Horror movies are a transformative experience.They can elicit a wide range of emotions and reactions. They can make us feel an overwhelming sense of dread, terror, or fear. We love horror films. But you know what I love even more than horror movies? Horror video games.
A good horror game will give me the same rush as a movie. Something that doesn’t often happen, however, is the intersection of the two. Sure we have stuff like Dead By Daylight and Evil Dead: The Game but for the most part the era of video games based on movies has long passed. But that’s not to say there aren’t some absolute gems based on your favorite movies.
For this list I’ve tried to highlight some of the most enjoyable adaptations I’ve played and some underappreciated ones as well. Though some may be kind of a hassle to play in modern form today, these are all absolutely worth seeking out for their own reasons.
Predator: Concrete Jungle
Released in 2005 for the PS2 and Xbox, this game put players in the starring role of a ruthless hunter in a story that traversed time itself. Beginning in the year 1930 before jumping to the year 2030, Predator: Concrete Jungle saw players as “Scarface,” a disgraced Predator warrior sent back to Earth to settle a vicious blood feud and redeem himself. Over the course of the game players will come to realize that Predator technology is fueling a vicious gang war in the city of Neonopolis and it’s up to Scarface to clean up the mess. Predator: Concrete Jungle was notable for giving players the full arsenal of a deadly warrior and dropping them into an urban city much like Predator 2. The game also featured extensive connections to not only every Predator film at the time but also the Alien films including appearances of Xenomorphs as enemies for the players to cut down.
Speaking of Xenomorphs…
Alien: Resurrection
Cursed with a plethora of development issues much like the film it’s based on, Alien: Resurrection was ahead of its time. Though the film itself is probably the most forgettable entry in the series, the game (released three years later) is far from that. A first-person shooter made in the era where Quake and Unreal were kings, Alien: Resurrection is an exercise in terror as it places players in dark environments with limited resources. It’s a horror game through and through and a terrifying one at that. Alien: Resurrection was also one of the first console FPS games that introduced the dual thumbstick control layout that is now the standard for all shooter games on consoles.
Jaws Unleashed
The Jaws series is no stranger to silly sequels and Jaws Unleashed for the PS2 and Xbox is one where you can actually play as the shark! Jaws Unleashed puts players in the role of a bloodthirsty Great White Shark in a story set 30 years after the original film. Though the story hardly matters as it’s mostly an excuse to put the shark in silly situations such as a water theme park, a beach party, or even an underground research facility to unleash glorious gory mayhem. Jaws Unleashed may not be a masterpiece like the film that inspired it but at the end of the day it’s a bloody good time.
Evil Dead: Regeneration
An oddball Evil Dead midquel for the PS2 and Xbox, Evil Dead: Regeneration is faithful to its source inspiration. For this entry players take on the role of Ash Williams (yes, voiced by Bruce Campbell) in a story that takes place in between Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness and pairs him up with a foul-mouthed Deadite sidekick. Though your typical hack and slash fare with light puzzle solving, Evil Dead: Regeneration has the trademark gore and humor you would expect from the series. The game also featured video interviews with Bruce Campbell himself where he seemingly confirms that Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash was in production at one point?
The Thing
One of my personal favorites on this list, The Thing for PS2 and Xbox is a wildly ambitious official follow up to the 1982 John Carpenter masterpiece. Players take on the role of Captain Blake as he’s sent to Outpost 31 to investigate the events of the film and what happened to the crew. Blake discovers the horrifying events that transpired and is soon put through hell and back again dealing with the alien life form. The Thing was a traditional survival horror game that added an element of squad based gameplay where Blake could command a crew of soldiers with him, the twist being that any of them could either be stricken with fear, distrust, or outright infection and needed to be dealt with accordingly. A massive gamer himself, John Carpenter gave full endorsement to The Thing as an official sequel, and it’s a damn shame this one hasn’t been rereleased.
Saw: The Video Game
Did you know a video game adaptation of Saw was considered by Konami to be a spiritual successor to Silent Hill? Did you know that there was even a video game adaptation of the Saw franchise? Konami pumped out Saw in 2009 and had it be a midquel set in between Saw and Saw II (that sounds familiar). Saw for the PS3 and Xbox 360 put players in the role of Detective Tapp as he had to make his way through an abandoned asylum that was transformed into a Jigsaw house of horrors. Saw tasked players with solving puzzles, traps and light combat with other captives. All things considered, Saw was a pretty great adaptation that felt true to the films. It’s a damn shame that the sequel squandered any goodwill they had going for them.
Blair Witch
I’m mixed on most of Bloober Team’s games, but even I’m willing to admit that Blair Witch absolutely rules. Set two years after after the 1999 film, players take on the role of veteran Ellis Lynch and his dog Bullet as they join the search party for a nine year old boy that went missing in the forests near Burkittsville, Maryland. What Ellis doesn’t realize though is that the circumstances around the disappearance are far more sinister than he’s led to believe and his search will put him fact to face with the evil force lurking in the woods. Blair Witch smartly adapts the found footage genre into a playable video game form and connects to the deep lore of the franchise. It also features gameplay involving his dog Bullet, who is a very good boy. Blair Witch absolutely belongs among the ranks of best horror movie video games.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The most recent entry on this list sees Gun Interactive bring The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to life in a way that we’ve never seen before. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a unique asymmetrical horror game that pits 3 members of the cannibalistic Sawyer family against a team of 4 victims. Matches play out as a cat & mouse style escape room where survivors have to find a way out or become a victim of the saw. Perhaps my favorite aspect about this entry is the faithfulness to the source material and how longingly recreated everything from the original film is. It at times feels like you’re actually playing the film and that’s some of the highest praise I can give to a licensed horror game. Definitely check out The Texas Chain Saw Massacre if you haven’t yet.
The Mummy Demastered
I know what you’re thinking. “Wait, is this based on that terrible Mummy reboot with Tom Cruise?!” Truth be told it is, but Wayforward took the license and rather than make a 1:1 recreation of the film decided to make one of the most fun and brutally difficult “Metroidvania” games. Inspired by their earlier work with Aliens: Infestation, The Mummy Demastered has players join an elite squad of Prodigium soldiers as they fight off the hordes of Princess Ahmanet. What’s cool about The Mummy Demastered is its permadeath mechanic where when you die you take on the role of a new soldier and have to go retrieve all your gear. It’s a killer mechanic that adds a good amount of tension to already stellar gameplay in this underrated title.
Friday the 13th: The Game
You knew this one was gonna be here. Friday the 13th: The Game was Gun Media and illfonic’s first foray into the multiplayer horror landscape. Friday the 13th: The Game had eight camp counselors try and survive (or defeat) Jason Voorhees, in a do or die horror movie simulator. The game ended up being an absolute love letter to the franchise featuring various incarnations of Jason and a solo mode that recreated moments of the film. There was even going to be an update that brought Jason X content into the mix but sadly all of that was cut short because of the bitter rights battle involving the series. As of this year, the game has been officially delisted. Farewell Friday the 13th, you were one of the best horror movie adaptations I played.