The PlayStation 4 enjoyed an amazing variety of games, with Sony emphasizing narrative-driven single-player experiences. There was something for fans of every genre, including horror. Though most developers have moved on to the current-gen consoles, there’s still plenty for horror fans to dig through.
Whether you’re looking for mild scares or nightmare-inducing terror, the PS4 has it all. With this guide, you’ll know what the best horror games on the console are, allowing you to adequately prepare for the spooky season.
Honorable Mentions
There are quite a few games that could have made the list but simply couldn’t inch their way in. Nevertheless, they do deserve some recognition.
- Bloodborne – It never made the list because it is arguably not a horror game. Nevertheless, with its Lovecraftian horror elements, Bloodborne won’t fail to raise the hair on the back of your neck.
- Inside – This is another game that is technically not a horror title, but still provides plenty of scares with its atmosphere.
- Neverending Nightmares – The game has you running down seemingly endless corridors while dodging monsters. The black and white sketched art style is striking.
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – The game features Senua who attempts to rescue the soul of her lover. It attempts to replicate symptoms of schizophrenia by experimenting with visuals and audio, introducing some chilling psychological horror.
6. SOMA
There are a few ways to scare a player. Most of the entries on the list do so by creating a sense of helplessness through gameplay. Although SOMA has good gameplay, its strength lies in its narrative which manages to slowly but surely build psychological horror.
Developed by Frictional Games, SOMA centers on Simon Jarrett who finds himself in an underwater research facility where he encounters machinery that exhibits consciousness. He is far from prepared for what he discovers.
5. The Evil Within 2
Developed by Tango Gameworks, The Evil Within 2 is often overlooked when great horror games of the eighth generation are discussed. Like its predecessor, it is a survival horror game that has you fighting for your life against all manner of terrifying monsters.
Sebastian Castellanos is still traumatized by the events at the Beacon Mental Hospital, but his horrors are far from over. The game does an excellent job of inducing terror while allowing you to eventually be able to directly confront enemies.
4. Until Dawn
Like most games developed by Supermassive, Until Dawn is an interactive horror title that features minimal action and instead relies heavily on the choices you make in the most stressful situations. There are multiple routes the tale can go, leading to varied endings, which makes it a blast to replay.
Until Dawn has you returning to a lodge at the top of a mountain following the death of two friends a year prior. What unfurls next is a night of horror, and only you can control who will make it to daybreak.
In addition to making great use of the Dualshock 4, Until Dawn permanently has you at the edge of your seat with its jump scares and terrifying enemies. Supermassive has released plenty of games since, but none have been even half as scary as Until Dawn.
3. Alien: Isolation
There are different types of horror. If you’re aiming to feel the kind of horror that’ll have you constantly stressed and on edge, you can’t do better than Alien: Isolation. It’s a survival horror game with an emphasis on stealth. You take control of Amanda Ripley as she explores a space station and attempts to outwit her foes.
It attempts to resemble the 1979 film Alien, and it’s hard to argue that the first-person game doesn’t succeed. Alien: Isolation was released in 2014, and it was both commercially and critically successful, scoring an 8.5 here at Destructoid.
2. Outlast 2
With many horror games, you start relatively helpless and slowly acquire the tools and skills necessary to take on even the biggest foes. Outlast 2 turns this concept on its head, leaving you vulnerable for most of the game’s length. The result is a nauseatingly horrifying experience that’ll have you trembling as you flee from mad villagers.
There’s plenty of religious and gory imagery, and with your camcorder as your only source of light in many cases, you’ll have to carefully conserve your battery power. It’s a tough one to finish, but Blake Langermann’s desire to find his wife will keep you going.
1. Resident Evil 7
It would have been easy to fill most of this list with Resident Evil titles, but we’ll keep it down to one entry for the sake of fairness. The franchise had a stellar run on the PS4, and we got to enjoy nail-bitingly terrifying remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3.
Resident Evil also experimented with a first-person perspective, with some truly scream-inducing results. RE7 is easily the scariest entry in the franchise, and it hasn’t been succeeded by subsequent releases. The game puts you in control of Ethan Winters who must brave the horrors of the Baker family home as he searches for his wife.
You’ll be dealing with heart-stopping jump scares, boss battles scary enough to make you cry, and a claustrophobic home where you’re constantly being stalked. The game is not for horror novices, but it is one of the best experiences the genre has to offer.
