I swear we need a The Evil Within 3. The first two games released before this recent landslide of survival horror comebacks in the AAA and indie spaces. I absolutely adore this series. Still want to know what Ruvik's up to after all this time. Maybe dual protagonists, too, with Juli and Joseph.
Out of the many survival horror games I've played, Alien Isolation is the only one that's given me actual nightmares. I think it's because of a combination of the first person perspective and the AI for the xenomorph, which is probably still the smartest enemy AI in any game. It legitimately feels like an intelligent, unkillable being with abilities far beyond anything the player has is systematically hunting you down. I think it really taps into the primal fears humans have. One of the best horror games for sure.
Oh yes Visage, I've played pretty much every game on the list and many more. But Visage was the only game where I really had to force myself to keep playing because I felt so uncomfortable. I knew nothing about the game but it was immediately burned into my brain. It touched something deep down inside me.
coming from a huge horror fan visage was a masterpiece on another level compared to everything else on this list. the doll demon still gives me the creeps
I’ve had it for like a year and I’m still playing it every now and then. It’s genuinely the scariest game I have ever played and I can only take it in short increments because of the level of anxiety it gives me and I would consider myself a horror buff. It’s so good.
Signalis is such an amazing game and I really recommend it to anyone who likes old school resident evil or silent hill games, it was actually my game of the year for 2022
It's really great. Just beat it this past weekend. Great puzzles art design and atmosphere. Not sure I totally understand the story but I felt something
Alien Isolation definitely a cult classic game, it will always be worth it to me, its the scariest game I can actually finish... Outlast I keep quitting because its to scary.
@@thedevilsrockstxr2309Critic reviews dont mean anything. Audience scores were very low and said the Alien was too intense and advanced, it did poorly for actual audiences
Yo, I was the same way with out last. I started it like three times and I couldn’t get past the first couple areas but dude once I did, I played the whole game through and loved it, and then immediately played it through again. I highly recommend you give it another shot and just stick it through. Remember it’s just a game man but it is amazing all the way through in the second ones really good too just not as good I don’t think but it’s its own thing.
Yes! The Fatal Frame series. The scariest games in my opinion, especially part two. There are eerie apparitions off in the distance, and you can easily miss them if you're not paying attention. There may be visually unsettling and terrifying sequences, there may be a few jump scares, but it's also environmental horror. If you're looking to be scared, those games are what you want.
What made Alien Isolation TRULY frightening was the impeccable sound design/music imo and the light-shadow elements. When you hear those footsteps approach trough a dimly lit corridor or that hissing while hiding... That shit was terrifying af!
Add to the fact that the Xenomorph runs at an insane speed, so you're always nervous about it as you might have not spotted it, it'll turn a corner and come charging at you, and all you can do it panic look for where it's coming from. I remember getting an insane jump scare the first time it killed me from a vent...
Condemned was the first game that ever scared me. Played it at a buddy's place, and he had an awesome surround sound system. Wasn't expecting anything at all, and the first whisper that came from over my shoulder actually made me turn and look. Didn't get scared by another game until the original Dead Space. That game had some amazing sound design, too.
Yeah, that game is one of my favorite games of all time. The remake is just so good the atmosphere is crazy with all the particle effects and updated visuals and the music background. Noises is insane.
Dead Space Remake was so predictable. They would dim the lights and play music every time a monster would come. It got so old and non scary , such a missed opportunity
I don't play horror games but resident evil 7 was not... scary? It was just you with a gun slowly moving okay but the monsters were really slow and not even frightening. I thought the ship mission would be terrifying but no...
Honorable Mentions - Soma - The only game I ever Noped out of - Thief series - though not EXACTLY a horror, there are horror elements and usually 1 whole horror level in each release. - F.E.A.R. Series - That little girl in a red dress... - Was constantly looking over my shoulder while playing these games
@truebrowncanadianI think that’s why I liked it so much. By this point Leon and Chris and the gang had all pretty much turned into John Rambo so a brand new character and a disconnected plotline made everything feel so much more uncertain and unpredictable.
When I first started playing Alien Isolation I often died because I just got paralyzed with fear. The monster would be roaming around that damn medical area and I'd be hiding under a table waiting for a "safe" moment to crawl out and eventually it just figured out where I was and took me out. Movement is really one of the keys to survival in that game, but with the music and sound effects it really scares the bejeezus out of you.
RE7 is phenomenal. After 5&6, I think a lot of fans were done with the now-action series, and 7 was such a refreshing (and somewhat risky on the developer’s part) shot in the arm.
@@misterscopey2309 8’s still worth playing. They did tone down the overall horror which is a little disappointing, but the combat and exploration are a lot of fun, the atmosphere is some of the best in the series, and there’s still moments that are pretty dang scary.
@@cruzcamel Oh yeah I agree. I just have it sitting in my library, waiting to be played while worriedly staring at my backlog of games I want to play and beat 🤣
One thing I haven’t seen people talk about much is how the Dead Space remake leans more into survival horror in a few key ways. The backtracking was obviously emphasized a lot, but also enemies are a lot tougher in the remake and ammo is much more scarce. I feel like I’m always barely getting by or running out of ammo in some weapons forcing me to use other ones, where as in the original you could tear through necromorphs and I don’t think I ever worried about ammo, even on hard mode.
Subnautica dude. That game can get way scarier than anything in the other games you mentioned. And it is so unique with how it can be so beautiful to look at and yet often so frightening.
One game id recommend is Stay Out Of The House. Like Amnesia The Bunket it has immersive sim elements so it helps keep the “sneak by enemies” gameplay interesting for those that don’t like it (although I’m the one who Falcon described in the Dead Space section that can’t get scared with even a little bit of action in most horror games, for some reason Darkwood is the exception). While you can fend off the main threat it only drives him back temporarily instead of outright killing him, so that adds a bit too.
Visage gave me nightmares as a man in my 30s, got me more than PT . Played the girl episode first and the parts using the camera are ingrained into my memory. Also doing a first playthrough in the dark with headphones is the absolute key to any horror game. Will make a huge difference to whether you find something scary or not.
Grown man and former marine in my 40s here , and Visage STILL fks me up... I refuse to play any horror unless it's dark with a high quality headset, & for Visage let's just say i usually need to pause for a breather every 30 45 min haha. The atmosphere is unreal, the 3D audio on ps5 is outstanding, immersion is really unlike anything I've experienced by far... Fyi, if you really enjoyed the camera section, if you're not familiar you need to check out MADiSON. A bit faster paced, more focused on puzzles & solving clues etc, but the main mechanic of the game is your Polaroid camera. Snapping one pic at a time is mostly the only way to not only see in the dark with the flash, but the paranormal aspects around you might only show up after the pic pops out and you manually shake it till it develops and see what's actually around you.. such a badass feature.. Reveil is also a really great game about finding your lost daughter in a nightmarish Carnival world in the 1950s & 60s..super creepy, gorgeous environments, and it's short & sweet, easy to jump into... just thought I'd share
@jponz85 What he meant was that the only functional way to experience a horror game and truly immerse yourself, especially if it's your first playthrough, is by playing "in the dark" with all the lights off and a good quality headset. And I reiterated that sentiment in my comment, I wholeheartedly agree. Playing during the day or with all the lights on at night, with people around talking and background noise etc, you're doing yourself such a massive disservice. Horror games are meant to scare the shit out of you, the audio and atmosphere is created & developed in mind that the player will be using headphones & playing in an environment, whichever room you're in, that's conducive to all of that. Games like Dead Space (originals & the nearly perfect remake), Visage, MADiSON, PT, Outlast series etc, they just don't work like they're meant to, without the players making efforts to "put" themselves into those worlds as well. Same goes for horror movies just the same. If you have a love for horror & an obsession for feeding that need for those adrenaline dumps & being as terrified as possible, it almost becomes like an addiction to your brain. You'll end up never settling for anything less then the darkest room, the purest silence & the best headset you can afford , or it's just not worth playing the game.. but hey, that's just my deepest opinion haha
Man, Siren was not only scary, but so creepy and gives you an unsettling feeling. Richly deserving of its high ranking. Condemned Criminal Origins is another of my favorites, exceptional atmosphere.
Ive been a gamer for 36 odd years and out of all the great moments ive had id have to say the atmosphere of dead space at night with killer headphones on and being super baked was one of the best gaming times of my life hands down.
How bout Bramble: the Mountain King? It was a bit cartoony and was pretty easy overall but the folkloric atmosphere was great. Some very spooky moments. It’s like old world horror story that your grandpa would tell you at the campfire
For as much as people criticize jump scares, they're the real thing that really freaks me out in a video game. That freakin zombie in the oven in RE 4...you owe me a new heart.
@@bradkirchhoff5703 The thing about chase scenes is that it can lead to a fail state scenario. Redoing over and over just makes it not scary and more frustrating 😅
My first Silent Hill was 3. Played it on Halloween night, came with the soundtrack and played it while I was playing the game and couldn't make it past the opening dream. That atmosphere, Robbie, the soundtrack, the dead of night....I noped out. Also, I do think 4 doesn't get enough love. It's not perfect but it's got a lot going for it.
True! It absolutely flew under the radar but has a good immersing story and unsettling atmosphere allround. Dirt cheap also, often at sale for just 2€ or something
@@sittingduck4771 For real. It’s so terrifying, and has great puzzles that are somewhat difficult too if you aren’t paying attention. Excellent story great settings. It’s perfect
I came on here specifically looking for a comment about this game. I definitely think it's significantly creepier then most of these other ones. Also these two other commenters who say it's Goofy and not scary are fools
Soma was the first game I covered when I started RUclips, so I did a full playthrough. Many years later, I can remember almost the entire game....and that makes me so sad cause I'd love to forget and play it again with semi fresh eyes. *sigh* Such an amazing game!
I've had RE7 for years and only ever gotten about 30 minutes in before shutting it off in both VR and flat. I'm a bit of a horror lightweight. But for October the past few years I have played through some really good horror games (the Dead Spaces, Soma, RE2 Remake and some others) and built up a little tolerance. This year for spooky season I've committed to getting through RE7 and man is it an experience! Might put on a diaper and tackle it on PSVR after I finish my current playthrough.
You can do it. The first horror game I played was RE 3 demo I found on the street. I slowly built me tolerance off that. Im playing Dead Space 2 this month as last year was RE season (fave survivor horror). RE 7 is great and hopefully you enjoy RE 8 as well.
@@2muchReality7ven I think I am about a third of the way through RE7 now and I really am having a blast with it. It is quickly climbing the ranks to be among my favorite horror games along with Dead Space 1&2 (so good!). I am looking forward to RE8 for next year's big spooky game!
Dude, it was the same for me. Tried it when it came out, but softlocked myself with no ammo and too many zombies haha. Tried it again last year, finished it, and damn. If it isn't my favorite horror game
I love horror games! I do more watching horror games than playing because I’m such a wimp, but I still get to enjoy the scares and laugh at the streamers reactions!
First time I ever felt fear in a video game was hiding under some wooden stairs as a Big Daddy walked down it in Bioshock. They even had dust falling on me. 😂
I love Bioshock, I own all three! True, because you know you'll catch the worst beat down from those lead footed lads; the dust falling adds to the anxiety🤣 If it's not them, it's the splicers jumpscaring me, and me automatically goin upside their head with a melee weapon😭🤣
I believe itll do it justice, as far as gameplay blooper doesn't have to nail to much, it was fairly simple and clunky so i smell an improvement there and the atmosphere is looking great
I'm surprised Scorn wasn't on the list, it really is a master class in environmental storytelling and it's the kind of slow-burner horror that creeps up on you like Silent Hill does except there is no dialog, no written notes or anything other than the grotesque, alien and derelict environments. There many elements of body horror and it's absolutely visceral, I'm not going to spoil it if you haven't played it but the "inventory system" gives me chills. It also has one of the best horror game endings in my opinion, bleak and impactful.
Oh Visage, probably the scariest game I’ve ever played. I still haven’t finished it 😅… I’m surprised F.E.A.R. 2 and Layers of Fear didn’t make the list.
I love this channel and will always leave like however - my eyes bros my eyes - The flash bangs between all these dark games (critically amazing games) - Amazing list btw thank you
Started Visage the other day. Wasn't really diggin it at first, but I'm starting to like it. Idk which chapter i picked first, is Delores the old lady? That's where I'm at
Yeah the old lady/delores is my favourite chapter. The one in the hospital/insane asylum isn't great, do that one last to avoid burning out and not finishing the game. Try and do Lucy chapter next, she's the little girl
I'm so glad you constantly talk about #2 on your videos. That game is something I feel like just disappeared from the gaming world and it is sad because the potential for more amazing games like that feels lost. BTW, your #1 and bonus are what I consider the scariest games ever created too! That's awesome!
Being able to kind of defend yourself adds to horror for me. Take Phas, there are tools to protect yourself but at first you have no idea how and they can simply not work with the lower ranks. My scariest moment was when I thought a ghost was opening my bathroom stall, but it was just my friend. They need to add that, like if you've successfully hidden just add a small chance for them to open your hiding place, not just phase through the wall or door to get you.
I played Alien Isolation with the Kinect Sensor on the 360, TOTALLY got me murdered on several occasions... I put my daughter to bed one night, was playing the game & she had woken up & came to talk to me as I was hiding in the game... I was quickly found & killed.😂
Don’t know why. I’m 41 now and the only horror game that I cannot play is silent hill. It’s just so jarring and gets etched in my mind and I can’t sleep when I’ve tried playing just a few hours of silent hill games
One of my favorite semi-recent horror games was Song of Horror; but i never hear too many people talk about it. It's a really good game, and if you haven't tried it look it up.
Devotion is an incredible game. Its story has stayed with me long after finishing it. The end credit song's lyrics carry a double meaning that adds depth, making you truly understand the significance of the title. Oh and winnie-the-pooh!!
All of those are great choices. I love the variety and Silent Hill 3 is good call. Loved that game. Personally, Silent Hill 2 freaked me out more, with so many memorable moments. I still get chills thinking about James needing to go down, down, down into the heart of Silent Hill.
the hunter in dead space is still the most terrifying enemy in the game....until you get the upgrade weighted blades upgrade for plasma cutter which literally trivialises all the enemy encounters lol
There are different types of fear, but as Lovecraft said, the strongest of them is the fear of the unknown, which is why games like Visage or the fantastic Madison scare me the most.
My all time favourite is Condemned Criminal Origins. Because you're not totally defenselessly fleeing. Yet it still manages to capture you with their creepy ambiance and a few jump scares. I love actual scary games that still have combat.
Some honorable mentions: FAITH: The Unholy Trinity, World of Horror, Beyond Shadowgate, Song of Horror. Hopefully World of horror gets an update in October.
Faith: The Unholy Trinity would have been a good addition to this list. It's a top-down 2d game, and it's still fairly scary. If it was 3d, it would be terrifying.
Surprised to see mentions of old horror games like Siren and Fatal Frame. Personally from my experience, Clock Tower, Haunting Ground and Rule of Rose creeped me out for being disturbing than scary. I also loved Calling from wii and Remothered Tormented Father for the horror atmosphere and some narrative to the story
Honorable mentions from me, -In Sound Mind: great atmosphere and story behind each little story told in each chapter. Gets under your skin. -Layers of Fear: just great sound design.
At "Nightmare", The Evil Within becomes truly scary, in a "Dark Souls" way. The difficulty is brutal at first, but dismantling every trap, using the gears to produce bolts strategically (flash for invisible enemies with a crouch/stab, flame for small hordes, poison for a few undeads and remain stealthy, etc.) is extremely satisfying. Get all locker keys!! The stand-offs section along Laura's 2nd encounter do suck, but when you reach the end, it feels like Mikami made the game with this brutal difficulty in mind. Nightmare changed my perspective about this game. It's as awesome as it is hard. There's a section that is completely changed from the normal difficulty and it's better for it. Highly recommended.
In this list Fatal Frame is honestly the scariest for me when I played it on the 360 way back when. The hidden ghosts you look around for from the scratching sounds, discovering them with a photo... like a faint image of a face looking at you from under a table... And you're never safe while exploring, getting a random ghost coming at you through the walls.
I'm one of those who played literally every other horror game on the planet and Visage was the one to actually make me stop sessions. My hot take is that many either live surrounded by distractions or don't have a "good" setup (most notably headphones) to get immersed enough as the ambience/atmosphere buildup is hands down the strongest part of that thing. Otherwise a pretty good list actually, Evil Within, RE, Dark Wood, Soma and Alien Isolalation defo some of the gems. If anything I'd add it'd be good ol F.E.A.R and Alan Wake 1/2.
I have recently been upgrading my setup - haven't looked for new headphones/headset yet (still on the Sony WH-XB900N and the HyperX Cloud 2). What do you recommend for a good horror experience?
Someone needs to say it so I will... Those countdown white screens with the numbers are consistently and slowly blinding me. Do you, gameranx, not know that most people are watching these videos in the darkness in their last minutes before going to sleep in an attempt to force as much dopamine as possible before having to get up in 3 hours for jobs?? Please use a darker background! Also, great video as always :)
You are probably the first person to complain about it in the many years that they have done this. While I understand your reason (night time viewing is fun), I hope that you understand that they may not (or will ignore) comply to your suggestion. Massive companies do not usually care unless a lot if people complain about it.
The Evil Within 2 is the game to play for those who loved all the RE remakes. I played it last week and while movement is a bit stiff, it's kind of Shinji Mikami's last, hoping he has one more banger before he retires. No Dead Space without RE4!! Mikami's influence even poured in the SH2 remake.
@@2muchReality7ven Sebastian' story arc is done and the 2nd one sold like crap. Best bet is Shinji Mikami doing one last brand new horror game or even better, an unanounced comeback with Capcom. Whatever he does as long as its horror will make me a happy gamer. The Evil Within at "Nightmare" is something. You are forced into a level of carefulness that makes the game awesome. It's worth it, even if the game feels clunky. The first foray into the village will put things in perspective if you try.
@olivierdube809 I can't remember what mode I played both on. To my knowledge the second one didn't sell at the numbers expected but it was still praised for its improvements and gameplay(to my knwoledge). But yeah, I'm willing to pick up anything Mikami puts put horror related. I've kept all my survival horror games so I need a new collection.
Idea for a video - top 10 best cinematic intros in video games. Off the top of my head you have would have soul reaver, bioshock and senua’s sacrifice.
The fact that the CCP can force U.S.- and Europe-based platforms to stop carrying specific games because their dictator got his fee-fees hurt by a meme should be the most frightening part of this list.
I swear we need a The Evil Within 3. The first two games released before this recent landslide of survival horror comebacks in the AAA and indie spaces. I absolutely adore this series. Still want to know what Ruvik's up to after all this time. Maybe dual protagonists, too, with Juli and Joseph.
I'm not even a fan of survival horror games usually but these were top tier
Yes!
Too bad Microsoft shut down the studio 😢
RIP Tango Gameworks 😪
@@stateofmind578 didn't know that... bummer
@@stateofmind578 , haven't you heard?
I’m an Outlast die hard and I don’t think you could have nailed the summary any better. Great video as always Falcon
Outlast 2 is great for what that story was about, but Outlast one was so much better. (And not because of the Nakey-Twins)
@@TheBearWithOrangeFur For sure dawg. The story to the sequel was so disturbing but the claustrophobia of the original makes it so special
The atmosphere in outlast... Chefs kiss
So glad to see "Darkwood" on this list. That game doesn't get nearly as much love as it deserves.
i've played my share of survival horror games but darkwood is still terrifying to me
It shares the same nighttime dangers as Don't Starve but nothing quite unsettling as Darkwood does.
He called it Dead Wood at 19:20
bro the fkn short height pyro guy made a god damm 8.5 hour vid on this game
@@Kittyo_OwO link 🖇️
Condemned scared the hell out of me. The mannequin store was truly an amazing level design
Yeah definitely, specially when you first realise they move 😱 proper creepy
That was my favorite level too.
Condemned is one game that needs a remake.
I remember the creepiness from the mannequins the first time I saw it great game Condemned 2 is great as well. I would love a remake of both games.
Fr the game had so many scary encounters. Insane atmosphere
YES! Alien Isolation getting its props makes me so happy. One of the best games I have ever played.
Especially on hard mode 😮
Seems to be one of the most beloved games of all time. I constantly see mentions of it.
Out of the many survival horror games I've played, Alien Isolation is the only one that's given me actual nightmares. I think it's because of a combination of the first person perspective and the AI for the xenomorph, which is probably still the smartest enemy AI in any game. It legitimately feels like an intelligent, unkillable being with abilities far beyond anything the player has is systematically hunting you down. I think it really taps into the primal fears humans have. One of the best horror games for sure.
The Alien can find you through the sounds from your mic. It's a mode I think. 😅
They also announced Alien Isolation sequel is on the works :D
Oh yes Visage, I've played pretty much every game on the list and many more.
But Visage was the only game where I really had to force myself to keep playing because I felt so uncomfortable.
I knew nothing about the game but it was immediately burned into my brain. It touched something deep down inside me.
No daddy?
coming from a huge horror fan visage was a masterpiece on another level compared to everything else on this list. the doll demon still gives me the creeps
I’ve had it for like a year and I’m still playing it every now and then. It’s genuinely the scariest game I have ever played and I can only take it in short increments because of the level of anxiety it gives me and I would consider myself a horror buff. It’s so good.
EXACTLY. nothing has come close to visage horror
Only game that made me sweat. Madison was good to, but visage is best by far. On ps4 100%.
Signalis is such an amazing game and I really recommend it to anyone who likes old school resident evil or silent hill games, it was actually my game of the year for 2022
Its soo underrated!!
Truly underrated
I enjoyed it a lot
It's really great. Just beat it this past weekend. Great puzzles art design and atmosphere. Not sure I totally understand the story but I felt something
Only problem with Signalis is it's not scary. Excellent work of art though.
Madison definitely deserves a mention, scary as hell from start to finish
That game was terrifying I was jumping non stop definitely should be up there
Just came to comment this. So underrated and does not get talked about enough.
The visual effects and monsters in Evil Within 2 were breathtaking. Need an Evil Within 3! 🔥 Also need Alien Isolation 2
I talked about these games on my channel that need a sequel
Alien Isolation 2 was just confirmed recently!!
Alien Isolation definitely a cult classic game, it will always be worth it to me, its the scariest game I can actually finish... Outlast I keep quitting because its to scary.
Reverse for me. Played outlast when I was younger, was scary but finished it. to this day alien isolation keeps me shitting😂
It got rave reviews when it came out and was up for GOTY, it's a classic not a cult classic
@@thedevilsrockstxr2309Critic reviews dont mean anything. Audience scores were very low and said the Alien was too intense and advanced, it did poorly for actual audiences
You forgot the suffering
Yo, I was the same way with out last. I started it like three times and I couldn’t get past the first couple areas but dude once I did, I played the whole game through and loved it, and then immediately played it through again. I highly recommend you give it another shot and just stick it through. Remember it’s just a game man but it is amazing all the way through in the second ones really good too just not as good I don’t think but it’s its own thing.
that jumpscare at the end of devotion section scared the crap out out of me
Fr tho 😂
Cry of Fear too. Dammit Falcon 100% did that on purpose
And he said it doesn't have jumpscares
I was looking for this comment
I almost threw my phone lol
Yes! The Fatal Frame series. The scariest games in my opinion, especially part two. There are eerie apparitions off in the distance, and you can easily miss them if you're not paying attention. There may be visually unsettling and terrifying sequences, there may be a few jump scares, but it's also environmental horror. If you're looking to be scared, those games are what you want.
I love the fatal frame 1 n 2 really good to play
What made Alien Isolation TRULY frightening was the impeccable sound design/music imo and the light-shadow elements. When you hear those footsteps approach trough a dimly lit corridor or that hissing while hiding... That shit was terrifying af!
Add to the fact that the Xenomorph runs at an insane speed, so you're always nervous about it as you might have not spotted it, it'll turn a corner and come charging at you, and all you can do it panic look for where it's coming from.
I remember getting an insane jump scare the first time it killed me from a vent...
Condemned was the first game that ever scared me. Played it at a buddy's place, and he had an awesome surround sound system. Wasn't expecting anything at all, and the first whisper that came from over my shoulder actually made me turn and look.
Didn't get scared by another game until the original Dead Space. That game had some amazing sound design, too.
@@Redpantslol surprises the hell out of me that Sega hasn’t seen $$$ by also jumping on the remake bandwagon. A remake of Condemned would be amazing.
@@rigbygaming8296I mean, there’s Sonic X Shadow Generations. It sounds like it’ll basically be Sonic Generations but with more content.
Yeah original dead space was scary. I tried to get through the remake but found it boring
Dude, that janitor guy in the closet or the weirdos in the mall were awesome.
Dead space makes me feel so uneasy, that I absolutely NEED to melee every vent I find just to reassure myself there's nothing behind them
😂
But then if they come through later you don't get the warning sound of the vent breaking!
Yeah, that game is one of my favorite games of all time. The remake is just so good the atmosphere is crazy with all the particle effects and updated visuals and the music background. Noises is insane.
OG Dead space was much better than the new just because of the atmosphere alone.
Dead Space Remake was so predictable. They would dim the lights and play music every time a monster would come. It got so old and non scary , such a missed opportunity
Melee every vent? How have i played all the games so many times and never knew you could do that
Resident Evil VII definitely deserves to be up there but the Dollhouse in Village definitely deserves a mention! Phenomenal!
Agreed, one of the scariest RE moments
Not even the dollhouse in the regular Village game, the Dollhouse in the village DLC?....with the mannequins?!?! I crapped my pants.
I don't play horror games but resident evil 7 was not... scary? It was just you with a gun slowly moving okay but the monsters were really slow and not even frightening. I thought the ship mission would be terrifying but no...
Still Wakes The Deep deserves an honorable mention. It's not super scary but the creepy atmosphere in that game is just so well done in my opinion.
Should we come back with a part 2?
@@gameranxTV YES
@@gameranxTVyesssss
Yes dude it’s Halloween season.
YES
Amazing list! Enjoyed watching, as always, Falcon.
Glad you enjoyed!
Honorable Mentions
- Soma - The only game I ever Noped out of
- Thief series - though not EXACTLY a horror, there are horror elements and usually 1 whole horror level in each release.
- F.E.A.R. Series - That little girl in a red dress... - Was constantly looking over my shoulder while playing these games
Still haven’t ever finished SOMA. It was scary as hell.
Resident evil 7 will forever be my favorite scary game
It reignited my RE fire. I skipped 5 and 6
Such a classic
Old school re1 first zombie
@truebrowncanadianI think that’s why I liked it so much. By this point Leon and Chris and the gang had all pretty much turned into John Rambo so a brand new character and a disconnected plotline made everything feel so much more uncertain and unpredictable.
@@WafflesNSyrup915 was 1 of my faves. 6 sucked totally. But it's cool to play with others
The Dead Space remake is a masterpiece. It had me hooked from beginning to end.
Nice! Did you play the original games too?
The games was way too easy nectos would just walk too you instead of run but yea masterpiece
Never got around to the originals back in the day but the remake is free on PS Plus this month so I just started playing it. It’s great, so far!
When I first started playing Alien Isolation I often died because I just got paralyzed with fear. The monster would be roaming around that damn medical area and I'd be hiding under a table waiting for a "safe" moment to crawl out and eventually it just figured out where I was and took me out. Movement is really one of the keys to survival in that game, but with the music and sound effects it really scares the bejeezus out of you.
RE7 is phenomenal. After 5&6, I think a lot of fans were done with the now-action series, and 7 was such a refreshing (and somewhat risky on the developer’s part) shot in the arm.
RE7 is the only game I've played on this list. I *heard* that they dumbed down the horror elements for RE8 which made me a bit sad. Loved RE7.
@@misterscopey2309 8’s still worth playing. They did tone down the overall horror which is a little disappointing, but the combat and exploration are a lot of fun, the atmosphere is some of the best in the series, and there’s still moments that are pretty dang scary.
@@cruzcamel Oh yeah I agree. I just have it sitting in my library, waiting to be played while worriedly staring at my backlog of games I want to play and beat 🤣
@@misterscopey2309 RE8 definitely worth playing if you're a fan, but I'd rather replay RE7 any day. All personal preference ofc!
One thing I haven’t seen people talk about much is how the Dead Space remake leans more into survival horror in a few key ways. The backtracking was obviously emphasized a lot, but also enemies are a lot tougher in the remake and ammo is much more scarce. I feel like I’m always barely getting by or running out of ammo in some weapons forcing me to use other ones, where as in the original you could tear through necromorphs and I don’t think I ever worried about ammo, even on hard mode.
Subnautica dude. That game can get way scarier than anything in the other games you mentioned. And it is so unique with how it can be so beautiful to look at and yet often so frightening.
It's not a horror game though. Just has horror elements
Subnautica is not scary
I was stoned at when that leviathan grabbed me the first time. After that everything was horrifying. Going anywhere. Seeing any new things.... Aaahhh
@@crackedatfortnitemyguy7960it is if you have thalassophobia like I do :p
One game id recommend is Stay Out Of The House. Like Amnesia The Bunket it has immersive sim elements so it helps keep the “sneak by enemies” gameplay interesting for those that don’t like it (although I’m the one who Falcon described in the Dead Space section that can’t get scared with even a little bit of action in most horror games, for some reason Darkwood is the exception). While you can fend off the main threat it only drives him back temporarily instead of outright killing him, so that adds a bit too.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR VERY MENTIONING FATAL FRAME !!!!!!!
That game scared the shit out of me when I was younger 😂
Visage gave me nightmares as a man in my 30s, got me more than PT . Played the girl episode first and the parts using the camera are ingrained into my memory.
Also doing a first playthrough in the dark with headphones is the absolute key to any horror game. Will make a huge difference to whether you find something scary or not.
Grown man and former marine in my 40s here , and Visage STILL fks me up... I refuse to play any horror unless it's dark with a high quality headset, & for Visage let's just say i usually need to pause for a breather every 30 45 min haha. The atmosphere is unreal, the 3D audio on ps5 is outstanding, immersion is really unlike anything I've experienced by far...
Fyi, if you really enjoyed the camera section, if you're not familiar you need to check out MADiSON. A bit faster paced, more focused on puzzles & solving clues etc, but the main mechanic of the game is your Polaroid camera. Snapping one pic at a time is mostly the only way to not only see in the dark with the flash, but the paranormal aspects around you might only show up after the pic pops out and you manually shake it till it develops and see what's actually around you.. such a badass feature.. Reveil is also a really great game about finding your lost daughter in a nightmarish Carnival world in the 1950s & 60s..super creepy, gorgeous environments, and it's short & sweet, easy to jump into... just thought I'd share
"The dark"? Never heard of that game
@jponz85 What he meant was that the only functional way to experience a horror game and truly immerse yourself, especially if it's your first playthrough, is by playing "in the dark" with all the lights off and a good quality headset. And I reiterated that sentiment in my comment, I wholeheartedly agree. Playing during the day or with all the lights on at night, with people around talking and background noise etc, you're doing yourself such a massive disservice. Horror games are meant to scare the shit out of you, the audio and atmosphere is created & developed in mind that the player will be using headphones & playing in an environment, whichever room you're in, that's conducive to all of that. Games like Dead Space (originals & the nearly perfect remake), Visage, MADiSON, PT, Outlast series etc, they just don't work like they're meant to, without the players making efforts to "put" themselves into those worlds as well. Same goes for horror movies just the same. If you have a love for horror & an obsession for feeding that need for those adrenaline dumps & being as terrified as possible, it almost becomes like an addiction to your brain. You'll end up never settling for anything less then the darkest room, the purest silence & the best headset you can afford , or it's just not worth playing the game.. but hey, that's just my deepest opinion haha
this is the only horror game i stopped playing.. it was too much man, and i played loads of titles, im in my thirties too hhahah
Two Gameranx uploads in one day? I’m eating good today.
Man, Siren was not only scary, but so creepy and gives you an unsettling feeling. Richly deserving of its high ranking. Condemned Criminal Origins is another of my favorites, exceptional atmosphere.
Ive been a gamer for 36 odd years and out of all the great moments ive had id have to say the atmosphere of dead space at night with killer headphones on and being super baked was one of the best gaming times of my life hands down.
Playing horror games stoned is imposible to me,it is to much
I'm genuinely surprised the Condemned games haven't been remade. Great games.
1st one had the best atmosphere ever and still gets to me, possibly my favorite horror of all is the 1st one
Any other franchises that deserve a remake? :)
@@gameranxTV i see what you did there lmao
Thank you Falc, for putting back naming instead of numeration. 🐝
How bout Bramble: the Mountain King? It was a bit cartoony and was pretty easy overall but the folkloric atmosphere was great. Some very spooky moments. It’s like old world horror story that your grandpa would tell you at the campfire
Fantastic game!
@@FlyfishermanMike aye! I’ve found so many weird yet fantastic little gems since I started using Xbox gamer pass
For as much as people criticize jump scares, they're the real thing that really freaks me out in a video game. That freakin zombie in the oven in RE 4...you owe me a new heart.
Mine is chase scenes. Basically any chase scene besides a Crash bandicoot version lol.
@@bradkirchhoff5703 The thing about chase scenes is that it can lead to a fail state scenario. Redoing over and over just makes it not scary and more frustrating 😅
@truebrowncanadian corrected. Translation issues.
Gameranx spoiling us today, nice 🔥
My first Silent Hill was 3. Played it on Halloween night, came with the soundtrack and played it while I was playing the game and couldn't make it past the opening dream. That atmosphere, Robbie, the soundtrack, the dead of night....I noped out.
Also, I do think 4 doesn't get enough love. It's not perfect but it's got a lot going for it.
World of Horror is the most terrifying 4 bit, lo-fi, insanity I’ve probably ever experienced. It’s so unsettling and effective.
The Beast Inside deserves to be on here. Genuinely the best horror game I’ve ever played. Underrated Dev.
True! It absolutely flew under the radar but has a good immersing story and unsettling atmosphere allround. Dirt cheap also, often at sale for just 2€ or something
@@sittingduck4771 For real. It’s so terrifying, and has great puzzles that are somewhat difficult too if you aren’t paying attention. Excellent story great settings. It’s perfect
Mortuary Assistant deserves a mention
It’s kind of goofy though…
Not scary at all
I came on here specifically looking for a comment about this game. I definitely think it's significantly creepier then most of these other ones. Also these two other commenters who say it's Goofy and not scary are fools
@@jwhitely7 I agree.
@@jwhitely7 well, I think fear is mostly subjective and to say someone is foolish for not finding a thing scary is an odd thing to do.
Another great list. Hey Falcon!
Hey
Finally a list and timestamps! Thanks Gameranx! ❤
haha welcome :D
Hey hey! Thanks for the game titles in the time bar!! 🙌 Thanks Gameranx team!
Any time!
I started Dead Space last night at 2AM....terrible idea 😭
Soma was the first game I covered when I started RUclips, so I did a full playthrough. Many years later, I can remember almost the entire game....and that makes me so sad cause I'd love to forget and play it again with semi fresh eyes. *sigh* Such an amazing game!
I've had RE7 for years and only ever gotten about 30 minutes in before shutting it off in both VR and flat. I'm a bit of a horror lightweight. But for October the past few years I have played through some really good horror games (the Dead Spaces, Soma, RE2 Remake and some others) and built up a little tolerance. This year for spooky season I've committed to getting through RE7 and man is it an experience! Might put on a diaper and tackle it on PSVR after I finish my current playthrough.
You can do it. The first horror game I played was RE 3 demo I found on the street. I slowly built me tolerance off that. Im playing Dead Space 2 this month as last year was RE season (fave survivor horror). RE 7 is great and hopefully you enjoy RE 8 as well.
@@2muchReality7ven I think I am about a third of the way through RE7 now and I really am having a blast with it. It is quickly climbing the ranks to be among my favorite horror games along with Dead Space 1&2 (so good!). I am looking forward to RE8 for next year's big spooky game!
@frozenninja4030 Nice. I'm hype to play dead space 2 for the first time as well.
Dude, it was the same for me. Tried it when it came out, but softlocked myself with no ammo and too many zombies haha. Tried it again last year, finished it, and damn. If it isn't my favorite horror game
@@rasmusandersson4461 I just finished it last night and I freaking loved it. It is easily in my top few horror games. So good!
I love horror games! I do more watching horror games than playing because I’m such a wimp, but I still get to enjoy the scares and laugh at the streamers reactions!
haha we get that! :)
Some of these games I did not play, but Im glad Condemn and Evil Within got shown love. Those games were very underrated to me.
First time I ever felt fear in a video game was hiding under some wooden stairs as a Big Daddy walked down it in Bioshock.
They even had dust falling on me. 😂
I love Bioshock, I own all three! True, because you know you'll catch the worst beat down from those lead footed lads; the dust falling adds to the anxiety🤣 If it's not them, it's the splicers jumpscaring me, and me automatically goin upside their head with a melee weapon😭🤣
Being 42 years old and playing the original Resident Evil as a kid can never be touched as my scariest experience.
Hopefully the Silent Hill 2 Remake will be worth it! 👻
I believe itll do it justice, as far as gameplay blooper doesn't have to nail to much, it was fairly simple and clunky so i smell an improvement there and the atmosphere is looking great
I'm surprised Scorn wasn't on the list, it really is a master class in environmental storytelling and it's the kind of slow-burner horror that creeps up on you like Silent Hill does except there is no dialog, no written notes or anything other than the grotesque, alien and derelict environments. There many elements of body horror and it's absolutely visceral, I'm not going to spoil it if you haven't played it but the "inventory system" gives me chills. It also has one of the best horror game endings in my opinion, bleak and impactful.
Oh Visage, probably the scariest game I’ve ever played. I still haven’t finished it 😅… I’m surprised F.E.A.R. 2 and Layers of Fear didn’t make the list.
I love this channel and will always leave like however - my eyes bros my eyes - The flash bangs between all these dark games (critically amazing games) -
Amazing list btw thank you
Started Visage the other day. Wasn't really diggin it at first, but I'm starting to like it. Idk which chapter i picked first, is Delores the old lady? That's where I'm at
Yeah the old lady/delores is my favourite chapter. The one in the hospital/insane asylum isn't great, do that one last to avoid burning out and not finishing the game. Try and do Lucy chapter next, she's the little girl
I'm so glad you constantly talk about #2 on your videos. That game is something I feel like just disappeared from the gaming world and it is sad because the potential for more amazing games like that feels lost. BTW, your #1 and bonus are what I consider the scariest games ever created too! That's awesome!
Being able to kind of defend yourself adds to horror for me. Take Phas, there are tools to protect yourself but at first you have no idea how and they can simply not work with the lower ranks. My scariest moment was when I thought a ghost was opening my bathroom stall, but it was just my friend. They need to add that, like if you've successfully hidden just add a small chance for them to open your hiding place, not just phase through the wall or door to get you.
what is Take Phas ?
@@jeremyrennerapp Phasmophobia
That mirror room from SH3 is terrifying..
Alien Isolation is my favorite survival horror game of all time, just an absolute masterpiece
Lot of love in the comments for that one! :)
I played Alien Isolation with the Kinect Sensor on the 360, TOTALLY got me murdered on several occasions... I put my daughter to bed one night, was playing the game & she had woken up & came to talk to me as I was hiding in the game... I was quickly found & killed.😂
Don’t know why. I’m 41 now and the only horror game that I cannot play is silent hill. It’s just so jarring and gets etched in my mind and I can’t sleep when I’ve tried playing just a few hours of silent hill games
Same. I'm 40 and although I've played SH 2-6, about half way through each my Nope meter just gives out lol.
@@YNGKING01 are you going to try playing it again ?
@@IvanRubin YEP! Waiting patiently for Oct 8th to return to that town lol
@@YNGKING01 I like getting physical if not I would get deluxe so I could play on the 6th 😭
I’m playing with lights on in day before work for an hour and day
One of my favorite semi-recent horror games was Song of Horror; but i never hear too many people talk about it. It's a really good game, and if you haven't tried it look it up.
Well it's on my wishlist so that means something lol
CRY OF FEAR LOVE! A masterclass on the proper use of jumpscares.
Little Nightmares 2 was the scariest game I've ever played. i still remember the hospital level. those mannequins were scarier than my ex wife
I had only played 1 which I thought was a great game.
Devotion is an incredible game. Its story has stayed with me long after finishing it. The end credit song's lyrics carry a double meaning that adds depth, making you truly understand the significance of the title.
Oh and winnie-the-pooh!!
Visage was terrifying
All of those are great choices. I love the variety and Silent Hill 3 is good call. Loved that game. Personally, Silent Hill 2 freaked me out more, with so many memorable moments. I still get chills thinking about James needing to go down, down, down into the heart of Silent Hill.
the hunter in dead space is still the most terrifying enemy in the game....until you get the upgrade weighted blades upgrade for plasma cutter which literally trivialises all the enemy encounters lol
Soma scared the life out of me. The whole ‘can’t look at the enemy else the screen blurs and the camera moves away’ gave it a real nightmare feeling.
There are different types of fear, but as Lovecraft said, the strongest of them is the fear of the unknown, which is why games like Visage or the fantastic Madison scare me the most.
My all time favourite is Condemned Criminal Origins. Because you're not totally defenselessly fleeing. Yet it still manages to capture you with their creepy ambiance and a few jump scares. I love actual scary games that still have combat.
I swear, Alien Isolations always feels like it came out about 2 to 3 years ago... This fucking game came out in 2014, 10 years!!!!!
Fatal Frame, Clock Tower and Silent Hill are why I'm completely unphased by horror games these days. Also, Clock Tower belongs on this list.
Steam has a wonderful selection right meow
Com' on, meow. - Super Troopers
Which selections?
Some honorable mentions:
FAITH: The Unholy Trinity, World of Horror, Beyond Shadowgate, Song of Horror. Hopefully World of horror gets an update in October.
Layers of Fear should’ve been on this list, amazing game.
Faith: The Unholy Trinity would have been a good addition to this list. It's a top-down 2d game, and it's still fairly scary. If it was 3d, it would be terrifying.
24:33 Hold up, is the original Silent Hill 2 on G.O.G.? ................ I can only see SH4: The Room.
Only SH4 that I am aware off. It's actually on sales now for $7 (GOG)
On the website only SH4 but in the app, all are there but not buyable. You can link your own purchase for pc to GoG galaxy it seems.
Yeah I was under the impression it's not purchasable, but it's technically abandonware so the are other ways to get it.
I guess Falcon was reading from a script and nobody bothered to check.
What's GOG?
Surprised to see mentions of old horror games like Siren and Fatal Frame.
Personally from my experience, Clock Tower, Haunting Ground and Rule of Rose creeped me out for being disturbing than scary.
I also loved Calling from wii and Remothered Tormented Father for the horror atmosphere and some narrative to the story
Rule of rose is stupid expensive. How else am I suppose to play that game? Lol
Need a before you buy on the until dawn remake
Honorable mentions from me,
-In Sound Mind: great atmosphere and story behind each little story told in each chapter. Gets under your skin.
-Layers of Fear: just great sound design.
At "Nightmare", The Evil Within becomes truly scary, in a "Dark Souls" way. The difficulty is brutal at first, but dismantling every trap, using the gears to produce bolts strategically (flash for invisible enemies with a crouch/stab, flame for small hordes, poison for a few undeads and remain stealthy, etc.) is extremely satisfying. Get all locker keys!! The stand-offs section along Laura's 2nd encounter do suck, but when you reach the end, it feels like Mikami made the game with this brutal difficulty in mind. Nightmare changed my perspective about this game. It's as awesome as it is hard. There's a section that is completely changed from the normal difficulty and it's better for it. Highly recommended.
Shit normal mode was hard enough for me. Even after beating most RE games, that shit still hard
In this list Fatal Frame is honestly the scariest for me when I played it on the 360 way back when.
The hidden ghosts you look around for from the scratching sounds, discovering them with a photo... like a faint image of a face looking at you from under a table...
And you're never safe while exploring, getting a random ghost coming at you through the walls.
I'm one of those who played literally every other horror game on the planet and Visage was the one to actually make me stop sessions.
My hot take is that many either live surrounded by distractions or don't have a "good" setup (most notably headphones) to get immersed enough as the ambience/atmosphere buildup is hands down the strongest part of that thing.
Otherwise a pretty good list actually, Evil Within, RE, Dark Wood, Soma and Alien Isolalation defo some of the gems. If anything I'd add it'd be good ol F.E.A.R and Alan Wake 1/2.
I have recently been upgrading my setup - haven't looked for new headphones/headset yet (still on the Sony WH-XB900N and the HyperX Cloud 2).
What do you recommend for a good horror experience?
Keep it coming ❤. Can't beat a good scary on the edge game
Someone needs to say it so I will... Those countdown white screens with the numbers are consistently and slowly blinding me. Do you, gameranx, not know that most people are watching these videos in the darkness in their last minutes before going to sleep in an attempt to force as much dopamine as possible before having to get up in 3 hours for jobs?? Please use a darker background!
Also, great video as always :)
Exactly
You sound like a wimp not gonna lie
Lol perfect description
You are probably the first person to complain about it in the many years that they have done this. While I understand your reason (night time viewing is fun), I hope that you understand that they may not (or will ignore) comply to your suggestion. Massive companies do not usually care unless a lot if people complain about it.
Doom 3 had it's moments. I remember being scared as hell when i first played it. I agree Alien Isolation is my top one.
Same. The use of lighting and darkness was so great.
Silent hill 2 (sadly) isn't on GOG, only Silent hill 4
I'm surprised Layers Of Fear was not on this list. Epic video none the less!!
MADiSON better be on this
That game was peak psychological horror walking sim
2 great videos in one day, yall are spoiling us!
The Evil Within 2 is the game to play for those who loved all the RE remakes. I played it last week and while movement is a bit stiff, it's kind of Shinji Mikami's last, hoping he has one more banger before he retires. No Dead Space without RE4!! Mikami's influence even poured in the SH2 remake.
Evil Within was underrated. I hope we get a trilogy soon.
@@2muchReality7ven Sebastian' story arc is done and the 2nd one sold like crap. Best bet is Shinji Mikami doing one last brand new horror game or even better, an unanounced comeback with Capcom. Whatever he does as long as its horror will make me a happy gamer. The Evil Within at "Nightmare" is something. You are forced into a level of carefulness that makes the game awesome. It's worth it, even if the game feels clunky. The first foray into the village will put things in perspective if you try.
@olivierdube809 I can't remember what mode I played both on. To my knowledge the second one didn't sell at the numbers expected but it was still praised for its improvements and gameplay(to my knwoledge). But yeah, I'm willing to pick up anything Mikami puts put horror related. I've kept all my survival horror games so I need a new collection.
Idea for a video - top 10 best cinematic intros in video games. Off the top of my head you have would have soul reaver, bioshock and senua’s sacrifice.
29:21 Diddy baby oil noises
Hi…larious
Gameranx next video should be the top 20 games where you can switch characters during gameplay, like Resident Evil Revlation 2, for example.
Hey thanks for the suggestion!
Not having madison in the list is a huge crime
12:02 actually got me pretty good, i love horror games
The fact that the CCP can force U.S.- and Europe-based platforms to stop carrying specific games because their dictator got his fee-fees hurt by a meme should be the most frightening part of this list.
I hear you that should have been number 1 on the list
"ObsCure" on PS2 also left a mark on me.
Even if the coop mode made it a tiny bit less scary.
Visage, Best Psychological Horror Game besides Silent Hill 2 👌
Have you played condemned? .. phenomenal, scary af
Ayyyee ive been really digging the horror games (being a creator and all)💯