Summary
Now that the gaming world is experiencing something of a renaissance in the horror genre, it’s worth looking back at all the great franchises that came before. Several series with great potential faded too soon, and fans still wonder what could have been if they still existed in the present day.
Developed by FromSoftware (the company that delivers epics likeDark SoulsandElden Ring),Kuonis a fascinating PS2 game. Inspired by traditional Japanese folklore and horror literature, it is set in the past and filled to the brim with cultural specificity.
Using fixed angle perspectives like theResident Evilgames, players use hand gestures to cast spells to ward off supernatural creatures (an awful lot likeGhostwire Tokyo) as they make their way through the story. The narrative comprises three separate campaigns that tell a compelling, tragic story around an ancient Japanese manor. It’s a little derivative, but a lot of fun, and has becomeone of the most valuable rare PS2 items in existence.
From the mind of Shinji Mikami, the creator of theResident Evilfranchise,Dino Crisis was releasedon the PS1 in 1999 and has cemented itself as a cult classic ever since. Its campy sense of humor made it feel like a horror B-movie writ large on screen. Recently, the game has re-emerged on the PS5 (though its port is somewhat frustrating).
Yet, despite its self-evidently goofy premise of fighting dinosaurs in a research lab, the game had an innovative panic and quick turn system that would influence horror games to come. Despite a couple of sequels,Dino Crisisnever got the time to develop into something special in the modern era.
Released by Rockstar North in 2003,Manhuntwas controversial before it was even released. The game follows an convict who wakes up as an unwitting participant in a series of snuff films which, understandably, get very violent, very quickly.
Known for the brutal violence that got it banned in countries like Germany and New Zealand,Manhunt’s snuff film aesthetic was genuinely innovative if not disturbing. It’s hard not to wonder what a modern version ofManhuntmight do to push the horror genre of games into more uncomfortable places.
When it comes to classics in horror gaming, it’s hard to think of anything more important thanClock Tower. Though outdated by modern standards,Clock Toweris important for innovating many horror mainstays. For example, players are unable to defeat the monster, and can only hide from them instead.
Despite a couple of sequels,some of which are the scariest games on their respective platforms, it never became a long-lasting franchise like the games it inspired. However, a new remaster of the original game inClock Tower: Rewindis on the way soon. Maybe there’s time forClock Towerto regain its rightful place as one of the founders of horror gaming.
Released in 2006 on the PS2,Forbidden Siren 2is the brain child of Sony’s Japan Studio (responsible for other classics likeIcoandShadow of the Colossus). The game effectively condensed the aesthetics and tropes of J-horror into a masterful survival horror game that was the purest evocation of supernatural horror found on the console.
Yet, despite its critical acclaim and dedicated fanbase,Forbidden Siren 2never found much of an international audience (probably because it didn’t have much of an international release at all). Ot has become an abandoned franchise in the meantime, which is such a shame. It was a masterful title, so it’s hard not to wonder what could have been if another entry emerged in the present day.
Eternal Darkness, released in 2002, has enjoyed something of a popular renaissance lately. In the years since its release, it has become clear just influential its core mechanics were in the meantime, particularly the innovation of the sanity meter.
Its story is more than a little befuddling and its scares don’t hold up brilliantly. However, was clearly made with innovation in mind, and holds up very well for a 2002 game. It’s hard not to wonder what more innovations could have been discovered if it had turned into a longer lasting franchise.
Though theFatal Framefranchise has its fans and hasa litany of great entries, it still has nowhere near the respect or adoration it deserves, considering thatFatal Frame 2has a claim as one of the best horror games ever made. Yet, it has languished in recent years and been forgotten.
Which is a shame, because its innovative camera mechanic of capturing ghosts and intense atmosphere can be seen clearly in games likeOutlast,Phasmophobia, andResident Evil 7.Yet, theFatal Framefranchise hasn’t enjoyed a new entry since 2014, and there don’t seem to be plans for a new entry any time soon.Fatal Framewas killed off far too soon, and deserves another entry to show what a masterful job can be done with a simple but effective camera premise.
