Summary
The PlayStation 2 became the foster home for many supernatural creatures. Zombies, vampires, ghosts, andindescribable monstersfound their place among an impressive line-up of horror games, some of which are still considered the best classic horror titles to date. Franchises likeResident Evil,Silent HillandFatal Framehad some of their best outings in this era, receivinghugely anticipated remakes, or being held as the gold-standard for the series.
Naturally, a whole cemetery’s worth of ghosts haunt the PS2 console, ready to scare and delight any brave enough to wipe the dust away from this gaming relic of yore. Those brave enough should grab theirproton pack or camera obscura, just to be on the safe side.
Terminal Reality, Red Fly Studio, War Drum Studios, Saber Interactive
Platform(s)
PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
When dealing with ghosts, it is obvious who should be called: the Ghostbusters! Armed with their signature proton packs and ghost-busting experience under their belt, they are more than qualified to hunt down the ghosts that are haunting this old-school ghost game (that saw aremaster for improved graphics and a smoother performance).
Loosely based on the original 1980s classic,Ghostbusters: The Video Gamehas players take on the role of Rookie, the latest addition to the team who will arm himself with his ghost-busting equipment and head out onto the field with the veterans. With paranormal events, spooky ghosts, and a fleshed out story campaign, ghost aficionados can’t go wrong with the title — and what’s more, it isn’t locked to the confines of the PS2, making this game accessible to the modern audience.
The third game in theEcho Nightseries,Echo Night: Beyondtakes place in its own timeline, and furthermore, in space,combining elements of sci-fi and ghostly horror. Newlyweds Mr. and Mrs. Osmond have set off for a honeymoon on the moon neither of them would ever forget, but not for the reasons they likely suspected when they boarded the space shuttle. Their vessel crashes on thesurface of the moon, separating Richard and Claudia, and awakening a whole host of ghoulish spirits.
What makesEcho Night: Beyondstand out compared to some other games is the distinct lack of combat despite employing a first-person perspective. Rather than trying to hunt down the ghosts, the player will be doing their best to avoid them, as confronting too many ghosts directly can result in Richard dying of a heart attack, and the player will certainly feel some palpitations while facing down these unnerving, restless spirits.
3Darkwatch: Curse Of The West
The Ghostly Banshees Are The Toughest Enemies In The Game
Jericho Cross has had a tough life, from fighting in the American Civil War to becoming a hunted outlaw. Even in death, he can’t rest, as hereturns as a vampire, one of the creatures he was sworn to kill. With vampiric powers and an entire arsenal of weapons at his disposal, he goes on the hunt for supernatural creatures — and the one responsible for his transformation — inDarkwatch.
The player will encounter a number of supernatural beasties over the course of the game, with one of the toughest being a variant of the banshees that seem even more ghostly than the original version. These creatures sponge up even more ammo, resulting in some of the most tense and terrifying fights in the game, but players who learn to land a well-aimed headshot will find these fights aren’t too difficult. But, those who don’t may be finding out if vampires can come back as ghosts.
Face Off Against Deadly Spirits Of The Dead
The Suffering
EXPERIENCE THE TERROR AS YOU FIGHT YOUR WAY OUT OF AMAXIMUM SECURITY PENITENTIARY OVERRUN WITH GHASTLY; CREATURES, YOUR DESPERATE BID TO ESCAPE THIS HORRIFICPRISON AND THE ISLAND THAT SURROUNDS IT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING AS YOU LEARN THE TRUTH IN THE SUFFERINGA FULL ARSENAL OF BRUTAL WEAPONSTRANSFORM INTO A HIDEOUS AND POWERFYD BEASTA HORDE OF GHOULISH) MONSTERS REPRESENTING VICIOUS EXECUTIONSEXPERIENCE THREE DIFFERENT ENDINGS BASED ON YOUR ACTIONS
There are only a few games that will have players stepping into the shoes of a prison inmate, andThe Sufferingis one of those games. Not only is Torque an inmate, but he is one on death row, due to be executed for murdering his ex-wife and two children, despite having no memories of the incident. A convenient excuse, or perhaps a sign that there is more to this case than meets the eye…
The latter is probably the safer bet, as before his execution can take place, an earthquake unleashes the vengeful spirits of those who have met their death on the island. As the only survivor, Torque needs to arm himself for survival and escape the island before it’s too late.With multiple endingsand plenty of fun shooter gameplay to tide players over until then, The Suffering is all around a strong ghost game that entertains its audience until the thrilling finale determined by their own choices.
TheFatal Frameseriesis responsible for bringing some of the greatest ghostly hits to the world of gaming, with the series peaking with the second entry,Crimson Butterfly. The eponymous butterflies are ever-present throughout the game, luring twin sisters Mio and Mayu to the lost village hidden deep beyond the woods. It is here that Mio will need to be brave toface the ghostly entitiesto save her sister from their ethereal grasp.
Armed with the camera obscura, players come face to face with some of the most frightening ghosts from across the franchise, such as Sae Kurosawa, whose infamous cutscene remains alive in the minds of many fans. Alongside being among one of the most frightening experiences, people will be hard-pressed to find a fan who didn’t shed a tear at the game’s mournful ending.
