Summary
Horror is arguablyone of the most popular genresin gaming. There’s just something about entering a dark, nearly infinite corridor without knowing what lies at the other end, that players all over the world love. The thrill and excitement of the unknown are reason enough to want to play horror video games, but when other elements are also stellar, the experience is unforgettable.
Designing enemiesfor a horror gamecan be a bit tricky, as there’s a very thin line between creating a monster to haunt players' nightmares and a shapeless creature with too much going on or that ends up looking goofy rather than terrifying. Luckily, many studios over the years have managed to hit the nail on the head, giving life to some of the most spine-chilling monsters in gaming history. Here are horror games worth playing just for their monster designs.
When Detective Sebastian Castellanos and his companions arrive at a crime scene inside a hospital, they find a gruesome scene that leaves but one survivor. After reviewing the security tapes, the detective notices the deceased were killed by a mysterious hooded figure, who then attacks Castellanos and his partners.
The Evil Withinwill have players being chased by different dangers through abandoned buildings, dark forests, and other dark, damp, claustrophobic spaces to escape and survive the living nightmare they’re trapped in. With creatures like The Keeper, Laura, the Shigyo, and Amalgam Alpha, it’s clear that the game’s developers understood the assignment to create some of the creepiest, nightmare-fueling beastsin the history of gaming—and that alone, makesThe Evil Withinworth playing.
Silent Hill is probably among the top 5most successful horror franchises in the world. This is not only admirable because of how big an accomplishment that is, but also because it retains the title despite some major hiccups, like the 2006 movie, along the way.Silent Hill 2follows the story of James Sunderland as he makes his way through the cursed town of Silent Hill in search of his dead wife.
One of the greatest aspects of the game is that there’s no HUD unless players pause the game, and the maps James encounters along the way can only be read when there’s enough light in the environment or his flashlight is on. This intensifies the horror feeling, as it’s easy for players to feel lost and disoriented in an inhospitable world.
With iconic pop-culture monsters, like Pyramid Head, Mary, and the Bubble Head Nurse, as well as more obscure, yet frightening creatures, such as Abstract Daddy, and Flesh Lip,Silent Hill 2has everything players need to have an amazing time while running for their lives in claustrophobic spaces.
Set in an isolated underwater facility, SOMA incorporates machinery and technology that would fit well within a sci-fi movie. In this dark world, machines appear to have evolved past human constraints, developing a certain degree of sentience. Players get to inhabit the body of Simon Jarrett as he explores the bleak facility throughout the game.
SOMAhasa very dark endingthat, unfortunately, doesn’t turn out well for Simon. This, not only adds another layer of horror to the game, but also a good bit of hopelessness. One of the best aspects of the game is its creatures, including area enemies like Proxies, Fleshers, Robot Heads, and specific single beings, like the haunting Terry Akers. All in all, whileSOMAmight not deliver the “happy” ending many players expect after suffering the anxiety of a good horror game, its concept, and the creatures Simon encounters along the way make the journey well worth it.
When developers take risks, it usually involves taking two apparently opposite elements and combining them into a final product for players to enjoy. Unfortunately, this can either be a hit or a miss, with very little nuance in between. Luckily forDead Space,combining the Horror genre with outer space and futuristic weapons paid off massively, not only resulting in enormous profits for Visceral Games at the time but also kicking off a franchise that still survives and is beloved by many to date.
Dead Spaceshines for various reasons, including its game and combat mechanics, rich world design that perfectly fits the story, anda well-rounded leading manthat players love to control. However, the make-or-break aspect of the game and the overall franchise is the Necromorph threat. These enemies are original in terms of design, and the way to fight them is also very creative, forcing players to hone their aiming skills and remain composed throughout the campaign.
To close this list, there’sBloodborne, one of the few console-exclusive games developed by FromSoftware, and by many players' standards, the best horror game in the Soulsborne universe. Set in a decaying Gothic-Victorian era in the fictional city of Yharnam, Bloodborne follows a hunter as he progresses through a world full of blood-borne diseases that, over time, transform those who have them into disfigured, nightmarish beasts.
With combat considerably faster than that of the Dark Souls franchise, and an entirely different plotline, Bloodborne is challenging, eerie, and overall offers a terrifying experience for those who play and complete it. Out of all FromSoftware games, this title has the best creature design, with each one being more terrifying than the last. And if that wasn’t enough, it’s evident that most creatures in Yharnam are in a constant state of deep suffering due to their beastly state, which adds another layer of psychological horror to the already monstrous visual and auditory experience.
To survive, players will have to be extremely brave and watch their opponents closely, as the game will otherwise punish them severelyfor being overly cautious, or too greedy with their attacks.
