Many people write off horror games as nothing more than cheap experiences designed solely for scaring the wits out of players by adding as many jumpscares as possible. However, this train of thought is quite erroneous, with many horror games actually using psychological elements and environmental design to tell a compelling story that will keep players on the edge of their seats until the very end.
Many stellar horror game franchises have come out that have gained widespread recognition for a whole host of reasons. These games do a great job of scaring players silly by perfecting all the facets of their video games and ensuring that horror is the first and foremost focus of the series. Some horror video game franchises have remained pretty consistent in terms of overall quality, with the best of the bunch being mentioned below.
5 BioShock
The BioShock trilogy needs no introduction, with the first game pretty much putting Ken Levine on the map as one of the most creative minds in the video game industry. Roaming the claustrophobic halls of Rapture was a blast and held up in the second game too, even though people found this sequel to be inferior in many ways to the first game.
This is where the third game stepped into the picture and brought fans over to the floating city of Columbia instead. Sure, the game's horror aesthetics might've been slightly minimized in BioShock Infinite, but the game could still scare players when it wanted to. All in all, players looking for a horror franchise that boasts an amazing story should look no further than the BioShock series. The games will keep them on the edge of their seats as they uncover the mysteries of the world, with the first and third game being truly spectacular works of art.
4 Dead Space
Dead Space is one of the most iconic survival horror franchises of all time. The games have made headlines time and time again and are still being talked about to this day. Of course, with the announcement of the Dead Space remake and members of the old team developing The Callisto Protocol as well, it's easy to see why Dead Space is still a hot topic even now.
The story of Isaac Clarke as he deals with the horror of the necromorphs time and time again makes for a horrifying yet riveting time that fans will have a great time with. While Dead Space 3 is nowhere near as great as the other two games in the series, there's no denying that the series is still a horror classic that fans should check out if they haven't already.
3 S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
With the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series finally getting a new mainline entry after what seems like ages, there's no better time to get into one of the hardest survival horror games ever made. There's no denying that the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games are full to the brim with bugs and poor design choices, but mods have done a great job of ironing out its kinks and making each game in the series quite playable on modern hardware.
Both Shadow of Chernobyl and Call of Pripyat are excellent titles, while Clear Sky is also a decent title in its own right despite lacking some things that make this franchise so special. If players don't mind being flung at a brick wall time and time again until they conform to the game and its mechanics, then the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series is one of the best things they can spend their time with.
2 Metro
The Metro trilogy is one of the best horror first-person shooters... and some of the toughest titles around too. The game doesn't shy away from brutalizing players who don't prioritize ammo management or approach combat situations tactically, and players who fail to perform either will be punished accordingly for their carelessness.
A single misstep in any of the Metro games can prove to be a costly affair that robs players of a ton of health and can even damage their equipment. The tense nature of the game coupled with a deceptively captivating narrative is what separates Metro from the rest of the pack.
1 Dark Souls
Most people might be perplexed at the idea of putting Dark Souls in the category of a horror game. Sure, there's no denying that Dark Souls is primarily an action-adventure title... but it's the oppressive nature of these games coupled with the toughness of most enemies that make it a prime candidate for being somewhat of a horror game too.
After all, the tense nature of Dark Souls coupled with its surprise encounters and brutal boss battles make it quite horrifying for many players. It might not be an outright horror game, but the Dark Souls trilogy does a better job of scaring players than most other horror games out there.