Summary
There are many horror games that throw players in the deep end without a life preserver, forcing them to improvise, adapt, and overcome any obstacle without resorting to physical violence. But once in a while, a horror game comes along that encourages players to not only survive, but thrive. Fear manifests itself in intricate ways, but just as humans are inclined to experience the fight-or-flight response when faced with perceived danger, some horror games do offer players the choice to either stand their ground or run for the hills.
In certain circumstances, running isn’t a viable option. In that case, the only way to neutralize the threat is to face it head-on with whatever tools are available at one’s disposal. Fighting back isn’t always possible, but when it is, a character’s chances of survival drastically increase. Plus, it makes the games more competitive and challenging.Here are a few examples of horror games that encourage players to fight back.
Perhaps one of the most pivotal examples of combative horror in recent years,Resident Evil 7follows Ethan Winters, an everyman whose wife, Mia Winters, disappears after visiting a dilapidated plantation owned by the Baker family. As Ethan navigates the unappealing home in the heart of the bayou, he confronts the members of Jack Baker’s lineage. The family members have been infected by a biologically engineered mold originating from Eveline, an experiment gone wrong.
When Ethan comes face-to-face with Jack, Marguerite, and Lucas,he can use firearms and melee weapons, as well as ammunition and healing items. Ethan can also guard himself to block incoming damage and crouch to evade enemies.Members of the Baker family will hunt Ethan throughoutResident Evil 7and attack him on sight, forcing him to confront and subdue them. Like many othergames in the franchise,Resident Evil 7encourages combat by equipping Ethan with an eight-slot inventory and giving him tougher enemies.
Dead Spaceis a 2023 remake of the original title of the same name from 2008. The game follows Isaac Clarke,an engineer who fights off reanimated corpses known as Necromorphsaboard a mining spacecraft. WhileDead Spacehas always encouraged combat, the remake improves upon the upgrade system by offering the chance to find weapon parts and suit blueprints for better equipment add-ons.Dead Spacefeatures a unique and intricate combat system, encouraging players to eviscerate their enemies limb-by-limb before delivering the final blow.
Dismembering Necromorphs — which are exceptionally difficult to kill — is the bread and butter of theDead Spacefranchise, which provides futuristic weaponry such as the Plasma Cutter as a means to an end. In theDead Spaceremake, Kinesis modules can be used as a way to throw objects and enemies. Isaac’s suit has a Kinesis module built in, which can be upgraded to improve Throw Damage and Grab Range.
Both the 2004 and 2023 versions ofResident Evil 4have engaging combat mechanics. Thefranchise as a whole is famous for its near-flawless combat sequences, butResident Evil 4— at the time of release —introduced new combat abilities toResident Evil’s successful horror formula. Players control Leon S. Kennedy as he infiltrates the homeland of a religious cult to rescue the president’s daughter, Ashley Graham, from imminent danger with the help of Ada Wong.Resident Evil 4experimented with elements of realism in a combat setting, such as when precise shots to an enemy’s arms and legs would result in staggering and disarming.
In the same vein,Resident Evil 4introduced context-specific controls, which would prompt Leon to interact with the environment in different ways. For example, kicking down a ladder or shooting projectiles in midair to deflect or deter them. Particularly during boss fights,Resident Evil 4forces players to retaliate against powerful attacks to avoid instant-kill hits. Much of Leon’s exploration involves gunning down hordes of brainwashed villagers.
InDying Light, players traverse an open world overrun by zombies, while they are acquainted with parkour mechanics that make use of an important tool: a grappling hook. Players scavenge for loot, including weapons and valuable items which can be sold to vendors. In the daytime, players can use environmental traps to slow down sluggish zombies, who are more apathetic and passive. At night,zombies become more aggressive and agile, gaining the ability to scale buildings, sprint, and deal considerable damage.
Players also possess an inherent “survivor sense” that can detect and locate enemies.Dying Light’s combat system utilizes melee weapons, as well as ranged firearms like assault rifles and shotguns.Dying Lightmotivates players to fight back against hordes to earn experience, which can be converted into skill pointsto unlock new abilities in the skill tree. Players earn more experience points by exploring at night, during which time the environment presents its own difficulties and enemies are harder to subdue.
Silent Hill 2focuses on James Sunderland, who visits the titular town in search of his deceased wife, who sent him an ominous letter asking him to meet her. WhileSilent Hill 2is primarily a puzzle-solving horror game, it doesallow James to combat Silent Hill’s many repulsive inhabitants. James is equipped with a radio, which alerts him to nearby enemies. He also has the opportunity to find three firearms and three melee weapons throughout the game — while an additional two melee weapons can be unlocked during replays.
WhileSilent Hill 2wasn’t marketed as a combat-heavy title, it doesn’t shy away from fights either. Whem armed, James automatically target-locks an enemy; when he rotates, he target-locks another one. In actuality, the game had a few control limitations that were typical for the time (2001). Therefore, the combat system remains basic. Regardless,Silent Hill 2nurtured combat mechanics that would serve the franchise for many years to come.
Condemned: Criminal Originsfeatures two main components in its action-packed gameplay: heavy-handed combat and meticulous crime scene investigation.The game’s combat primarily revolves around the use of melee weapons, whichforces FBI agent Ethan Thomas to confront enemies in more intimate, hand-to-hand encounters. Weapons are scattered openly around the environment or obtained by interacting with objects, such as ripping pipes out of scaffolding.Condemned: Criminal Originsallows enemies to find and utilize the same weapons as the player, which makes them more adaptive and dangerous.
AsCondemned: Criminal Originsrelies primarily on the use of melee weapons, blocking is another crucial component to the combat mechanics.As the limitations are grounded in realism, the player — an unremarkable human — can only sustain a few hits before dying, which forces players to deflect incoming hits and counterattack accordingly.The game awards successful blocks by temporarily knocking enemies off balance and prompting brutal finishing moves. Players are encouraged to engage in combat to proceed, as it can prove difficult to proceed if enemies are overwhelming Ethan.
