Summary
- The Typing Of The Dead offers a unique combination of survival horror and educational gameplay.
- Curse: The Eye Of Isis provides an underrated Victorian-era survival horror experience.
- Resident Evil 4 sets the standard for zombie games on the PS2 with its action-oriented gameplay.
Zombie games can be traced all the way back to the early days of gaming in the 80s. While children were playing games such as Super Mario Bros., older gamers would be delving into titles such as Zombi for the taste of bloody undead action. And of course, the genre showed no signs of slowing down when gaming entered the era of the PS2, which became a console famously remembered for its vast selection of horror titles.
Best PS2 Horror Games
These horror games from the PlayStation 2 are the genre's best titles from the console's era.
Franchises such as Resident Evil were really hitting their stride, resulting in newer titles continuing the stories of beloved characters such aLeon and Claire, with plenty of one-shots to offer some healthy competition. For fans of zombie classics such as this, here are some of the best zombie games on the PS2.
5 The Typing Of The Dead
An Edutainment Game With Plenty Of Fun Humor
- Platforms: Arcade, Dreamcast, PC, PS2
- Released: January 23rd, 2001
- Developer: WOW Entertainment, Smilebit
- Genres: Survival Horror, Educational
Survival horror and educational aren't genres that ever go together, making The Typing of the Dead a truly unique entry in video game history. A spoof of the similarly titled The House of the Dead, players will confront hordes of flesh-hungry creatures armed not with guns, but with keyboards. That visual is probably enough to draw up a quizzical eyebrow and maybe even half a chuckle, but playing it is a completely novel experience that won't soon be forgotten.
The Typing games are often used to teach children computer literacy, helping them to learn how to type faster and with greater accuracy, but adding zombies into the mix might make this something that won't be used in an educational curriculum anytime soon. Luckily enough for gamers, it has enough fun and laughs for use outside of school.
4 Curse: The Eye Of Isis
An Ancient Curse Awakens Evil Undead
- Platforms: PC, Xbox, PS2
- Release Date: October 20th, 2003
- Developer: Asylum Entertainment
- Genre: Survival Horror
Curse: The Eye of Isis is an underrated gem of a game set within the Victorian era. In this game, Darien Dane meets up with his childhood friend Elizabeth Sutton to visit the Egyptian exhibit that has just arrived at the British Museum. But oppurtunistic thieves broke in the night before the exhibit, stealing the priceless object that was the heart of the collection--the Eye of Isis. Stealing the eye has unwittingly unleashed terrible evil in the form of undead creatures.
Terrifying Horror Games Set in the Victorian Era
Step into the pages of a penny dreadful through these horrifying Victorian horror games that transport players straight into the 19th century.
Trapped in the confines of the museum, Darien must fend off undead creatures as he seeks to save his friend Elizabeth and end the ravages of the curse. Along with gun gameplay to stave off the beasts, the player must also monitor their resources thanks to the ammo scarcity, and the fixed camera angles that were all the rage of this era are on full display, hiding what might lurk around the next corner. Curse: The Eye of Isis is definitely a game worthy of rediscovery by fans of this era of horror gaming.
3 Siren
The Unique Sight-Jacking Mechanic Makes This Game A Stand-Out Entry
Siren
- Released
- April 20, 2004
- Developer(s)
- Japan Studio
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
In the fictional town of Hanuda, an earthquake shook the region and had some very unforeseen consequences. The residents of the town began to show changes, including violent tendencies and a decline of cognitive function. Now, they are zombie-like creatures dubbed Shibito. Multiple characters must contend with these creatures if they hope to leave Hanuda alive.
Siren actively discourages combat with the creatures, as they are strong and have the resilience most video game zombies do. Instead, players must stealth around them by crouching to muffle their movements, find hiding places, and use the sight-jacking mechanic, allowing them to see what the nearby Shibito does so they know when to move and when to stay still. It's a unique and novel mode of gameplay that adds that little something special to Siren.
2 Darkwatch
Join The Undead To Defeat Them
Darkwatch: Curse Of The West
- Released
- August 12, 2005
- Developer(s)
- High Moon Studios
- Platform(s)
- PS2, Xbox (Original)
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Western, Survival Horror
An often overlooked title when discussing either vampires or zombies, Darkwatch submerges its players into a world of both, starring Jericho Cross, a wanted outlaw who operates in a vampire-hunting company where the game derived its name from. In a twist of irony, the vampire hunter actually becomes one of the bloodthirsty creatures of the night himself, and he will travel far and wide on a perilous quest to stop the evil he unwittingly unleashed.
But this western horror shooter doesn't just feature vampires. Other creatures risen from the grave, namely zombies, stand between Jericho and his victory. And his fights for supremacy will differ thanks to an implemented day and night cycle, in which the daylight suppresses his vampiric nature, forcing him to fight like an ordinary human. Once the moon rises once more, gamers can once more tap into his powers and experience thrilling vampiric gameplay as they cut through the hordes standing in their way.
1 Resident Evil 4
A Seminal Entry In The Resident Evil Franchise
Resident Evil 4
Though most gamers would now think of the remake when discussing Resident Evil 4, the original is just as worthy of accolades, as it laid down all the groundwork. Tasked with traveling to a remote Spanish village to rescue Ashley Graham, the President's daughter, Leon uncovers a plot of global domination via Las Plagas, a parasite that infects and transforms its host. On his mission, he encounters ganados, cultists, and more monsters than he can shake a chicken's egg at.
Resident Evil 4 changed the franchise, going for a third-person over the shoulder camera and opting for more focus on action. Arguably, the game retains some of its tense atmosphere when in the confines of the brooding castle, and who could ever forget the Regeneradores in the prison segment? For this excellent combination of scares and gameplay, Resident Evil 4 more than deserves to be bestowed with the title of the best zombie game on the PS2.
7 Best Nintendo 64 Games For Horror Fans
The Nintendo 64 is known for being a family console, but there is a selection of horror-based games that stand out, from Castlevania to Resident Evil.