Summary
Horror video games have produced somegenuinely iconic monsters. From the Gatherers inAmnesia: The Dark Descentto the Clickers ofThe Last of Us, gaming has its fair share of legendary enemies. However, some horror video games have included creatures that are more widely established.
Movie monsters have been scaring audiences since the 1920s when Count Orlock first appeared in the classic silent horror movie,Nosferatu. These iconic creatures have become a part of the culture, from the tragic Frankenstein’s Monster, to blood-hungry vampires, to rabid werewolves. Many developers have been influenced by these classic movie monsters and brought these terrifying creatures to their immersive game worlds.
This fun co-op survival horror game allows up to four players to delve into anancient Egyptian ruin. Players take on the role of archaeologistsas they explore the dark depths, discovering hidden secrets and lost histories, while escaping the monstrous mummies that are awakened.Forewarnedis a fantastic game to play with friends, with the iconic imagery and horror of Ancient Egypt adding to the mystery of the game world.
Ancient Egypt has long been a source of inspiration in horror cinema, with the most famous depictions of the monster played by Boris Karloff inThe Mummy(1932) and then later by Christopher Lee inThe Mummy(1959).Forewarneduses this status in popular culture to its advantage, creating a tense horror co-op experience.
7Amenti
Delving Into a Cursed Tomb
Amentiis anothersurvival horror gamethat uses ancient Egyptian mythology as its inspiration. As mentioned above,The Mummyis one of the icons of horror cinema and was part of the Universal Monsters franchise. This classic series of movies brought creatures from horror literature to life, including Frankenstein’s Monster, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide, Dracula, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Amentiis a fun and tense continuation of this trend. In the game, players control a photographer who breaks into a tomb at night to get a picture of Pharaoh Rudamon’s remains. Soon after entering, players discover they have unleashed a terrible curse and awakened an ancient mummy.
Werewolves have long been a part of human folklore. Creatures that appear human but transform into bestial monsters on the full moon have been featured in literature, movies, and video games for as long as people have been telling stories. Werewolves represent humanity’s inner beast. They force us to confront our animalistic natures that can too easily turn to violence.
The Quarryis the latest in a long line of werewolf video games. This interactive narrative horror game puts players in control of a group of camp counselors at the end of the season. Stuck at camp, while trying to go home, they are hunted by something large and hungry.The Quarryuses quick-time events, where any character can bekilled in numerous ways. The goal is to keep every character alive until the end. With many divergent paths, the game boasts 186 different endings.
Set in the 1970s,Still Wakes The Deepfollows a shady electrician, Cameron “Caz” McLeary, as he hides out on an oil rig, after fleeing the police. As strange monsters appear from the deep ocean, the player must use stealth and solve puzzles to escape theunleashed horrors.
Still Wakes The Deepis an homage to the body horror classics of the 1980s, most notably John Carpenter’sThe Thing(1982). In the movie, a group of scientists in Antarctica are cut off from the outside world and are hunted by a monstrous life-form that mimics its victims' appearance.Still Wakes the Deeptakes the isolation, paranoia, and gory body horror of the film, creating a memorable narrative horror experience.
Resident Evilseries is arguably the most famousvideo game horror franchisein history. Known for its zombie enemies in previous games,Resident Evil Villagetook a different turn, with many of its monsters inspired by classic movie creatures. From the wolfman-like Urias to the vampiric Dimitrescu Daughters,Resident Evil Villagecontinues many Hollywood horror traditions.
Most famously played by Lon Chaney Jr. inThe Wolf Man(1941), the iconic monster influenced many of the Lycan enemies and the boss, Urias, in the game. Meanwhile, the Dimitrescu Daughters are very reminiscent of Dracula’s Brides, famously depicted inBram Stoker’s Dracula(1992).
Ringu(1998) andJu-On: The Grudge(2002) made an instant impact on the movie-going public. Their haunting visions of tortured vengeful spirits were genuinely unnerving and stand as some of the scariest movies ever made.
In 2002, theFatal Frameseries brought the imagery ofJapanese horrorto the video game world, with its subsequent sequences becoming classics of the genre.Fatal Framefollows Miku Hinasaki as she explores the haunted Himuro Mansion in search of her brother. The game is considered one of the scariest of all time, with ghosts such as Crawling Girl and Girl in the Well being inspired by Sadako fromRingu.
WhileResident Evilis most known for its zombie enemies, the series takes influence from numerous horror sources. InResident Evil 2,players are soon chased by the unstoppable monster, Mr. X, whose appearance is highly inspired by the classic monster fromFrankenstein.
First depicted on-screen by Boris Karloff inFrankenstein(1931), the huge, slow-moving monster instantly became an icon of cinema. Later, inMary Shelley’s Frankenstein(1994), directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, Robert De Niro plays the tragic monster, whose appearance seems a major inspiration for Mr. X.
TheAlienfranchise featires one of the most iconic movie monsters in horror history. First appearing inAlien(1979), this strange biomechanical-looking creature terrified audiences around the world.
Alien: Isolationfollows the original movie, with players controlling Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda, as she searches for her lost mother. Arriving at the space station Sevastopol, Amanda is soon hunted by an unstoppable monster. The game lovingly recreates theretro-futuristic aestheticand claustrophobic terror of the original movie. Players must use stealth and crafted items to avoid the monster that actively hunts the player throughout.Alien: Isolationis one of the best survival horror games available, and is a must-play for fans of the genre.
