Horror games, regardless of subgenre, have taken heavy inspiration from horror movies for decades, but with advancements in technology and storytelling methods, the games have begun to feel more and more like cinematic experiences. Whether it's a run-and-hide survival or guns-blazing action title against hordes of the undead, there are plenty of games that could be horror movies in their own right.
But no matter the genre, there are those select titles that feel, play, and look like they could be something ripped right off the silver screen. A cinematic element is always beneficial for a game to have, but these games give power, not to directors and actors, but to the players holding the controller.
Castlevania (1986)
This NES classic might not seem very movie-like, but that's only true to players who haven't played all the way through. While the game does feature a number of vintage movie monsters such as Frankenstein, the Mummy, and Count Dracula himself, it also has a final sequence pulled right from a Hammer Horror feature.
The ending of the game features a series of 8-bit credits making direct tongue-in-cheek references to classic horror actors, though with some sort of alteration in their names (i.e. Christopher Bee in place of Christopher Lee). It might not be much, but it is at least trying.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game (2009)
With all the demand for a proper sequel to the original Ghostbusters series, it can be easy to forget that a third film already exists, just in video game form. Ghostbusters: The Video Game not only reunites the original team but also features a script written by Harold Ramis and Dan Akroyd.
Despite Hollywood's attempts at rebooting the series, this is the closest thing fans have to a true-to-form third Ghostbusters adventure. The plot features a return to the classic formula, including appearances by ghosts old and new, even reappearances of Slimer and Mr. Stay Puff. Simply put, it has everything fans of the series could ask for.
Call Of Duty: Zombies In Spaceland (Plus DLC) (2020)
Although the series might be better known for its Nazi Zombies modes, there's definitely something to be said for Zombies In Spaceland. Along with featuring an appearance by Paul Reubens as an over-the-top horror movie host, the game features more than a few winks and nods to classic horror movies.
Where the core campaign is meant to lampoon classic sci-fi films and '80s campy horror, the DLC spans across subgenres including slasher flicks, B-movies, and kaiju films. It's practically a love letter to the cheesiest films in the medium.
The Evil Within (2014)
In all honesty, the Evil Within games have a bit of an identity crisis when it comes to just what kind of games they want to be. It goes back and forth between an action thriller and survival horror, but it does wear its horror movie influences on its sleeve quite proudly.
There are sequences and monsters in this series that would give Clive Barker the shivers, and more scares than a player can shake a stick at. With the right trimming, there's more than enough evidence in this Shinji Mikami splatter-fest that could make it grounds for a solid horror film.
Outlast (2013)
The Outlast franchise is a big name in the survival horror world, and its intense first-person elements of running and hiding from a gruesome selection of mutated murderers and men is more than enough reason to warrant some panic. The fact that most of the game is seen through the eyes of a night-vision camera also helps add to the eerie experience.
An abandoned insane asylum has already been the setting of several hauntings and horror films, but when it's overrun by mutilated and murderous inmates who want nothing more than to rip the player apart, things get more than a little scary. It will definitely have most gamers gripping their controllers.
Bioshock (2007)
Part sci-fi horror, part first-person-shooter, part philosophical dive, all captivating, and all-powerful, it's Bioshock. The original title in 2K's iconic steampunk horror series was worthy of its own adaptation by itself, but the themes, motifs, and imagery seen in the first game open the door for multiple angles.
It could be viewed as an apocalyptic zombie feature, a monster movie featuring the Big Daddies, or just a survival-horror feature set deep beneath the ocean. There's more than one way to skin a Splicer, after all.
The Dark Pictures Anthology (2019)
Essentially the choose-your-own-adventure of horror games, Anthology puts control of the horror story in the player's hands. With a new chapter on the horizon and two titles already giving players nightmares, new gamers have their choice in this trilogy of terror.
To take a cue from Jigsaw, "Live or die, make your choice." That's essentially the best way to play these games, as the player's choices control the story. There's even a movie night mode where up to four additional players can get in on the action.
Until Dawn (2015)
2015's Until Dawn was the predecessor to the previous entry, but where entries like Man of Medan and Little Hope are more complex and supernatural, this game is a slasher through and through. The murder mystery elements make the choices and outcomes have more weight, and the attachment to the characters feel more grounded.
The game has a different kind of suspense at its core. While ghosts, witches, and zombies have their different shades and hazards, human monsters can be a lot more dangerous. And that's not even putting the Wendigos in the picture.
Resident Evil VII: Biohazard (2017)
A great way to describe the plot of save for the iconic Leatherface, of course.
The Molded are another issue altogether, but there are moments in this game that players can point at directly and find their horror movie influences. Especially the cannibalistic dinner scene.
Alien: Isolation (2014)
Alien: Isolation isn't just a game inspired by a classic horror movie, it's a game that gives its all to recreate the world and events that took place in the film and period it premiered. The game doesn't just use a futuristic setting and throw a player character against a Xenomorph, it uses the designs, lore, and style choices used in the original 1979 classic to build its world.
For a game that came out as recently as 2019, its technology, ship interiors, and designs look like products of the '70s. Even the fiendish xenomorph is a ringer for the original suit used in the movie. It's a wonder this wasn't considered a proper sequel.