Summary
Ghostshave always been a mainstay in the world ofhorror, with their unearthly, dead presence striking fear in the hearts of many across books, movies, and, of course, games. The idea of the restless dead haunting people and prematurely dragging them to their grave is a terrifying prospect for anyone to have to endure, and this concept in a game, which places the onus of survival on the players, only elevates the terror to new heights.
Because of their undead and often incorporeal nature, players more often than not cannot rid themselves of ghosts through ordinary means and, instead, must fight them on their own playing field, with the aid of holy or supernatural means. That said, screaming and running into a hiding place might also work.
8Sylvio
Record And Decode The Voices Of The Dead
Most ghosts are often thwarted or fled from in horror games, with little effort being made to understand them and their lives.Sylviotakes a different approach, however, as Juliette Waters listens, records, and plays back the messages of the spirits of the departed, some of which she must play backwards or at different speeds to hear their messages. The messages slowly reveal the truth of a cult and the evil curse they cast.
Sylviois more of a slow-burn horror thanan action horror or jumpscare fest. It relies heavily on its oppressive atmosphere, which the abandoned park boasts plenty of. The recordings themselves often sound disturbing and unnerving, even before they have been unscrambled to reveal the dreadful truth. For horror fans looking for something with more subtlety,Sylviois definitely the game for them.
Phasmophobiais both the name of the game and the condition players might develop for themselves whilst playing this multiplayer ghost-hunting title. The players are in the roles of underpaid and underappreciated paranormal investigators who travel to different haunted locations, using whatever equipment is on hand to gather evidence anddetermine what exactly is responsible for the haunting.
It sounds simple in theory, but in practice it’s very difficult to pull off and live. The ghosts can be territorial and aggressive, killing the investigators, so they become one of the very things they search for. On top of that, each ghost has different behavior, so studying each possible entity it could be is vital for the players' best shot at survival.
One of the rare FMV games,At Dead of Nightsees Maya and her friends checking into an old and empty hotel while traveling for a music festival. The proprietor, Jimmy Hall, is bizarre and unnerving from his first startling appearance on-screen, and Maya was right to be wary of him as she wakes up to see him chloroforming her friends. As someone supernaturally gifted, Maya is capable of scrying and communicating with spirits, two abilities that will become vital in her fight for survival.
Maya will need to make her way through the hotel, finding evidence of Jimmy’s past crimes and corroborating them with what the ghosts tell her, all the while Jimmy hunts her through the hotel, armed with a bat that will knock her down in a single hit. Jimmy’s attacks are often unseen, making for startling jumpscares that never lose their effectiveness, no matter how many times the player has the misfortune of running right into him.
Mariogames sometimes stray away from the platforming formula,delving into the world of RPGs, kart-racing, and party games, but theLuigi’s Mansionseries is definitely the most disparate outing yet. Starring Mario’s brother Luigi as the protagonist, he thinks he has struck gold when he receives the news he has won a mansion. He and Mario agree to meet at his prize, but Luigi arrives only to see that his brother is nowhere to be seen, and the mansion is creepier than expected.
It looks to be haunted from the outside, and the interior proves this to be the case. Armed with a hoover-like contraption, Luigi must clear out the ghosts in his new abode to save his brother. Players past a certain age won’t find much to be scared of here, and most kids will be immune to the cartoonish ghosts, too, but the charming gameplay and the inversion of the brothers' roles provide more than enough fun to make this title one of thebest ghost gamesthat gamers can check out.
Visageis just one of the many games released in the wake ofPT, looking to capitalize on the success of its formula. Awakening in a gloomy suburban home, Dwayne Anderson searches for a way to escape from the house, which seems to be locked from the outside, but there is more going on than just being locked in. Ghostly experiences begin occurring, and Anderson must witness these experiences of past residences.
There is more to the game than just seeing the troubled lives of other people, as Anderson will also come face to face with dangerous spirits that may exact violence upon him. Players will need to balance their sanity while progressing to prevent Anderson from becoming another victim of this terrifying place.
Even for those who have never picked up aF.E.A.R.game, they will know who Alma Wade is. Her eerie, ghostly presence haunts the internet, exposing any gamer to her terrifying visage. Playing as a First Encounter Assault Recon agent, the player will witness the true fury and power of Alma, as she does not take kindly to the agents infiltrating the facility.
Hallucinations will visit the player right from the get-go, letting them know thatF.E.A.R.means business, and it will not pull its punches. The facility can often feel claustrophobically empty and lifeless, as barely anymusic or noises accompany the playeron the mission, but the silence works inF.E.A.R.’s favor. With this horror game, players will constantly be on edge for the next hallucination, the next group of Replica forces, and the next Alma Wade encounter.
Fatal Frame, orProject Zeroas it is known in other countries, has become the quintessential ghost-focused horror series, with the second game being the magnum opus. Twin sisters Mio and Mayu find themselves in a literal ghost town after Mayu follows a crimson-colored butterfly through the woods. The twins quickly discover the tortured souls forever shackled to this place, reliving their last moments over and over again.
Exploring the village armed with the Camera Obscure, Mio’s only defense against hostile spirits, will reveal more about the village and its sordid past, specifically the sacrifice of Sae Kurosawa, which spelled disaster for the villagers. Sae remains as one of themost iconic and terrifying spiritsin the entire series, and considering the competition, that is an impressive title to boast about.
Silent Hillwas thought to be dead and gone, but it received a second wind whenP.T., a playable teaser forSilent Hills, released. This was a much anticipated project, with actor Norman Reedus lending his likeness and voice to the main character, but unfortunately, it never came to fruition, andP.T.was pulled from the PlayStation Store. If players missed it, they have the option to buy a console with it still installed for only a couple of hundred dollars.
But those who did play it will remember just how terrifyingP.T.truly was, following players as they loop through the same corridor of a suburban home with slight changes occurring as part of each cycle. Lisa,a tall and horrifying ghostwho could kill players who got too close, would also appear in some iterations.P.T.spawned countless copy-cat games or homages, but nothing ever quite captured the magic of the original.
