Summary
- The Quarry by Supermassive delivers an enthralling horror adventure with plenty of creative freedom.
- Outlast 2 is creepier than its predecessor, with a disturbing narrative and enemies, amazing fans.
- Little Nightmares 2 retains horror elements with improved gameplay and frightening enemies, a worthy successor.
While there are many hotly anticipated open-world games and FPS titles being released every few weeks, horror games are more of a rarity. Because there are far fewer games in this genre available on the market, it means that when a promising new horror title is on the horizon, it can be easy for people to get extremely hyped for the nightmarish adventure that they'll soon be able to dive into.
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Whether or not a game can meet these standards is another matter entirely, though, which is why it's always a welcome surprise when one comes along now and again that truly blows away all expectations. With the staggering amount of buzz surrounding these games thanks to the trailers and developer comments leading up to their release, it's a miracle these games turned out to be so beloved, with many now considered to be classics in the genre.
7 The Quarry
Supermassive Put Out Yet Another Enthralling Story-Driven Horror Game That Gives Players Plenty Of Creative Freedom
The Quarry
- Released
- June 10, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mild Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Supermassive Games
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Until Dawn ended up being the game that put Supermassive on many people's radar, and while they have released several excellent titles since then, it felt for a while that none could ever reach the heights of their first horror game. However, while the anthology games were essentially presented as side projects, The Quarry was another big and ambitious title that fans were hyped to jump into, especially because of how many choices and potential outcomes were seemingly going to be available.
Everyone was watching The Quarry with bated breath, wondering whether it would really be this grand and epic horror adventure that Supermassive were promising, and the good news is, it more than delivered. With a sizable cast of main characters, multiple mysterious killers, and choices that can completely change the course of the story, the majority of Supermassive fans were happy with what the developers had managed to cook up, easily being their best title since Until Dawn.
6 Outlast 2
Somehow, The Sequel To Outlast Ended Up Being Even Creepier Than The Original
Outlast 2
- Released
- April 25, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Red Barrels
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Outlast managed to raise the tension and keep things scary by making players dependent on the camera to see through the dark, and the fact that Miles is a defenseless protagonist. Simply put, it's a bone-chilling game to play, so it's understandable why people were so excited for the sequel, even though the standards had already been set pretty high.
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The sequel goes all-in with its story and narrative, throwing in plenty of disturbing enemies and themes that make the game extremely memorable, especially the High School sections, which are pure nightmare fuel to play through. Despite the doubts, Outlast 2 managed to come out swinging, with some fans even considering it superior to the classic original title.
5 Little Nightmares 2
The Sequel To Little Nightmares Retained The Horror While Improving On The Core Gameplay
Little Nightmares 2
- Released
- February 10, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Tarsier Studios, Supermassive Games
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror, Puzzle, Action
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Little Nightmares managed to really make a name for itself in the horror space thanks to its unique 2D gameplay style, paired with the freakish enemy designs, which linger in the brain long after the credits roll. It was therefore a real treat for fans when the second game, which was a topic of much discussion and speculation leading up to release, turned out to be an excellent successor, full of creepy bosses and unexpected scares.
While Six, the protagonist in the first game, is back in action, Mono is also along for the ride, allowing many of the areas and puzzles to be a bit more engaging thanks to having two characters on screen at once and also having more puzzles. As if the enemies in the original weren't already scary-looking enough, the "humans" in Little Nightmares 2 are on a whole different level, especially the long-necked teacher who can easily snoop out Six and Mono, no matter where they try to hide.
4 Dead Space Remake
A Frightening, Fun, And All-So-Immersive Reimagining Of The Iconic Survival Horror Gem
Dead Space
- Released
- January 27, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Rated M for Mature for Blood and Gore, Strong Language, and Intense Violence.
- Developer(s)
- EA Motive
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
After the divisive action-oriented third game in the series, it seemed as though the highly influential Dead Space franchise was over for good, considering it had been dormant for several years. After an enormous outcry from fans to see the series come back, a remake was announced to be in the works, and to say people were hyped would be putting it mildly.
With the Dead Space Remake, developers Motive decided to remove the loading screens altogether, making the USG Ishimura one giant explorable area, which, when paired with the jaw-dropping graphics, makes the game feel much more realistic and immersive. The Necromorphs are also just as terrifying as they were back in 2008, but the addition of extra abilities for each weapon freshens up the gameplay just enough, without making Isaac feel too overpowered.
3 Resident Evil 7
Resident Evil 7 Succeeded In Revitalizing The Series And Bringing Back Many Longtime Fans
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
- Released
- January 24, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror, Psychological Horror, First-Person
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
For many fans of the series, Resident Evil 6 seemed like the final nail in the coffin. The game implied that Capcom was happy to go even further into the action genre, much to the dismay of many players who enjoyed the slower and more methodical style of the classics. However, this more traditional type of gameplay was shown off in Capcom's very bizarre Kitchen demo, so when it was revealed this was actually a teaser for Resident Evil 7, it provided a glimmer of hope that the series might actually be returning to its roots.
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Thankfully, the game more than lived up to expectations and is often credited as the game that revitalized the series, thanks to its focus on creating a spooky atmosphere and making players feel like they're on the back foot the entire time. Telling a brand-new story also allowed Resident Evil 7 to feel like something fresh and unique, and while the Kitchen demo got people pumped, Capcom made sure that the fans got exactly what they wanted.
2 Alan Wake 2
Remedy Went Above And Beyond With The Sequel To Alan's Classic Adventure
Alan Wake 2
- Released
- October 27, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Remedy Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
What made the original Alan Wake so memorable for a lot of people was the complex and intriguing story, which centers around one of Alan's novels coming to life before his eyes. More than a decade after its release, many people assumed that was as far as Alan's story would go, but out of nowhere, at the 2021 Game Awards, a reveal trailer features an older and stern-looking Alan Wake showing up out of nowhere.
Considering Remedy had pumped out plenty of incredible titles since the first Alan Wake was released, people expected big things from Alan Wake 2, but nobody could have imagined just how far the developers would go to make this something truly special. While Alan Wake 2 retains the classic gameplay loop of scavenging supplies and holding off creepy enemies, the inclusion of the Mind Place and Writer's Room adds a more psychological angle to the game, making it a very immersive one-of-a-kind experience.
1 The Last Of Us Part 2
Excellent Gameplay, Jaw-Dropping Graphics, And An Incredibly Compelling Story
The Last of Us Part 2
- Released
- June 19, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Saying that hype levels were running high leading up to the release of The Last of Us Part 2 would be a massive understatement. After the immense success of the first game, Naughty Dog knew they had a lot on their shoulders to ensure the sequel was just as fun to play, and thankfully, they knocked it out of the park. The core gameplay has been greatly enhanced for the sequel, allowing players to move around their environment in plenty of different ways, including being able to go prone, which allows for more stealth.
On the other hand, the game also provides a ton of enemy diversity to ensure things never feel predictable or stale, and with a story that is packed full of twists and turns, there's never any telling what's going to happen next in Ellie and Abby's adventures. Fans were eager for The Last of Us' hotly anticipated sequel to finally hit store shelves, and once it did, many were happy to find out that the game was well worth the wait.
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