2023 Has Been an Embarrassment of Riches for Horror Game Fans

It’s time to acknowledge that the horror style is making an enormous comeback; not simply in TV and flicks, however in video video games as properly.

As somebody who grew up with the classics like old-school Resident Evil and Silent Hill, the previous 5 years have been an absolute marvel. Iconic franchises have been getting revived one after one other, and there have been extra promising horror video games to look ahead to on the horizon than ever.

Simply this yr alone, we’ve seen the discharge of the Dead Space and Resident Evil 4 remakes. And earlier than you begin wagging your finger at me, sure, I do know they’re remakes of a lot older video games, however hear me out. How lengthy has it been since we’ve gotten to play a contemporary survival horror sport that really prioritizes useful resource and stock administration?

For a stable few years now, the horror style was largely saturated with the conceal and observe model of horror sport. We had the likes of Amnesia, Outlast, and Alien: Isolation firmly planted within the highlight and on the heart of debate amongst followers of the style.

All of them are stable horror video games — don’t get me fallacious — however by and huge, they adopted the identical method: Get dropped into a brand new spooky atmosphere, stroll round and conceal from the baddies, run in case you get noticed, and rinse and repeat till you attain the top of the sport.

The energy of those video games lied of their tales, they usually shouldn’t be faulted for that. I’m a agency believer that the very best forms of horror are at all times psychological. That stated, what’s so nice in regards to the horror style is that it might probably make the viewer or the participant really feel empowered, too.

Enter the survival horror style and its choices over the previous few years. Capcom’s Resident Evil sequence entered its newest renaissance period with Resident Evil VII, the place it lastly felt like stock administration was a factor once more. That sport introduced collectively the very best of each worlds: you had been nonetheless pressured to run away from the unkillable baddies, however you weren’t defenseless both. You possibly can collect sources and weapons to provide your self a preventing likelihood towards your foes, and it’s not an prompt sport over in case you do occur to get caught.

Then, we noticed the discharge of Resident Evil 2 Remake, and inside 2023 alone, we’ve additionally gotten remakes of Useless House and Resident Evil 4. All of those video games perceive the significance of setting the temper and creating atmospheric rigidity, but additionally ensuring that the participant is rarely utterly helpless.

There’s a purpose why the preferred horror films at all times finish with the ultimate lady turning the tables on her pursuer within the final act. It’s satisfying to have the ability to face your fears and topple the massive dangerous ultimately. It’s the Resident Evil equal of getting a large rocket launcher on the finish and ending off the ultimate boss with a single rocket.

Maybe extra thrilling is the upcoming launch of Treatment Leisure’s Alan Wake II. Initially launched for the Xbox 360, Alan Wake grew to become one thing of a cult hit earlier than garnering extra mainstream consideration because of its distinctive method to storytelling and its main Stephen King vibes. Extra importantly, it additionally stood out from the Amnesias of 2010, bringing again survival horror parts and an progressive mechanic in having to weaken your enemies with a flashlight earlier than blasting them.

Alan Wake II brings again lots of those self same parts, however with a twin protagonist system and, extra importantly, useful resource administration in addition to the power to battle again.

This isn’t to say that the survival horror subgenre ought to be the end-all-be-all of horror. 2023 additionally noticed the discharge of the Layers of Fear remake and extra fringe titles like Dredge, which introduces Lovecraftian horror parts in a fishing simulator. Trying even additional out, Konami appears dedicated to bringing Silent Hill again as properly; not simply as a remake of Silent Hill 2, however by means of different narrative-driven subgenres like Silent Hill: Townfall, too.

As a substitute, I simply hope this implies the style will maintain onto its various discipline of choices and eventually obtain one other lasting interval of innovation. The horror style has felt means too oversaturated with one model of sport for much too lengthy, and 2023 lastly appears like a turning level the place we’re getting a very good number of video games throughout the style, which means there’s at all times one thing you may get pleasure from.

Whether or not it’s taking a sluggish stroll by means of the thoughts of a demented artist, fishing in darkish corners, or blasting your means by means of zombies questioning if you’ll make it to the following save level, we’re firmly in a golden age of horror video games. And that feels nice.

In regards to the writer

Zhiqing Wan

Zhiqing is the Evaluations Editor for Twinfinite, and a Historical past graduate from Singapore. She’s been within the video games media business for 9 years, trawling by means of showfloors, conferences, and spending a ridiculous period of time making in-depth spreadsheets for min-max-y RPGs. When she’s not singing the praises of Amazon’s Kindle as the best technological invention of the previous twenty years, you may in all probability discover her in a FromSoft rabbit gap.