It’s time to acknowledge that the horror genre is making a huge comeback; not just in TV and movies, but in video games as well.
As someone who grew up with the classics like old-school Resident Evil and Silent Hill, the past five years have been an absolute wonder. Iconic franchises have been getting revived one after another, and there have been more promising horror games to look forward to on the horizon than ever.
Just this year alone, we’ve seen the release of the Dead Space and Resident Evil 4 remakes. And before you start wagging your finger at me, yes, I know they’re remakes of much older games, but hear me out. How long has it been since we’ve gotten to play a modern survival horror game that actually prioritizes resource and inventory management?
For a solid few years now, the horror genre was largely saturated with the hide and observe style of horror game. We had the likes of Amnesia, Outlast, and Alien: Isolation firmly planted in the spotlight and at the center of discussion among fans of the genre.
All of them are solid horror games — don’t get me wrong — but by and large, they followed the same formula: Get dropped into a new spooky environment, walk around and hide from the baddies, run if you get spotted, and rinse and repeat until you reach the end of the game.
The strength of these games lied in their stories, and they shouldn’t be faulted for that. I’m a firm believer that the best types of horror are always psychological. That said, what’s so great about the horror genre is that it can make the viewer or the player feel empowered, too.
Enter the survival horror genre and its offerings over the past few years. Capcom’s Resident Evil series entered its latest renaissance era with Resident Evil VII, where it finally felt like inventory management was a thing again. That game brought together the best of both worlds: you were still forced to run away from the unkillable baddies, but you weren’t defenseless either. You could gather resources and weapons to give yourself a fighting chance against your foes, and it’s not an instant game over if you do happen to get caught.
Then, we saw the release of Resident Evil 2 Remake, and within 2023 alone, we’ve also gotten remakes of Dead Space and Resident Evil 4. All of these games understand the importance of setting the mood and creating atmospheric tension, but also making sure that the player is never completely helpless.
There’s a reason why the most popular horror movies always end with the final girl turning the tables on her pursuer in the last act. It’s satisfying to be able to face your fears and topple the big bad in the end. It’s the Resident Evil equivalent of getting a giant rocket launcher at the end and finishing off the final boss with a single rocket.
Perhaps more exciting is the upcoming release of Remedy Entertainment’s Alan Wake II. Originally released for the Xbox 360, Alan Wake became something of a cult hit before garnering more mainstream attention thanks to its unique approach to storytelling and its major Stephen King vibes. More importantly, it also stood out from the Amnesias of 2010, bringing back survival horror elements and an innovative mechanic in having to weaken your enemies with a flashlight before blasting them.
Alan Wake II brings back many of those same elements, but with a dual protagonist system and, more importantly, resource management as well as the ability to fight back.
This isn’t to say that the survival horror subgenre should be the end-all-be-all of horror. 2023 also saw the release of the Layers of Fear remake and more fringe titles like Dredge, which introduces Lovecraftian horror elements in a fishing simulator. Looking even further out, Konami seems committed to bringing Silent Hill back as well; not just as a remake of Silent Hill 2, but through other narrative-driven subgenres like Silent Hill: Townfall, too.
Instead, I just hope this means the genre will hold onto its diverse field of offerings and finally achieve another lasting period of innovation. The horror genre has felt way too oversaturated with one style of game for far too long, and 2023 finally feels like a turning point where we’re getting a good variety of games within the genre, meaning there’s always something you can enjoy.
Whether it’s taking a slow walk through the mind of a demented artist, fishing in dark corners, or blasting your way through zombies wondering when you’ll make it to the next save point, we’re firmly in a golden age of horror games. And that feels great.
