Summary
- Exploiting enemy AI and game mechanics in horror games is essential to making combat more manageable.
- Players can use tricks and exploits to maximize damage output and deal with challenging boss encounters effectively.
- Some horror games offer mechanics that can be exploited to players' advantage for easier progression and better results.
For some players, horror gaming can seem intimidating to get into, but these titles have everything from amazing stories to compelling gameplay loops that keep them coming back for more. When the scares are done well, certain horror games that hit the right notes end up becoming major hits.
Players especially love horror games that have mechanics they can exploit to their advantage. It may seem unfair at first, but players who are struggling in these games will love making the most of certain exploits. Going into any of these horror games, these are details players should be aware of.
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Boss fights are typically a culmination in RPGs, but in the following games, they're the main focus of the gameplay.
8 Bloodborne
Stagger Enemies With Bullets To The Face
Bloodborne
- Released
- March 24, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
Bloodborne is one of the best FromSoftware games ever made, with many people considering it to be Miyazaki's magnum opus. The combat can be pretty brutal and fast-paced, but there's a simple way that players can get themselves some breathing room.
Players are encouraged to blast an enemy's face with a bullet whenever they get too combo-hungry. This can potentially stagger the opponent for a Visceral Attack, which is a mechanic that players must exploit on enemies and bosses alike to make things easier for themselves. Using this mechanic repeatedly can make hard fights much easier.
7 Sunless Skies
Optimizing Easy Trade Routes & Goading Enemy Attacks
Sunless Skies
- Released
- January 31, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Blood, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
Sunless Skies is an excellent sequel, but one that can be very challenging if players don't try to make use of certain exploits. Optimizing trade routes and hoarding cash is one way to get better at this game, and that's just one of the many exploits players can use.
When it comes to combat, players must goad enemies into attacks to exploit openings and figure out ways to optimize their investment and upgrade their ship. Learning how to make the most of what the game offers is imperative if players want to reach one of the many ending goals that they set for themselves.
6 Omori
Manipulate Emotions To Max Out Damage
OMORI
- Released
- December 25, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
Omori is one of the scariest RPGs that players can check out, hiding behind a cute disguise that helps its psychological horror stand out even more. A huge part of the combat system is the emotions that the titular character and his friends can experience during combat.
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Players who want to make the most of a character's abilities and enhance either their defense or offense should exploit these emotions as much as they can. This ensures that the game's challenging bosses won't be too hot to handle.
5 The Last Of Us Part 2
Trick Enemies In Tense Encounters
The Last of Us Part 2
- Released
- June 19, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
The Last of Us Part 2 boasts action-packed gameplay that's a notable step above its predecessor. Players have numerous options in both stealth and combat that they should utilize in combat to obliterate both infected and human enemies.
Using bricks and bottles to stun opponents, setting up effective traps, and splitting up big groups are all strategies that must be exploited for players to trivialize the game. The game encourages all of this, but effectively employing these mechanics also diffuses a lot of tension from these encounters and makes things easier to manage.
4 BioShock
With Better Plasmids, Big Daddies Can Be Humiliated To Death
BioShock
- Released
- August 21, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- FPS
The player's first encounter with a Big Daddy in BioShock is bound to be a terrifying moment, especially since they'll have limited weapons and plasmids to rely on at this point. The same can't be said for the late-game encounters, which can turn the toughest enemy in the game into a joke.
Spamming trap rivets is a great example. Players can goad the Big Daddy to charge at them, only for this enemy to be taken out in one fell swoop. This is just one of the many ways to make the Big Daddy manageable in BioShock. Others involve the use of the environment and crafty plasmid usage to make things easier.
3 Inscryption
Exploiting The Game Is Necessary For Kaycee's Mod
Inscryption
- Released
- October 19, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike, Deckbuilding
Inscryption is one of the most shocking horror games fans can enjoy, with every part of the game boasting something new and exciting. After players reach completion, the game introduces Kaycee's Mod, which is easily the hardest challenge in the game. Exploits become necessary to succeed, such as keeping a lean deck and using a buffed Mantis God to wreak havoc. This ensures that players can unleash a steady stream of damage and win encounters before they become too hot to handle.
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2 System Shock 2
On Impossible Difficulty, Exploits Are Recommended
System Shock 2
- Released
- August 11, 1999
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, FPS
System Shock 2 has numerous difficulty levels. Among these, Impossible is such a major challenge that players outright recommend exploits to make things manageable. This starts in the tutorial itself, where players must use some quick key presses to keep the items they pick up during training.
Quick saving and menu-escaping are also required to max out a player's stats before the game even starts. It may seem unfair, but the lack of resources and low survival chances on Impossible make it so that the game is challenging even after these exploits.
1 Prey
Tricking Enemy AI Makes Even The Fearsome Nightmare Trivial To Defeat
Prey
- Released
- May 5, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Prey is one of the most underrated immersive sims, and more people need to check it out. Morgan Yu's adventures become deadlier as tougher Typhons arrive to put a stop to his exploration aboard the Talos I Space Station.
Eventually, players will attain the means to outsmart and defeat the most powerful Typhon, the Nightmare. Facing off against a foe players had to avoid for the most part is very satisfying. The fight rewards players for exploiting the Nightmare's AI and using their hardest-hitting weapons to unleash a steady stream of damage.
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