Survival horror games have been around for decades, dating back to 1989 when the term was first used in the RPG, Sweet Home, these games have evolved into something bigger even more over the years.
They constantly challenge players to do whatever it takes to survive in scary situations, here are the best survival horror games to keep you up at night.
10: Until Dawn
“Until Dawn” which was released in August 2015, brings back the trend of campy horror stories in video games. Constantly putting players in scary situations where they have to make a choice without a second thought.
The story follows eight friends stuck in a remote mountain retreat, and their experience is far from a perfect vacation. The game has multiple endings depending on who survives in the snowy mountains, making the horror of staying alive a central part of the story. Overall, the life and death of the characters is in the hand of the players.
9: Outlast
Explaining why Outlast is an outstanding survival horror game isn’t simple. It’s a game that other survival horror games should learn from to make their games scarier. The key is not how you fight the monsters but how the game makes you feel powerless.
Outlast immerses players completely. It has a unique gameplay style where you can’t defend yourself effectively, and it aims to make you feel helpless. Overall, it’s the way it takes away your control that makes Outlast a game every survival horror fan should try.
8: Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly
This sequel demonstrates the full potential of the Fatal Frame series. The original game, Fatal Frame is already a well-known survival horror classic.
However, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly took the horror game to a whole new level. It was already in development even before players could even finish the first game, so it was clear that this sequel was going to be a rollercoaster from the beginning.
In Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly, follow twin sisters, Mio and Mayu, as they explore an abandoned village filled with supernatural entities that constantly haunt them. The only tool at your disposal to deal with these spirits is a camera, and there’s no other way to escape from the game’s terrifying layers of horror.
7: Soma
The same Developer team that made Amnesia: The Dark Descent, created Soma the survival horror game with a remarkable sense of pacing and storytelling, aiming to engage players with existential questions rather than just scaring them.
Set in the depths of the dark ocean, you find yourself exploring a remote facility filled with horrifying monsters. Your only options are to outsmart or outrun these creatures to stay alive. While it might appear as a typical horror game on the surface, the deeper you go into the story, the more you realize it’s much more than that.
6: Amnesia: The Dark Descent
This psychological horror game has had a lasting impact, not only due to its popularity among YouTubers in the early 2010s but also because of the timeless appeal of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. It seamlessly combines fun and creepiness, solidifying its status as a classic survival horror game.
In this game, you take on the role of Daniel, who awakens in a dark castle and must navigate through it while avoiding unknown horrors that lurk in the shadows. As soon as you open your eyes in this eerie castle, you’re thrust into an unforgiving world with no way to turn back.
5: Silent Hill 2
Without a doubt, Silent Hill 2 is one of the biggest faces of survival horror. Because of its blurry lines between fear and philosophy, the real horror of Silent Hill 2 is its sense of humanity. Although strange monsters are scattered around, and a figure with a pyramid for a head keeps trying to kill you, it’s how quickly relatable this game gets that sends chills down our spine the most.
Rather than just following the typical formula of survival horror, Silent Hill 2 puts everything into an interesting twist. By working hard to make you feel more emotional rather than scared out of your mind, we’re taken into a foggy atmosphere that has us face some of our greatest personal fears.
4: Resident Evil 2 (Remake)
It isn’t a surprise that one of the greatest horror games of all time would make such an incredible comeback with its remake. Giving players more scares and smarter enemies with better monster designs, the Resident Evil 2 remake builds on what already made the original such a timeless survival horror.
Mixing great survival elements with high-level action, the story is on the sidelines when it comes to everything else. The atmosphere is beyond breathtaking and horrifying at the same time, helping us immerse ourselves in the infected terrors that have befallen Raccoon City. This also isn’t to mention that Leon Kennedy is a fascinating figure in the survival horror genre all on his own.
3: System Shock 2
Highly regarded as a core influence on the future of first-person shooters, System Shock 2 is an impactful piece of survival horror video game history. Showcasing strong RPG character developments, how you go about this game is entirely up to you.
Setting us on a starship in a cyberpunk world, you take the role of a soldier who’s trying to suppress an outbreak that’s taken hold of many on the ship. At nearly every turn, you’ll run into an infected figure that stops at nothing to get you to join them as artificial intelligence. Besides the odd visuals that set the horrifying tone, the dialogue is where the game’s horror shines the brightest.
2: The Last Of Us
The Last of Us is a game that needs little explanation of why it’s such a masterful survival horror. The idea of surviving among the infected is a common concept, but this game took it in a direction that has left many of us thoroughly impacted for the better. Offering a tear-jerking story, we get a true sense of how surviving in this world has influenced the people living in it.
The emotion in this game isn’t its only strong point. Featuring powerful story arcs and moral dilemmas that change the way we perceive survivors during an apocalypse, the story in The Last of Us is truly unforgettable.
1: Sweet Home
Sweet Home is, without a doubt, the embodiment of an authentic survival horror. Based on the Japanese film of the same name, this game is known as the groundwork for what we know the survival horror genre to be today. But that isn’t the only reason Sweet Home is one of the greatest survival horror games.
Besides being the main inspiration behind Resident Evil, its thematic elements and narrative are unforgettable. Telling the story of five filmmakers who set out to explore an old mansion, the team gets far more than they bargained for. And, no matter who lives or dies, the frightening narrative continues regardless.
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