6 Horror games to play while waiting for Resident Evil 8

Resident Evil: Village is still a couple of months away, so you might be feeling rather antsy during the wait. Luckily for you, there’s plenty of horror titles to tide you over while you think about pre-ordering if you haven’t already.

From the supernatural to the psychological, there’s plenty of horror games out there for every kind of horror aficionado.

Here are some of the best horror games to play while you wait for Resident Evil: Village.

Resident Evil 7

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way, Resident Evil 7 is absolutely fantastic. Released in 2017, the predecessor to the upcoming Resident Evil: Village was the series’ first foray into first person gameplay.

In this title, you don’t play as an unlucky cop or member of an anti-bioterrorist organization; instead, you play as an ordinary man named Ethan Winters.

His wife has been missing for three years, and its up to Ethan to go search for her in the mysterious Baker estate, which turns out to be a haven for monsters.

Make no mistake, despite being in the first person, this is very much a Resident Evil game. Many of the hallmarks of the series are here: limited inventory, claustrophobic environments, science fiction body horror, and tons of herbs to imbibe on the way.

If you’re looking for a good primer for the upcoming installment, this entry is guaranteed not to disappoint.

Alien Isolation

Don’t wanna go traipsing around creepy mansions infested with monsters? What about space? Space can be a pretty existential experience when you stop to think about it, and its no more apparent than in Alien Isolation.

You play as Amanda Ripley, daughter of Alien protagonist Ellen Ripley, as she searches the decrepit Sevastopol for answers to her mother’s fate. Pretty soon after boarding the ship, things go south and she must survive the same terrors that befell her mother.

If you love sci-fi aesthetics or just plain love the Alien movie series, this game is a love letter to both of those. The main gameplay is centered around avoiding enemies and making your way through the station.

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The entire time, you piece together the events that took place on the Sevastopol while scrounging for items and new weapons.

Avoiding the Alien and other enemies is tense and pulse pounding, as Amanda is very fragile compared to the horrors of the station.

When you find yourself holding your breath alongside her while hiding in a locker, you’ll find you’ve been fully engrossed in the world of Alien Isolation.

Phasmophobia

They say that horror isn’t as scary if you’re experiencing it alongside other people; however, anyone that says that hasn’t played Phasmophobia before.

The premise of the game is that you are a group of ghost hunters that record phenomena in haunted areas.

As a co-op experience, Phasmophobia is very much a unique experience, as the horror is incredibly dynamic every session.

The objectives of every ghost hunt are very similar but vary in difficulty, as the ghost’s aggression changes depending on the type and the objective difficulty.

The dread increases when you have to split away from the rest of your group and do objectives or attract the ghost alone.

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Once the ghost begins its hunt, even if the rest of your group is next to you, the mere presence of the entity will drive chills up your spine.

Doom 3

Maybe you don’t like feeling completely helpless? That’s fine, horror can accommodate all forms of immersion, even power fantasies.

Doom 3 is what you want to play if you feel up to blasting away monsters while feeling stressed and uncomfortable.

You play as an unnamed space marine who arrives on Mars for a routine job that goes wrong when a portal to hell is opened.

The beginning of the game does a great job of slowly building up the terrifying power of the invading demons. When all hell breaks loose (pun intended), the game becomes a fun blend of horror and action.

Gunplay is the name of the game for Doom 3, as you’ll accrue weaponry that ranges from conventional to near god-like.

Even though you’ll be well equipped for the armies of hell, there’s plenty of variety in the enemy roster, everything from zombies to fire slinging imps.

The horror tinged action makes for some cathartic and terrifying gameplay that lasts for hours.

Lost In Vivo

Horror has such a warm home in the indie game space, as many creative titles such as Lost In Vivo exist there.

Lost In Vivo takes more inspiration from Silent Hill than Resident Evil, but still is able to scratch that survival horror itch. You play as a nameless protagonist that has to look for their lost dog in the sewers of their city.

The gameplay is first person survival horror goodness, as you’ll fight your way through various surreal environments in search for your beloved companion.

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Combat and puzzle solving make up the crux of the gameplay, as you’ll have to face various horrors throughout your journey. The narrative is personal and deals with themes such as anxiety and trauma, as the various environments reflect the emotional burden of the protagonist.

There’s very little music in the game, as the environments mainly use ambient sounds to build the mood.

The silence in the game can feel deafening at times, as the sounds of the different environments compel you to keep exploring in hopes that you’re one step closer to finding your dog.

System Shock 2

Of all the games on this list, this one is technically the least “horror-esque” game but is still plenty harrowing your first time through.

System Shock 2 is a first person action RPG that initially released in 1999; this entry is talked about much more than the original as it has aged (comparably) better than the first entry. You play as an unnamed soldier that awakens to a silent space station that is in the midst of an alien infection.

The game is an RPG through and through, as you need to build your character in a specific way to survive the threats on Citadel Station.

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The entirety of the station is housed with various enemies, such as human-alien hybrids, explosive robots, cyborgs, and Lovecraftian monsters. The entire time, you’ll have to also solve puzzles, obtain items, and navigate the expansive halls of the stations.

Despite its age, System Shock 2 is still effective at immersing and making the player feel incredibly uncomfortable the whole time.

There’s nothing creepier than hearing the distorted voices of the hybrid enemies as they roam the hallways looking for you. Even if you’re decked out with the best gear and best character build in the game, you’ll get chills as you see a pack of enemies rounding the corner, looking for you.

Tons of Scares

Horror is an expansive genre, and you’re bound to find something you’ll like if you look around enough.

All of the games on this list are but mere drops in the tremendous ocean of variety for the horror game genre.

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Even if you simply wait for Resident Evil: Village’s release, consider taking a look around Steam or other platforms. You might find a game that’ll send chills up your spine.

Resident Evil: Village is out on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on May 7th 2021.