Even though it’s a genre that doesn’t get much acclaim, horror video games are still some of the most beloved genres in the industry. The genre is always out there to deliver thrills, whether they are the dime a dozen cheap indie games on Steam or big budget releases from AAA studios, horror games always survive despite how niche they can be. 2021 has been another year for horror games persevering, with a few big names splashing and a few surprise gems.
The Heavy Hitters
It would be silly to ignore the big releases of the year. When people think of 2021 horror games, they are likely to think of Resident Evil Village first. Resident Evil Village is the follow-up to Capcom’s soft reboot of the beloved Resident Evil franchise. As the second game with Ethan Winters as the protagonist, Resident Evil Village really settles into the changes from the soft reboot. It trades some of the slow and tense scares of Resident Evil VII for high intensity thrills.
In many ways, Resident Evil Village takes what made Resident Evil 4 so special and makes it fit in the modern horror atmosphere. Despite feeling like an action game, there are still some genuinely scary moments throughout the short experience. Most won’t forget being stalked by Lady Dimitrescu for the first time or traveling through House Beneviento. It’s one of the best games in the series and a reminder of who is still holds the crown in the horror genre.
Of course, Resident Evil Village wasn’t the only big release of the year. The Medium was another highly anticipated horror title. It’s the fourth horror game by Bloober Team since Layers of Fear, and possibly the most ambitious. It features a compelling story that serves as an excellent vehicle for the gameplay. Like Resident Evil Village, it’s not a long game (Players will finish it in less than 10 hours), but it’s brilliantly paced with tons of thrills.
The Dark Pictures released it’s third annual entry this year with with House of Ashes. Ashley Tisdale and Pip Torrens star in this exciting entry. It isn’t as full of traditional psychological horror as the previous entries, but it is also the most fun to play game in the series so far. As expected, the face capturing and acting are all solid, even though some of the animations of the engine are showing their age.
Smaller Gems
Of course, in horror, sometimes the independent games have just as much relevance as the AAA titles. In Sound Mind is a unique horror game from We Create Stuff and Modus Games that delivers solid psychological horror. It has a neat setting, taking place in the minds of victims, and while the scares aren’t paralyzing, this is still a spooky game to enjoy. Little Nightmares II might not be much of an independent game since it’s published by Bandai Namco, but it is still a deeply atmospheric and impactful experience all the way through. It has all the energy of a passionate indie project that is incredibly creative.
Song of Horror and Tormented Souls both delivered old school horror thrills for anyone who misses the olden days. Both are 3rd person experiences that lean on classic horror video game tropes from the PlayStation 1 and 2 eras. Tormented Souls will especially remind people of Resident Evil and Silent Hill with a fixed camera perspective and tons of engaging puzzles. It even comes with some of the classic flaws too, including stiff animations and shoddy voice acting. It’s an absolutely enjoyable experience, but it is far from perfect. Anyone looking for something that is reminiscent of PS1 horror games might be intrigued by Happy’s Humble Burger Farm, a game that combines cooking simulator mechanics with some genuinely spooky horror. It could use a bit more polish, but it’s still a solid showing by Scythe Dev Team.
Returning Favorites
Speaking of classic horror games, 2021 was a great year for remakes and remasters. Cult classic Corpse Party made its way onto the PlayStation store this year. It’s a tense psychological horror game with a neat story and perspective. The wordy script and linear gameplay might turn away some, but this is still a special piece of video game history. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is another iconic remaster of a cult favorite. The shocking visual novel is finally available on consoles, and offers one of the best ways to play the game. Through an in-game virtual computer terminal, players can relive the trauma while also enjoying some new episodes and visuals.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is a the latest entry in a classic horror franchise that was originally only available as a digital WiiU game. Fortunately, it was remastered this year and made more accessible. While it suffers from some aged mechanics, it’s still a chilling horror game that makes great use of the iconic camera obscura. Anyone who misses this series or wants to see what all the buzz was about will want to check out this entry, even if it isn’t the best game in the series (That honor still goes to Fatal Frame II).
One more game that deserves mention is Visage, even if it isn’t a classic remaster. The absolutely terrifying first person horror game received a noteworthy PS5 upgrade that provides 4K visuals at 60 FPS.
A Spooky Year
I’m sure I missed a few noteworthy titles, but this should get anyone who is interested in seeing what horror had to offer this year. What are your favorite horror games of 2021? Let us know in the comments below!
