Summary
Survival-horror games have theirroots in fixed-cameraand over-the-shoulder perspectives. Pioneers of the genre such as the originalResident Evilused fixed camera angles to offer players a cinematic horror experience that was frequently jarring, adding to the overall horror.
Silent Hill, on the other hand, combined fixed camera angles with dynamic camera sections. However, the genre has shifted in several directions over the years.Resident Evil 4, for example, is known for shiftingResident Evilto an over-the-shoulder perspective; whereas, games such asResident Evil 7move things to the first-person, taking inspiration from more traditional horror games. Some elements of horror are lost by giving players full control of their camera, but this first-person perspective can make for a more immersive experience and usually results in scarier games.
Gloomwoodis a creative combination ofthe immersive-simand survival-horror genres that takes inspiration from games such asResident Eviland, more noticeably,ThiefandDishonored. The gameplay ofGloomwoodis massively focused on stealth and coming up with creative solutions to problems. However, combat is always an option, though as is common with survival-horror games, resources are limited.
Gloomwoodisn’t always the scariest of games, but it features a handful of sections that can be unsettling for those less experienced with horror. The game’s save system, which has players hunting down strategically placed phonographs, also adds to the survival horror while paying loving homage toResident Evil’s iconic typewriters.
This first-person survival-horror game takes place in an eerie WW1 bunker haunted by a horrific monster. In the game, players do their best to avoid this creature as they explore, trying to keep the bunker’s lights on along the way.Amnesia: The Bunkeris a highly atmospheric game, and its first-person perspective is a key factor in this immersion.
The game’s superb sound design should also be commended and adds a lot to the game’s already creepy atmosphere. The harsh limits on the player’s resources andthe dynamic AIof the game’s antagonist makeAmnesia: The Bunkera particularly distinctive survival-horror game.
Known for its brutal,visceral melee combatand sense of atmosphere,Condemned: Criminal Originsis a particularly unique survival-horror game. In the game, players are put in the shoes of an FBI agent on the run, tracking down murderers and fighting off a variety of crazed criminals with all manner of weapons.
Condemned: Criminal Originsfeatures a grimy aesthetic in a variety of eerie and unsettling environments, made all the more horrifying by the game’s ambushing enemies and talented sound design. The game’s first-person melee combat is certainlyCondemned’s greatest strength, with players being able to tear weapons off the walls and fight with objects taken from the environment. Enemies can also do the same, and will often use the environment against the player, both as a weapon and as a way to hide.
DOOM 3is an infamous entry in theDOOMfranchise due to its shift from all-out-action to survival horror. However, it could be argued that everything that made it a lesserDOOMgame made it a better horror game; limited ammunition, hard-hitting enemies, plenty of jump scares, and dramatically slow movement. All of these elements work together inDOOM 3, offering players an action-packed but at times horrifying experience.
DOOM 3features plenty of action and a variety of weapons, but can still be frightening with its detailed sound design and cinematic lighting, as well as the aforementioned jump scares. This results in an FPS that feels great to play, but often leaves players vulnerable. However,DOOM 3is still a remarkablyaccessible survival horror gamethanks to its focus on action gameplay.
There are many games that take place in the universe oftheAlienfilms, but none quite capture the cosmic horror of the original film quite likeAlien: Isolation. The game’s first-person perspective, loyalty to its source material, and stylish graphics make it a frequently terrifying survival-horror experience. However, it’s the game’s dynamic AI adversary that makes it so special.
The iconic Xenomorph is a terrifying and undefeatable opponent that stalks the player throughout the game, relentlessly hunting the player through the Sevastopol Station. The Xenomorph’s immediately recognizable form, the horrifying sounds it makes, and the figure it casts as it crawls out of a vent make it a truly terrifying foe.
TheResident Evilfranchise has led the way for the survival-horror genre for many years, with the first three games acting as cornerstones in the genre. Over the years, the series has shifted back and forth along the survival-horror spectrum, with games such asResident Evil 4shaking up the franchise with a sense of action and a faster pace, whileResident Evil 7shifted the series to a first-person perspective and cranked up the scare-factor higher than ever before.
Resident Evil 7features immersive environments and slick gunplay, bringing the benefits of the FPS genre to the slow and methodical pace of a survival horror game. Resource management, slow movement, and terrifying exploration are part and parcel ofResident Evil 7, offering a fresh but loyal entry totheResident Evilseries.
