Summary
Horror games are designed to prey on the fears of readers, tapping into themes that are widely feared, such as death, the afterlife, darkness, or abandoned places that aren’t quite as empty as players hope. Though these elements might be too far-fetched to be real, they can still create an atmosphere of terror, but what about games that take a more realistic approach?
Horror should tackle what makes gamers scream in terror, including more realistic elements as these can add more fear due to the thought that these events could possibly occur, and that is what these following games master with near perfection.
Crimes such as murdering one’s entire family seem like something one would remember, but not death-row prisoner Torque, who cannot remember killing his own ex-wife and two children. That premise alone might be enough to make people shiver as they imagine themselves in Torque’s shoes, but there is more horror to come inThe Suffering.
An earthquake that shakes the entire prison frees the inmates, but also unleashesquite literal merry hellon them, as a number of supernatural creatures descend upon them to kill them as they are making their escape. Though these elements ofThe Sufferinglack realism, the fear that one could commit a grievous crime and lose everything is a very real fear that a lot of people harbor.
In most horror games, the spirits of the departed are what the players need to fear, as they will do their damnedest to have the player character join them in the afterlife. But, in the FMV horror gameAt Dead of Night, it is the murderous hotel owner Jimmy they must be on the lookout for.
On their way to a musical festival, Maya is separated from her friends on the road but is given directions to the hotel they have decided to stay in for the night. Upon arriving, she meets the eccentric hotel proprietor Jimmy and things only get stranger. Using a specialized piece of equipment, Maya communicates with the dead who are Jimmy’s past victims, and whilehunting these ghosts, she must avoid the psychotic owner before she becomes his next victim.
5Condemned: Criminal Origins
Condemned: Criminal Origins
What twists the mind of an ordinary human into a serial killer?Assigned to the Serial Crimes Unit, Agent Ethan Thomas must answer this question, and bring the worst of society to justice. His solve rate is the best in the bureau….perhaps too good.While investigating the growing list of serial killers, Agent Thomas concludes that something is twisting the bodies and souls of those that society has left behind. The homeless, addicted and deranged are rising from the city’s underbelly and committing mindless acts of violence. Could there be an unseen connection between the increasing brutality of the latest serial killings and the increasing crime rate? This question is pushed to the forefront after Agent Thomas is framed for the murder of two police officers. Now he must solve the murders to stop the killings, and exonerate himself from the crimes of which he is accused.As FBI agent Ethan Thomas, you rely on sharp instincts and sophisticated forensic tools to investigate crime scenes, collect evidence, and find clues that will lead you to the killers. With danger lurking in every shadow, you need whatever weapons you’re able to find to stay alive. If you run out of bullets, you’ll have to fight with a fire axe, shovel, pipe, two-by-four, or whatever you can pry from the environment around you. You’ll need to verify nothing stops you as you try to uncover exactly who…or what is behind the grisly killings plaguing the city.
With influence from movies such asSilence of the LambsandSeven,Condemned: Criminal Originsteeters on the edge between realism and fantasy. Players take on the role of Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent investigating a string of murderers and on trying to catch the culprit dubbed the Match Maker, only to be the one framed for the murders of his colleagues.
On the path to find the killer, Ethan will explore many eerie abandoned buildings that may not quite be abandoned as they seem, with most inhabited by ‘Addicts’, which are the most common non-boss type of enemy. Exploring abandoned buildings and being given a less than royal welcome by the people the squat there is a very real fearCondemneddoes a good job of incorporating.
By the same people behindthe disturbing gameThe Cat Lady,Lorelaiis another horror game smothered in atmospheres of dread. The game follows the tale of the titular heroine stuck in an apartment with a deadbeat mother, abusive step-father and baby step-sibling. She dreams of running away with her siblings and giving them both a better life but instead ends up working with the devil to save the lives of those she cares about.
The more human aspects ofLorelai’sstory are rooted in realism, representing very real struggles some people have to deal with every day in their lives. Although there are frightening supernatural elements toLorelai, the harsh reality of her life is by far the most horrifying aspect of the game.
3Silent Hill 2
Konami’s second title in theSilent Hillseries diverges from the plot that was laid down in the original game, and instead opts for a more intimate and personal story steeped in tragedy, courtesy of the protagonist James Sunderland.
The titular town was a place of importance to James and his late wife Mary, who died of disease three years prior, but James received a letter from her asking him to meet her in their special place. As James explores this misty town, memories return to him, and eventually lead to him confronting that he was the one responsible for the death of his wife. Despite the monsters that infest the town, James’s suppressed memories and buried guilt are very real story beats thatadd a layer of tragedy.
2Manhunt
Manhunt
They just killed Cash. Now, they want to kill him again.America is full of run down, broken rust-belt towns where nobody cares and anything goes. In Carcer City, nothing matters anymore and all that’s left are cheap thrills. The ultimate rush is the power to grant life and take it away, for sport. This time James Earl Cash, you are the sport. They gave you your life back. Now, they are going to hunt you down.You awake to the sound of your own panicked breath. You must run, hide and fight to survive. If you can stay alive long enough, you may find out who did this to you.This is a brutal blood sport.
Players step in the shoes of a failed executed death-row inmate, who awakens with a voice calling himself the Director and orders him to murder hunters in specific locations. In return, Cash is promised his freedom. The player will spend the duration of the game traveling across the corrupt and crime-rife Carcer City delivering some bloody justice to these hunters. As one might expect, the Director inevitably betrays Cash, who swears his revenge.
A city rife with crime who hunt criminals isn’t too far-fetched and seems real enough to warrant it beingbanned in countries such as the UKand New Zealand. As such,Manhuntdefinitely isn’t one for the faint of heart.
The Last of Usis undoubtedly one of thebest zombie games in the entire genre, taking a more gritty and grounded approach to the idea of a zombie apocalypse. In the first game, one of the survivors Joel takes on the task of escorting young Ellie across dangerous territory to return her to a group of survivors known as the Fireflies. She is thought to be a cure for the infection, meaning the continued existence of humanity could hinge on her.
What makes The Last of Us such an unsettling game is the Clicker, the moniker given to the fungal undead creatures that rely on sound to hunt their prey. It is based on a real fungus known as Ophiocordyceps, a parasite that can control the bodies of dead insects. Thankfully, scientists believe it is not communicable for humans, but the idea is still terrifying enough, and not outside the basis of reality.
