For decades, Hollywood has offered horror fans the chance to vicariously experience the terror of being stalked by something deadly and evil through the victim actors on-screen. Granted, we often grumble about the inane judgment of choice characters electing to follow eerie noises into darkened corridors or explore spooky locales with a clear history of death. But there has still always been a degree of terror by proxy. We humans are strange creatures. Everyone loves a good scare that doesn’t come with any real-world consequences. Video games have stepped up the immersive experience by placing us in control of the hapless souls trekking into the heart of darkness. Though, ironically, games often guide us into the same dumb decision-making we criticize on-screen characters for. But maybe that lack of sagacity is just all part of the fun.
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Some properties have firmly established themselves as horror gaming royalty, such as Resident Evil or Silent Hill. But often, developers have endeavored to bring us adaptations of cinematic licensed properties we already know. Illfonic recently unleashed Halloween: The Game to the masses, so players can now either control Michael Myers’ devastating hand in Halloween night carnage or fearfully run for their lives as unwitting victims. Previously, Illfonic has been behind other licensed asymmetric games like Killer Klowns from Outer Space, an adaptation of the campy horror film of the same name. Many of these licensed properties don’t come highly rated or typically stand in the same light as hit horror titles like Outlast or Dead Space. But some of them should receive more credit for their ability to embody what fans loved about the films. Here’s a look at some of these games that deserved better.
5. Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed
Ghostbusters isn’t exactly known for being true horror, as the movies maintain a quirky and comedic undertone despite horror themes. Still, hunting ghosts can be a spooky good time and more intense than you might imagine. The ghostbusters are no stranger to video games. They’ve been bustin’ ghosts across gaming platforms for years, including Atari consoles, the NES, Game Boy, PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and more. In 2022, developer Illfonic brought fans Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. As is tradition with Illfonic titles, this game is another asymmetric affair where one player takes on the role of the ghost and four others enter the fray as ghostbusters recruits.
In each match, the goal for the ghost player is simple: haunt the location and avoid capture. The ghostbusters must hunt and trap the ghost. They can do this by closing temporal rifts to reduce the ghost’s ability to be successful. Meanwhile, the ghost is attempting to fully haunt the place. If they reach a maximum haunting level, the ghostbusters are put on a timer to find and capture the ghost or lose the match. There are plenty of layers available in this game, which elevates its replayability. Ghosts can sabotage the ghostbusters in countless ways. Equally, however, ghostbusters can use an array of gadgets that are improved or unlocked through progression to organize their efforts and contain the haunting and the ghost. The game really shines when the ghostbusters are truly working together in a coordinated effort, as intended.
4. The Thing
John Carpenter’s The Thing is a true masterclass in practical effects horror. Any fan of horror cinema will favor this film highly. The movie is centered around an Antarctic team of researchers who happen to discover an eerily decimated Norwegian outpost moments after a dog escapes gunfire from a Norwegian helicopter approaching the camp. Unknowingly, the team invites an assimilating alien into their midst by caring for the animal. Soon, the team learns that the creature is capable of inhabiting any human on a cellular level, destroying their individual cells and replicating them as its own. It’s a terrifying prospect as everyone quickly learns they don’t know who among them they can trust. In 2002, The Thing video game was released on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox as a continuation of the events in the film. In 2024, a modern remaster of the game was released for current platforms. In the game, the alien has proliferated across all facilities in Antarctica. Players take on the role of a special forces team who are sent to investigate.
Naturally, the “thing” has spread into countless lifeforms, and the Bravo team must eliminate all forms of the alien that cross their path. This game operates as a squad-based shooter with the player character capable of issuing commands to followers under his command. The game was rather sophisticated for its time, offering a wide scope of player options and mechanics. Many times, your entire team would die, leaving you alone if you didn’t strategize well. Once dead, however, you can encounter other NPCs who can then join your squad as you trek through each facility. The monsters throughout were grotesque, and the game absolutely lived up to its namesake.
3. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Leatherface is one of horror’s most famous slasher killers. Typically armed with his iconic chainsaw, he maniacally barrels after innocents who veer too close to the Sawyer property. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 2023 game is another asymmetrical survival horror. But this time, it isn’t your traditional 4v1 scenario. Instead, this is a 3v4, with four players taking on the role of escaping victims and three players embodying members of the cannibalistic Sawyer household. The victims must collect items that help them recover and unlock more areas so they can eventually find an escape route. They must stay out of sight. At times, the wheelchair-bound Grandpa will shriek, giving up victims’ locations to members of the family. Meanwhile, the family must track and eliminate the victims. Each family member has different tracking and gameplay abilities. They will want to feed Grandpa the flesh and blood of their victims to advance his ability to detect the fleeing players.
It’s a thrilling experience that gives players a chance to enjoy a sandbox set in this harrowing world. The intensity of being hunted is palpable. The game features several iconic locations unique to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre film franchise. Upon release, the game experienced hiccups and matchmaking issues that caused some frustration. However, the game truly lives up to the atmosphere of the famous source material and is absolutely worth the time of any horror fan.
2. Blair Witch
Before the Silent Hill 2 remake or Cronos: The New Dawn, developer Blooper brought us Blair Witch, a single-player survival horror based on its namesake film property. In the 90s, the indie horror film made waves in the horror community despite its extremely low budget. The film is known for its ability to create anxiety and anticipation over the course of its entire runtime. The game operates as a slightly open-world survival horror. It’s not expansive, but players can explore a wider area, including alcoves, campsites, decrepit buildings, and more in the outdoors, forested areas the film series is known for. Players take on the role of police officer Ellis Lynch, who goes in search of a missing boy in Black Hills forest.
Like the original movie, the film builds anticipation as you search the area, find clues including photographs, as the sun sets. The atmosphere gradually becomes creepy and unsettling. Eventually, strange forest creatures (like the one appearing in the third Blair Witch film) appear that can be held at bay with your light. The key mechanic of this game is your pal, Bullet. This police dog can be directed at will with a handful of commands. Keeping Bullet close in the dark will help steady your psychological state, another element you must balance. While short, this is a stellar video game adaptation of a haunting movie property. It’s worth giving it the attention it deserves.
1. Evil Dead: The Game
Sam Raimi’s 1981 film The Evil Dead left an indelible mark on the horror genre. At the time, it was known for its over-the-top blood and gore. The sequel later added a comedic flair to the series and its chainsaw-wielding hero, Ash. With multiple films, a TV series, and a soft reboot under its belt, the Evil Dead franchise returned in 2022 in the form of an asymmetrical video game. Four players could embody any of the franchise’s iconic characters. They would have to work to find the Necronomicon and Kandarian Dagger. These items would then be used to seal the demon’s presence away. A fifth player would take on the role of the demonic presence, capable of spawning enemies that they could then take control of. This player must build up infernal energy to spawn enemies by attacking and pressuring the human players. Once the demon player strikes enough fear into a given human player, they can possess them and turn them against their cohorts. The demon player can even eventually spawn an iconic boss-level demon such as Henrietta from Evil Dead 2.
This game featured the voices of many of the actors behind the film and TV series characters, including Bruce Campbell himself. It also included maps from throughout the series, including the famous cabin and the medieval setting from Army of Darkness. Fans will note that a lot of detail and passion went into creating the world and characters. Saber is the developer behind this online battle between good and evil. Despite the commercial nature of creating licensed games, it’s clear that this is one game that was developed by Evil Dead fans for Evil Dead fans.
