The ever-increasing realism of video games has allowed developers to make unsettlingly immersive horror experiences that put players in the heart of the action. The survival horror genre, in particular, has produced some of the best titles in the gaming industry’s history. Much of the genre’s strength comes from the player’s ability to fight back and make decisions for the main character, instead of having to watch a movie full of people locking themselves in enclosed spaces or watching cursed videotapes.
The genre took off in 1992 with Alone in the Dark, the first 3D survival horror game, and it has gone from strength to strength since. Furthermore, considering that a handful of games on this list were released in the last decade, there’s reason to be optimistic that the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S era of gaming will see plenty more AAA survival horror titles. Let’s look at the best of the genre according to Metacritic.
10 Silent Hill 2 (89)
Initially released on the PlayStation 2 in September 2001, Silent Hill 2 put players in the shoes of James Sunderland as he searched through the monster-infested town Silent Hill to search for his presumed-dead wife.
Silent Hill 2 impressed critics with its atmospheric gameplay, smartly integrated story, and collection of intricate puzzles.
9 Left 4 Dead 2 (89)
On the opposite end of the spectrum to the story-driven, puzzle-heavy Silent Hill 2 is Left 4 Dead 2; an action-heavy, multiplayer-focused first-person shooter.
Left for Dead 2 was unlucky to fall short of Metacritic’s elusive 90 marks, although it did win a collection of awards to dampen the blow. Among its many accolades, Left 4 Dead 2 won Best Xbox 360 Game at the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards.
8 Dead Space 2 (90)
Dead Space 2 followed the lead from 2008’s Dead Space, offering a sci-fi spin on the survival horror genre while taking heavy influence from (spoiler alert) one of the genre’s best games, Resident Evil 4.
EA’s Dead Space 2 narrowly edged its predecessor’s highest Metascore by a single point, helped in no small part by the implementation of multiplayer. Dead Space 3 was released in early 2013, although poor sales and lackluster reviews likely make it the final entry to the Dead Space series.
7 Resident Evil (91)
The first entry into the iconic Resident Evil series, 1996’s Resident Evil followed Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine as they explored the iconic Spencer Mansion.
Resident Evil was a genre-defining title as it proved that survival horror games could not only be among the industry’s best games but be genuinely scary too.
6 Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem (92)
The first M-rated game published by Nintendo, Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem plays similarly to the aforementioned Resident Evil and Silent Hill 2 with survival horror gameplay that is supplemented by tricky puzzles to solve.
Much like Silent Hill 2, the game had a fantastic narrative, that won it the Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development award at the 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.
5 Resident Evil 2 (Remake) (93)
Resident Evil 2 is one of the best games to point to when arguing that remakes aren’t always just cash-grabs, but can be among the year’s best releases.
2019’s Resident Evil 2 was an excellent modern interpretation of the PlayStation 1 classic, and deservedly won Ultimate Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards.
4 The Last Of Us Part II (93)
The most devise release of the 2020s thus far, The Last of Us Part II divided the opinions of both fans and critics with its expectation subverting story. Metacritic was forced to change its User Score system because of The Last of Us Part II, as an influx of negative reviews gave the game a brutally low score just a few hours after it officially released.
Despite the review bombing, The Last of Us Part II shows the value of Metacritic in a sense. It offers people who are confused by jarringly different opinions a chance to see a huge range of critic and fan perceptions, letting them judge which side of the spectrum they’ll likely fall before buying.
3 The Last Of Us (95)
One of the most influential games of the modern era, it’s easy to forget just how much of an impact The Last of Us made on the gaming industry; as it showed that gamers were more than willing to play AAA titles with a mature, intricate and dark story.
It’s also easy to forget how skeptical people were of the game before it was released. Many people thought that it would just be an Uncharted clone that was cashing-in on the zombie/infected horror subgenre that was being inundated with releases across all forms of media. Naughty Dog took a chance with The Last of Us, and it’s safe to say that it paid off.
2 Bioshock (96)
The joint highest-rated game of the PS3 and Xbox 360 era outside of the Grand Theft Auto series; Bioshock engrossed gamers with its wonderfully designed Rapture, interesting narrative, and superb gameplay mechanics offering unparalleled depth in the FPS genre.
The collection of colorful characters that inhabit the stunning Rapture make it easy to forget that Bioshock is a survival horror game at its core, although players will soon be reminded of this once a Big Daddy starts charging towards them.
1 Resident Evil 4 (96)
Resident Evil 4 ties Bioshock with a score of 96, but tops this list for its superior user score, along with the far bigger influence that it had on the survival horror genre.
The game revolutionized both the survival horror and shooter genres with its over-the-shoulder perspective. Furthermore, Resident Evil 4 set a standard for all linear games with its lengthy single-player campaign and generous offering of post-game content.
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