By Dawson Nyffenegger
Thread 3
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Normally, when movie-licensed video games come out, they come off as a quick cash grab usually meant to coincide with the release of the film. They're not usually very good, though there are a few notable exceptions. Lately however, there has been a bit of a trend, in that horror games are coming out years or even decades after the release of the films upon which they were based. This gives the game more time to flourish, blossom, and establish itself as something actually enjoyable rather than money-making device.
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These horror games have come as marvellous homages to some of the greatest and most classic horror films, and pay respect to the long-established fans while also raking in newcomers. All in all, these games provide fans with a new way to experience their favourite franchises, in a whole new medium that is evolving more and more by the day.
10 'World War Z' (2019)
Platforms: PC/XBO/XBSX/PS4/PS5/Switch/Stadia
World War Z is actually based on the original novel, but takes place in the same universe as the film, so it still technically counts. In this zombie shooter, players are placed into a team of four, who must work together to fend off the rising army of the undead in various locations around the globe. With eight different classes to choose from, each with their own distinct advantages and disadvantages, and five thrilling game modes, there's never a dull moment in this co-op shoot 'em up.
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The reason it isn't the best is because it doesn't really bring anything new to the table in terms of mechanics, and feels fairly similar to many other games that exist. But it's still a really fun experience, one involving strategy as players must consider which classes their team should consist of based on the location, and which objectives they ought to complete first. If you're a fan of zombie movies or games, this is one that is definitely worth playing.
World War Z
9 'Saw' (2009)
Platforms: PC/XB360/PS3
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Have you ever watched a Saw film and thought that it would probably be really fun to solve all the puzzles minus the risk of getting killed or seriously injured? Well, with the Saw video game, you can! The game stars a police detective who is thrown into a derelict asylum by the serial killer known as Jigsaw. This detective must then use their skills to navigate a series of deadly traps and puzzles in order to escape unharmed.
The game was actually really good, allowing players to pick and choose which specific routes to take, some of which led to different traps or obstacles, and even included a few combat aspects. But perhaps most importantly, it still had that morbid sense of creativity that comes with implementing the most brutal traps imaginable, which will spell death if not solved properly or in the given time limit. This is a must-play for fans of the Saw franchise, and even earned itself a sequel, though it wasn't as good.
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Saw
R
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- Release Date
- October 1, 2004
- Director
- James Wan
- Cast
- Leigh Whannell , Cary Elwes , Danny Glover , Ken Leung , Dina Meyer , Mike Butters
- Runtime
- 100
8 'Blair Witch' (2019)
Platforms: PC/XBO/PS4/Switch/Oculus Quest/Oculus Quest 2/Luna
The Blair Witch game picks up two years after the events of The Blair Witch Project, with a small search party being sent out into the woods to find a missing person. Players assume the role of a traumatized military veteran named Ellis, accompanied by his loyal dog, Bullet, who can be customized as the players see fit. As with many who enter the woods, though, Ellis begins to experience some weird occurences, with many paranormal events happening.
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The game was received mostly well by fans, but was criticized for how its ending tends to drag on and on and on. Sure, it could have been a lot better, but overall, it is a wonderfully nostalgic and spooky experience for fans of the original film with many callbacks to the original, even if some elements of the game felt a bit underdeveloped.
The Blair Witch Project
7 'Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul' (2017)
Platforms: Oculus Rift VR/PSVR/HTC Vive VR
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Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul is an experience that is exclusively in VR, which kind of limits the pool of people who get to play it, because not everyone is going to be willing to dish out hundreds of dollars for a VR headset, never mind the fact that some players cannot tolerate it due to motion sickness. But if you do have a VR headset and are a fan of horror, this is one that you simply cannot miss.
Many reviews have claimed that this is by and large the most frightening game ever produced in the VR format, and was commended for how it lets players go at their own pace and explore the house as they see fit. The Paranormal Activity film franchise has seen a string of box office bombs lately, so this game could have breathed new life into the franchise had it been made to appeal to a broader demographic. But that's about its only flaw--everything about the gameplay is absolutely stellar.
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Paranormal Activity
6 'A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead' (2024)
Platforms: PC/PS5/XBSX
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead just came out in October 2024, and is a single-player game set in the same terrifying world. As with the A Quiet Place trilogy of films, the villains are an alien species that hunt through sound, meaning any tiny noise could attract their attention. Players must be careful, utilizing stealth and keep aware of their surroundings. It also comes with a really brilliant mechanic where, if the player so desires, the game can use a microphone to pick up surrounding noise, meaning the player must actually be careful of any noise they make in the real world, too.
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So far, the game has received reviews that are good, but not great. Fans of the franchise are finding it a wonderful addition to the IP, and are praising it for how immersive it is. It's the perfect game to play for fans of survival horror, and may even warrant a movie adaptation of its own one day due to how close it comes to the source material.
A Quiet Place
5 'The Thing' (2002)
Platforms: PC/PS2/XB
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The Thing is a third-person shooter at heart, but it's unlike any typical shooter. Like the film, the game follows a group of people sent to Antarctica who come into contact with an alien life form that had previously been frozen in a research base, and has now been unleashed. Only this time, the player is a soldier, and is fully capable of defending themselves against the alien threat. It sounds like a pretty standard ordeal on the surface, but don't let that fool you.
See, the player encounters various NPCs throughout the journey, and can have these people join their squad. The player can order them around or have them perform specific duties based on what their job is. The catch is that the alien life forms may infect one of these NPCs without you knowing it, and they can abruptly turn on you without any warning. Players must constantly watch their back in this action-horror game, which gives it a similar feel as John Carpenter's original film. There's no telling who could be the wolf in sheep's clothing, much like the film.
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The Thing (1982)
4 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' (2023)
Platforms: PC/PS4/PS5/XBO/XBSX
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a recently-released multiplayer horror game based on the 70s slasher series of the same name, in which two teams compete to finish their various objectives before the other. One team plays as victims, who must free themselves from the clutches of the villainous Leatherface and his family before finding an escape route. But this is very much easier said than done.
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The other time is, of course, Leatherface and his family, and are tasked with hunting town the victims to feed their grandfather. If the grandfather isn't fed in a specific amount of time, he will actually reveal the positions of the victims to the family. So the players who are victims can't always rely on hiding. This game is tense and exciting, but sometimes lacks a bit of variation, as some things are in the same place every single time. But that's okay because it's still fun, and is a faithful adaptation of the films.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
3 'Evil Dead: The Game' (2022)
Platforms: PC/PS4/PS5/XBO/XBSX
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Evil Dead: The Game is a multiplayer experience in which teams of human survivors must perform a series of objectives to fight off the horde of the living dead and banish them back to Hell. Some of these survivors are established characters from Sam Raimi's Evil Dead franchise, while there are some fresh faces as well. The best part of this game is that it forces everyone to work as a team to get the job done, utilizing their own customizable weapons and skills to fend off the villains.
But the survivors are only one half of the game: the other half is that the opposing team can actually play as various forms of demons to combat the survivors, and must do everything in their power to avoid being sent back to Hell. The game is a nostalgic and insanely fun throwback to the original indie-horror film, coming with all of the guts, gore, and humour that made the original so great. It was lacking in a few aspects, but overall, it gets the job done.
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The Evil Dead (1981)
NC-17
- Release Date
- April 15, 1983
- Director
- Sam Raimi
- Cast
- Bruce Campbell , Ellen Sandweiss , Richard DeManincor , Betsy Baker
- Runtime
- 85 minutes
2 'Friday the 13th: The Game' (2017)
Platforms: PC/PS4/XBO/Switch
Friday the 13th: The Game is a multiplayer-based horror game that offers a really unique and interesting experience unlike that of any other multiplayer game. In each game, players are thrown into the woods surrounding Camp Crystal Lake, and must collect various machine and engine parts distributed randomly across the map to fix up an old car and escape. But they are not alone. One player in each game assumes the role of the iconic slasher series' antagonist, Jason Voorhees, and is tasked with killing each and every one of the players.
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The players can do very little to fight back, so must focus on hiding and running away from the threat if they encounter it. It actually delivered a really fun Friday the 13th experience, with Jason being able to pull off some really gory and unconventional kills reminiscent of the films. And with different objectives and supplies being randomized with each game, it never gets boring, and leaves players constantly on edge throughout the whole match.
Friday the 13th
1 'Alien: Isolation' (2014)
Platforms: PC/PS3/PS4/XB360/XBO/Switch/Mobile
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Alien: Isolation follows the adventures of Amanda Ripley, the daughter of the main protagonist of several Alien films, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). While perusing space, Amanda and her ship crew stumble upon a distress beacon sent out from Sevastopol station, and go to investigate. Following in the footsteps of her mother, Amanda encounters the Xenomorph aboard the Sevastopol. This vicious alien species is the apex predator, and is out for blood.
Things pick up a little slowly, but eventually, the alien reveals itself to the player. Once the alien is seen for the first time, the hunt is on, and it never lets up, not even for a second until the game ends. Alien: Isolation captured the essence of the original film so well, perfectly encapsulating the fear of the unknown and the dread of knowing that the thing is out there, waiting for you. It doesn't rely heavily on jumpscares, focusing instead on the oppressive weight of knowing that you are the prey in this situation. It is by far the best video game adaptation of a horror movie, and honestly deserves a movie of its own with how well it recreates the original film's atmosphere.
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Alien
R
- Release Date
- June 22, 1979
- Director
- Ridley Scott
- Cast
- Sigourney Weaver , Tom Skerritt , John Hurt , Veronica Cartwright , Harry Dean Stanton , Ian Holm , Yaphet Kotto
- Runtime
- 117 minutes
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KEEP READING: 10 Best Horror Movies Based on Video Games
- Movie
- Horror
- Alien
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