The ever-increasing realism of video games has allowed developers to make unsettlingly immersive horror experiences that put players in the heart of the action. The survival horror genre, in particular, has produced some of the best titles in the gaming industry’s history. Much of the genre’s strength comes from the player’s ability to fight back and make decisions for the main character, instead of having to watch a movie full of people locking themselves in enclosed spaces or watching cursed videotapes.
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The genre took off in 1992 withAlone in the Dark, the first 3D survival horror game, and it has gone from strength to strength since. Furthermore, considering that a handful of games on this list were released in the last decade, there’s reason to be optimistic that the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S era of gaming will see plenty more AAA survival horror titles. Let’s look at the best of the genre according toMetacritic.
10Silent Hill 2 (89)
Initially released on the PlayStation 2 in September 2001,Silent Hill 2put players in the shoes of James Sunderland as he searched throughthe monster-infested town Silent Hillto search for his presumed-dead wife.
Silent Hill 2impressed criticswith its atmospheric gameplay, smartly integrated story, and collection of intricate puzzles.
On the opposite end of the spectrum to the story-driven, puzzle-heavySilent Hill 2isLeft 4 Dead 2;an action-heavy, multiplayer-focused first-person shooter.
Left for Dead 2was unlucky to fall short of Metacritic’s elusive 90 marks, although it did win a collection of awards to dampen the blow. Among its many accolades,Left 4 Dead 2wonBest Xbox 360 Game at the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards.
Dead Space 2followed the lead from 2008’sDead Space, offering a sci-fi spin on the survival horror genre while taking heavy influence from (spoiler alert) one of the genre’s best games,Resident Evil 4.
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EA’sDead Space 2narrowly edged its predecessor’s highest Metascore by a single point, helped in no small part by the implementation of multiplayer.Dead Space 3 wasreleased in early 2013, although poor sales and lackluster reviews likely make it the final entry tothe Dead Spaceseries.
7Resident Evil (91)
The first entry intothe iconicResident Evilseries, 1996’sResident Evilfollowed Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine as they explored the iconic Spencer Mansion.
Resident Evilwas a genre-defining titleas it proved that survival horror games could not only be among the industry’s best games but be genuinely scary too.
6Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem (92)
The first M-rated game published by Nintendo,Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiemplays similarly to the aforementionedResident EvilandSilent Hill 2with survival horror gameplay that is supplemented bytricky puzzles to solve.
Much likeSilent Hill 2,the game had a fantastic narrative, thatwon it the Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development award at the 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.
5Resident Evil 2 (Remake) (93)
Resident Evil 2is one of the best games to point to when arguing that remakes aren’t always just cash-grabs, but can be among the year’s best releases.
2019’sResident Evil 2was an excellent modern interpretation of the PlayStation 1 classic, anddeservedly won Ultimate Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards.
4The Last Of Us Part II (93)
The most devise release of the 2020s thus far,The Last of Us Part IIdivided the opinions of both fans and critics with its expectation subverting story. Metacritic wasforced to change its User Score systembecause ofThe Last of Us Part II, as an influx of negative reviews gave the game a brutally low score just a few hours after it officially released.
Despite the review bombing,The Last of Us Part IIshows the value of Metacritic in a sense. It offers people who are confused by jarringly different opinions a chance to see a huge range of critic and fan perceptions, letting them judge which side of the spectrum they’ll likely fall before buying.
3The Last Of Us (95)
One of the most influential games of the modern era, it’s easy to forget just how much of an impactThe Last of Usmade on the gaming industry; as it showed that gamers were more thanwilling to play AAA titles with a mature, intricate and dark story.
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It’s also easy to forget how skeptical people were of the game before it was released. Many people thought that it would just be anUnchartedclone that was cashing-in on the zombie/infected horror subgenre that was being inundated with releases across all forms of media. Naughty Dog took a chance withThe Last of Us,and it’s safe to say that it paid off.
2Bioshock (96)
The joint highest-rated game of the PS3 and Xbox 360 era outside of theGrand Theft Autoseries;Bioshockengrossed gamers with its wonderfully designed Rapture, interesting narrative, and superb gameplay mechanics offering unparalleled depth in the FPS genre.
The collection of colorful characters that inhabit the stunning Rapture make it easy to forget thatBioshockis a survival horror game at its core, although players will soon be reminded of this once a Big Daddy starts charging towards them.
1Resident Evil 4 (96)
Resident Evil 4tiesBioshockwith a score of 96, but tops this list for its superior user score, along with the far bigger influence that it had on the survival horror genre.
The game revolutionized both the survival horror and shooter genres with its over-the-shoulder perspective. Furthermore,Resident Evil 4set a standardfor all linear games with its lengthy single-player campaign and generous offering of post-game content.
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