The State of Horror Games in 2019: X Marks the Spot

Horror games have remained in a stagnant position in game development and popularity for several years. Outside Resident Evil, very few games in the genre are given sizable budgets. The genre thrived on mid-tier (or AA-level) budgets and game releases when they were prominent; but when games with lower budgets than their high-budget AAA blockbuster counterparts dwindled in popularity as the all-or-nothing business practice took over, riskier games went out the window. Most horror games qualify as risky investments, as the only example to be a multimillion-seller is the aforementioned Resident Evil series. The genre’s best days are behind it, but it’s not all bad.

Of course, it doesn’t help when some companies mismanage their franchises into the grave, which counts for the Silent Hill series — especially given the game publisher Konami cancelled what could have been the newest game in the series, and pulled its teaser. Not that this is a surprise coming from Konami, since they’ve done the same to many other franchises as they dedicate less company resources to video games. The Evil Within 2’s sales appear to have ensured that it won’t receive a third installment, as developer Tango Gameworks confirmed they’re working on a new IP known as Ghostwire: Tokyo. But since that game’s director left in September, who knows if even that will remain in development.

The options for horror games aren’t plentiful, but there have still been several of them worth paying attention to within the year since I made the last post in this ongoing feature.

The biggest release in the last year was the Resident Evil 2 remake from Capcom, an updated version of the original game retooled for a modern gaming audience. Gone were the fixed camera angles and hammy script and delivery from voice actors with okay direction, and in their place was a 3D camera reminiscent of the newer third-person games in the series with a more harrowing atmosphere, along with more realistic portrayals of its characters — though cheesiness is still present. It’s not a flawless rendition of the classic thanks to cut content and the zapping feature not being as fluid compared to the original, but it’s further proof that Capcom still has what it takes to make a good RE title, following Resident Evil 7.

Days Gone also kind of counts, an open world zombie game that takes inspiration from titles like The Last of Us and The Walking Dead. The game didn’t receive the best reviews around from critics, but opinions from the general gaming audience and sales have ensured that Sony will keep the franchise around for at least one more installment. Developer Ready at Dawn has undoubtedly heard the criticism, and will take it to heart for their next attempt.

Another moderately important horror game released was The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan, the first adventure game in a series that serves as a spiritual successor to Sony-published cult classic Until Dawn. Like that title, the characters take specific paths depending on choices the players make, though there’s also exploration involved. The story payoff in the game isn’t as remarkable thanks to this being the first in the series, but there’s a lot of potential here for future installments… whenever they arrive.

The other releases were smaller games. Aksys Games released the localization of Spirit Hunter: NG, the second game in the Spirit Hunter series that started with Death Mark, developed by Experience Inc. There aren’t many reviews for the game around, but the few available have championed its quality. First-person horror game Devotion was another one — emphasis on “was.” The game came from Taiwanese developer Red Candle Games, but was pulled from all markets once a subtle jab at China president Xi Jinping was discovered. It caused an uproar from Chinese market and its politicians, which never forgave them despite countless apologies. It’s a shame, considering it was reportedly great.

Other games didn’t live up to their potential, like Layers of Fear 2 and Daymare: 1998. The latter is a particularly interesting one, since it started as a Resident Evil 2 fan remake before Capcom told them to cease and desist. It’s a pity about the mixed reception, though hopefully it’s not too late for them to provide some fixes.

The amount of upcoming games is fair, at least. One is Project Resistance, a 4 vs. 1 multiplayer Resident Evil game. It will be the third recent try for multiplayer RE titles, and hopefully will be a charm despite impressions of the closed beta suggesting otherwise. Another big title is Dying Light 2, the sequel to the popular first installment released earlier in this console generation. The aforementioned Dark Pictures Anthology also appears set to continue into the next year, though hopefully it won’t take too long for the next installment to arrive.

Remothered: Broken Porcelain, the sequel to Remothered: Tormented Fathers, is one of the few upcoming indie horror games that isn’t a first-person title. Another one is Little Nightmares 2, the puzzle platformer horror sequel to the first game played from a 2D and 2.5D perspective. Others include Someday You’ll Return, Scorn, The Blackout Club, and Visage.

There are plenty of horror games available and on the horizon if you know where to look. The number of games in the genre with sizable budgets hasn’t improved, but at least several options are still available. At this rate, I’d be surprised if this situation changed within the next year.