In recent years the genre of survival horror games got a huge boost with the success of the Dead Space series of games. Dead Space hit the ground running and scares came early and often and spawned two sequels, a prequel, and downloadable extras. While many believed Dead Space 3 abandoned the core concepts of the first two games in favor of a more traditional action shooter, the series nonetheless remains a pinnacle of what a survival horror game should aspire to be.
The concept of taking a single individual and pitting them against overwhelming odds and endless waves of enemies is nothing new as this is been a staple of gaming and film for years. Instead, the focus is on a well-defined character whose history and motivations are revealed as they go through an extended series of horrors which coincidentally reveal a greater depth to the plot and provide numerous opportunities for unexpected twists and scares.
2014 is looking to be a very big year for this genre has not only have PlayStation 4 owners been able to experience Outlast, but several extremely impressive games are in the mix. With that in mind, here is a list of some of the pending survival horror games that we are keeping a very close and excited eye upon.
Alien: Isolation
Publisher Sega
Developer Creative Assembly
Due October 7th
Deviating away from the typical wave after wave of Xenomorph enemies, this game goes back to the roots of the 1979 original film. You play Amanda, daughter of the character made famous by Sigourney Weaver, who 15 years after the disappearance of her mother travels to a remote space station under the belief that the black box from her mother’s ship has been recovered. Unfortunately there is a very nasty creature on the loose and with no real weaponry, Amanda must survive.
Not only does the game look fantastic due to the painstaking amount of effort to re-create the look of the technology and sets the first film, but the idea of an autonomous and independent creature that stocks and bonds according to its own programming rather than pre-scripted sequences is extremely interesting. Early reports have pegged the game as highly frightening and challenging as players have to adapt their strategy on-the-fly not knowing what might attract the creature and what dangers play around the next dark corner.
Outlast: Whistleblower.
Developer Red Barrels
Releases 2014
Is anybody who has played the original game will know this is a big game from a small studio. Playing as an investigative journalist who must investigate reports of odd happenings at a local asylum and armed only with your night vision equipped, camera the game is definitely a challenge and highly compelling. This time out, players get to learn more of the back story of the game from his point of view of the character who contacted the reporter which set up the events of the first game. Expect more of what made the original so enjoyable and scary.
Daylight
Zombie Studios
Releases 2014
Like Outlast and Alien: Isolation the focus of this game is on survival and not combat. Players will not have any weapons and will be limited to their cell phone in order to provide needed illumination. Set in a hospital, players wake up with no knowledge of who they are and how they arrived at the locale and must find a way to unravel the mystery and survive in what is promising to be a very interesting and scary gaming experience. The graphics of the game look sensational and NVIDIA have announced that they will be offering the game free of charge in a promotion with their upcoming cards which will showcase the cutting-edge graphics of the game.
Asylum
Senscape
Released 2014
The game got its start as a Kickstarter project and as the title would suggest, is based in an asylum. Mixing elements of H.P. Lovecraft and survival horror the game not only promises to offer a dark and disturbing visual palette but looks to give gamers something different. The revelations that are made during gameplay provide a large portion of the horror and the developers are aiming to draw gamers in with the visual look of the game as well as the gripping storyline.
Routine
Lunar Software
Releases 2014
This is one that is flying a bit below the radar but I really think is poised to take off. Set in the 1980s at a lunar base players must uncover what happened to everyone and why the base is eerily abandoned. As you explore and find clues about the fate of the stations populace you also must contend with the fact that there will be no health or regeneration packs available so any unfortunate occurrences may require players to have to earlier points in the game and try again. The visuals alone in this game make it appealing as does the premise so let’s hope that the final product lives up to the expectation.
This is not to say that these are the only horror games coming as we also can expect new games such as Dying Light, The Evil Within, and the interesting The Forest are also lurking on the horizon as well as many others all hoping to scare gamers into a well-lit area.
