Horror games have enjoyed a long tenure in the world of games, captivating fans with their terrifying monster design, atmospheric locations, and the intriguing heroes that arm themselves with weapons or their own wits and courage to contend with whatever horrors may unfold before them. These games have only become bigger and better over the years, with more intricate gameplay, plots, and more polished graphics to add a layer of terrifying realism.
But without the horror games of yore, these games would barely exist even in dreams (or rather nightmares) of developers. Many classic horrors and their stars are given the accolades they deserve, such asResident EvilandSilent Hill, franchises that have survived to this day, with protagonists that have become household names. But there are many more classic titles celebrated at the time of their release that have now faded to obscurity, and the heroes within them are just a name etched into a faded, old manual.
There are very few who would remember the classic survival horror gameNightmare Creatures, despite it being celebrated upon its release.Using a Victorian settingto place an emphasis on gothic horror,Nightmare Creaturestells the tale of a cult known as the Brotherhood of Hecate who thinks they are on the cusp of greatness, having created an elixir to gain supernatural powers, only for it to have some very unexpected side effects.
The game features dual protagonists, Ignatius and Nadia, one a Priest, and the other the daughter of the cult’s next victim. There is enough of a difference between the two, as they wield their own primary weapon, and both shine with different strengths. Ignatius has knowledge of everything revolving around occultism, and Nadia is an accomplished fencer. Despite this, the game and its charming heroes have fallen into obscurity, begging for rediscovery.
Jennifer’s Story is Tinged With Tragedy
Rule Of Rose
Developer Punchline, Shirogumi, and Publisher Atlus bring you an unusual mystery horror game all centered around Jennifer.March, 1930. A young girl named Jennifer, whose parents were killed in a tragic airship accident, is taken to the Rose Garden Orphanage, located in a remote portion of the English countryside. What Jennifer discovers is a dilapidated building and a ragtag mob of children who call themselves the “Aristocracy of the Red Crayon.“The demented residents of Rose Garden kidnap Jennifer and take her into the dark heart of an impossibly large zeppelin, on a meandering course for a distant land. Now, with the help of a canine companion named Brown, Jennifer has to find valuable gifts for the Aristocracy, or suffer a fatal punishment for her insolence…Befriend a faithful dog and work together to locate crucial items. Intense melee combat against bloodthirsty monsters.This game offers multiple endings and hidden extras for those daring enough to seek them out.
The Poor, Unlucky Girl is a title bestowed upon Jennifer, the protagonist of thePS2 horror classicRule of Rose. Rose Garden Orphanage becomes the hunting ground of poor Jennifer as she becomes the prey of the young girls that have taken over, forming the Red Crayon Aristocrat Club. The girls constantly attack, boss around, and torment poor withdrawn Jennifer, who has to rely on her own courage and whatever resources she can scrounge in her surroundings.
Over time, it slowly grows apparent that Jennifer is trapped within childhood memories she repressed, where she was bullied by other girls in the orphanage. The mental scarring this left has morphed these memories into nightmarish visions, and players can’t help but feel for them. ThoughRule of Rosehas become something of a cult classic, its rarity guarantees that eventually it will completely fade from the collective consciousness, and just remain one more obscure relic of the past, and Jennifer along with it.
An Unlikely Ensemble of Protagonists
I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream
Assume the roles of five different characters, each in a unique environmentChallenging dilemmas dealing with powerfully charged emotional issuesProvocative psychological and adult-oriented themesBased on Harlan Ellison’s short story “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream”, one of the ten most reprinted stories in the English languageFull digitized speech with over 40 different characters and state of the art animationHarlan Ellison as the voice of the insane master computer, AM.FIVE DAMNED SOULS: Buried deep within the center of the earth, trapped in the bowels of an insane computer for the past hundred and nine years. Gorrister the suicidal loner, Benny the mutilated brute, Ellen the hysterical phobic, Nimdok the secretive sadist, Ted the cynical paranoid.ONE CHALLENGE: The adventure plunges you into the tortured and hidden past of the five humans. Delve into their darkest fears. Outwit the Master Computer AM in a game of psychological warfare. Disturbing, compelling. An adventure you won’t easily forget !!BONUS CONTENT INCLUDED: The Making of I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream and a full 54 track Soundtrack composed by Legendary composer John Ottman (Check your Steamapps/common/IHNMAIMS/ folder after downloading the game)
Based on the Harlan Ellison short novel of the same name,I Have No Mouth and I Must Screamfeatures five protagonists who are the last remaining survivors of humanity, trapped within the dystopian world run bya malicious AIknown as AM. AM keeps these poor people alive for over 100 years, torturing them psychologically by forcing each character to confront their major flaw while also grappling with real-life horror scenarios such as genocide, paranoia, insanity, and assault.
I Have No Mouth and I Must Screamhas an impressively large cast considering the time of its release, and by showcasing each character’s flaws as a major plot point, players come to know these characters intimately, and may even see themselves reflected in one or more of them. It is definitely one of the most personal stories explored in a horror game, but even this was not enough to save its memory from the erosion of time. But with a plethora of nearly impossible heroes dominating the world of gaming, it might be time to visit this forgotten classic with some of the most realistic game characters of all time.
In a Rare Occurrence, Player’s Take on the Role of a Death-Row Inmate
The Suffering
EXPERIENCE THE TERROR AS YOU FIGHT YOUR WAY OUT OF AMAXIMUM SECURITY PENITENTIARY OVERRUN WITH GHASTLY; CREATURES, YOUR DESPERATE BID TO ESCAPE THIS HORRIFICPRISON AND THE ISLAND THAT SURROUNDS IT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING AS YOU LEARN THE TRUTH IN THE SUFFERINGA FULL ARSENAL OF BRUTAL WEAPONSTRANSFORM INTO A HIDEOUS AND POWERFYD BEASTA HORDE OF GHOULISH) MONSTERS REPRESENTING VICIOUS EXECUTIONSEXPERIENCE THREE DIFFERENT ENDINGS BASED ON YOUR ACTIONS
When people think of video game heroes, someone brave, selfless, and just likely comes to mind, one who will defend the weak, and gladly lay down their life for another. But horror games always push boundaries and challenge the norm, and players will find not a hero, but a criminal at the heart of the classic PS2 horrorThe Suffering. In this title, Torque has been sentenced to death for murdering his ex-wife and their two children, although he claims he has no memory of the incident. Torque’s lucky break comes in the form of malevolent creatures that inhabit the prison island and are freed when a violent earthquake shakes the foundations of the land.
Though asilent protagonist, Torque’s story is one fully grounded in reality, albeit the darker sides of it, and the outcome is dependent on the player. The three possible endings will all show Torque’s character in a different light, and mark him down as a tragic hero, a dark anti-hero, or a full-blown monster–quite literally. Though a criminal main character isn’t completely unique toThe Suffering, what this game does with Torque and his story makes it worthy of remembrance, even if many fans have forgotten.
Jennifer’s Premature Independence Helps Her Survive the Scissorman
Clock Tower
Experience Scissorman’s deadly shears at their raw, unedited best in this terrifying horror adventure. Feel the fear as you search for the most horrific serial killer known to man.
Raised in an orphanage, Jennifer thinks she has found her way to a better life when she and her friends are adopted by the rich Simon Barrows who takes them to the eponymous mansion he lives in. But as is par for the course in horror, Jennifer doesn’t get her happily ever after as Mr Barrows goes missing, her friends die one by one, and the dreaded Scissorman makes his entrance, forcing Jennifer to flee the path of his deadly scissors as she tries to escape the mansion and his dreaded reach.
As a young and vulnerable protagonist, Jennifer’s role serves to make the game scarier and more tense, as the player won’t have the means to defend themselves in games such asDino Crisis, though she still exhibits resourcefulness at some points in the game that would have otherwise seen her killed. This prevents Jennifer from being too much of a liability, and a more enjoyable character to play. But this hasn’t stopped her from being largely forgotten by the horror community. Time will only tell ifClock Tower: Rewindplaces her and thefranchise back on the map.
Not to be confused with a Square Enix product,Parasite Eveis a PS1 classic title that once enjoyed fame and now claims obscurity. NYPD rookie plans to enjoy a blind date at the opera, only to find she has to immediately go back on duty after a mysterious force causes everyone to combust, except for Aya, her date, and the sopranos on stage, who delivers a mysterious message before transforming into a beast and fleeing, which will lead Aya on a mission she won’t ever forget.
Unfortunately, not everyone has as good a memory as Aya, and this has caused her to become a forgotten iconof the PS1 era. Despite being a strong-willed and independent woman with soft edges and a biting sense of humor, which makes her a multi-faceted character with a layer of realism. Her fame was enough to garner her a few sequels, but not enough for fans to remember her decades after her debut.
Thanks to the popularity ofResident Evil, other Capcom franchises have become orphans, and as a result, largely forgotten.Dino Crisisis one such title, starring the very capable and badass Regina. Often toted as ‘Resident Evilbut with dinosaurs’,Dino Crisissees the heroes of the game infiltrating a research facility in which the once-thought-to-be dead Dr. Edward Kirk is involved in a project revolving around some form of secret weapon. Sound familiar,Resident Evilfans?
Regina is a cool and calculated badass who approaches missions with an air of aloofness, not fazed by gore or horror, which just further evidences how strong and independent she is. Despite this, she is not immune to trading witty remarks, or even showing compassion and kindness when the situation calls for it. Hopefully,Capcom will rememberthey have another secret agent in a game they made outside ofResident Evil, and fans old and new will see her swing back into action. But for now, she and her game gather dust, waiting to be rediscovered.
