Now that the holidays are over and life has had a chance to get back into the normal swing of the day to days, there is a pressing question; where are the horror games? Luckily, 2016 is planned with enough gory goodness to keep even the most diehard horror heads enamored. From the traditional survival motif to player versus player arena set ups, the classic cabin in the woods to dystopian futures, 2016 is sure to keep us all scared out of our minds. Here is a look at 16 of the most anticipated horror games set to come to PlayStation 4 this year.
DOOM AND GLOOM AND TROPHIES
Allison Road
From developer Lilith Ltd., this first-person survival horror game is reminiscent of P.T. Allison Road tells a minimalist story set for the player to discover as you play through. Over the course of five nights you uncover the sorted past and the mysteries of the home while avoiding creatures such as Lily and many more. A twelve-minute gameplay trailer has been released, but according to the games creators, some aspects seen in the video have been cut.
Call of Cthulhu
H.P. Lovecraft is regarded as one of the greatest writers of horror and strange fiction. Of all his creations and characters, none is as well known as the god Cthulhu. This current-generation game is said to play off of the original pen and paper roleplaying game from the 80s of the same name. Few details of the game, aside form some concept art, have been released thus far, but given the fan base surrounding the mythos, this game is already anxiously awaited.
Dead Island 2
Bringing a new open world, Dead Island 2 takes place in Los Angeles, CA. The infection cause is still unknown, but the United States military has placed the entire city under quarantine. This game in the franchise will bring back some of the classic mechanics, such as the rage system, as well as other changes yet to come. Deep Silver has yet to fail, and this action role-playing survival horror is sure to bring the same fun and craziness as the others.
Doom
The classic first person shooter about machines and demons returns this year with Doom from id Software. Originally titled Doom 4, this game was set to be a 12 year waited follow-up to the 2004 Doom 3. Original weapons such as the super-shotgun and the chainsaw will be available along side iconic enemies such as the Cyberdemon. Last December, Doom held a very limited, closed alpha test of the game that was met with fan praise. This blood splattered, machine gun running, blast of a good time is sure to live up to its traditional joy.
Draugen
This new horror adventure game from Red Thread Games pulls inspiration from Nordic mythology. Set in 1920s, the citizens of a small village mysteriously vanished. Taking on the roll of an American nature photographer and botanist, you slowly unveil the story of this strange land. The title Draugen means the Draug, which is an undead creature in Nordic mythology. The change of period and a different set of lore has fans excited to see what is to come.
BLOODY GOOD GAMES
The Forest
The survival horror game The Forest is not new, but it is finally coming the PlayStation 4, set for release sometime in 2016. This open world horror game from Endnight Games takes place after a plane crash and mutants take away your child. Aside from surviving the harsh and unforgiving environment, the player is also faced with woodland creatures and hordes of cannibalistic mutants. This sandbox survival horror game is gaining a buzz since the pre-alpha version released on Steam in 2014.
Friday the 13th
After starting as a separate title Slasher Vol. 1: Summer Camp as a lover letter to the slasher genre, and Jason Voorhees in particular, Gun Media’s different approach to horror was granted the proper licensing to become an official Friday the 13th game. Bringing back some of the original cast and special effects artists from the film franchise, Friday the 13th aims to create heavy visuals with a new take on the genre. In this game, one player takes on the role of the killer hunting down the other five or so players, who are each playing the part of a classic slasher victim stereotype. The team players can team up, turn on each other, and even, finally, call the cops for help. It is curious how that will turn out.
Grave
Taking the player away from the classic horror in the woods setting, Grave takes place in a desert landscape. Following a day/night schedule the player must use the sunlight to scavenge for items that help defend against strange creatures that appear at nightfall. The environment itself periodically changes adding an additional level challenge to survival. The environmental exploration and combat based horror breathes new life into an old genre.
The Hum: Abductions
Months after your husband’s disappearance, Holly Sanders lives a rough life with her son Dan. The player takes on the role of Holly as aliens mysteriously appear, kidnapping your child, and even taking you away from your home. Throughout the game Holly discovers pieces of what happened all that time ago. Reportedly, levels of the game even take place inside Holly’s mind during alien experimentation.
Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age
From the creative team at Crytek, Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age is a free-to-play third person shooter with horror elements set for release this year. Taking on one of the four character type, the game can be played alone or with a group. Riddled with torrents of creatures and horrific beasts from different lore, the game entails traversing maps and mowing through beasts until the eventual boss fight. Though the set up is not new, the art direction and detail makes this game something to be needed.
GORE AND GLORY
Kodak
Coming from the Japanese folklore of poisonous magic, kodoku was when a sorcerer would mix insect together in a jar until only one survived. The fluid of this insect was used to poison and control other people. The game of the same name form Carnivore Studios is plagued with strangely horrific and captivatingly odd imagery in an anime art style. Little is known about the game’s story thus farm but there is a Kickstarter to launch a comic along with the game.
Kursk
Back in the year 2000 a nuclear Russian submarine Kursk lost the lives of all hands on board due to a faulty training torpedo. This will also take the place of the setting for the upcoming survival horror game of the same name from developer Jujubee. Not much of the game has been revealed so far, but the developers claim that the tragedy will be looked at “from a different point of view” adding the horror elements to the real life horror.
Outlast 2
Red Barrel Games returns to the fan favorite Outlast franchise with this anxiously awaited sequel. This first person survival horror game is set as an indirect sequel to the 2013 horror hit. Taking place in the same universe as the first game, Outlast 2 will feature an entirely new cast of characters and creatures in a new location, away from the psychiatric hospital. This game is already earning well deserved internet buzz, given the popularity of the first.
Perception
The new development team of Deep Silver, built from members of the team that created BioShock and Dead Space, now bring the new survival horror game Perception. This game tells the story of a blind girl who has been plagued with visions of this strange house. Finally fed up with the burden of these visions, you go to this strange place. Only able to see by echo-location, you have to use this pulsating sonar wisely; find your way around while not giving away your location. This added level challenge has helped set this game apart already.
Routine
Taking place in an abandoned moon base referred to as the Lunar Research Station, Routine sets you as the sole survivor as your crew has vanished. Fighting against a procedurally generated, lifeless, and cold environment you must survive against all odds as you discover the truth of what happened. This game makes use of a permadeath system with multiple endings depending on decisions that you make.
What Remains of Edith Finch
Though Giant Sparrows follow-up to Unfinished Swan may not seem like a horror game by the traditional standards, What Remains of Edith Finch is set to be a powerfully moving and tense game nonetheless. As the last remaining member of the Finch family, Edith has the ability to form into different animals. The game tells a variety of stories centered around different members of the family throughout time. Each story is as different in tone and feeling as the character they follow. Spoiled in the trailer itself, each story ends with the respective character’s inevitable death. Still, What Remains of Edith Finch is bound to be a moving game.
This year is already splitting at the seams with tension building, heart pounding, fear inducing horror games. The year 2016 already has a plethora of horror themed or terror-centric games announced for release. Without a doubt, this is going to be a heavy year for all the console scare hunters out there. For now, take sometime to chip through that neglected backlog, because the big 2016 releases are coming down the pipeline.
