Summary
The sensationalP.T.orSilent Hillsappeared mysteriously and inconspicuously on the PlayStation Store as a free download in August of 2014. By the following April, it would be taken down, never to return. In its short eight months of existence, though,P.T.would gain such infamy that it would become for manythe standard for what horror games should be.Although it was only a playable teaser and the full game, calledSilent Hills, would never come to fruition,P.T.was an incredible experience.
While most gamers may never get to playP.T., and will probably never get to enjoySilent Hills, that doesn’t mean they have to give up on the experience entirely. First-person horror experiences and photo-realistic ones are some of the most frightening of all, and there are more than enough titles that fans can check out in this department if they want to enjoy some truly horrifying video games that will leave players with some jarring nightmares for quite some time indeed.
Updated June 10, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Konami has a few Silent Hill projects in the works, so the franchise’s future is brighter than it has been in a long time. Still, these upcoming releases are not related to Silent Hills or P.T., so it remains to be seen whether they manage to scratch a similar itch. IN the meantime, fans can check out a plethora ofphoto-realistic horror games.
Amnesia: The Bunkeris the latest title in this long-running horror series that is pretty iconic in its own right. Unlike the tightly structured and linear approach of the past games in the series,The Bunkerintegrates a roguelike approach to its gameplay by switching things up in every playthrough to keep things fresh and interesting, even if these changes may seem minor to many players.
Thehorror-focused gameplay is as strong as ever, and fans will loveAmnesia: The Bunkerfor its oppressive atmosphere and unique story. The graphics certainly don’t hurt too, making the gameplay look as realistic as ever in first-person as players attempt to escape the clutches of nightmarish monsters while trying to keep the bunker lit up so that the monster doesn’t have free reign to torment the protagonist whenever they wish.
Frictional Games is the master of immersive first-person horror experiences that take players down a dark and memorable journey, andSomais no exception to this rule. Many people consider this title to be their best one, with its narrative throwing players for a loop as they uncover a chilling mystery that fans will remember long after they’re finished with this experience.
The encounters with the monsters in this game are pretty chilling, even if there isn’t a great variety of enemies in the game and the lack of any mode of self-defense makes the hide-and-seek gameplay feel rather rote and boring after a point. However, the graphics are incredible, andSoma’s incredible narrative carries this experience to the very end.
The announcement of aDead Spaceremake garnered a mixed reception, with many fans feeling that the first game looked good enough to not warrant a visual upgrade in any way. However, people were still excited to see that EA hadn’t given up on theDead Spaceseries, and fans were especially amazed by this title upon launch as they saw just how technically excellent the title was.
Not only were the visuals upgraded to a whole new level, but the main character finally had a voice of his own, and some levels from the original game were expanded in a way that made sense while adding to the brilliance of the gameplay as well. TheDead Spaceremake is a great example of what such projects should aim to achieve, and fans can only hope that its sequels get the same treatment, especiallyDead Space 3
Resident Evil 3 Remakeis a game that was so faithful that many people considered that to be a drawback of sorts. The original game was considered to be a pretty short experience for many fans, and the remake decided to keep the core of the game intact instead of substantially expanding on everything present in the base experience.
That being said, there’s no denying thatResident Evil 3 Remakeis still a blast to play throughdespite its limited runtime. The game looks beautiful, and Capcom pulled out all the stops to make the remake look breathtaking in certain moments.
Resident Evil 2or4are just as photo-realistic as the third entry’s remake.
The Evil Within 2is pretty much the perfect sequel, proving that Shinji Mikami still had many tools in his arsenal that he has yet to reveal. While the firstEvil Withintitle was certainly great in its own right, there’s no denying that the game had many problems that needed to be ironed out.
So, it was nice to see a developer that listened to the fans and strove to improve the sequel across the board. The result isThe Evil Within 2— a brilliant survival horror experience that looks beautiful as well. While the setting’s open nature sets it apart fromP.T.’s self-contained structure,The Evil Within 2’s handling of Anima, an enemy that periodically appears throughout the campaign, delivers a similar sense of anxiety.
The firstOutlastgame seemed like nothing more than another run-of-the-mill horror game that cashed in on the jumpscare fest that had become quite prevalent at the time. However, it’s when players experienced the game for themselves that they realized just how tightly woven and eerie the entire game was.
It helped that the game’s graphics looked so amazing that most players were bound to be scared by the many horrors present within.Outlastmight have a disappointing ending, but the journey more than makes up for what gamers perceived to be an unnecessary downer of an ending.
The latest numbered entry in theResident Evilseries is a wild ride that is full to the brim with action-packed set pieces reminiscent ofResident Evil 4. Ethan Winters' story takes on a whole new direction that mostResident Evilfans consider to be quite promising.
Resident Evil Villagemight not be as good as its predecessor, but the game still has its strengths in the horror department. This, coupled with its excellent graphics, makes for a brilliant game that is a joy to play through. Also,the VR version ofVillageis terrifying.
The Blair Witch Projectwas one of the most innovative horror films ever made, sparking the rise of a franchise that is still going strong to this day. The latest release in this series is the survival horror gameBlair Witch, which is a treat for fans of scary games.
The atmosphere of this game is truly excellent, even though the gameplay itself can be rather underwhelming at times. However, players who manage to look past the game’s faults will find themselves enjoying an immensely scary and immersive experience.
TheAlienfranchise didn’t have the best representation in the gaming industry for the longest time. Thankfully, the release ofAlien: Isolationchanged this fact by delivering a brilliant experience full to the brim with clever scares.
The fact that the Alien hunting down Amanda Ripley actually learns about the player’s hiding patterns and amends its surveillance accordingly is easily one of the scariest parts of the overall experience. Players need to amend their behavior and think on the fly to avoid the deadly embrace of the alien.
Visagecan be considered the spiritual successor to the unrequited legacy that wasP.T.After its cancelation, many copycats came out of the woodwork but none were as promising (or as well-realized) asVisage. The setting, gameplay, and storyline bear tremendous similarities toP.T.
This game quite literally came together in an attempt to"fill the void left by this canceled game that everyone had wanted to play so bad,“according to SadSquare Studios' Jonathan Vallières. The psychological survival horror game is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
