilpopularized the genre. Despite the mixed reception towards the franchise, fans praiseClock Towerfor its unique narrative elements. Each title in the franchise tackles protagonists plagued by unique supernatural events. However, its mechanics make the title truly shine.
InClock Tower, players almost always have no weapons to defeat the various opponents they encounter in the games' environments. In turn, players need toescape and hide from enemiesthat pursue them throughout the level. Sometimes, bosses themselves actively chase players until they hide, or render them incapacitated. Moreover, some games in the series feature hostile spirits that have to be pacified with items that were relevant to them when they were alive.
7The Evil Within
Players might thinkThe Evil Withinplays more like an action game than a survival horror title. After all, asidefrom scavenging for supplies and weapons, the game primarily has players avoid and kill enemies and various overly-gruesome bosses. However, behind this rather action-packed experience is quite an interesting take on psychological horror.
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InThe Evil Within, players take on the role of Sebastian Castellanos, a detective working for the Krimson City Police Department. At the start of the game, Sebastian and his colleagues investigate a mass murder in Beacon Mental Hospital. However, after an earthquake seemingly devastates the city, Sebastian finds himself facing gruesome monsters. Interestingly, these monsters aren’t what they seem — andThe Evil Withinportrays this dive into psychological horror quite expertly.
6Manhunt
Unlike other survival horror games,Manhuntdoesn’t feature monsters. Instead, the games in the series amp up the violence and brutality to 10, makingManhuntmore of a gorefest compared to other titles in the genre. As a result, the games often feature brutal and gory sequences that made the series quite controversial for audiences.
In the first game, the protagonist James Cash finds himself forced to participate in a snuff film. Meanwhile, in the second game, the protagonist Daniel Lamb is an escaped mental patient dealing with his past traumas.
5Corpse Party
Fans of Japanese culture know some of the best horror stories out there can be found in anime and manga, such assome of Junji Ito’s best pieces. InCorpse Party, players take on the role of school friends as they explore a nightmarish version of their school. In the process, they unravel secrets surrounding their relationships and an urban legend about a tragic event that befell the school’s area years prior.
One interesting facet ofCorpse Party’s first game is its development in RPG Maker software. The game takes place in a top-down format with pixellated visuals akin toPokémonor olderFinal Fantasytitles. However, despite its visuals,Corpse Partysets up a terrifying ambiance that makes its story incredibly immersive.
4Until Dawn
Practically any horror fan has seen a slasher flick in their lifetime, which isUntil Dawnsuch a tantalizing horror offering.Players control the fate of eight young adults in this interactive drama horror title. In the game, a group of friends reunites at the Blackwood Mountain lodge a year after a terrible tragedy. Unfortunately, they need to survive until rescue arrives at dawn, lest they die at the hands of a masked man.
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Unlike other horror titles,Until Dawnhas both third-person and interactive drama elements. Players can control each character in linear levelsin search of cluesto survive the night. Interestingly, the game keeps track of all information across all playthroughs. In turn, the game has a unique Butterfly Effect system where one decision can affect the fate of all characters in the story.
3SOMA
Horror doesn’t necessarily have to take the form of ghosts and monsters to scare viewers. In fact,SOMAadds an existential sci-fi twist to its survival horror gameplay. InSOMA, players take on the role of Simon Jarrett as he transitions from 2015 to 2104, inside the PATHOS-II underwater research facility after a cataclysmic comet impact hit the Earth. Aside from dodging mutants and hostile robots, Simon also has to interact with various machines that seem to exhibit signs of human consciousness.
In turn, the game emphasizes immersion, puzzle-solving, and threat evasion. Players need to accompany Simon as he attempts to decipher what truly happened in the years between his car accident in 2015 and the comet strike in 2104.
2Devotion
Horror fans looking for a thematic twist in the genre would appreciateDevotion.Folks from Red Candle Games created this first-person experience revolving around a family in a Taipei apartment complex. Despite its limited scope and appearance,Devotion’s subversion of tropes surrounding the home, family, and comfort turns this game into a must-play.
Players take control of Du Feng Yu, a troubled screenwriter, as he explores his family’s struggles. Players can explore various rooms in their apartment complex, each of which represents events in the Du’s family throughout the 80s. Players soon learn that Feng Yu’s wife, Gong Li Fang, used to be a popular singer. Meanwhile, their daughter Du Mei Shin showed signs of being a gifted performer herself.
Things take a turn for the worse when Mei Shin exhibits signs of a mysterious illness. Moreover, Feng Yu’s obsession with a cult led by Mentor Heuh and a folk deity would test the Du family.
1Layers Of Fear
Art takes a grisly turn inLayers of Fear. In this horror video game, an unnamed protagonist strives to perfect his magnum opus — a painting that would soon force him to reconcile with events that happened in his past. The game makes it clear early only that the protagonist has signs ofpsychological deterioration, something the narrative will also reflect.
Gameplay-wise,Layers of Fearseems simple enough. Much of the game acts like a puzzle, where players need to look for various visual clues around him. However, some environments provide the occasional jump scares, as well as items that slowly piece together the painter’s tragic story.
