Summary
There have been tons of games released during thePlayStation 4’s life cycle, and it’s easy to see why. As game development tools became more accessible over the years, thePS4seemed to see many more games, indie or otherwise, in its store than its predecessor. And a surprising number of those were in the horror genre.
A look at theearly days of the console’smarketplace will show the true ocean of games flooding the pages that were made for the express purpose of scaring players’ pants off. More importantly, though, it is quickly realized that quantity definitely doesn’t denote quality, making it apparent why many of the PS4’s first horror games were left behind.
Daylightis a survival horror game developed by Zombie Studios and written by TV Host, Jessica Chobot. The player takes control of a character named Sarah and must escape an abandoned hospital by collecting items that allow advancement through the story.
The gameplay is not unlike the gameSlender,based onthe internet creepypastaSlenderman. With no combat to break up the monotony of simply searching for the game’s “pages” to impart some semblance of lore,Daylightwas widely seen as too simple.
Kholatfinds the player following in the footsteps of a real-life hiking group that met their untimely end along the mountain of Kholat Syakhl. This gameplays on the uncertainty of how exactly they met their fate, having the player make the trek up the mountain to investigate.
Critic scores range from middle of the road to bad, as the gameplay mostly consists of walking through ever more eerie areas, with theoccasional chase sequenceand frequent bugs on the side. The developers, IMGN.PRO, is still active, both creating and publishing games, so maybe it’s still possible to change this game’s narrative.
InHow To Survive: Storm Warning Edition,the player crash lands on a zombie-infested island and has to work with its inhabitants to find a way out of dodge. Collect recipes in the “Kovak’s Rules” guidebook to cook up the hand-crafted tools of destruction needed to wade throughdroves of the undead.
The game did not review well, with critics saying that it simply didn’t stand out from the horde of other zombie games, and its 2016 sequel didn’t fare much better. With a track record like this, it’d be completely understandable if the studio never came back to the struggling franchise.
White Nightis a survival horror game with an incredibly clean black-and-white art style. It’s reminiscent of the classic crime noir genre, complete with the dramatic narration of the shadowy main character as he stumbles upon an abandoned mansion, unraveling its secrets.
Theunique art designis important here, as there is no combat to speak of inWhite Night, letting the player soak up the smoky atmosphere in between bouts of being chased by ghosts. Some critics say that this is exactly where the game falls apart, though, as style takes the place of clarity in the game’s systems.
Horror is a genre that taps into experiences that are often universal to most people.Among the Sleepis a perfect example of this, as it follows a toddler, named David, trying to rationalize his parent’s messy divorce.
Frights come from the actualization of David’s wild imagination, with monsters being manifested to chase players while having to work through physical roadblockslike only a baby can. It’s a simple, but effective concept. However, this is a world where indie games are released every day, all vying for the attention of gamers. Leaving a title likeAmong the Sleepwithout some sort of substantial addition or sequel could lead to it falling into obscurity.
InWhispering Willows, the player takes control of Elena Elkhorn who is on a quest to find her dad. The player is tasked with leveraging her abilities of astral projection throughout the journey to solve puzzles and otherwise get through obstacles.
This 2D jaunt through the hallowed halls of a haunted mansion is accentuated by an inviting, hand-drawn art style. However, critics would say that its gameplay and abrupt ending were unremarkable and unmemorable.
Deadlightis a side-scrolling platformer that tells the story of a man in search of his family in the midst of a zombie outbreak. The player solves environmental puzzles and engages in light combat to make it through the streets of Seattle to reach a safe haven.
The world is dark and gritty, with a protagonist as agile as can be,jumping over fences and across rooftops. The game sacrifices some of its scare-factor and replaces it with adrenaline-inducing, parkour action set pieces that would giveDying Lighta run for its money. This was developer Tequila Work’s first game, so naturally, it would go on to be outshined by other games from the studio likeThe Sexy Brutale.
The world has already ended inThe Brookhaven Experiment, and it’s up to the player to get to the bottom of why. This VR shooter has the player upgrading weapons to dispatch an ever-growing horde of monsters that stand in the way of a potential solution to the hellscape that humanity finds itself in.
The Brookhaven Experimentreceived middling reviews from critics for its boring gameplay and subpar graphics. That’s to say nothing of the barrier to entry being the procurement of a VR headset, which is a rough financial hurdle for many now, let alone in 2016.
InHere They Lie,players will step into the shoes of a man whose failed relationship results in a somewhat unwieldy journey to find himself. Traverse through some, at times, obtuse andfrightening metaphorical situations, with the option to do so in VR if the feeling is right.
Opinions on this game run the gamut between a conscious and profound piece of art, to a jumbled, confusing mess that doesn’t have anything coherent to say. Regardless of what the truth shakes out to be, by 2019 Tangent Games (formerly Tangentlemen) were supposed to be moving on to develop a game for Google Stadia. Unfortunately, we all know where that story ends.
FMV games have had somewhat of a renaissance in recent years with titles likeImmortalitythat have achieved massive critical success. The format has always been a sleeper hit, though, and Splendy Games' attempted to capitalize on that understanding with their point-and-click adventure game,The Bunker. The story follows John on a psychological trip through some tough memories.
The Bunkeris a solid piece of storytelling that garnered attention from the industry at large. However, Splendy Games couldn’t survive financially after its release, causing them to go under, as well as their one and only game to unceremoniously fall by the wayside.
