Dark Horror Games

If 2014 was a bumper year for horror, then 2015 looks set to top it, with a number of superb looking titles due. Here’s a quick rundown of the most intriguing. Since we already stepped in year of 2015, some games might have been already released (comments please).  

1. The

Bloodborne

hails from the studio behind the much acclaimed Dark Souls series, From Software, and which brings the action/RPG elements from these titles into a horror environment. Taking place in a gothic city wracked by a mysterious plague, the narrative finds players cast in the role of a pilgrim seeking to rid himself of a cursed affliction, only to find the city overrun by bestial creatures and deranged denizens of the night. Gameplay promises plenty of fast-paced combat with an array of inventive ranged and melee weapons, while the visuals are stunningly detailed and help to create a world which is both wondrous and terrifying in equal measure.

2. HP Lovecraft’s

Call of Cthulu

short story is one which has been mined numerous times over the years, for games, movies and other assorted media and thanks to Frogwares, the studio behind the recent Sherlock Holmes adventures, 2015 sees its long overdue return. Little has been seen of the game since 2014 besides some truly haunting artwork which depicts rundown mansions and churchyards full of ancient tombs and hanged men so fans can only hope that the game is still on course for a release this year and that it does Lovecraft’s classic tale justice.

3. The original

Resident Evil

is one of the grandfathers of survival horror and which has spawned innumerable sequels and spinoffs in a variety of media. January 2015 saw the release of another in the long line of remastered editions of this classic franchise and whether you’re a fan or a newcomer, this is a trip down memory lane which is well worth taking. Despite its age, Resident Evil remains a classic and whether it’s the superb atmosphere of the Spencer Mansion and its creepy surroundings, the still impressive visuals or the sheer number of all-out shocks, there is so much to enjoy here. As this is a remaster, you can expect upgraded visuals, enhanced sound and even a new control system that does away with the original’s much maligned tank system. However, it’s the gameplay that truly shines here and whatever form you play it in, Resident Evil is a true survival horror experience that emphasises claustrophobia and caution over all-out blasting. 

4. Frictional Games is well known for their horror efforts like Amnesia: The Dark Descent and their next effort looks set to top even this genre classic.

Soma

is a science-fiction survival horror experience that takes players into a terrifyingly claustrophobic underwater research facility is filled with machinery that is starting to take on human characteristics. Details are still scarce but gameplay videos and images reveal a beautiful but deadly world to explore, which is thoroughly creepy and which promises to terrify even the most jaded of horror fans.

5.

H1Z1

is another entry in the zombie apocalypse genre that is due for full release in 2015. Set in rural America following a viral outbreak that has once again left most of the population as brain-dead zombies, the game focuses on cooperative multiplayer survival, with an emphasis on team building, trading, and of course bloody, visceral combat. The game is currently in Early Access status but as the game progresses, players can expect to see the evolution of a range of vehicles, weapons, dynamic environmental cycles, hunting, forging and everything else you could hope for in a survival experience. Gritty, harsh and full of moments both terrifying and hilarious, welcome to the world of H1Z1.

6. The original Outlast is a first class piece of survival horror that took players on a terrifying journey into a psychiatric hospital filled with mutilated corpses and which had been overrun by escaped patients under the control of a supernatural entity. Armed only with a camcorder and a notebook, the game provided a chilling and gruesome experience so it’s no surprise to find a sequel is on its way. Little is known for sure other than that the game is set in the same universe as the original but in a different setting. However, if the developers can nail the same sense of dread and outright terror of the first game,

Outlast 2

is going to be one to watch.

7. Anticipation is high for the 2015 return of one of horror’s true legends, the epic franchise that is

Silent Hill

. Under the direction of Hideo Kojima, of Metal Gear fame, and film director Guillermo del Toro, Silent Hills marks a bold new entry into a series which some feel has wandered in quality of late. As with anything Kojima-related, the game is still very much wrapped in secrecy but if P.T. (a playable demo for the game) is anything to go by, gamers can expect psychological terror, mind-warping visions and disturbing imagery in spades. Dare you enter Silent Hill?

8. The teen slasher movie is one genre which video games haven’t really adapted for their own purposes, but with the forthcoming

Until Dawn

, that looks set to change. The game stars Hayden Panettiere as one of eight teens spending the night in a log cabin to remember the death of a friend. However, things soon take a turn for the scary when they realise a serial killer is stalking them. The game features an innovative choice-based system which forces players to make tough decisions on the fly, knowing that who lives and who dies relies on their actions. Blending moral dilemmas large and small with a multi-faceted narrative and of course, bowel-loosening shocks, Until Dawn promises to provide a realistic and terrifying horror experience.

9. DreadOut is an Indonesian horror game that bears certain similarities with Asian horror movies like Ring and video games like Fatal Frame, with heavy echoes of Silent Hill. Playing out in third person fashion, the game finds the player in control of Linda, a high school student trapped in an abandoned town. As she explores the town, she finds plenty of dark secrets and supernatural entities to battle and must use her own hitherto unrealised powers to battle against the forces of evil.

DreadOut Act 2

is being released in a series of acts that gradually reveal the complex narrative and which together form a compelling and unsettling horror game that provides a creepy and enjoyable experience. 

What games you might have potentially missed in 2014, find out on this page Top Horror Games of 2014.