Summary
While its settings, tones, and themes may position horror as a more niche genre, it is increasingly finding itselfmore and more successfulwithin the gaming community. As a result of this long, storied history, the genre is home to some classic installments that have not only inspired other games within the genre but the wider games industry as a whole. However, within the annals of the Horror genre’s library, some genre-defining experiences have unfortunately aged less gracefully than others.
From frustratingpoint-and-click controlsand classic third-generation difficulty to mechanics that once felt invigorating but now feel impeccably dated, the genre’s long history means that some titles have become quite difficult to play. This may be due to controls, mechanics, and genre conventions having evolved in the decades since their initial release; but the end result is that some quintessential games have become harder for modern audiences to play.
As a result of these installments being ‘classics’ of the horror genre, it should go without saying that titles considered ‘bad’ at the time of release will not be considered.
Capcom’s 1996 release ofResident Evilpresented the gaming community with not only another excellent world in which to scare themselves silly, but also invigorated and introduced a style of gameplay rarely seen in the industry. However, in thequarter of a century since its release, its movement and setting have been developed and expanded not only by competitors but by Capcom themselves.
Capcom’s temporarily Nintendo-exclusive remake of the originalResident Eviltitle not only tweaks 1996’s tank controls but expands the often-times too cramped feeling of Spencer Mansion. As such, especially when shown in direct comparison with 2002’s remake, or contemporary reimaginings of the ‘classic’ formula likeResident Evil 2(2019), the originalResident Evilcan be hard for players to come back to.
The originalSilent Hill, even 25 years after its release, remains an effective masterclass of horror atmosphere and building tension by fans. Three years later, with the 2003 release ofSilent Hill 2, the New England Horror setting of Silent Hill had firmly cemented itself asan iconic horror locationin gaming.
Yet, in the years since its release, the gaming community has largely favored theSilent Hillsequel, with the failings and missteps of the original being loudly discussed. While combat had sluggish movement and momentum,Silent Hill 2’s more refined approach removed some of the shine from the original. Beyond that, the title’s mechanics of fetch-quest puzzles created a solid foundation on whichSilent Hill 2could build, but it left itself open to heavy criticism in retrospect.
While the point-and-click genre has never had the same overarching success as that of first-person shooters or platformers, the genre still has plenty of fans — especially in the horror space. As such, withClock Tower’s Japan-only release in 1995, horror fans had to sustain themselves on fan translations and imports of this iconic title.
However, even with the 2024 release of the game’s remaster (Clock Tower: Rewind),marking the game’s first official steps outside of Japan, the point-and-click genre has still not seen overwhelming acceptance by the gaming masses. Even those who wish to play the original will still have to contend with controlling a cursor with a Super Famicom D-Pad or a DualShock controller.
Porting a point-and-click title past its PC roots is often a Sisyphean task, due to the genre’s namesake’s particular requirement for player input. As such, when the critically acclaimed 1998 horror classicSanitariumfound itself upended from its PC home in 2015 to be brought to mobile devices, its strengths were highlighted, but its weaknesses were similarly shown off.
Sanitarium’s extolled narrative, tone, and atmosphere — all of which are pivotal in the success of a horror title — remain untainted by the move to mobile. However, its controls, which were clunky and barely manageable in its original PC form, are only worsened in its contemporary releases. As such, modern critics lambasted the title for its lack of innovation in this respect, making an otherwise strong horror experience into something overly frustrating to control.
Alone in the Darkis a series somewhatunparalleled in the horror gaming space, with its influence ranging from the cementation of the genre and the inspiration of quintessential franchises likeResident Evil.Contrary to its successful horror protégé, however,Alone in the Darkhas not only struggled to capitalize on its initial success but has found its original 1992 release becoming more and more dated as time passes.
Its fixed-perspective angles, tank controls, fetch-quest puzzles, and haunted mansion were pivotal in the solidifying of the survival horror genre. However, Infogrames' classic title acts more like a museum piece than an enjoyable standalone experience when returning to it in the 21st century. As genre-defining as its framework was in the early 90s, so many of its inspirations have since elaborate and expand on its original ideas tenfold.
Seven years before they releasedResident Evil, Capcom developed and published a Famicom horror tie-in that would cement itself as one of the main sources of inspiration for the industry’s most successful horror franchise. Debuting exclusively in Japan in 1989 — alongside a Kiyoshi Kurosawa-directedmotion picture of the same name— the 8-bit horror role-playing game features extensive party management, permadeath mechanics, and primitive quick time events.
However, despiteSweet Home’s many progressive features and genre-defining influence, returning to the title is an onerous task.Sweet Homehas never been made available outside of Japan, and while it may have pushed the envelope for the horror genre, returning to its punishing difficulty and often head-scratching puzzles can turn many genre fans away.
