The horror genre had one of its best generations on thePlayStation 4. The cancellation ofSilent Hillsmay have left a sour taste in fans' mouths, but they were treated to numerous fantastic, frightening horror experiences over the years, such asResident Evil 7: Biohazard,Alien: Isolation,andOutlast.
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The PlayStation 5 has been out for nearly a year now, but its stock shortages and huge catalog of games on the PlayStation 4 has meant that many people are content with their last-gen console. The PS4’s enormous catalog contains a good chunk of horror games, some of which have slipped out of people’s minds over the months and years.
10The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
The Vanishing of Ethan Carterwas initially released on PC in 2014, before coming to PlayStation 5 the following year.
The gamehas a constant eerie atmosphere throughout its4-5 hour adventure, though its lack of enemies may fool players into thinking it’s never actually going to descend into a horror game. That is until one of the most frightening jump scares of the PS4 generation occurs, givingCry of Fear’s “the face” a run for its money for the title ofmost frightening jump scareof the decade.
9Perception
2017’sPerceptionis a unique game from its outset as it puts players in the shoes of a blind protagonist, who must useecholocationto get a grasp of her surroundings. Through sounds like footsteps, dripping water, and the tapping of a cane, players will be able to get a rough image of where they are and what’s around them.
Unsurprisingly, this lack of perception can make for some horrifying moments as players struggle to see an enemy presence that they know is close. Moreover, if players tap their cane too often, the game’s antagonist, The Presence, will kill them.
8Maid of Sker
WhereasPerceptionputs players in control of a blind protagonist,Maid of Skerpits players against blind enemies known as “The Quiet Ones.” Similar to games likeOutlastandAmnesia: The Dark Descent, players can’t fight back at the start of the game, so they must adopt a stealth approach in order to stay alive.
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Sneaking past enemies inMaidof Skeris easier said than done, as like inAlien: Isolation, players must hold their breath if an enemy comes close - which can lead to some extremely tense moments as their lungs start to empty.
7Soma
Somais an odd game to judge, as it features one of the best stories of the entire PlayStation 4 generation, but its gameplay is painfully lackluster. The game tells a dark, thought-provoking story about technological advancements that even theBlack Mirrorwriters would be proud of. Unfortunately, the gameplay fails to stack up, which can make it a grind to play with deaths feeling like frustrating detractions from the story.
Thankfully, Frictional Games acknowledgedSoma’s shortcomings and introduced Safe Mode, which lets players experience the game without the inconvenience of death.Somacould have been one of thebest horror games of its generation, though the weak gameplay has meant that it’s rarely spoken about today outside of its fanbase.
6The Inpatient
The Inpatientwas developed by Supermassive Games, a team-best known to horror fans for their work on 2015’s PlayStation 4 exclusiveUntil Dawn.The Inpatientis a prequel toUntil Dawn, set 60 years prior. The game puts players in control of a patient suffering from amnesia who is in a clinic to try and restore their memory.
2018’sThe Inpatienthas a fantastic atmosphere that feels truly immersive in VR, though its shortcoming in other areas and PlayStation VR exclusivity have seen it fall out of public interest.
5Lone Survivor
From a game that intends to scare players right off the bat with its unsettlingly immersive VR implementation to one that uses retro 2D graphics that initially feel more suited to a side-scrolling platformer. Despite pixilated art style,Lone Survivorstill manages to feel unnerving, thanks to its fantastic sound design and the development team’s ability to implement an impressive amount of emotion into the game’s limited pixels.
Anyone that likes the sound ofLone Survivorand wants to give it a try may want to hold off for the time being, as a remake titledSuper Lone Survivoris set to release this year.
4Visage
The aforementioned cancellation ofSilent Hillswas one of the most disappointing moments of the PlayStation 4 generation for horror fans. Anticipation for the canceled game went through the roof afterP.T.,a playable trailer for the game that encapsulated and terrified audiences. As the saying goes, “one man’s loss is another man’s gain,” so SadSquare Studio decided to develop their own horror game influenced by Kojima’s game.
Visage’s similarities toP.T.helped the game earn a strong following on Kickstarter, and it was released to a warm reception upon release, providing a nice alternative to the canceledSilent Hills.
3Remothered: Tormented Fathers
Remothered: Tormented Fathersis a survival horror game that takes heavy influence fromthe classicClock Towerseries. The game received high praise from Keiichiro Toyama, the creator of theSilent Hillseries, who said that he “fell in love” with Stormind Games' release and would one day like to work with the director, Chris Darril.
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Remothered: Tormented Fathersreceived a sequel in October 2020 titledRemothered: Broken Porcelain,though the game struggled to impress.
2We Happy Few
Considering how little it’s spoken about today, it’s easy to forget thatWe Happy Fewwas one of the most highly anticipated releases of 2018. The game’s art style, character models, and world design intrigued players, while the trailers gave tantalizing insights into a universe that players were begging to explore.
Unfortunately, the final product failed to live up to expectations.We Happy Fewwas certainly not a terrible game, but its plethora of technical issues and lack of depth to its gameplay saw the game swiftly fall out of the gaming industry’s attention.
1Detention
Detentionfinds itself grouped with other forgotten games due to Red Candle Games' controversial next release,Devotion, whichwas released two years afterDetentionand received mainstream attention after aneaster egg was found that insulted Xi Jinping. Unfortunately, this has seen the excellentDetentionbe overshadowed.
Detentiontakes place in Taiwan during the “White Terror” period and traps them in an eerie High School, where they start being haunted by creatures known as “Lingered.”
