Horror games

Here is a list I formulated of games that helped shape and be part of the genre over the years. Starting from before the genre existed. These are all games that I have researched up.

Games that retain Survival Horror elements before the genre appeared:

·         Haunted House – 1982 Atari (showed basic elements of a horror game on simplest level.)

·         Terror House -1982 Bandai

·         Monster Bash – 1982 SEGA

·         Castlevania – 1985 (booted up entire franchise that went more for adventure.)

·         Ghost House (loosely based off Monster Bash) – 1986 SEGA

·         Splatterhouse 1988 (More gory and action than typical Survival horror.)

These games showed elements but were also very action orientated and/or basic limited through technology.

Games that started to define the genre:

·         Sweet Home – 1989 Capcom (inspiration for Resident Evil)

·         Project Firestart – 1989 Dynamix

·         Alone in the Dark – 1992 Infogrames (considered the first real survival horror)

·         Doom – 1993 id software (This game actually took control over the 1^st Person genre but always stuck strong on horror elements)

·         Doctor Hauzer – 1994 Riverhillsoft (first 3D, no enemies played on music and puzzles)

·         Clock Tower: The First Fear – 1995 Human Entertainment (just running away from an evil scissor man)

·         D – 1995 WARP (puzzle and time based)

These were games that really brought Survival horror into the industry, these are considered the stepping stones between the earlier games and the finalized genre

The Genre is officially named:

·         Resident Evil – 1996 Capcom (The game considered to actually define the Survival Horror Genre, used pre-rendered graphics)

The Games that followed for the Genre (also known as Resident Evil clones)

·         Overblood – 1996 Riverhillsoft (The step up from Doctor Hauzer, fully 3D environement)

·         Clock tower2 – 1996 Human Entertainment

·         Clock Tower Ghost Head – 1998 Human entertainment

·         The Note – 1997 Team Bughouse

·         Hell Knight – 1998 Atlus

·         Resident Evil 2– 1998 Capcom (set records for sales that has only ever been beaten by Resident Evil 5 in 2009)

·         Parasite Eve – 1998 Squaresoft (included RPG elements)

·         Parasite Eve 2 – 1999 Squaresoft

·         Blue Stinger – 1999 Climax graphics(beat em ups and shooters)

·         Galerians – 1999 Polygon Magic (used psychic powers)

·         Silent Hill – 1999 Konami (took heavily from Resident Evil)

·         Resident Evil 3: Nemesis - 1999

·         Overblood2 – Riverhillsoft 2001

·         Silent Hill 2 – Konami 2001 (very psychological)

·         Fatal Frame – Tecmo 2001 (Highly unique taking pictures of ghost to get rid of them)

Survival Horror evolves – People get more action

·         Clock Tower 3 – 2002 Capcom (advanced tech, but typical Survival horror)

·         The Thing – 2002 computer artworks (Brought more Action into the genre, more guns and ammo, but still held lots of survival horror, team mates with fear bars, the ability to be infected, and certain enemies only die from fire)

·         Resident Evil Outbreak – 2003 Capcom (Added online multiplayer co-operative gameplay.)

·         Doom 3 – 2004 (The long awaited sequel came out, still FPS, still lots of shooting, but using newer graphics with scary events and monsters leaving the player against the odds.)

·         ObsCure – 2004 Hydravision Entertainment (2 player co-op)

·         Resident Evil 5 – 2005 Capcom (The camera becomes over the shoulder, more ammo and enemies like on Doom. This game was highly successful)

·         FEAR – 2005 Monolith Productions (Heavily action based but strong horror themes like Doom)

·         Silent Hill Homecoming – 2008 Konami (more combat)

·         Alone in the Dark - 2008 (switch between first and third person, more action)

·         Left 4 Dead – 2008 Valve (Lots of action and ammo, 4 player co-operative, loads of monsters)

·         Dead Space – 2008 EA (Used a stronger narrative, switched tradition weapons, lots of monsters that get dismembered.)

·         Resident Evil 5 – 2009 Capcom (Even more action orientated than Resident evil 4, but became best selling over Resident Evil 2)

These advancing games with more action, because of the extra action some have drawn criticism of not being the classic survival horror.

Recent Surprise return to Survival Horror

·         Obscure 2 – 2007 Hydravision Entertainment (while involving multiplayer, the its style stuck close to traditional survival horror.)

·         Penumbra: Overture – 2007 Frictional Games (Returning to classic Style Survival horror, with being able to barely protect yourself from the enemies.)

·         Penumbra Black Plague/Requiem – 2008 Frictional Games (Continues on the series)

·         Amnesia: The Dark Descent – 2011 Frictional Games (Voted one of the scariest games of all time)

·         Fatal Frame 4 – 2008 Tecmo (While switching the view it continued the classic style of Survival Horror.)