Almost a perfect horror game

The horror genre encompasses a variety of games of all shapes and sizes. There are so many great games out there that just play on the scary aspect, creating an unsettling and frightening experience that will keep players on the edge of their seats until the suffering finally ends.

However, sometimes a game does almost everything perfectly but lacks a few key areas that keep it from being a true 10/10. This can be a mix of spooky monsters due to pacing issues, certain parts that interrupt the main flow, and poor horror handling that makes it feel more like an action movie than a scary game.

resident evil 2

Two stories that never feel equal

details:

• The second episode often feels a bit immature.

• Lack of replay value

resident evil 2 It's one of horror film's most beloved franchises, and a fan favorite for good reason. The tension builds slowly and flows seamlessly with the more intense moments, and the settings are all equally memorable, ensuring players constantly feel at home whether they're on the station or deep underground.

But the biggest problem is that on a second playthrough, the player can re-experience the entire game from a different protagonist's perspective. There are a few different moments and scenes, but it still feels pretty the same, with not enough differences to be enjoyable and some predictable encounters that aren't as strong as the first.

dead space

From horror to action in an instant

details:

• Later it becomes more like action.

• It feels like the enemies are placed too clearly.

dead space This giant of the sci-fi horror space effortlessly captures the horror that comes from isolation, combining it with some of the genre's most intense examples of body horror. Atmosphere plays a huge role in creating a sense of fear, as every crack in the hull and every subtle movement is as scary as the enemy inside the ship.

However, as frightening as the settings and creatures are, at times the game can feel more like an action adventure than a full-blown horror game. In later chapters, players are fairly well-armed, turning any threat into a cakewalk, and the lack of danger eliminates many of the initial concerns that make the game so appealing in the first place.

social phobia

Gamification Ghost Hunting

details:

• More about dynamics than fear

• Knowledge and skills remove all fear

social phobia It brought ghost hunting to the world of video games in a creative and incredibly unique way. Instead of fighting spirits or running away from demons, players are tasked with figuring out what kind of entity is plaguing various buildings and using tools and devices to narrow it down and avoid danger.

At first, the gameplay loop was pretty terrible. This is because the lack of weapons or actual methods of defending themselves makes each ghost very scary. However, once players become familiar with the mechanics, they can figure out the answers within minutes of entering a house, knowing exactly what signs to look for and eliminating any potential damage that might otherwise occur.

contempt

Great visuals, but not so great gameplay.

details:

• Puzzles that can be more frustrating than fun

• Exploration can feel pointless

contempt A love letter to the early days of sci-fi body horror, it's heavily influenced by art. alien To create a bizarre world where flesh and metal merge into one. Each area is home to terrifying creatures and devices of unknown origin, and much of the horror comes from a lack of direction and understanding of what is happening.

Since many of the puzzles are very basic compared to the complexity of the world around them, problems start to arise fairly quickly. Additionally, some areas can be very tricky to navigate. It feels like an endless maze, turning a tense exploration into a frustrating search for a way out.

Karma: World of Darkness

Too focused on bigger ideas

details:

• Sometimes unclear story

• Chase sequences require very little input.

Karma: World of Darkness It's an excellent indie horror game that explores the world of psychology in a way no other game can. The sequences have a trippy, trippy feel, while the more realistic moments are filled with suspense, with no indication of whether the players are safe or not.

What slows it down is mainly the runtime. The entire game is very short and linear. This means that despite how impressive the world-building is, players will only spend a short amount of time actually exploring. Additionally, many of the ideas are very abstract and disjointed, which can make certain scenes confusing. This is especially true when you consider how open the narrative and the themes within it are to interpretation.

morgue assistant

Fear can quickly become foolish

details:

• Janky cutscenes to take away your fears

• Narratives often distract us from fear

morgue assistant With an idea of ​​perception and reality in mind, players embalm corpses and follow a mundane routine filled with horror and unsettling moments. There are no scripted moments or ways to anticipate horror, so the player is always on edge, looking back and preparing for the next sudden move.

The biggest problem with the game comes from the more built-in sections and those with different monster models. Some of the cutscenes or hallucination parts look very cheap and silly because, despite having a good idea in mind, they actually turn out to be much less scary than having a demon sitting in the corner at a random moment in the night.

Midnight Walk

Cute but not that scary

details:

• Threats are mostly avoidable

• Mainly puzzles rather than actual enemies

Midnight Walk It's a beautifully scary game that uses stop-motion visuals to create a dark aesthetic with a few rough edges. The visuals are where the horror really shines, with each monster having a unique design and the Tim Burton-esque art style unnerving the player with just the unnatural movements and proportions.

Even though the art style is incredibly unique, it's not enough to just fill you with fear. Many areas are filled with very simple puzzles with little risk. This means that players can often wander around for long periods of time without feeling threatened or scared at all.

no, i am not human

One play is enough

details:

• Replayability despite multiple endings

• Dialogue is scripted, so single interactions have less impact.

no, i am not human This is what happens when skinwalkers and home invasions are mixed into one disturbing pile of horror. Players find themselves in the middle of an apocalyptic event where they must choose whether or not to let people in, as what may seem normal on the outside may be hiding a dark truth behind it all.

The game has quite a few endings you can achieve, but the problem actually arises when you replay the game. After seeing most or all NPCs, players will know exactly what lines they will say, and their presence will no longer be scary before letting them in, even if they are visitors.

Silent Hill 2

enemy behind enemy

details:

• The action can feel quite frustrating.

• Enemies feel like obstacles later on.

Silent Hill 2 This is as good a remake as can be. The game retains much of the emotional weight of the original, while updating its visuals to convey a more chaotic and breathtaking atmosphere that leaves players feeling trapped in the fog from the moment they step into it.

Despite the praise, many players felt that the experience moved away from traditional horror and into the realm of action. There are more enemy encounters, many of which are quite overpowering, and the slow, gradual horror is replaced by constant fighting, which can detract from the overall horror element of the playthrough.

routine

Perfect atmosphere, but outdated level design

details:

• Maze-like area that can be cumbersome to navigate

• Lack of intelligent enemy AI

It may have taken over 10 years to be released, but routine It's finally here. The wait was definitely worth it. The game uses some very clever mechanics like the diegetic HUD to immerse the player in the world, and the visual style makes it feel like an old-school VHS recording that turns even a simple walk into a terrifying plunge into the unknown.

The problem arises when we look at how certain sections are designed. Later on, there are some very confusing and complex rooms and corridors that take a considerable amount of time to get through, and can be quite frustrating to explore even without monsters. Adding threats to avoid turns stress into anger, putting the brakes on what could otherwise be a flawless horror game.