Eighth Generation Horror Games
P.T. (PS4, 2014)
P.T. isn’t a full game by any means (it was merely a demo for the then upcoming Silent Hills), but it is one of the most finely-crafted pieces of art I have ever experienced.
With the latest console generation, video games look incredibly good. We’re coming dangerously close to uncanny valley levels of realism. I think this is why horror games have just become so much scarier this generation.
It’s not just the stunning graphics and the horrific art direction that makes it all work, it’s also how it uses the medium of video games to mess with the player.
For example, there’s no real indication as to how to fully open slightly-opened door. So, I’ve let my guard down as I fumble around the controller trying to figure out what to do. Finally, I click the R3 button, and while my guard’s down, Lisa comes out and slams the door. Lights on, PS4 off, tears pouring.
The scariest thing is that this crowning achievement will only fade into obscurity. For never was a story of more woe than this of Guillermo Del Toro and his Hideo.
Until Dawn (PS4, 2015)
Supermassive Games were really on to something with Until Dawn: a true B-movie video game if there ever was one.
However, unlike B-movies, this is a video game, which means we have player agency. In Until Dawn, it’s up to the player who lives or dies.
If you’re liking one character more than another, that’s no problem, just let the other person die. That’ll show them for being an unlikeable character.
But, like a B-movie, Until Dawn has its fair share of cheese, including plenty of “don’t go in there” moments. It’s a fun game to play through with a friend or two.
Dead By Daylight (PC, 2016)
Dead By Daylight is a multiplayer horror game unlike any that have come before it. For some players, their job is to escape with their teammates, while it is another player’s job to find and kill the players who are trying to escape.
It’s similar to something like Evolve but with a horror twist.
The players trying to escape have to do so by activating a number of generators around the map. It is important to stay hidden from the killer, and traps can be used to help you in doing so.
Resident Evil VII: Biohazard (Xbox One/PS4/PC, 2017)
After Resident Evil 4, the franchise became indecisive about what it wanted to be. Some games, like Resident Evil 6 and Operation Raccoon City, wanted to be strictly action games, while others, like the Revelations games, still dabbled in survival horror.
Resident Evil VII set the tone from the get-go: balls to the wall scarefest.
It’s basically the Silent Hills that we never got, all the way down to the playable demo. The first-person perspective, realistic art style, and in-your-face nature of the scares makes for one uneasy experience.
Resident Evil VII takes it a step further allowing you to play the game entirely in VR. For some, this might be too much to handle, but for those who can’t get enough heart attacks, this is definitely the way to play.
There’s plenty more horror games we’d loved to have talked about, but alas, there are just too many great ones to cover here. Be sure to let us know about some of your favorites in the comments below!
