The problem with most games is that they claim to be terrifying, but invariably they are not. There may be a couple of ‘jump scares’ here and there, but for the most part you are barely going to quiver, let alone be reaching for the nearest pillow to hide behind. Thankfully, there are some companies who managed to get the horror formula ‘right’. These are games which are not only fun to play but will have you flicking on that nearest light before you can even muster up a scream.
F.E.A.R.
This game did somewhat lose its ‘way’ with the follow-ups. Don’t get us wrong, the sequels are still great games, but they are not exactly as terrifying as the first.
For the bulk of F.E.A.R. you are going to be stalked by a little girl ghost. She isn’t going to do much, but every so often she will appear out of the corner of your eye. She will have you on the edge of your seat. The brilliant thing is that despite you playing the role of a soldier who is armed to the teeth, you always get a sense of ‘weakness’ around the young lass. The atmosphere is amazing.
Condemned: Criminal Origins
Again, another game where the sequel does not quite live up to the horror, but the original is nigh on impeccable. You have very few weapons, and you are going to be spending your time wandering around junkie-infested areas in the pitch black. Of course, things take a bit more of a paranormal twist later on in the game. You are going to have mannequins follow you about, fight serial killers, and a whole lot more.
Resident Evil 7
The old Resident Evil games could be scary, but they had so much cheese that you were never genuinely terrified. Resident Evil 7 threw all that out the window. Wander through a creepy house (in VR if you have a PS4 VR), and experience zombie-like creatures chasing you, a family that is bordering on psychopathic (every chance they probably recorded some stuff to put on bdsm sites. They are that crazy!), and very limited weapons to fight them off with. Great game.
Outlast
You would think that a game based around the idea of exploring a psychiatric hospital is just a little bit too cliché to be any fun. You would be wrong. Outlast is regarded as one of the best horror games of recent years. You have no weapons. Nothing. If you want to escape the perils of this mental institution, then you are going to need to run faster than you have ever done before. Plenty of scares in this one!
Alien Isolation
If you love the Alien franchise, you are going to love this game. Previous Alien games relied heavily on action combat. Not this one. Horror galore. You are going to be absolutely terrified. The story is brilliant too. This is the best Alien game that has ever been released, and that is really saying something!
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