Resident Evil series is usually one of the first names that come to mind when talking about horror games, but there’s so many other titles that offer equally great if not even better experiences to this particular contemporary. To that end, we present 10 of the best horror games that are arguably better than Resident Evil.
The Evil Within 2
Shinji Mikami’s Tango Gameworks did an excellent job with the original The Evil Within, and many of those foundations were built upon in new and interesting ways with the sequel that came out in 2017. The Evil Within 2 is one of the very few games that manage to blend pure survival horror with an open-world design without one element overpowering the other. The biggest achievement of The Evil Within 2 is how these contrasting genres complement one another, making exploration enticing and horrifying at the same time. It’s a rather unique kind of game that deserves to be experienced by every horror fan.
Bloodborne
FromSoftware’s 2015 release Bloodborne feels like a loving tribute to the works of H.P. Lovecraft, and the admiration for the author can be seen throughout Yharam’s gothic architecture and horrid creature designs that will continue to haunt your nightmares long after the credits roll. What makes Bloodborne so special is its ability to induce a sense of mechanical dread that goes hand in hand with the general tropes and jumpscares that you would see in any traditional horror game. Bloodborne’s horror is not only limited to facing that threat in the first place but also perfecting your grasp of its complex mechanics to the point that you are actually able to defeat that monstrosity.
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2 is easily one of the best entries in the long-running survival horror franchise, and that statement alone speaks volumes about the quality of the experience considering the series is home to some of the best games of this ilk. The protagonist James Sunderland’s’ search for his missing wife leads him to the desolated town of Silent Hill, which kickstarts the events of this truly horrid nightmare. Everything from the atmosphere to the jumpscares and the story are all bone-chilling in their own right, and Silent Hill 2 also adds an element of eccentricity to the whole affair which makes it one of the most memorable horror experiences.
The Last of Us Part 1
The Last of Us Part 1 takes place in a post-apocalyptic rendition of America where you step into the shoes of Joel, a cynical middle-aged man who must escort a girl named Ellie to a hospital in hopes of finding a cure for the Cordyceps virus. The Last of Us excellently blends stealth elements into the survival horror gameplay blueprint, and what we get is a rather fresh action-adventure experience that also doesn’t fall short on the horror element as well. But what’s most interesting about The Last of Us Part 1 are the characters which are some of the best that we have seen in recent memory, and the narrative does an excellent job of portraying the sheer brutality of a post-apocalypse without holding much restraint.
Alan Wake 2
The original Alan Wake was more of an action-adventure experience, and developer Remedy Entertainment switched things up for the better with the sequel – making it a full-blown survival horror experience. And that feels like a natural fit for this kind of slow and more methodical gameplay where you have to use your flashlights to first weaken the Taken and then proceed to hit headshots with an actual weapon. Alan Wake 2’s biggest strength, however, lies in its narrative, which is best summarized by the statement, “It’s not a lake, it’s an ocean”. The rabbit hole of The Dark Place goes really deep, and you probably won’t be able to grasp the depth of the meta narratives and subplots that make it one of the most intriguing games that you will ever experience.
Dead Space (2023)
EA Motive’s modernization of the original Dead Space was just what fans wanted out of such an experience, and it beautifully presents the crippling survival horror of the original in a way that would placate a brand-new audience. The fresh coat of paint helps to really bring out the horrors to life, and there’s a palpable sense of tension pervading each step that you take through the dingy smoke-infested corridors of the USG Ishimura. It’s definitely along the lines of Resident Evil in terms of the moment-to-moment experience, but Dead Space takes the lead in terms of the narrative which is arguably a lot more engaging and structured than other offerings.
Outlast
Red Barrel’s Outlast is a consistently thrilling ride through a menace-infested Asylum as you try to uncover its deepest secrets. Outlast boasts an incredible atmosphere that ensures that you are constantly being unnerved by disturbing imagery and weird sounds. The game has some great environmental storytelling, and the fact that you can’t really stand your ground against the many horrors that persist also serve to keep adrenaline levels high throughout. Adding to the horror is the distinct visual presentation that’s largely dominated by shades of green and black thanks to the night-vision camera.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
Silicon Knights’ Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem easily stands tall as one of the most creative horror games of the last couple of generations, and a lot of that can be attributed to the many ingenious design tricks that the team uses to unnerve the player from the very core. You have a Sanity meter that continues to rise as you face the many horrors peppered throughout the game, and once you reach a certain level – the game starts to play tricks on you like lowering the volume or bugs starting to crawl on the screen and much more. The primitive visuals and tank-style controls do mean that the game hasn’t aged all that well, but Eternal Darkness was definitely one of the most horrifying games of its time.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Frictional Games’ Amnesia series is home to some of the best survival horror games of all time, and 2010’s Amnesia: The Dark Descent definitely stands out amongst other entries in the franchise. Daniel’s story about recovering his lost memories whilst exploring a dark and desolate castle is one that will stay with you long after the credits roll, and Amnesia does a really good job with its thick atmosphere and jumpscares that never fail to keep you guessing.
Alien: Isolation
Creative Assembly delivered one of the most horrifying experiences of recent memory with Alien: Isolation, a game that manages to capture the essence of cat and mouse chase so perfectly over the course of its entire runtime. Its biggest achievement lies in the design of Xenormorph’s, which has its own independent AI brain that can sniff out the player based on what you did in previous runs. That element of uncertainty forces you to be dynamic with your survival strategy, which isn’t something that you can say about many traditional horror games. In addition to this, there’s also the story of Amanda Ripley who never fails to keep you glued to the edge of your screen at all times.
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