Looking at: My favorite survival horror games

I love survival horror games. Being a damn near sedentary human being, they allow me to experiance thrills and horror, without any of the danger of having my spleen ripped out. Today I'll be discussing some of my favorite survival horror titles and explaining what I love about them. In no particular order:

Resident evil 4

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flawless execution. 

Resident evil 4 is part of the trifecta of my favorite games, tied with Red Dead Redemption and Morrowind. It's nearly flawless in my mind, and this isn't a case of rose tinted nostalgia, RE4 is still as awesome a week ago when I played through it again as it was that first time I played in in grade 6. Everything about it is perfect, even the things that don't completely work. People have complained about the camera and the "tank controls" that restrict movement sightlines. RE4 doesn't have a full 3d camera, rather you can only see what's in front of you and to your sides. I say this adds to the horror and tension, knowing that at any moment you could be ambushed from behind. People have complained that it doesn't make sense for a merchant armed to the teeth to not sell ammo, but that would ruin the balance. Fights wouldn't have any weight to them if you could just fill up on ammo and plow through every encounter, instead you have to suffer through, earning your victory.

Perhaps what I like most about RE4 is it's sincerity. It doesn't have a heavy handed plot, and it's main cast consists of only a handful of memorable characters. Halfway through it turns into a weird 80's action-horror with you fighting your way through a castle and it just doesn't seem to care. It's goofy and strange, but it's a damn good time, and usually the first game I recommend when people talk about survival horror.

State of Decay

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Indie team showing how it's done.

This game came completely out of left field for a lot of people. The term "open-world-zombie-survival" is used way to much in gaming these days, but State of Decay absolutely nails it in every way. It doesn't try to have an particular emotion punch like a certain OTHER zombie game, but rather contents itself with the shotgun approach, mixing interesting characters, organic horror stories, and the glory of slaughtering thousands of zombies all at once. It's far from perfect, with only a handful of voice actors delivering the same lines of dialogue over and over again, and possible the jankiest looking animations ever, but for a relatively small price this game has a ton of content, and it's focus on group survival rather then just clearing the horde is an interesting departure from the norm.

System Shock 2

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No one will hear you scream.

The progenitor of sci-fy action horror, System Shock 2 is the scariest game set in space, period. You are a soldier aboard the Von Braun, a research vessel in deep space, that's in deep shit. There are mutant zombies walking around, crazed psychic monkeys, malfunctioning robots, and strange orders coming from an unseen voice. The atmosphere of tension and horror is complete, never once giving you a moment of peace. Weapons break and ammo is limited, meaning that your rarely comfortable taking on enemies. System Shock 2 earns extra points for being directly responsible for the Bioshock series, as well as a large source of inspiration for the Dead Space series as well (barring the third entry).

Dark Souls

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Prepare to die.

Some people will tell you Dark Souls isn't a survival horror. These people are wrong. Dark Souls is all about slowly and methodically progressing through a world filled with things that want you dead, with only limited support available. The levels are cramped and dark, and death awaits around every turn. With an intuitive multiplayer system that allows for co-op or PVP seamlessly, other players may help or hinder you at any time. Dark Souls does loose it's horror value with multiple playthroughs, espcially when you become so proficient at the game you begin toying with it, but for first time players it's a wonderfully frighting experience sure to leave a mark.

Metro 2033

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The Mad Russian.

Metro 2033 is a cold, somber, and lonely game that constantly reminds you of the horrors mankind can sow. Taking place twenty years after a nuclear war forces the residents of Moscow underground, you play as a young man that must save his home from the forces of evil. Along the way you'll be faced with terrors of both the physical and psychological kind as you delve deeper into a world living on borrowed time. I highly suggest playing the 2014 Redux rerelease, as it balances the game out, updates many of the textures to HD, and comes packaged with 2033 more action slanted sequel Metro Last Light.

The Last of Us

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Save the girl.

The only console exclusive entry on my list, this PS3 masterpiece comes to us from the masters of story telling at Naughty Dog. While the Nathan Drake series is often lighthearted and witty, TLoU is a decidedly darker game, examining humanity in a broken world, and what one man is willing to do to survive. Joel and Ellie are easily two of my favorite characters ever written, and their story is one of sadness, loneliness, pain, and suffering. TLoU is a brutal game in every sense of the word, from it's heart wrenching story, to it's visceral combat. There are no heroes in TLoU, only survivors.

STALKER: COP, Misery mod

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The warning's in the name.

I already wrote about the STALKER series here, but I wanted to make special mention of the MISERY mod for Stalker: Call of Pripyat. A massive overhaul of the base game, MISERY makes ammo scarce, money hard to come by, and the AI way more aggressive. It also offers a few new ways to play, allowing you to select a class with strengths and weaknesses before entering The Zone, or entering empty handed in the new Black Road option. Success is secondary to survival, and you'll find yourself doing whatever it takes to stay alive just one more moment. MISERY doesn't love company, because it doesn't love anything at all.

And the rest...

This is just a short list of some of my favorite survival horror games. I know I missed some, like Silent Hill 2 or Fatal Frame, but honestly I haven't been able to play those games for one reason or another. There are also so newer entries into the genre that didn't make the cut, so special mention goes out to:

The Evil Within
Dead Space 1&2
Resident Evil Revelations
The Forrest
Day Z
Outlast
Five Nights at Freddy's

All of these games are certified survival horror gold,  but just weren't good enough to make my list.
This should be enough games to get anyone spooked this Halloween, and keep you terrified long into the cold darkness of winter.