Horror has always been a staple of video games. Many gamers even consider the likes of Pac-Man to be the prototype of the survival horror genre. You are alone, forced to collect items that prolong your survival to the next stage, with precious few resources to fight off the inevitable doom of the supernatural creatures that are chasing you.
Even to this day, with games such as The Callisto Project and the many remakes of horror classics such as Resident Evil 4, horror remains a strong genre. The 2010s are not exempt from this phenomenon, arguably putting out some classics of their own.
SOMA (2015) - 84
SOMA is a sci-fi survival horror game developed by Frictional Games, of Amnesia: The Dark Descent fame. The player controls Simon Jarret, an ordinary Canadian man who participates in an experimental brain scan. However, upon waking, he finds himself in an underwater research facility where horrific amalgamations of organic tech wander the halls with impunity.
SOMA is arguably the most atmospheric of Frictional Games' releases so far. With its dimly lit halls, near-silent hums of machinery, and the ever-present squelching of what little "life" lives in this barren hell, the player is left feeling the same isolation that Simon feels. In addition, the game tackles high-concept ideas of what constitutes "life" whether it be from a literal sense or a metaphysical sense.
Resident Evil 7: biohazard (2017) - 86
In new character Ethan Winters, a normal man looking for his wife, who went missing over three years ago. He tracks her down to the Baker household in Dulvey, Lousiana, who had taken Mia in after her ship sank. The house has dilapidated to a sickening degree, and as Ethan delves deeper, he starts to uncover the dark origins of the rot infesting the home.
Resident Evil 7 was the long-awaited 7th entry in the then stagnant Resident Evil franchise. In sharp contrast to the last four action-packed sequels, Resident Evil 7 returns to the series' survival horror roots. The player is not a hardened operative, but a completely normal man way in over his head. The rotting Baker household provides the perfect backdrop for one of the best games in the entire franchise in a long time.
DUSK (2018) - 88
DUSK, developed by New Blood Interactive, is a first-person retro horror-themed action shooter. Set in the mysterious town of "Dusk", the player controls a man nicknamed "Dusk Dude", a treasure hunter out to find the hidden treasure of the small town. However, he is captured by psychotic redneck cultists, and he must fight his way out of the town in one piece.
DUSK shows the impressive flexibility of horror games by being a throwback to the fast-paced action of games such as Quake and Doom. Despite the exhilarating gameplay, the small town of Dusk still provides plenty of scares. Body horror and eldritch creatures galore are found everywhere in this sadistic town, and there's some catharsis in being able to kill them all with akimbo shotguns.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (2014) - 88
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, developed by Nicalis, is a complete remake of the original, complete with new content such as expanded lore, levels and a whole new game engine. The plot still follows Isaac, a traumatized child escaping his fanatically devoted Christian mother who in her delusions believes she must sacrifice him for God.
The game is a black comedy, contrasting the cartoony, childlike visuals with horrifying blobs of flesh and sinew. Isaac literally uses their tears to fight off the onslaught of mental and physical threats that come his way. While the game is tongue in cheek, the subject matter and execution plants it firmly in horror territory. For that reason, it is an indie horror delight.
Limbo (2010) - 90
Limbo is a 2D horror puzzle platformer developed by Playdead. Limbo puts you in control of a nameless young boy looking for her sister in this mysteriously dark new world. None of this is ever said outright to the player, as there are no notes or dialogue. Instead, the game's terrifying environment tells the story for the audience.
Limbo received much praise for its engaging puzzles and intensely unsettling atmosphere. The game is naught but shades of black and white, perfectly encapsulating the isolation of purgatory. Helplesness is the name of the game in Limbo, and players will die over and over again to find their way out of this nightmarish realm.
Dead Space 2 (2011) - 90
Dead Space 2 is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Dead Space, and continues Isaac Clarke's story. Three years after the first game, Isaac finds himself trapped in a hospital on the Titan Station. His mental health is completely shattered, and while recovering, the Necromorphs attack the station, starting the process all over again.
Dead Space 2 is only slightly more action-packed than the first game, but that's to be expected from a narratiuve standpoint. At this point, Isaac knows the Necromorphs, and his struggle against them is even more vicious and hateful now that he has nothing to lose. While some fans disliked the changes, just as many enjoyed the new level variety as well as the more action-packed gameplay.
The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series (2012) - 92
Telltale's The Walking Dead is a critically acclaimed point-and-click survival horror game. The player takes control of Lee Everett, a convict on the way to prison for murder. However, that is when the dead start rising. After escaping the police car, Lee soon finds Clementine, a young girl whose family is far away, and he protects her from whatever threats arise, be they the living or the dead.
Telltale's The Walking Dead released at the height of the show's popularity, and it received just as much praise. While the undead are still a major element, much like the show, the real horror comes from the depths that other human beings will go to survive. With fantastic writing and the incredible performances of the game's cast, it is a video game on par with some of The Walking Dead's best seasons.
INSIDE (2016) - 93
INSIDE is the spiritual succesor to Limbo, another critically acclaimed puzzle horror platformer by Playdead. Once again, the player controls a young nameless boy in an incredibly bleak and hostile environment. This time, however, the game is rendered with 3D graphics and colors but retains the minimalist aesthetic.
INSIDE is a story about the cruelties that technology requires to reach the heights it does. The story is once again told purely through visuals, but with the benefit of a 3D environment, INSIDE reaches new levels of unsettling. The deaths are more gruesome as well, and the creatures fare more violent than anything encountered in Limbo.
Resident Evil 2 REmake (2019) - 93
Resident Evil 2 (2019) is the remake of Capcom's 1998 survival horror classic. The plot follows Leon S. Kennedy, a new recruit of the Raccoon City Police Department. On his first day, however, a zombie outbreak spreads throughout Raccoon City, and along with another survivor, Claire Redfield, Leon must find a way to escape the doomed city before the government incinerates everyone inside.
Resident Evil 2 is a true remake, as instead of just updating the graphics or adding new story elements, the entire gameplay loop is changed. Gone are the tank controls of old, and now the game is done in the style of modern Resident Evil games. The change in perspective does not lessen the horror at all, however, and so many things have been changed that even RE2 veterans find themselves scared by the new additions.
The Last of Us (2013) - 95
The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic action-adventure horror game developed by Naughty Dog. The game follows Joel, a jaded middle-aged man still mourning the loss of his daughter during the start of the apocalypse, and Ellie, a young girl who has never known life before the apocalypse.
The Last of Us was critically acclaimed for its cinematic storytelling, fantastic performances, and nail-bitingly brutal combat. While it's more of a survival thriller than a pure horror game, it's still a zombie apocalypse with plenty of terrifying sequences. In particular, any building infested by Clickers is a truly intense survival horror experience.
