Summary
Villains can really make a piece of horror.Over the decades, we have seen a number of enduring horror icons, fromHalloween’s Michael Myers toScream’sGhostface, all of whom are the central catalysts for the gripping life-or-death conflicts that we have come to know and love from the genre. Among these evil celebrities are video game antagonists.
Despite their cult statuses, some of these murderous scoundrels have either very little screen time or almost non-existent backstories, so it would be great to flesh out their stories and make them the stars of their own games. These are somehorror game villains that deserve a spin-off game.
Chris Walkeris perhaps the most tragic out of all ofOutlast’santagonists. After succumbing to a murderous spree at Murkoff’s Spindletop Clinic and being admitted to Mount Massive Asylum, he became a notorious inmate. In the game, he appears as a huge muscly bulk with a mutilated face, but his story reveals him to be a lot more complex than a simple brute.
Despite having a habit of ripping people’s heads off, he seems to believe himself to be doing good by killing potential Walrider hosts. Even the main character sympathizes with him. It would be insightful to see the events of the game through Walker’s eyes, maybe through aSilent Hill 2-esquepsychological horror.
The result of a failed experiment with the Cadou parasite,Alcina Dimitrescuquickly became an icon amongResident Evilfans. InResident Evil Village,the player is introduced to Dimitrescu in her mutant form; a towering, vampiric serial killer, deeply involved with the Mold-worshipping cult of a mountainous Village.
Despite her hostility, Lady Dimitrescu is a fascinating character with a rich history. Once a noble and a jazz singer, before becoming the victim of cult leader Mother Miranda, it would be interesting to get more of an insight into her life and how she ended up as the barbaric countess of Castle Dimitrescu.
Infamous for mingling with black markets and betraying Umbrella,Albert Weskeris the nuisance antagonist who seems impossible to permanently get rid of. After surviving the prototype T-virus and reaping its physical benefits, Wesker gained a God complex, becoming intent on causing the mass extinction of a weak humanity.
While Wesker is a playable character inResident Evil 0, and appears ina majority of theResident Evilgames, what the franchise could potentially use is a comprehensive game that focuses solely on the scoundrel. It would definitely be fun to experience more of his point of view on events.
AfterP.T.‘srelease in 2014 and its subsequent discontinuation, players were left with endless questions, many of them surrounding the identity of Lisa. Lisa is the ghost who haunts the dreaded hallway, and she remains a looming presence throughout the game as the primary threat players face.
Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that players will ever get any closure as to what the heck went down inP.T.While the unknown is part of what makes the game terrifying, with so many theories as to the identity of Lisa, what happened to her, and whether it is even her house players are trapped in, aprequel of sorts (or a full game) would not go amiss.
Alexander of Brennenburgis the antagonist ofAmnesia: The Dark Descent.In the game, Alexander is introduced as a Prussian baron, seemingly offering the main character, Daniel, refuge from “The Shadow” that is hunting him down. It is soon revealed, however, that Alexander is in fact from the “Other World,” was banished to Earth for unspecified crimes, and has much more sinister plans for Daniel.
While the player is given ample content about Alexander, many are curious as to why he was banished and what the Other World is all about, which offers plenty of potential content for a spin-off. The Other World is explored very briefly inAmnesia: Rebirth,but the player only sees it after a cataclysm devastated most of its people, long after Alexander was exiled.
The Quarryis an interactive survival horror game from the developers ofThe Dark Pictures Anthologythatexplores the werewolf myth. When seven counselors get stuck at Hackett’s Quarry summer camp, they find that monsters stalk the woods, spreading their lycan curse.
One of these werewolves — and the origin of the Quarry’s curse — isSilas Vorez, who was found caged as part of a traveling freak show and released. Despite his damning reputation as the culprit for the fatal events that unfolded, little is known of Silas’ human form or his life before the freak show. It could be worth exploring how he came to be cursed, and whether he truly is the villain he is made out to be.
Little Nightmaresis a whimsical game but is alsofull of dark and disturbing elements.One of the most elusive figures in the game isThe Lady, a tall geisha woman with an aversion to mirrors. She is allegedly the one who keeps the Maw running, and the Guests fed.
While there are many theories as to why she is seemingly the only passenger who isn’t grotesquely deformed, players are left wondering who she is, and how she ended up on the Maw. Appearing briefly in other games in the franchise, a spin-off focusing on The Lady’s story could reveal answers to many of the questions players have.
Mr. Petersonis the eponymous neighbor of the stealth horror gameHello Neighbor.After hearing the screams of a child and witnessing Mr. Peterson slamming something in his basement, the player must attempt to figure out what is really going on.
While some of the lore can be pieced together from hints and events in bothHello Neighborand the other games from the franchise, a conclusively clear-cut narrative requires the player’s own interpretation. Many believe that Mr. Peterson was protecting his son by locking him up. Others think he had more sinister intentions. Either way, a game focusing on the neighbor rather than the children could shed some light on the truth.
Little Hopeis the second of the four games inThe Dark Pictures Anthologyso far. The game follows four students and their professor on a class trip. When their bus crashes and the driver goes missing, they are forced to head deeper into the town of Little Hope, where aseries of visions from the pasthaunt them.
Simon Carver is the reverend of Little Hope during the witch trial flashbacks, and a controversial villain in a lot of discussions. Some theories condemn him objectively as the bad guy, some question whether he really existed, and others think there is more to his actions than meets the eye.Little Hopecurates a compelling setting that might have done better if it were expanded upon rather than pulled out from under the players with an inconclusive twist.
Another game by Supermassive,Until Dawnsees eight adolescentsreturn to the lodge where the twins Hannah and Beth went missing a year prior. There are a few apparent antagonists in the game, including the Stranger and the masked man, but most intriguing are theWendigosthat stalk the mountains.
The curse allegedly originated when miners duginto Blackwood Mountain, which was deemed sacred by the native Cree tribe. The mountain eventually was overrun with Wendigos. With their pale skin, superhuman speed and strength, and intelligence, making them able to evade capture for almost a century, it would be cool to see amultiplayer survival horror gamesimilar toDead by DaylightorEvil Deadwith these cryptids hunting players down.
