Summary
With the release of theSilent Hill 2remake, gamers are yet again subjected to survival horror game that induces fear through a haunting atmosphere and its use of gore and disgusting content. While not everyone’s cup of tea, disturbing gamers is an effective way to give them a memorable experience.
Methods for achieving this can be something like showing players someone being murdered in a twisted way or forcing them to be subjected to macabre visuals from start to finish. Those with weak stomachs would be best to avoid these games, as they can be gross, unsettling, and even traumatizing, even while also providing their players with a scary adventure.
ThoughScornis more of a first-person puzzle game, it maintains a sense of dread throughout due to its horrific visuals. It borrows heavily from the art style of H.R. Giger, who some might know asthe designer of theAlienfranchise’s Xenomorph, with every single piece of scenery being a mix of living tissue and machinery with heavy sexual overtones.
Even the main protagonist ofScornis designed to match the world, forced to implant other bio-organics into their body to progress. The gameplay often features disturbing methods of murdering creatures to solve puzzles and unlock new paths, which makes progressing through the game slightly depressing as well as revolting.
As detective Sebastion Castellanos is forced to fight through hordes of bizarre enemies inThe Evil Within, he is subjected to many horrendous nightmares. The opening alone features the protagonist swimming through tanks for blood and innards after escaping a warehouse full of dead bodies.
Everything is designed to warp reality and the mind, resulting inThe Evil Withinhaving many monsters that can kill Sebastian in the goriest ways imaginable.The game is inspired by horror moviesof the early 2000s, which resulted in an emphasis on heavy gore, something that may deter some players if they aren’t ready for it.
Not only were the originalSilent Hilland its sequelpioneers of survival horror, but they were one of the first to use gore as a method of inducing terror. Konami maintained the original horror ofSilent Hill 2and updated the gameplay to modern-day standards in its recent remake, resulting in a game that has quickly satisfied fans while introducing new playersto the world ofSilent Hill.
The improved voice-acting and photorealism of theSilent Hill 2remake allows the already twisted horrors ofSilent Hill to be amplified. Pyramid Head and the faceless nurses, who were already nightmarish, are made scarier than they were back in 2001 with new visuals and additional gory details, without losing the dark and grimy look thatSilent Hillis known for.
FromDiablotoDoom, a journeythrough the realm of Hellhas been depicted in multiple games, butAgonyfeatures one of the most haunting versions. Rather than a world of fire and brimstone,Agony’stake is all about traversing through halls of flesh, with dead bodies everywhere, pools of blood, and structures made of bone.
Featuring difficult puzzles, horrifying enemies, and a world that never ceases to be torturous to the senses,Agonyis designed to feel like a player trekking through Hell. In many ways, it succeeds, but for some people, it might be a little too successful due to its never-ending depictions of torment, which may haunt some players after just one playthrough.
In a wonderful story of an indie game making a huge impact,Outlastexploded overnight due to its graphic content, asa reporter explores a mysterious asylumoverrun with grotesque inmates. There are many unsettling things to experience in theOutlastgames, but none quite as traumatizing as what is in theOutlast: WhistleblowerDLC.
On top of seeing the experimentation being conducted on the inmates of the asylum,Whistleblowerfeatures sequences far worse than what was presented in the main game. In particular, witnessing the character Eddie mutilate victims in the hope of constructing his ideal bride, a scene that has mortified players for years.
The Callisto Protocol, created by the original creators ofDead Space, was their attempt at a spiritual successor. The staff and inmates of Black Iron Prison are infected by a disease known as the Biophage, transforming them into monsters designed toassault gamers with graphic body horrorwhile they are stuck on the moon of Callisto.
Every biophage monster is the result of the pathogen fast-forwarding evolution at an alarming rate, thus twisting people into mutated creatures that often feature massive pustules, tendrils, extra arms, legs, mouths, and so much more. The hyper-realism ofThe Callisto Protocolresults in the Biophage having some of the most unsettling designs, which make every new monster a chore to deal with.
Rather than the usual outbreak,Resident Evil 7: Biohazardwent with a more grounded return to the horror genre by showing a once-normal and happy family in the country becoming terrifying monsters due to exposure to a new bioweapon. Each of them is gifted with unique abilities and mutationsthanks to a mysterious female antagonistnamed Eveline, who adopts them as her new family.
Eveline also takes in other unfortunate individuals and transforms them into monsters known as The Molded. As a result,Resident Evil 7: Biohazardfeatures some of the most disturbing encounters in the franchise, from Jack Baker becoming a mountain of flesh and arms to his wife Marguerite transforming into an insectoid creature that left many with upset stomachs.
