Horror games are one of the more popular types of games, and the growing popularity of V.R. gaming has certainly helped bolster this trend over the past few years. As with all things 2020, things did not go well for horror games in development.
Several highly-anticipated horror games failed to launch as scheduled; some examples being Chernobylite (for consoles), System Shock: Remastered Edition, and Little Nightmares 2. Other horror games, like Remothered: Broken Porcelain, failed to live up to most player’s expectations. This article will factor in both the Metacritic score as well as the User Rating when ranking 2020’s highest-rated titles.
10 Maid Of Sker – 69, User Rating 7.0
Maid of Sker is a first-person survival-horror game set in a large hotel during the late 19th century. The player is trying to rescue a maid named Elisabeth who is trapped in the hotel. Naturally, the hotel is very gloomy and foreboding.
The above ratings are for the PC version. The PS4 and Xbox One ratings are slightly lower overall, and the switch version doesn’t have a rating yet. For the most part, Maid of Sker was praised for being a fun survival-horror game with excellent graphics and sound. The poor reviews mostly point out how this game does very little new for the horror game genre.
9 Someday You’ll Return – 66, User Rating 8.1
This is another first-person horror game, but Someday You’ll Return is more of a puzzle-horror game than a survival-horror title. The player controls a father searching for his lost daughter in the forest near their home. The graphics are very well-done; with vibrant, colorful forest settings (which generally stay gloomy and misty), narrow caves that give the feeling of being trapped, and creepy abandoned buildings.
The one aspect of the game that kept Someday You’ll Return from getting a much higher score was the rock-climbing sequences. Another sore spot among players was that some of the puzzles had incredibly vague solutions; for instance, some puzzles require certain hidden items to be found first in order to be solved. This game was only released for PCs.
8 Carrion – 76, User Rating 8.1
Carrion is a bit of a reverse horror game. In this 2D side-scroller, you are the creature stalking the halls of a huge research facility. The creature in Carrion is a red blob that can extend tentacles out to attack and manipulate objects. When this creature enters a room full of people and attacks, the scene can get quite gruesome.
Most of the positive reviews are Carrion’s beautiful 2D graphics and smooth animation. The negative reviews are largely for the game’s short length and the occasional lack of clear objectives. The 76 rating is for the Nintendo Switch version. Carrion is also available for the PC and Xbox One, though the game’s Metacritic scores for those platforms are slightly lower.
7 Amnesia: Rebirth – 80, User Rating 6.4
The original Amnesia: The Dark Descent is considered one of the best horror games ever made. Sadly, Rebirth is not as good as the original; however, that in no way means it is a bad game. What many critics and players liked about Rebirth is how the developers chose not to set the game in the usual spooky forest, haunted house, or Gothic castle so many horror games use – instead, Rebirth is set in the deserts of Algeria.
Most of the complaints on Metacritic are for the game’s somewhat dated graphics. The above rating is for the PC version; the PS4 version had a lower score and user rating.
6 Visage – 80, User Rating 7.9
Were you one of those few lucky gamers that downloaded and played the famous P.T. demo? If not, then you’re in luck. Visage was clearly made for all those gamers that waited for the full version of P.T. that never came. This is a first-person game set in a large mansion and played over four chapters, each dealing with another past resident of the mansion.
Critics and players loved the game’s resemblance to the P.T. demo and its psychological horror theme. The biggest complaint is that progression can be a bit too slow at times. The above rating is for the PS4, but Visage is also available for the PC and Xbox One.
5 The Walking Dead: Saints And Sinners – 81, User Rating 7.9
This game is for all those people who want to see how well they could survive a zombie apocalypse. Saints and Sinners is a V.R. game set in the Walking Dead franchise – it’s also as adrenaline-fueled as a well-designed roller-coaster. The feeling of panic and dread the player experiences as they slowly become surrounded by the walking dead is something every fan of horror games will want to experience at least once.
The lower reviews mostly mentioned how the game’s stealth mechanic needs some work and that the combat can be awkward. The above rating is for the PC; the PS4 version received a slightly lower Metacritic score.
4 Resident Evil 3 Remake – 84, User Rating 6.1
The remake of Resident Evil 3 will be remembered as fondly as the original. The graphics are excellent and the superb environmental sounds really add to the player’s terror level. As in the original, the player controls Jill Valentine as she attempts to escape Raccoon City as it is being overrun by zombies. As if the zombies weren’t bad enough, there’s also a hulking creature called the Nemesis to deal with.
A lot of the negative reviews remarked that they were unhappy with how the game strayed from the original and focused more on action versus pure survival-horror gameplay. The above rating is for the Xbox One version; the PS4 version received lower scores.
3 Observer: System Redux – 86, User Rating 7.3
Observer: System Redux is a rare bird – a psychological-horror game set in a cyberpunk world. System Redux is an updated version of the original Observer (2017). In this game, the player controls an Observer as he tries to solve crimes. One interesting gameplay mechanic is the ability to shift through three different visual filters; these filters help the player search for clues at the various crime scenes.
Most negative reviews were for a lack of new content rather than for anything regarding gameplay. The above rating is for the PC version; all the console versions had significantly lower Metacritic scores.
2 The Last Of Us Part II – 95, User Rating 5.7
The original The Last of Us was a panic-inducing journey across a wasteland populated by zombies – the fungi infested kind rather than the actual undead. The story in the sequel picks up years after where the previous game left off and continues the trend of causing players to frantically mash buttons on the controller in hopes of fighting off the terrifying zombies lurking everywhere.
Critics and players alike praised The Last of Us Part II for its gorgeous graphics and immersive gameplay. The negative reviews are almost all because of the game’s plot and characters. The Last of Us Part II is a PS4 exclusive.
1 Demon’s Souls (2020) 92, User Rating 8.4
This remake of the classic Demon’s Souls (PS3) took a game that was already nerve-wracking to play and made its graphics very close to photo-realistic. Watching a titanic demon step out from the shadows right in front of your character has caused many players to turn and run while exclaiming “Nope!”
The fear and terror of this game are amplified due to the fact that dying in a bad spot can make it near impossible to continue with that character. There are zero negative critical reviews for Demon’s Souls on Metacritic. The negative user reviews are mostly fans of the series that didn’t want this remake or thought not enough new content was added. Demon’s Souls is a PS5 exclusive.
