Summary

  • Horror games on PS3 are spine-chilling & enjoyable even for non-genre fans
  • Outlast's asylum, SOMA's underwater facility & Amnesia's castle offer eerie settings
  • Silent Hill 2, Bloodborne, Resident Evil 4 & Dead Space are timeless horror classics

Horror games are not for everyone, but even then, there are some titles that players who aren't into the genre can try to see if they fall in love with it. Titles in this genre are usually spine-chilling and keep players in a constant state of stress that is both enjoyable and frightening.

Collage of Siren Blood Curse and Killzone 3
5 Best Horror Games Only Available On The PS3, Ranked

These iconic games horror games can only be played on the PlayStation 3 consoles.

Although the horror genre in video games was already quite popular at the beginning of the 2000s, there were some games that took big risks during that time, and they luckily paid off. One of the most important parts of a horror game is its setting, as having one that’s not properly crafted can make the experience less than interesting. Here are some horror games with the most eerie environments.

7 Outlast

A Psychiatric Asylum Makes For A Perfect Location For A Horror Game

Outlast
Display card tags widget
Survival Horror
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
November 4, 2013
Developer(s)
Red Barrels
Platform(s)
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Linux, macOS
Genre(s)
Survival Horror
  • There are many frightening characters that players must escape to survive
  • Mount Massive Asylum is extremely eerie

Horror games set around journalists who go exploring an abandoned location only to have things go awry are nothing new. However, Outlast managed to take this existing concept and give it a very interesting spin that made it a really great game.

The game focuses on journalist Miles Upshur, who goes to investigate the darkest depths of Mount Massive Asylum. There, players will encounter various characters that will chill them to the bone and chase them throughout the psychiatric facility’s halls, making for a stressful and adrenaline-rushing experience.

6 SOMA

An Isolated Research Facility Is Naturally Creepy

SOMA
Display card tags widget Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
September 15, 2015
Developer(s)
Frictional Games
Platform(s)
PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre(s)
Horror
  • Simon Jarrett finds himself in an abandoned underwater facility
  • Hideous monsters await at every corner

One of the most popular aspects of horror games is isolation. It's much easier to present players with a story that will chill them to the bone if they find themselves in a location where there is no form of human contact or anyone to talk to.

Itch io games
10 Free Horror Games on Itch.io

Itch.io is a criminally under-explored repository for independent games. It showcases work by established creators and new developers alike.

This is exactly what SOMA does, as it puts players in the shoes of Simon Jarrett, as he explores an underwater research facility filled with many dangers. Players will be chased on more than one occasion by nightmarish creatures, making for a great experience.

5 Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Castle Brenennburg Holds Many Horrors

Amnesia The Dark Descent
Display card tags widget
Horror
Puzzle
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
September 9, 2010
Genre(s)
Horror, Puzzle
  • Players must explore an eerie castle
  • Puzzle-solving is a big part of the experience

Amnesia: The Dark Descent follows the story of Daniel, a man who must explore the darkest corners of an eerie location known as Castle Brenennburg. The castle is, in and of itself, quite eerie, with many mysterious corridors, damp locations, and lonely rooms that can easily be the home of unforgiving ghosts and ghouls.

This game also features various puzzles which can be very difficult to solve while being stressed out by the many horrors haunting the castle. All in all, Amnesia: The Dark Descent is one of the greatest horror games of the last 20 years.

4 Silent Hill 2

Fog And Monsters, What Else Is There To Say?

Silent Hill 2
Display card tags widget
Survival Horror
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
September 25, 2001
Developer(s)
Team Silent
Genre(s)
Survival Horror
  • A timeless horror classic
  • The fog and exploration mechanics of the game make it quite scary

The story of Silent Hill 2 begins with protagonist James Sunderland getting a mysterious letter from his deceased wife telling him to go to Silent Hill, a town in Maine that held special significance for them. However, when James gets to Silent Hill, he quickly realizes that the town isn't what it used to be and is now covered in a thick layer of fog.

The desolate town of Silent Hill is a really eerie environment that helps make the game terrifying and provides players with a spine-chilling experience that few other titles possess. This, along with some impactful quotes from the remake, makes Silent Hill 2 an outstanding game.

3 Bloodborne

Yharnam Is Full Of Terrifying Creatures

Bloodborne
Display card tags widget
Action
RPG
Soulslike
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
March 24, 2015
Developer(s)
From Software
Platform(s)
PlayStation 4
Genre(s)
Action, RPG, Soulslike
  • Yharnam holds many mysteries and many more horrors
  • Players have many weapons at their disposal

Bloodborne is set in Yharnam, a city that's been struck by a deadly plague that slowly but surely, turns its inhabitants into hideous monsters. Not only is this title terrifying and full of various nightmarish creatures, but being a FromSoftware game, it also presents players with a ton of challenges that will put their skills and reflexes to the test at every turn.

Luckily, there are many Strength weapons that players can take advantage of to defeat the enemies that they encounter along the way and gain an advantage over them.

2 Resident Evil 4

Surviving The Village Is A Challenge

Resident Evil 4
Display card tags widget
Survival Horror
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
January 11, 2005
Developer(s)
Capcom
Platform(s)
PS4, PS3, PS2, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Switch, Wii, Nintendo GameCube, PC, Android, iOS
Genre(s)
Survival Horror
  • Murderous enemies at every turn
  • Interesting combat mechanics

Resident Evil 4 is a timeless classic and, according to many players, one of the best (if not the best) installment in the franchise. The game is set in an isolated Spanish town that's been struck by a mysterious parasite called Las Plagas, which has turned its inhabitants hostile and murderous.

7 Best Horror Games That Take Place In Abandoned Cities, Ranked Featured Image
7 Best Horror Games That Take Place In Abandoned Cities, Ranked

Horror games' settings are extremely important, as they help set the tone for them. Here are some horror games that take place in abandoned cities.

2

The game not only has some very interesting combat mechanics and terrifying enemies, but it also comes with a constant sense of urgency that will keep players stressed out and engaged at the same time. Throughout the story, players can take advantage of the various upgrades available to them to make progression simpler.

1 Dead Space

The Concept Of Necromorphs And Sudden Corpse Reanimation Is Terrifying

Dead Space
Display card tags widget
Survival Horror
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
October 14, 2008
Developer(s)
Visceral Games
Platform(s)
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Genre(s)
Survival Horror
  • Necromorphs are terrifying
  • The USG Ishimura is extremely creepy

Lastly, there’s Dead Space, a game that not only had players on the edge of their seats, but also revolutionized the concept of deep-space horror. Focusing on Isaac Clarke, an engineer who's stranded on an isolated massive spaceship called the USG Ishimura, Dead Space introduces players to some of the creepiest enemies in horror, the Necromorphs.

Few things can match the feeling of horror that players probably experienced while walking along the spaceship, only to have a dead body come back to life and attack them. This, along with the great weapons available in the 2023 remake, make Dead Space an all-around masterpiece.

A grid showing the games Simulacra, MiSide, and Welcome to the Game
Best Digital Horror Games, Ranked

From found phone games to live surveillance horror, the niche of digital horror games has a few great titles to offer. Here are the best.