The horror genre makes up some of the greatest and most legendary gaming franchises of all time. However, some gamers do not want to be too scared to turn off the lights at night.
For the more squeamish players, any of the ten games below will help them experience great horror franchises without being scared out of their skin. With that being said, some of the games offer thrilling experiences that might still prove too intense for some. Some of these can even be played cooperatively, making it perfect for some fun time with friends.
10 Resident Evil 5
While Resident Evil 4 shook up the franchise's formula significantly, it was still a horror game. Resident Evil 5 turned up the action and let players tackle the campaign with a friend. The enemies are still menacing, but players are rarely hurting for ammunition and generally always know where to go, making it feel more like an action game than a survival horror experience. Reception was polarizing among fans, but it remains one of the finest linear cooperative campaigns in the medium.
9 Dead Space: Extraction
The first two Dead Space games are brutally terrifying science fiction survival horror romps. Dead Space 3 has more action, but was not as beloved by fans. For a more action-packed entry in the series, go for Dead Space: Extraction. Initially released for the Nintendo Wii, it was eventually ported to the PS3 and Xbox 360. Like most rail shooters, it can be easily beaten in a night.
8 Dino Crisis 2
The original Dino Crisis is basically Resident Evil with dinosaurs, which makes sense considering it was directed by Shinji Mikami. It is equally as terrifying as the famous survival horror franchise.
The series turned into an action game significantly faster, however. Dino Crisis 2 is an all out action extravaganza on the original PlayStation. A score system encourages players to perfect their timing for the highest combos, which in turn makes buying upgrades easier. Stay away from the Xbox exclusive Dino Crisis 3, which is generally considered a huge step down.
7 Alan Wake's American Nightmare
Alan Wake was beloved by fans, but its initial sales were not too spectacular, making a sequel unlikely. Remedy Entertainment gave fans something in between with Alan Wake's American Nightmare. This standalone piece of downloadable content is more action focused than the original game, with resources more plentiful in the levels. We wonder if a proper sequel to Alan Wake will take more influence from this title or the debut entry.
6 Portal
People might be wondering what Portal is doing on this list, but fans will remember that it is a part of the Half-Life canon. While Valve's first-person shooter franchise is not explicitly a horror franchise, each title includes absolutely terrifying sequences, not the least of which is Half-Life 2's Ravenholm. Portal leaves the horror at the door, trading it in for black comedy and fun puzzles. Portal is extremely short, but Portal 2 is a beefier adventure.
5 Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles
Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles and The Darkside Chronicles deserve separate mention from Resident Evil 5 because it is a spin-off in an entirely different genre. Rail shooters and Resident Evil have not always had the best relationship - Resident Evil Survivor on the original PlayStation was lambasted hard - but these two Nintendo Wii games are fun ways to experience the franchise's story. Like most games in the genre, cooperative multiplayer is the way to go.
4 Alien Vs Predator The Arcade Game
Both Alien and Predator have rocky histories in the video game space. Alien has fared a little better, with Alien: Isolation in particular being a surprise hit. However, the Alien Vs. Predator arcade game from 1994 is a particularly beloved beat 'em up. Unfortunately, it is difficult to access today, with almost no ports being available and no home version developed to accompany the arcade release. Both series could use a victory today, so they should try to bring it to modern consoles soon.
3 F.E.A.R. 3
The first two games in the F.E.A.R. franchise are incredible single-player experiences. The enemy AI is especially notable for the way they team up against the player. The third game in the franchise trades in the haunting atmosphere for a cooperative shooter with several asymmetrical elements. While F.E.A.R. 3 is probably the weakest in the franchise, it is still great to go through with a friend.
2 BioShock Infinite
The first two BioShock games are sufficiently creepy, though not outright horror games. If we include the System Shock games, those can be distinctly called horror games.
BioShock Infinite is definitely more action focused than all of those, however. The narrative is arguably the best of all the aforementioned games, but the creepy character designs and dark atmosphere are replaced by the vistas of Columbia, the floating city.
1 Jack In The Dark
Alone in the Dark is one of the original survival horror games, being one of the first to utilize the 3D character models against a 2D backdrop with fixed camera angles. In preparation for Alone in the Dark 2's release, the developer released a small adventure called Jack in the Dark, almost a parody of the game formula. It was made to promote the upcoming Alone in the Dark 2, and features no combat.