We continue our article:
5. Harvester
It may sound like a double horror film, but you can’t really mention Dark Seed without referring to Harvester, which is one of the weirdest games ever played. It’s not a horror game in the dark gothic sense, but rather an exaggerated attack on suburban life, where your neighbor living next door may kill cats to use their meat in his butcher shop, or may just be content with watering his garden for the rest of the week.
Seriously, a man says that. Harvester is an exploitative film turned into a video game, and it’s a overwhelming assault on the senses, offering gruesome FMV scenes, point & click adventures, and more corruption than you can handle. None of it seems true, and none of it feels satisfyingly connected to the player in a healthy way, and for these reasons, Harvester does a great job of delivering an uncomfortable feeling that will stick with you for weeks.
Also, there’s a man with half a torso who can shoot you and then launch nuclear weapons if you tell him you’re Russian. It’s a very strange game.
4. Cold Fear
I truly feel sad that Cold Fear didn’t get the recognition it deserved upon release, as this game is a horror gem waiting to be rediscovered by the community. However, its release just two months after the great Resident Evil 4 really spoiled the chance for this exciting game to make a splash.
However, if you choose to embark on Ubisoft’s first attempt in the horror genre, you’ll find a truly eerie game. While it may seem like a traditional horror title at first, the setting of the Russian whaling ship really presents something inspiring, as the ship sways at random points due to rough waves, causing the player to stumble and lose accuracy.
As you can imagine, this creates a dynamic sense of fear unlike anything else on this list, because now you’re not only dealing with parasite-infected enemies, but you’re also dealing with the increasing threat that even your meager defenses could be in danger due to the roar of the ocean.
3. Sanitarium
Sanitarium is truly disturbing. It’s not a game that will immerse the player in blood, nor one that will make them hunted by unbeatable enemies, but it delves heavily into the surreal world to the point where you really start to feel like you’re losing the plot.
When you wake up in, as guessed, a sanitarium, the player must try to piece together why they are there, or even if this is real at all. As you progress, your character will transform into other forms, like a little girl who must navigate through a creepy haunted carnival, or even as a blood-covered Centaur wandering through a mythic madness. These moments contrast with snippets of painful reality that only intensify these LSD-like experiences.
It’s not a game that will make you afraid to turn off the lights at night, but one that will make you afraid of what your mind will dream up. It’s a different kind of horror game, and I love Sanitarium more for it.
2. Obscure
It seems fitting for a game with this name to appear on a list of forgotten horror gems, doesn’t it? Obscure is a title that proudly bears its inspirations, nodding to the physical horror monsters and narrow camera angles of Resident Evil while carving its own unique mark in horror. You see, one of the key points of allure of Obscure is that, unlike many other titles in this genre, you are not alone.
Instead, you control five teenagers, each with different skills, as they try to navigate a terrifying school environment. This means you can switch between characters at any time to solve puzzles and different problems. You can even have a friend play with you thanks to the multiplayer option.
You’ll need to work together as pairs, because the enemies in this game weaken in the light, so it’s necessary for one player to shine the light towards the horror while the other player finishes off the enemies. This creates tense thrilling moments that fit wonderfully with the campy setting of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
1. 3D Monster Maze
It may seem strange to rank this game highly considering its simplistic presentation, but honestly, for pure fear, look no further than the 1981 ZX Spectrum title 3D Monster Maze.
Working on a system with a memory almost equivalent to that of a goldfish, creator Malcolm Evans had to squeeze every ounce of hardware he had to make 3D Monster Maze. The result is a game with an extremely simple concept, which is to solve the maze without being eaten by the T-Rex, but it skillfully succeeded in striking the chord of horror through the text status that Evans chose.
To warn the player about what the T-Rex is doing, lines of text appear at the bottom of the screen, and trust me, nothing is more terrifying than seeing the words “Run, it’s right behind you.” In that moment, all your caution and attempts to solve the maze are thrown out the window as you suddenly have to keep running and praying you don’t hit a dead end.
It’s certainly not the most eye-catching title, but it’s one of the purest horror experiences out there.