As simple as it is, slasher horror is still an effective subgenre as shown in games likeUntil Dawn. Typically, gamers are forced to be the victims and outrun the slasher villain, but on occasion, however, developers have allowed the chance for gamers to play as the slasher.
From single-player to online multiplayer, being able to play as the killer allows for not only a different perspective but also unique gameplay, since so many slashers are different from each other. They range from masked killers butchering people with appliances to intergalactic monsters that pick off people one by one.
7The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1983)
Surprisingly Gory For An Atari 2600 Game
One of the firstvideo games based on a horror movie,The Texas Chainsaw Massacreis a simple game for the Atari 2600, but also shockingly disturbing for its time. Not many video games were violent, let alone allowing the player to murder innocent victims brutally.
The iconic Leatherface is the playable character in the Atari 2600 version ofThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The objective is simply to run around and use a chainsaw on women to gain points and that concept made the game quite controversial. Those wanting a simple, endless point-gathering game to kill time should get some enjoyment out of it.
6Friday The 13th: Killer Puzzle
Killing As Jason Voorhees Is Puzzling
Rather than mindless murder, gamers are forced to use their brain to solve puzzles to achieve the gory yet cutely animated kills inFriday The 13th: Killer Puzzle. Blue Wizard Digital crafted a deceptively simple game where players must move Jason Voorhees down the correct paths to eliminate all victims on the screen.
At first,Friday The 13th: Killer Puzzleseems like an easy experience, but with each puzzle and each chapter, it gets progressively more difficult. Figuring out the right order to go and defeating enemies in certain ways helps the game live up to its title. As a bonus, the game also features a plethora of Easter Eggsfor fans of the iconic slasher franchise, from costumes to details in the chapters.
With massive maps for humans and a Yautja Hunter to complete their objectives,Predator: Hunting Groundsbrings the famous space-faring hunter to the asymmetrical horror genre. Four players control a Fireteam of human soldiers while one controls the titular Predator. The more experience humans gain, the more it is worth to the Yautja Hunter.
Despite some balancing issues that render the Yautja feeling weaker than the humans,Predator: Hunting Groundsis stilla fun game in thePredatorfranchise. It is essentially a simulator of the first movie’s concept, with many different Yautja classes to experiment with and figure out the best way to hunt and take down humans.
There have been many games set in theAlienandPredatorfranchises, including crossovers like the variousAliens Versus Predatorgames. The 2010 reboot maintained the brutality and action-packed horror of the original titles but updated to the then-modern age with new visuals and gameplay that still hold up today.
Aliens Versus Predatorfeatures a short but sweet campaignthat is backed up by a still-functioning multiplayer mode. On top of it all, both single and multiplayer modes allow gamers to take control of the Xenomorphs and Yautja Hunters with unique gameplay and many ways to execute enemies.
SinceFriday The 13th: The Game, sadly, cannot be purchased anymore, a new game came along to simulate the old-school slasher experience in an asymmetrical horror game withThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Like the Atari game, a player can control Leatherface, but there are more killers this time, with multiple members of the Slaughter family now playable.
With three players as killers and four as victims,The Texas Chain Saw Massacrecan be just as scary as it is exciting, depending on which side the player is on. Each character has different attributes and abilities, allowing for experimentation of tactics, especially with fellow teammates.
The roster forMortal Kombat Xfeatures the many monsters and gods that fans are used to, but it also features a variety of slasher villains to play. There are more traditional slashers such as Jason Voorhees and Leatherface, who look, sound, and feel straight from their respective franchises.
Mortal Kombat Xalso featuresthe Xenomorph as a playable characterand the Predator, making the DLC for the game into a giant love letter to classic horror films of the 70s and 80s. All four slasher villains provide gameplay unlike any other on the roster, with plenty of gore to fit into the world ofMortal Kombat.
Arguably,Dead By Daylightis the definitive slasher game, with its major success pioneering the asymmetrical horror game genre to new heights, thus inspiring games likeThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre. One playercontrols a slasher villain of their choice, while up to four survivors work together to escape by starting generators and opening a gate to the map.
With killers that are grounded in gritty realism, outlandish with supernatural elements, or come straight out of a sci-fi story,Dead By Daylightis a giant homage to horror movies in the past. It was even lucky enough to collaborate with giant horror franchises to include playable slashers such as Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Leatherface, Sadako Yamamura, and Chucky the Doll as DLC.
