Some loved being scared. Some people also love being scared bygreat horror video games, and there is no shortage of seminal titles to choose from, whether they’re part of theResident Evilfranchise or newer classics likeDead By Daylight. A huge number of great horror titles are available online or via a physical copy, but the changing nature of video game distribution means some of them have been lost forever.
There are some legendary games that are very hard to find nowadays. Some have been delisted, others have been abandoned after a server shut down, and some simply have been lost to the ravages of time. Here are the seven besthorror gamesthat are virtually impossible to find.
One of the great what-could-have-beens in video gaming history,Silent Hillswas intended to be a bold reboot of theSilent Hillfranchise, overseen byMetal Gearmastermind and rock star creator, Hideo Kojima. That was a tantalizing prospect in itself, and it would be co-directed by Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro, with Norman Reedus in the starring role.
The hype train hit top speed with an online-only demo released in 2015 simply called thePlayable Teaser (P.T.). In it, the player is a man trapped in a series of eerie loops in a house, watching as horrific events unfold. The end of the teaser gives way to a preview ofSilent Hills, but a huge corporate fallout between Kojima and publisher Konami killed the project.P.T.was taken off the PlayStation Store and now can only be found on used PS4s with it already installed.
A potent mix of gothic horror, Lovecraftian storytelling, and occult vibes,Eternal Darknesswasone of the flagship titles for Nintendo’s Gamecube. A more cosmic spin on the survival horror formula, it told an epic story that span multiple time periods, as the player took control of characters in 19th century London, seeking to uncover and defeat The Brotherhood of Hecate.
The game boasted a devilish gameplay mechanic where several in-game glitches or obstructions were intended to disorient the player as if they were losing their mind. The game is regarded as a cult classic, but the Gamecube has been discontinued, and no attempts have been made to preserveEternal Darknessin the time since.
Developed by the legendaryFromSoftware,Kuonpays homage to Japan’s feudal past and landmark J-horror films likeOnibabaandKwaidan.It makes use of ancient folklore to tell the story of protagonists Utsuki and Sakuya, who explore a haunted mansion teeming with terrifying spirits, horrific monsters, and spooky dolls. They uncover a web of dark sorcery, rituals, and curses as the game winds towards its horrifying climax.
Kuonwas one of the manyPlayStation 2 games that only got a limited release outside of Japan. LikeEternal Darkness, it has been left in purgatory and is not available in any online edition. Anyone who finds a physical copy should cling to it for dear life, as it is now considered a highly valuable collector’s item.
4Master Of Darkness
This Master System Monster Mash Lies In Its Grave
Master Of Darknesswas Sega’s attempt at creating its very ownCastlevania. Whereas the NES classic pit a vampire hunter against Dracula in a gothic European setting, this game moved the action to Victorian London. Instead of Simon Belmont, the player had Dr. Ferdinand Social (yes, that really is his name), an occult expert who musttrack down and defeat Dracula. Along the way, he crosses paths with ghoulish baddies, including Jack The Ripper.
The game was well-received on release and held up well against its inspirations. Sadly, both theSega Master Systemand Game Gear under-performed as consoles, andMaster Of Darknesswas one of the last games to be made before they were both phased out completely. Their libraries have yet to be preserved online in the same way as the NES, so the game is left in obscurity forever more.
From the mind ofHellraisercreator and horror legend Clive Barker came this PC title that did something unique in survival horror at the time; it put it all in first-person view, with gameplay that predatesBioshockand the likes ofResident Evil 7. InUndying, the player controls a paranormal investigator named Patrick Galloway, who travels to the estate of a friend who has, to put it mildly, been getting up tosupernatural mischief.
The combination of shooting, exploration, and Barker’s unique storytelling was a great success. The game received glowing reviews and is widely considered a classic, but it never got a release or remaster. Physical copies are hard to find and lack compatibility with modern PCs, so modern audiences aren’t able to experience it without some hardcore effort.
“Resident Evilunderwater” was presumably the sales pitch behind thisgreat Dreamcast title, released back in 1998. Another survival horror, this time set in a deep sea research facility,Deep Fearsaw the player take control of rescue specialist John Mayor, who must investigate a series of disturbing incidents at a structure known as Big Table. There, he must deal with hideous mutants and a mysterious infection.
The game’s unique gameplay twist meant that the player, in addition to dwindling ammunition and health, must also keep their oxygen levels topped up.Deep Fearhad some engaging gameplay and some especially gruesome creature design, but due to the failure of the Dreamcast console, no efforts were made to preserve it.
Jason Voorhees is one of the God-tier horror icons, so it made perfect sense to base an asymmetrical survival game around the seminalFriday The 13thfranchise. There was no narrative in this 2017 online title for consoles and PC, other than to simply stay alive. Players could either be Jason or his victims, the latter having to avoid grisly death and evade their hockey mask-wearing assailant.
The former had to stalk and kill his prey via all manner of gruesome means.Friday The 13th: The Gamewas simple but fun, but developer Illfonic eventually lost theFriday The 13thlicense, meaning it could no longer update the game online. It was eventually de-listed from storefronts, though there are still physical copies lurking out there for intrepid collectors.
