Summary
- Realistic horror games can tap into our deep fears by incorporating elements that could actually happen, making them even more terrifying.
- Games like The Suffering, At Dead of Night, and Condemned: Criminal Origins skillfully blend realism and fantasy to create chilling experiences.
- The Last of Us takes a grounded approach to the zombie genre, introducing a horrifying creature based on a real-life fungus that controls dead insects.
Horror games are designed to prey on the fears of readers, tapping into themes that are widely feared, such as death, the afterlife, darkness, or abandoned places that aren't quite as empty as players hope. Though these elements might be too far-fetched to be real, they can still create an atmosphere of terror, but what about games that take a more realistic approach?
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Horror should tackle what makes gamers scream in terror, including more realistic elements as these can add more fear due to the thought that these events could possibly occur, and that is what these following games master with near perfection.
7 The Suffering
The Suffering
- Released
- March 9, 2004
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS2, Xbox (Original)
- Developer
- Surreal Software
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror, Shooter
Crimes such as murdering one's entire family seem like something one would remember, but not death-row prisoner Torque, who cannot remember killing his own ex-wife and two children. That premise alone might be enough to make people shiver as they imagine themselves in Torque's shoes, but there is more horror to come in The Suffering.
An earthquake that shakes the entire prison frees the inmates, but also unleashes quite literal merry hell on them, as a number of supernatural creatures descend upon them to kill them as they are making their escape. Though these elements of The Suffering lack realism, the fear that one could commit a grievous crime and lose everything is a very real fear that a lot of people harbor.
6 At Dead Of Night
At Dead of Night
In most horror games, the spirits of the departed are what the players need to fear, as they will do their damnedest to have the player character join them in the afterlife. But, in the FMV horror game At Dead of Night, it is the murderous hotel owner Jimmy they must be on the lookout for.
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On their way to a musical festival, Maya is separated from her friends on the road but is given directions to the hotel they have decided to stay in for the night. Upon arriving, she meets the eccentric hotel proprietor Jimmy and things only get stranger. Using a specialized piece of equipment, Maya communicates with the dead who are Jimmy's past victims, and while hunting these ghosts, she must avoid the psychotic owner before she becomes his next victim.
5 Condemned: Criminal Origins
Condemned: Criminal Origins
What twists the mind of an ordinary human into a serial killer?
Assigned to the Serial Crimes Unit, Agent Ethan Thomas must answer this question, and bring the worst of society to justice. His solve rate is the best in the bureau....perhaps too good.
While investigating the growing list of serial killers, Agent Thomas concludes that something is twisting the bodies and souls of those that society has left behind. The homeless, addicted and deranged are rising from the city’s underbelly and committing mindless acts of violence. Could there be an unseen connection between the increasing brutality of the latest serial killings and the increasing crime rate? This question is pushed to the forefront after Agent Thomas is framed for the murder of two police officers. Now he must solve the murders to stop the killings, and exonerate himself from the crimes of which he is accused.
As FBI agent Ethan Thomas, you rely on sharp instincts and sophisticated forensic tools to investigate crime scenes, collect evidence, and find clues that will lead you to the killers. With danger lurking in every shadow, you need whatever weapons you can find to stay alive. If you run out of bullets, you’ll have to fight with a fire axe, shovel, pipe, two-by-four, or whatever you can pry from the environment around you. You’ll need to make sure nothing stops you as you try to uncover exactly who...or what is behind the grisly killings plaguing the city.
With influence from movies such as Silence of the Lambs and Seven, Condemned: Criminal Origins teeters on the edge between realism and fantasy. Players take on the role of Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent investigating a string of murderers and on trying to catch the culprit dubbed the Match Maker, only to be the one framed for the murders of his colleagues.
On the path to find the killer, Ethan will explore many eerie abandoned buildings that may not quite be abandoned as they seem, with most inhabited by 'Addicts', which are the most common non-boss type of enemy. Exploring abandoned buildings and being given a less than royal welcome by the people the squat there is a very real fear Condemned does a good job of incorporating.
4 Lorelai
Lorelai
By the same people behind the disturbing game The Cat Lady, Lorelai is another horror game smothered in atmospheres of dread. The game follows the tale of the titular heroine stuck in an apartment with a deadbeat mother, abusive step-father and baby step-sibling. She dreams of running away with her siblings and giving them both a better life but instead ends up working with the devil to save the lives of those she cares about.
The more human aspects of Lorelai's story are rooted in realism, representing very real struggles some people have to deal with every day in their lives. Although there are frightening supernatural elements to Lorelai, the harsh reality of her life is by far the most horrifying aspect of the game.
3 Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2
THE SILENCE IS BROKEN...
James Sunderland's life is shattered when his young wife Mary suffers a tragic death. Three years later, a mysterious letter arrives from Mary, beckoning him to return to their sanctuary of memories, the dark realm of Silent Hill.
Now James must go back to that special place to uncover the truth, unaware that the answers he seeks require the ultimate sacrifice.
• Return to Silent Hill in an entirely new adventure with all-new characters and monsters.
• Battle horrifying creatures with a new arsenal of weapons and items.
• Riveting storyline, stunning graphics and true-to-life CG movies leave you on the edge of your seat.
• Atmospheric lighting and ambient 3D surround sound shift and change at each terrifying turn.
• Dynamic camera angles, beautifully rendered environments, and real-time weather effects deliver a cinematic horror experience.
- Released
- September 25, 2001
- Developer(s)
- Team Silent
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2, Xbox (Original), PC
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Konami's second title in the Silent Hill series diverges from the plot that was laid down in the original game, and instead opts for a more intimate and personal story steeped in tragedy, courtesy of the protagonist James Sunderland.
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The titular town was a place of importance to James and his late wife Mary, who died of disease three years prior, but James received a letter from her asking him to meet her in their special place. As James explores this misty town, memories return to him, and eventually lead to him confronting that he was the one responsible for the death of his wife. Despite the monsters that infest the town, James's suppressed memories and buried guilt are very real story beats that add a layer of tragedy.
2 Manhunt
Manhunt
They just killed Cash. Now, they want to kill him again.
America is full of run down, broken rust-belt towns where nobody cares and anything goes. In Carcer City, nothing matters anymore and all that's left are cheap thrills. The ultimate rush is the power to grant life and take it away, for sport. This time James Earl Cash, you are the sport. They gave you your life back. Now, they are going to hunt you down.
You awake to the sound of your own panicked breath. You must run, hide and fight to survive. If you can stay alive long enough, you may find out who did this to you.
This is a brutal blood sport.
Players step in the shoes of a failed executed death-row inmate, who awakens with a voice calling himself the Director and orders him to murder hunters in specific locations. In return, Cash is promised his freedom. The player will spend the duration of the game traveling across the corrupt and crime-rife Carcer City delivering some bloody justice to these hunters. As one might expect, the Director inevitably betrays Cash, who swears his revenge.
A city rife with crime who hunt criminals isn't too far-fetched and seems real enough to warrant it being banned in countries such as the UK and New Zealand. As such, Manhunt definitely isn't one for the faint of heart.
1 The Last of Us
The Last of Us
- Released
- June 14, 2013
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
The Last of Us is undoubtedly one of the best zombie games in the entire genre, taking a more gritty and grounded approach to the idea of a zombie apocalypse. In the first game, one of the survivors Joel takes on the task of escorting young Ellie across dangerous territory to return her to a group of survivors known as the Fireflies. She is thought to be a cure for the infection, meaning the continued existence of humanity could hinge on her.
What makes The Last of Us such an unsettling game is the Clicker, the moniker given to the fungal undead creatures that rely on sound to hunt their prey. It is based on a real fungus known as Ophiocordyceps, a parasite that can control the bodies of dead insects. Thankfully, scientists believe it is not communicable for humans, but the idea is still terrifying enough, and not outside the basis of reality.