10 Scariest PS4 Horror Games You Should Play

Horror games are, for some, even scarier than their film counterparts. Perhaps it’s the added level of interactivity that makes them ghoulishly fun to play, or maybe the lengthier playtimes leading to more realised worlds to terrify yourself in.

Thankfully, Sony’s PS4 has no shortage of horror titles to get your fang-shaped teeth stuck in to. There’s still plenty more to come out just this year alone, but those aren’t the games I’ll be talking about today. No, we’ll be listing the best of the horror crop that you can download right now. So lock the doors and hide under your covers, because things are about to get spooky.

 

1. Outlast

I could have quite easily gone with either the original game or its recently released sequel, because both managed to scare the hell out of everybody who gave these night-vision laden games a go. The first instalment is probably the best entry-point, though, as it introduces players to the nightmarish world that Red Barrels have created.

Placing you in the soon-to-be piss soaked shoes of investigative journalist Miles Upshur, Outlast barely holds back in just the opening hour. You wander into Mount Massive Asylum under the impression that it’s relatively abandoned, but things soon take a macabre turn when you learn that not all of the patients have disappeared. Cue moments of high tension and terrifying chase scenes as you slowly uncover the mysteries of the Asylum, and the dark secrets being kept beneath.

 

2. Resident Evil 7

I absolutely loved Resident Evil 7 when I reviewed it, so it should come as no surprise that it makes its way onto this list. Returning the series back to its survival horror roots, this was the game that made me open the curtains and turn down the volume – just to make it to the end.

Plot-wise, Resi 7 doesn’t quite manage to keep things as fresh as the gameplay, but it’s a serviceable story that keeps the scares coming in hordes. Players take control of Ethan Winters as he stumbles across the Baker estate in search of his supposedly deceased wife, Mia, and things just get weirder from there. Expect violence, gore, frights, and a whole bunch of running as you feverishly conserve ammo in the face of consistently impending doom.

 

3. Resident Evil 4

I get it: this one feels like a bit of a cheat. I appreciate that Resident Evil 4 came out over twelve years ago by this point – I really do. But come on; how could I not include one of the finest horror games – or game in general, for that matter – on a list of the best horror titles?

Resident Evil 4 was re-released on the PS4 as part of the series’ 20th anniversary, and with its relaunch came a newfound personal love of the game’s amazing sense of atmosphere and tension. Some might find the stop-to-aim mechanics a bit jarring when compared to modern shooters, but I cannot play this game enough.

“But that’s an action game; not a horror one!” Wrong. One word: Regenerators. If you’re not familiar with what that is, then do yourself a favour and check out one of the best gaming experiences ever.

 

4. Inside

What more can I say about Playdead’s excellent INSIDE that I haven’t already? From the game’s gorgeously subtle visuals to its story that slowly unfolds over the short run-time; it’s a game which ought to be played by everybody.

This is another entry that could arguably be classified as something other than a horror game, but I’d disagree. If you’ve played INSIDE, you’ll know how scary it is when packs of ravenous dogs chase you down and dismember you piece by piece (if you fail to escape in time, that is). Or how about that Samara-looking girl floating under the ripples in the water, ready to grab you and drag you to a watery grave? Eerie stuff, to say the least.

 

5. Layers of Fear

Described as a “ghost train” by our very own W.B. Mason, Layers of Fear is a game which sets out to scare you and little more. Sure, it has a storyline which has moments of intrigue, but that isn’t what will keep you hooked. No, that would be the ever-shifting layout of the game and the clever (and sometimes glaringly loud) scares that are littered throughout.

It’s potentially a more contentious entry on this list than some, but there’s definitely enjoyment to be had with Bloober Team’s horror explore-a-thon.

 

6. Alien: Isolation

Now this is how you do a movie tie-in. Well, kind of.

Alien: Isolation isn’t technically related to any Alien movie, but instead takes place 15 years after the iconic 1979 sci-fi horror film. Playing as Amanda Ripley, daughter of Weaver’s Ellen Ripley, you wander around the Sevastopol space station in search of the flight recorder from the Nostromo; in turn, hopefully to discover what really happened to the ship’s crew.

The game combines the stealth aspects of titles like the aforementioned Outlast with the basic combat of Resident Evil 7, which results in a wholly engaging experience that is just as fun to watch as it is to play. Couple this with the fact that the titular Alien has dynamic AI which means there’s no predictable route it can follow, and you’ve got yourself an intense game which is genuinely replayable.

 

7. SOMA

If there’s a games developer more closely linked with pants-shitting horror than Frictional Games, then I want to meet them.

Last year I wrote about how great SOMA is, and I still find myself remembering the harrowing ending to a game full of poignant moments. I went in to SOMA expecting a game which scared me, and I got that, but I also discovered a deep narrative which explored themes like consciousness and robotics. Sure, some of it was cliche, but it still managed to make me empathise with characters that were seemingly as human as your toaster.

This falls into the Outlast category of ‘no-combat’ horror games, but the creeping and puzzling more than makes up for the fact that you don’t have a gun. Also, latter segments really prey on my irrational fear of giant underwater sea-monsters, so there’s that.

 

8. Until Dawn

Until Dawn is the kind of game that proves the choose-your-own adventure genre is far from dead. Despite being released back in 2015, Supermassive Games’ horror QTE-filled title still holds up as one of the best narrative-focused games I’ve ever given a go.

Telling the story of a group of teens at an isolated snowy cabin, Until Dawn manages to take a whole bunch of tired tropes and turns them into a plot which is brimming with humour, horror, and a bunch of exciting twists. I couldn’t wait to give it a second try after I finished it; something I rarely find myself doing with these kinds of games. While Telltale may be seen as the king of the genre, I’d argue that Until Dawn shows that there’s plenty more to be done when it comes to horror storytelling in games.

 

9. The Evil Within

Everybody got excited for The Evil Within when they heard it was being directed by Resident Evil veteran Shinji Mikami. While this excitement wasn’t completely justified, we still received a fun third-person shooter that had some great horror elements – particularly in its earlier half.

Ammo conservation also proved to be a key gameplay element of The Evil Within; something obviously akin to the Resident Evil series, and a staple of making players feel claustrophobic and powerless. Whereas Outlast didn’t even give you a gun, The Evil Within gave you one without ammo; arguably even more stressful.

If you haven’t played this forgotten horror title, then you can probably pick it up for next to nothing nowadays. It’s not perfect, but might be well worth checking out for a rainy weekend.

 

10. Dying Light

It feels like forever since Techland dropped the infinitely fun Dying Light: a zombie game that managed to make you feel equally powerless and empowered. From a story perspective the game was as weak as the NPCs it tossed around like meaty cannon fodder, but the gameplay was where things really shone.

Melee felt similar to something like Dead Island – being a first-person shooter, and all – but it was the game’s unique parkour traversal which make it stand out from the crowd. Once you got used to the slightly wonky controls, you’d be barrelling through groups of the undead and across rooftops before night fell. Once it did, stronger versions of the shuffling enemies would come out to play, and that’s where the game’s horror elements really worked. It was scary, fun, and immensely satisfying.