Horror, since the early days of the video games medium, has been a fan-favourite genre for gamers and a true cornerstone of the industry. The visceral experience provided by the medium of video games translates to a horror experience that is nigh unparalleled as games have the ability to bring the player into the experience as opposed to them being an audience.
As a result, over the last few decades, gamers have been able to dive headfirst into visceral horror experiences ranging from taking on vicious aliens in space, fighting off hoards of zombies, or taking on paranormal forces of all kinds. Here, we will take a look at some of the best horror games that are currently available on PC and other platforms like PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and more and what makes them especially terrifying.
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Best Horror Games for PC, Console to Try Out in 2022
- F.E.A.R
- Resident Evil 7 Biohazard
- Dying Light 2: Stay Human
- SOMA
- Little Nightmares
- Bloodborne
- The Evil Within 2
- Martha is Dead
F.E.A.R
The F.E.A.R franchise got off to a great start with the release of the original, developed by Monolith Productions, back in 2005. The game was an instant hit as players marvelled over the advanced enemy AI that would counter the players’ moves and flank them in ways that gamers had never seen before.
However, at the heart of the game was the series’ mascot, the terrifying Alma Wade, who haunted the player consistently through the game and inflicted all sorts of psychological torment. F.E.A.R is one of those games that can creep up on the player on the back of some extremely effective atmospheric horror which is broken up by intense FPS action.
The game is easily one of the most effective horror games that have surprisingly aged fairly well. The enemy AI does a great job of keeping things interesting while the game’s brilliant sound design and visual storytelling relays a sense of dread that few games can match.
Price in India
The game is priced in India at Rs 1,079.
Availability:
You can download F.E.A.R from Steam as it is currently available on PC.
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard
Resident Evil 7 was a true return to form for a franchise that had somewhat lost steam as it resembled an action game more than horror as Resident Evil 6 rolled around. While Resident Evil Village is the more recent entry in the series, in many ways, Resident Evil 7 might have an edge on its sequel in terms of true horror.
What Resident Evil 7 does extremely well is balance the tone between terrifying body horror, atmospheric horror, and occasional moments of camp. This is the edge it has over the sequel as Village leaned heavily into camp territory and lost out on some of the horror elements of the game.
Resident Evil 7 is a true spiritual successor to Resident Evil 4, which is considered by many to be one of the best horror games of all time. The game puts players in control of Ethan, an ordinary man with no weapons training whatsoever up against forces of paranormal nature far beyond his capabilities. The game might feel a bit overwhelming at first, but that is precisely the point of horror.
Price in India:
The game is priced for PC at Rs 1,799 on Steam. PS4/PS5 players can pick up the game for Rs 1,499. Additionally, the game is also available on the PS Plus Collection on the PS5.
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard is available for Rs 1,500 on Xbox One, Series X/S and Windows PC. Game Pass subscribers will have access to the game for free.
Availability
The game is available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 4/5(through Backwards Compatibility).
Dying Light 2: Stay Human
Dying Light 2 is a curious case, mostly because, much like the original, the game is really one of two halves. While the daytime is for parkour and all sorts of action set-pieces with human enemies, nighttime is meant for pure zombie horror.
While there is an emphasis on combat more than horror, Dying Light 2 can be especially scary during nighttime. The terrifying hoards of the undead have the ability to gang up and flank from all directions and surprise attack the player out of nowhere. If not equipped particularly well, the player will be caught rather off-guard by just how intense the undead of Dying Light 2 can be.
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The game is a fantastic open-world title that despite its wide, open-ended approach, can often feel claustrophobic in certain sections and ramp up the horror in ways that will surprise players.
Price in India:
The game is available on PC through Steam and priced at Rs 2,999. PS4/PS5 players can pick up the game from the PlayStation Store for Rs 3,999 and Xbox Series X/S, One users can pick up the game for Rs 3,990 from the Microsoft Store.
Availability:
The game is available on PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Windows PC.
SOMA
From the makers of modern horror classic Amnesia: The Dark Descent, SOMA is, in anyways, the perfect horror game for fans who enjoy the scares along with a well-told story. SOMA is a fantastic horror experience that puts players in a situation far beyond their control and with virtually no way to defend themselves.
The game even adds a ‘Safe Mode’ where the enemy AI won’t attack players. Yet, despite that, the game never fails to terrify players and instil a sense of dread that few other games can match. SOMA masterfully skirts the line between horror and stealth and delivers an experience that will stay with the player long after the credits roll.
For players looking for a horror game that doesn’t compromise either with the story or the scares, SOMA is the perfect title.
Price in India:
The game is priced at Rs 729 on Steam and Rs 2,372 on the PlayStation Store for PS4/PS5 users.
Availability:
The game can be purchased on Steam for PC and PlayStation Store for PS4/PS5 users.
Little Nightmares
Little Nightmares, on the face of it, might appear to be a relatively scare-free title that is more ‘charming’ than ‘terrifying’. However, only a couple of stages into the game, the player will realize that the game isn’t exactly as harmless as it might appear.
The game takes a considerable amount of inspiration from games like INSIDE and LIMBO, but does not feel derivative of those great titles. Little Nightmares is a 2D platformer, puzzle game that can terrify players beyond belief.
The game uses environments and clever tricks to deliver scares in ways players will not expect. Little Nightmares is extremely effective as a horror game, and additionally, it is also an equally challenging puzzle game that will have you racking your brains for hours on end.
Price in India:
The game can be purchased on Steam for Rs 565 while the PlayStation version is priced at Rs 1,900. Xbox users can pick up the game from the Microsoft Store for Rs 1,900.
Availability:
Little Nightmares is available on PC through Steam. The game is available on PS4/PS5 through the PlayStation Store and on Xbox One, Serie X/S through the Microsoft Store.
Bloodborne
Bloodborne is FromSoftware’s love letter to HP Lovecraft’s cosmic horror tales that have achieved iconic status in literature. The game is a typical FromSoftware title, which means that it doesn’t sacrifice challenge for the sake of playability and it is thoroughly uncompromising in every way.
In the game, players play the role of a Hunter, charged with ridding the streets of Yharnam of infected people, beasts, and all manner of cosmic beings. The game starts off fairly small-scale, with the players taking on hoards of angry infected city folk, but soon enough, players will be battling 60ft tall cosmic beings.
The game puts a clear emphasis on horror, more so than any other FromSoftware title and Yharnam is a truly terrifying place. The horror comes not just from the terrifying designs of these creatures, but also from the sense of dread that players can lose all of their progress should they die before reaching a save point.
Bloodborne is one of the best games available on the PlayStation 4 and a must-play for fans of horror.
Price in India:
The game is priced at Rs 1,499 for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Availability:
The game is a PlayStation exclusive, meaning, the game is only available on the PS4/PS5 through the PlayStation Store.
The Evil Within 2
The Evil Within 2, developed by Tango Gameworks, is perhaps one of the most ‘slept-on’ horror video games of the last decade. A sequel to 2014’s The Evil Within, the game truly captures the heart of what makes an exciting horror game. The game masterfully balances action and horror to deliver an effective environment that is chock-full of scares and terrifying set-pieces.
Players can employ different tactics to engage with the enemy as they are provided with the option of both loud combat and stealth. Because of the player’s choice of abilities and resources, The Evil Within 2 can be a lot more open-ended than fans might expect from horror games.
The Evil Within 2 carefully adds plenty of RPG elements to the mix to keep things interesting. While the story can get a bit consulted at times, the horror aspect of the game never seems to take a hit. The Evil Within 2 is a truly terrifying game that needs to be talked about way more than it is now.
Price in India:
The game is priced variably for different platforms. The PC version of the game can be purchased from Steam for Rs 1,999. PS4/PS5 users can pick up the game for Rs 2,999 while Xbox users can pick it up for Rs 2,499.
Availability:
The game is available on PC through Steam, on PS4/PS5 through the PlayStation Store and on Xbox Series X/S, One, through the Microsoft Store.
Additionally, Xbox Game Pass subscribers can download the game at no additional cost.
Martha is Dead
Martha is Dead is an upcoming horror survival game in first-person set in 1944 Italy. The game is currently scheduled to come out on February 24, 2022 but before the release, the game is already shrouded in an air of controversy.
Mainly because news broke out that certain sections of the game will be censored on both the PS5 and PS5. While that certainly is disappointing that certain creative choices will be curbed, it also helps create an air of mystique around the game. The game is being developed by Italian studio LKA and will be available on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
It is still unclear as to what exactly is being censored so it will definitely be a curious thing to discover when the game is out on all platforms. From the promotional material, it looks like Martha is Dead one horror game to keep an eye on.
Price in India:
The game is available on PC through the Epic Games Store and Steam. The Epic Games Store is currently running a 10% discount offer on the pre-order of the game, which means the game is available for pre-order for Rs 638.
The Digital Deluxe Edition of the game is available for pre-order on the PlayStation Store for Rs 1,999. The pricing of the game on Xbox in India hasn’t been announced yet.
Availability
The game will be available on PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store, on PS4/PS5 through the PlayStation Store, and on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S through the Microsoft Store.
