Visceral Games proved their worth with “Dead Space.” The game’s strength lies in its atmosphere. The player is always on edge while horrific creatures can be heard scurrying around them as they navigate a derelict ship. Enemy designs are grotesque and the death animations will make anyone wince the first time they see them.
Capcom redefined their flagship horror series with the seventh game, which has the perfect blend of classic “Resident Evil” mechanics and tone, with the modern immersion and storytelling of current horror games. It’s also the scariest “Resident Evil” game by far.
After the success of “Amnesia: The Dark Descent,” the developers went to work on a similar game with an entirely different story and setting. “Soma” questions the idea of consciousness and its value. The player explores a series of underwater facilities as they try to piece together what happened to all the workers and their own identity. It’s one of the most unique stories in games and the setting is a good mix of sci-fi and horror.
Creative assembly was mostly known for RTS games before making this. Not only did they prove they can make a good horror game, “Alien Isolation” is one the best games based on a movie franchise. A slow-paced, first-person horror game was nothing new by the time this released, but the combat and crafting mechanics added a new dimension to its gameplay. Being hunted by the iconic xenomorph as the player struggles to survive makes for the best “Alien” experience since the second movie.
A list like this wouldn’t be complete without Silent Hill 2. While the combat and puzzle elements haven’t aged well the writing and story definitely have. This game introduced the series’ most loved villain, Pyramid Head and the enemy designs are still seen as the best in the franchise. Seeing James Sunderland’s story unfold makes for something that should be seen by horror fans of any kind. The psychological elements in the game have become legendary for mirroring James’ psyche in subtle ways that become genius once you realize what they all mean.
Ulises Duenas can be reached at [email protected] or @OrionUlisesD on Twitter.
