Summary

  • Playing retro horror games can offer a refreshing change from recent titles, providing unique experiences.
  • Many retro horror games are still considered exceptional and offer rich entertainment value without being too scary.
  • Despite the expense, retro horror games like Sweet Home and Illbleed are worth experiencing for their unique stories and gameplay.

If you love horror games but only have the newest gaming systems, you might get tired of all the recent horror titles and want to spice♕ it up a bit. In that case, it's a perfect time to play a retro horror game.

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These are often vastly different than what you get today 🎶in the horror genre but are still just as good, if not better. Unfortunately, the downside to going retro is that it's going to hurt your wallet because, depending on how you get a hold of them, these retro titles tend to be extremely expensive. Some are definitely more accessible than others, though.

Updated on October 3, 2024, by Dominic Allen: The October season is the perfect time to replay horror game classics or experience retro titles you've heard are great but never played before. Some of these retro horror games are still the cream of the crop in the genre. Even more entries were added this time, including some retro PC games. PC titles were completely absent prior, so it's time for them to see some love.

14 Phantasmagoria 2 ♑

The Best Retro FMV Horror Game

Sneaking around a police officer in Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh.

Release Year

Platforms

Developer

Publisher

1996

PC

Sierra On-Line

Sierra On-Line

Not all good horror games need to be scary, as they can also provide rich entertainment🍃 value, and that's exactly the case for Phantasmagoria 2. The first Phantasmagoria was solid and quite entertaining, but nothing compares to the sequel. You can jump straight in, too, and it's 💫not like you need to play the first one.

An FMV point-and-click adventure game that definitely leans more towards being an interactive movie, it's one of the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:most entertaining games in the genre. It'll give you a lot of laughs and a lot of fun, and those types of games are equally worth playing in rotation with traditional h꧃orror titles.

13 𒅌 System Shock 2

Still One Of The Best PC Games Ever Made

Released
🌸♍ August 11, 1999
ESRB
m
Developer(s)
Irrational Games, Looking Glass Technologies, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:NightDive Studios
Multiplayer
ℱ Local Multiplayer 🐟
Franchise
🔥 System Shock
Platform(s)
PC
Metascore
92

System Shock 2 is a game that saw love at release but didn't earn that all-time great status until much later. Some of the greatest games of these past few generations, like BioShock 1 and the 🐎2017 Prey, would not exist without the influence of System Shock.

System Shock 2, especially, was such a massive leap in quality in terms of atmosphere, story, and gameplay that there's a rea🌺son the original g💜ame got a full-blown remake and not its sequel.

System Shock 2 also heightened the horror elements, and it was one of the first 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:horror games that real𓄧ly nailed𝓀 the space setting that future titles like Dead Space 1 would perfect. If you can look past the dated graphics, th🏅is game remains a banger PC-🅷exclusive horror immersive sim.

12 𓃲 Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

The Best Of The PS1 Trilogy

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Survival Horror

Released
꧙ 💞 November 10, 1999
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Violence 🌸 🐽
Developer(s)
Capcom
Publisher(s)
Capcom
Platform(s)
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo GameCube, PC, PS1
How Long To Beat
7 Hours

Most of the Resident Evil remakes are excellent, but if there's one that definitely doesn't match up to the original, it has to be RE3. The original introduced one of the greatest villains in all of horror gaming, introduced several amazing new gamepla♎y features and satisfyingly wrapped up the Raccoon City trilogy. The replay value her🃏e is great because every playthrough will be a little bit different.

In one spot, Brainsuckers can spawn or the far more deadly Hunters, and the same with items spawns. There are ✤dynamic choices you can make as well, randomized puzzles, and if you want to go pro, you can kill Nemesis numerous times for lucrative item drops. Out of all the PS1 RE games, Resident Evil 3 is the one that never gets boring, even after numerous playthroughs.

11 ꦉ Silent Hill 3

The Fan Favorite

Released
August 6, 2003 𒉰
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Violence ಞ
Developer(s)
Konami
Publisher(s)
Konami
Platform(s)
PC, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360
How Long To Beat
6 Hours

While Silent Hill 2 is still critically regarded as the best in the series, over time, the fan-favorite 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Silent Hill game has shifted to SH3. Silent Hill 3 is just the best raw horror game in the franchise, with the best monsters, environments, music, and sound design. It's wild that Team Silent pulled off these environments on the PS2 because they're still effective in scaring the pants off y💜ou.

5:52
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A direct sequel to Silent Hill 1, SH3 wraps up the storyline perfectly in a way that seems natural and pre-planned, even though it wasn't. The cast of characters is great, an🍃d all around, SH3 is the perfect Silent Hill game and, frankly, close to a perfect horror game in general.

10 𒆙 Dino Crisis

The Next Evolution Of Resident Evil

Released
Auguওst 31, 1999
ESRB
♑ 𒉰M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Violence
Developer(s)
Capcom
Publisher(s)
Capcom
How Long To Beat
6 Hours
Metascore
74

Capcom's Dino Crisis series is one that many 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:want to come back. The last entry was back on the original Xbox, but the first two games were really damn good. Dino Crisis 1 is the entry more focused on pure horror, and at releas🐬e, it was probably the peak of the genre in terms of mechanical complexity.

These Dinos are much smarter than your Resident Evil Zombies. They actively hunt you, can go into rooms, and get harder as you progress. You might think this game's pretty easy at first, but when you get to the second half, the difficulty ramps up significantly. With high replay value and multiple endings, it's 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a great PS1 horror title. It's eve♛n coming to PS5 through PS Plus, so there's no excuse not to check this game out.

9 Haunting ♛Ground 𝓡

One Of The Best Horror Games On The PS2

Daniella chasing after Fiona in Haunting Ground.
Haunting Ground
Survival Horror

Released
May 10, 2005 ꦐ
ESRB
m
Developer(s)
Capcom
Publisher(s)
Capcom
Platform(s)
PS2, PS3
How Long To Beat
9 Hours

Haunting Ground is such a good game, and sadly, many won't be able to play it because it's one of the most expensive games oᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚn the PS2. Taking place in an awesome atmospheric castle, you play as Fiona and bond with a dog named Hewie to escape. This is a true M for Mature title because the dark content, subject matter, and villain motivation are really disturbing.

Haunting Ground has one of the most messed up bad endings you'll ever find in a game. Its gameplay is similar to an improved Clock Tower due to the large number of available options you have. This includes your best bud Hewie, which can attack your pursuer. Haunting Ground does have some backtracking issues, butꦇ besides that, it's a phe𝓰nomenal ride of a horror game.

8 ꦿ Sweet Home

The True Beginning Of Resident Evil

Fighting a skeleton in an RPG battle in Sweet Home.
Sweet Home

Released
ꩵ December 15, 19𒈔89
ESRB
Mature
Developer(s)
Capcom
Publisher(s)
Capcom
Platform(s)
ﷺ Nintendo Entertainment System

If you're looking for a horror masterpiece to play that you've never experienced, you must check out Swe👍et Home for the NES. This is especially true if you're a Resident Evil fan, as Sweet Home is essentially its progenitor. A Japanese-exclusive game based on the 1989 horror film Sweet Home is an RPG survival horror hybrid.

Both aspects hold up amazౠingly today. Compared to most other NES RPGs, Sweet Home remains pretty accessible to modern players. Many younger gamers will likely drop moꦍst other NES RPGs due to their dated elements, but not so much here. Combined with a great story with many twists and turns, you have a must-play retro horror title.

7 Illbleed

A Wildly Fun Trip

Release Year

Platforms

Developer

Publisher

2001

Dreamcast

Crazy Games

AIA

Another incredibly expensive horror gem is Illbleed for the Dreamcast. Takiℱng place in a horror-themed amusement park, you go through six levels of pure chaos. It's a truly wild horror title for the time. Much of the gameplay uses your camera to spot traps in a manner very similar to Minesweep📖er.

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It's great once you get it down, but the combat is the usual clun♌kiness you'd see at the time. Regardless, the story, cutscenes, and ridiculous things that occur really hooks you. It's one of those games you continue to play just to see what wild stuff happens next.

6 Parasite Eve 🌟

A Top-Tier RPG On The PS1

Released
ꦜ September 9, 1998
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ due to Aꦓnimated Violence, Mature Sexual 🍸Themes
Developer(s)
Square
Publisher(s)
Square
Platform(s)
PS1
How Long To Beat
10 Hours
Metascore
81

Square Enix's major horror series is Parasite Eve, and out of the trilogy, you can't top the original. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Its soundtrack is outstanding, and it offers a unique but fun battle ꦰsystem, along with a great story as well. Aya Brea is a phenomenal female protagonist and definitely up th🌺ere with the best female horror leads in gaming.

It is among the best RPGs on the PS1, and unfortunately, neither of its two sequels was even close in quality. What's also really cool is that Parasite Eve has neat post-game content with a 77-floor mega-dungeon, the Chrysler Buildin෴g. That will truly test your ski🌊lls.

5 Zombies Ate M🦹y Neighbors 🍌

The LucasArts 16-Bit Classic

Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Run and Gun

Released
🍬 July 19, 1993
ESRB
E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To C🐈artoon Violence
Publisher(s)
Konami, Lucasfilm Games
How Long To Beat
8 Hours

One of the best 16-bit horror games has to be Zombies Ate My📖 Neighbors by LucasArts. The enemy variety is virtually unmatched in the horror genre, plus you have a wide variety of locations, too. In the game, you must rescue ten neighbors, and after rescuing them all, you can continue to the next level. They can die, though, and if all ten perish, it'🌺s game over.

Even though the title is more of a 2D action game, it does feel like survival horror ⛎in terms of managing your scarce resources. This especially comes into play with the bosses, which require a ton of firepower to kill. Luckily, you can play Zombies Ate My Neighbors on modern platforms, so you won't need to empty your wallet for it.