Summary
It can be extremely hard for a brand-newsurvival horror gamesto stand out from the crowd. Everybody is familiar with the basic gameplay formula of collecting resources and barely surviving by the skin of their teeth against hordes of enemies that the genre is known for, and though these games are still a blast to play, it does mean new releases can receive a limited amount of hype due to people assuming that it will be nothing out of the usual.
Despite that, there have been a fair number of survival horror titles that more than surpassed expectations, turning out to be much more immersive and terrifying than anyone could have expected. Despite the skepticism leading up to their launch, these spine-chilling horror games went above and beyond to give players a high-quality experience they will never be able to forget, for better or worse.
It was honestly hard to make out howAlien Isolationwas going to play from the trailers alone. While the cryptic scenes and flashes to black in the trailers were reminiscent of the classic movie, there wasn’t much gameplay that was actually shown, especially not with the Xenomorph in action. This is a shame as it failed to convey just how intelligent, and in turn,terrifying AIof the Alien truly is in action.
Alien Isolationwould also contain plenty of unique mechanics that would help it differentiate itself from other FPS run-and-hide horror games, such as the motion sensor, which could become a liability when used too often. The marketing didn’t generate anywhere near enough hype for the game itself, which ended up being extremely high quality and a critical darling upon release.
The WiiU is often treated as the black sheep of the Nintendo systems, and due to the bizarre marketing, it was met with barely any excitement from fans. This ended up affecting the hype for the launch lineup, despite many of the games being very fun and enjoyable, a prime example beingZombiU, a game that plays like a regularFPS survival horror, but with its own little twist that ends up completely changing the experience.
When a player dies, they become a zombie. Suppose they want to get all their precious resources and weapons back. In that case, they need to hunt down their mindless corpse, all while using the WiiU touchpad to sort inventory and look at the map, which ends up ramping up the immersion factor tremendously.
Before the release ofUntil Dawn,developers Supermassivedidn’t exactly have a great run of games. Outside of a few bits ofLittle Big Planet 2DLC, they also came out with the fairly nicheDoctor Who: The Eternity ClockandStart the Party!Needless to say, they were far from a household name, which is a major reason whyUntil Dawntook so many people by surprise.
The game follows a group of teenagers who are slowly picked off one by one by a mysterious butcher, alongside a horde of Wendigo who roam the mountains. The point-and-click style of the gameplay, paired with the butterfly effect which feeds into the choice system, makesUntil Dawnfeel completely fresh and a game that more than surpassed the limited expectations.
It was all too easy to seeDino Crisisas little more than aResident Evilclonewhen it was rolling out its release. People weren’t wrong to expect this though, considering how highResident Evilwas soaring at the time, it seemed only sensible to release a game that was simply a reskin of the series that was shaping the entire survival horror genre at the time.
In truth,Dino Crisisdoes carry forward the core gameplay mechanics, mainly the fixed cameras and heavy focus on puzzles, but the dinosaurs replacing the zombies create an entirely new sense of tension which lead developer Shinji Mikami would go on to dub it aspanic horror. The mixture of sci-fi with horror also madeDino Crisisstand on its own as a unique title in Capcom’s extensive catalog.
Amnesiareached its peak with the enormous success ofAmnesia: The Dark Descent, which was largely propelled by the popularity of many streamers who played it in the early days of YouTuberLet’s Plays. Though that game and its sequel were well received, 13 years after those releases, the hype for the series had largely died down, puttingAmnesia: The Bunkerin a fairly unfortunate position in terms of hype and marketing.
Despite that, the game itself turned out to be an incredible survival horror title that keeps players in suspense for its entire runtime. The name refers to the dark and grimy bunker players must navigate their way through while scavenging resources and solving puzzles, all while a grotesque monster lurks in the dark and stalks the player as they go. It’s hard to find a horror game that pulls offthe stalker enemyquite likeAmnesia: The Bunker, making for a surprisingly great return for the series.
WhenOutlastwas released in 2013, true survival horror games were a rarity. WhileDead Space 3andDead Island: Riptidewere released that year, in comparison, these were more action-packed andlighthearted gamesthat seemed like surface-level horror, which was very much the stigma surrounding horror at the time. As a result,Outlastseemed as though it would follow suit, especially since the limited number of trailers made players ponder how it was going to play.
Thankfully,Outlastwould become known as a game that revitalized survival horror thanks to its slow-paced gameplay in a unique way by forcing players to run away and hide from enemies, rather than giving them weapons to fight with. The camera system also helped the game stand out, forcing players to rummage through each and every room for batteries to even be able to see the surrounding enemies who stalk them in the shadows, resulting in a memorable experience that seemingly came out of nowhere.
The firstAlan Wakegame didn’t exactly blow people away when it came out. The story had the signature Remedy creative flare and the characters were interesting, but when the sequel was announced, it was easy to assume it would follow the same basic gameplay formula of using a torch to expose enemies before blasting them away. While this combat style was still included in the second game, Remedy ended up doing so much more, withAlan Wake 2feeling like it’s in its own genre entirely.
Not only does the game feature two entirely different stories that follow their own protagonists, but the inclusion of the Mind Place and Writer’s Room creates a sense of immersion that has barely ever been seen again in a horror game. It also took the compelling original story and made it even moremind-bending and bizarre, while also having strong characters at the heart of the narrative, which is full of themes and thought-provoking ideas.
It’s fair to say expectations weren’t exactly very high for the remake ofSilent Hill 2. Many consider the original title to be one of, if not the greatest horror game of all time; truly a lightning-in-a-bottle experience. It was hard to imagine howBloober Team, a fairly niche studio with only a few titles under their belt, would be able to replicate the eerie atmosphere, sinister voice acting, and janky gameplay that fed into the horror of the original game.
However, Bloober not only succeeded, they blew away any and all expectations. While the remake follows the same story and replicates the core gameplay, everything has been modernized to feel a lot smoother and more immersive, while still carrying forward everything that made the original so memorable. Many of the environments were also expanded and boss fights, including the many involving the nightmarish Pyramid Head, were made even more intense.
