Sixth Generation Horror Games
Silent Hill 2 (PS2/Xbox, 2001)
Silent Hill 2 is the magnum opus of the Silent Hill franchise, and it is maybe the greatest horror game ever made.
It’s not just a game about bashing demonic beings (although that is hella fun). It explores the themes of identity, diving deep into the tormented past of James Sunderland and bringing to life his innermost fears right before his eyes. It’s a twisted tale that still disturbs us.
One word of warning, try to avoid the HD collection on PS3 and Xbox 360; they were infamously botched.
Fatal Frame (PS2, 2001)
Despite what the title screen of the US version will tell you, Fatal Frame is not based on a true story. To be honest, it doesn’t matter if its based on a true story or not, the pixels on the TV screen are still frightening as all hell.
Fatal Frame introduces a really cool mechanic that sets it apart from all other horror games: the Camera Obscura. You have to take photographs of ghosts in order to capture and purify their spirits, forcing you to look them right in the eyes even if you don’t want to.
The series uses typical Japanese horror, so if you’re freaked out by films like The Ring and The Grudge, you might want to give this one a miss.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem (GC, 2002)
Eternal Darkness is a great game overall, but there is one mechanic that stands out above all: the sanity meter.
The sanity meter is separate from your health and can be drained on its own. When it gets too low, different fourth wall-breaking sanity effects will begin to occur. For example, your head might just fall off. That’s it. Bye, head.
The effect that drove me crazy was the game pretending to delete my save. Turns out it was all a trick, but it’s probably the most scared I’ve been in any game ever.
If you ever truly want to mess with a person’s heart, go for their save data.
Resident Evil 4 (GC/PS2, 2005)
Resident Evil 4 was a very important game for the horror genre, for better or for worse, depending on your tastes.
Resident Evil 4 was quite a bit different to previous entries. Combat was now done from an over-the-shoulder, third-person perspective, and the amount of enemies was dramatically increased.
The game seamlessly blended action with survival horror, broadening the appeal of the series and making it one of the highest-rated games of all time.
