Summary
Horror games in general aren’t exactly known for their run-of-the-mill stories, but survival-horror games in particular have been known to diverge from the beaten path. Releases as early asSilent Hillwere experimental in their narratives, taking inspiration from psychological thrillers such asTwin PeaksandJacob’s Ladder.
Since the genre’s early days, survival-horror games have gone in all manner of directions.TheResident Evilfranchise, for example, has become increasingly known for its exaggerated B-movie stories. However, many survival-horror games have maintained the strange and unnerving edge that made games likeSilent Hillso enthralling.
Each of the following entries intentionally avoids spoilers as much as possible. However, players that wish to experience games with absolutely no prior knowledge of the story should be warned. With that said, this topic covers no major spoilers.
5Pigsaw
Dark, Low-Poly Horror In A Human Abattoir
This strange and twistedindie horror gameblends elements of the immersive-sim genre with classic survival-horror tropes, fitting everything into a tight structure that’s unlikely to take players more than an hour to beat.Pigsawfeaturesa low-poly, PSX aestheticthat only adds to its horror, but much of the scares come from its strange and unsettling setting: a human abattoir. InPigsaw, players take on the role of a prisoner waiting to be slaughtered and turned into human spam by humanoid pigs wielding chainsaws. Thankfully, players are given the chance to escape.
Escaping isn’t an easy task, though, as players are given naught but a lead pipe to beat their way out of their horrifying prison. Stealth is also an option, though, as is throwing barrels. Players can also acquire a double-barrelled shotgun and a handful of shells, but ammo is hard to come by, adding to the survival-horror and making every shell a precious commodity.Pigsawis far from a narrative masterpiece, but it’s certainly a strange experience.
This first-person survival-horror game features a dark, grungy aesthetic with a narrative to match. Although its visceral melee combatand immersive atmosphereare arguably its greatest strengths,Condemned: Criminal Originsfeatures a strange, dark, twisting story that’s frequently engaging.
Condemned: Criminal Originsfollows the story of Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent who’s framed for the murder of two colleagues at the beginning of the game. From there, Thomas must track down clues and solve the murders of known serial killers to prove his innocence. This unveils as a series of creative, immersive levels that take place in all manner of locations. The weirdness to this narrative, however, is its strange backdrop; birds are falling from the sky, dead, and the crime rate of the city is experiencing a steady incline with no explanation. Those with violent tendencies are becoming downright deranged, acting as the primary enemies throughout the game. Overall, this creates a strange and unnerving atmosphere that only adds to the horror.
Signalisis a mash-up of various ideas and influences, taking inspiration fromold-school survival-horrorclassics for its gameplay and sci-fi anime for its narrative.Signalisis consistently strange, deeply unnerving, and at-times psychedelic. This game rarely takes its foot off the gas, and is best experienced with little prior knowledge of its story.
Signaliscan be cryptic at times, providing players with morsels of its narrative with fragmented bread crumbs. It won’t be for everyone, but it’s likely to be an emotionally devastating and mind-altering trip for those that stick it out.
TheSilent Hillfranchiseis practically synonymous with the survival-horror genre, and the first two games are narrative giants that have had a lasting impact on the genre and its fans.Silent Hill 2is known for its survival-horror gameplay, brilliant soundtrack, and - most importantly - its incredible, often strange story.
Silent Hill 2’snarrative is psychological horror at its best, featuring a brilliant atmosphere that’s sure to unsettle players. With a story that begins with the protagonist receiving a letter from his dead wife, players are set off on a twisted adventure from the very start. For those that prefer playing modern titles, or don’t want to jump through hoops to play this classic, a remake ofSilent Hill 2is set to release on October 8th, 2024.
As with most, if not all, narrative games, the less said aboutAlan Wake 2’sstory, the better; the game is weird from the get-go, as many fans ofRemedy Entertainment’s gameshave come to expect. It’s no surprise that the developers behind the mind-bendingControlwere also behind this frequently strange survival-horror title.Alan Wake 2follows the story of the titularAlan Wake, a deeply troubled writer, and an FBI agent in a sleepy suburban town reminiscent ofTwin Peaks.
The dual-narrative approach, consistently unsettling tone, and creative combination of live-action and in-engine cutscenes makes for a truly unique - and utterly weird - survival-horror experience. Yet, for all its weirdness,Alan Wake 2remains a remarkably accessible survival-horror game.
