Given the repeatedly short life spans of lead and supporting protagonists in horror media, it only makes sense that fans of horror films and games would be drawn to the most-consistent characters in horror franchises: the villains. After all, when we think ofFriday the 13th, it’s Jason Voorhees that we immediately picture, not Chris Higgins.
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What if fighting doesn’t work? What if all you can do is run, hide and pray that you make it out alive?
It only makes sense that video games would eventually let us play as the bad guy in horror scenarios (it definitely looks more fun than being the terrorized victim). There are a lot of these horror roles that gamers can choose from to play out their horror fantasies, from killer sharks, to bloodthirsty vampires to some of film’s iconic slashers themselves.
Side-scrolling screams
Carrionis an indie title following a shape-shifting mass of flesh and bones as it breaks out of containment from a secret underground research facility (andyouget to play as the experiment itself). Taking nods from body horror as well as John Carpenter’s classic horror filmThe Thing, players can use a variety of powers to terrorize and decimate the employees of this underground lab.
You’ll most likely find yourself playing with the satisfying physics engine built-in to the game, using your tentacles to swing and throw helpless scientists around as they ragdoll and separate from their legs and bodies. The game also has clever puzzles as well as challenging stealth gameplay against some of the more well-armed employees.
You are the killer
Dead by Daylight
If you can think of a horror film monster or slasher, odds are they appear inDead By Daylight. Werewolves, Chucky, Xenomorphs, Michael Myers and even the Demogorgon fromStranger Thingsare members of the game’s A-List horror roster.
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Every step you take in these horror games takes you closer to the jaws of death and every victory feels like a badge of honor.
Dead by Daylightalso lets you play as the monster against real people playing as the victims, enabling online multiplayer for fun and frightening 1v4 matchmaking. Play with friends or with strangers and watch the screams and chills take flight!
Play as the zombie hoard
Left 4 Dead 2
Many people aren’t aware that the classic Valve gameLeft 4 Dead 2actually has a PvP mode. Even better, the PvP mode allows one side to play as the special infected members of the massive zombie hoards that populate the levels of the game.
Boomers, Spitters, Jockeys, Smokers and all the other iconic undead that we hear Coach and his pals identify in fear are now able to be controlled by players, as the other team tries to make it through a level ofL4D2with highly-intelligent foes on the hunt.
Stay out of the water
What ifJAWSwas a video game? Okay, ignoring the numerous actually licensedJAWSgames that have appeared as far back as the NES (which have been… “lacking” to say the least), take a look atManeater, the horror-RPG where you play as the killer shark terrorizing the beach.
There are a plethora of fun moves and sneaky tactics for luring and attacking your prey, with RPG elements giving you new powers and upgrades as you progress through the game. Just thinking about it, we’re already humming the classic JAWS theme song now.
6Bioshock 2
Big Daddy is coming for you
BioShock 2
The firstBioshock’smascot was the Big Daddy, a gigantic nautical mech that serves as one of many enemies to the main protagonist.Bioshock 2flips the script by letting players take over as a Big Daddy, taking on the power and visceral violence that comes with working as one of these giant mechanical monsters.
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The Bioshockfranchise (at least the games that are set in Rapture) is well-known for infusing horror elements into FPS gameplay, and players of the second game got to live out the power fantasies of wielding the giant mining drill that the Big Daddy attacks the player with in the first game (basically, it’s the textbook example of what this list is all about).
Creatures of the night
It’s 1918 London and you’re anewly-converted vampirethat must feed to survive while blending in with the rest of the human population. You can wield ungodly powers, as well as manipulate and select your victims as you see fit.
Vampyris a role-playing game where your choices matter, choosing when to help and when to devour the people of London as a deadly virus ravages the city. Don’t worry: there’s plenty of action and combat to go around in this title as well.
4Batman: Arkham Asylum
I stand by this choice 100%
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Oh, like youwouldn’tbe terrified if you had to roam around a creepy old asylum whileBatman tracks you down from the shadows. The gothically-tinged dark and spooky atmosphere, the multiple instances of actual horror scattered throughout the game thanks to Scarecrow’s fear toxin, and the stalking and terrorizing of the helpless inmates that stand against you are all evidence enough thatBatman: Arkham Asylumbelongs on this list for sure.
Specifically looking at the Predator segments of the game (andthe whole series), the horror Batman experiences at the hands of his nemeses are switched right back around on the gun-toting enemies of the game. Prisoners will begin losing composure and panicking as they discover more and more knocked out squadmates, and you can even see their heart rates rise as the fear takes over.
3The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Leatherface lives!
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The classic slasher film finally sees a worthwhile experience in the video game medium with 2023’sThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre, an asymmetrical multiplayer horror game that pits players against each other in iconic scenes and locales from the film franchise. The series icon Leatherface is obviously present, along with plenty of his fellow members of the notorious Slaughter family to play as.
Like similar games in the horror-multiplayer field,Texas Chain Saw Massacrerevolves around a group of killer horror villains hunting down helpless survivors, who must use their wits to escape. Unfortunately, it’s going to take a lot of hard work and luck to make it out of the meat locker tonight.
2Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Not a laughing matter
Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game
Clowns are scary, no doubt about it. Permanently frozen smiles, bulging eyes and noses, and silent-yet-manic behavior are just some of the things that make clowns one of the most common fears in America.Killer Klowns From Outer Spacelets you wield the terrifying power of a clown, and use it to terrorize and scare other players in online multiplayer.
It’s more tongue-in-cheek than more serious clown horror likeIT, especially given the goofy and cult-classic source material, butKiller Klownsstill manages to combine frights with funny in an effective and blood-pumping way.
1V: Rising
Vampiric survival multiplayer!
Combining multiplayer, survival-crafting and vampire horror,V Risingis the freshest take on the vampire experience in recent memory. Players can build their own mysterious castle on a hill, hunt for prey in nearby settlements and even battle other vampires in this new and exciting title that keeps receiving updates to this day.
With a full-blownCastlevaniacrossover expansion,V Risingreally is the best Dracula simulator the world has ever seen. It’s an RPG that will keep you coming back for it’s brutal combat, addictive gameplay and satisfying base-building.
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