Top 10 Spooky Ghost Hunting Video Games
#10: “Ghosthunter” (2004)
A strange hybrid of first and third person action, this Playstation 2 title may be better remembered for its impressive graphics at the time, but behind the artistic lighting and crisp textures lay a compelling ghost story. Taking control of rookie cop Lazarus Jones, gamers are on call to deal with the paranormal happenings of Detroit by capturing the creepy, supernatural residents that roam the streets. Don’t be fooled by the rapid gunfire, this definitely isn’t your run of the mill shooter and features eerie environments and plenty of spirits to lob your capture grenades at.
#9: “Devilry” (2015)
At its core a classic haunted house affair, this indie fright fest puts you in a house in the dead of night and tasks you with protecting your family from the ghost skulking around the corners. Blending atmospheric tension and action together, players use a UV light to track movements throughout the house, and can use a variety of household items to lay traps for the paranormal home invader. While there’s nothing really stopping you from bludgeoning the ghost down, the game encourages you to get a little more creative in your solutions, and figure out all the possibilities with your gameplay.
#8: “Ghost Trick Phantom Detective” (2011)
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A fun twist on the genre and great representation of the quirky DS catalogue, this story driven puzzler has our hero Sissel recently discovering that he has been murdered. Dontcha hate when that happens? Taking control of his ghost, players must draw the attention of the hapless townsfolk, and put together the pieces of the crime to uncover the memories leading up to that fateful moment. While not a ghost hunter in the traditional sense of the gaming industry, you are a ghost, and you are hunting for your killer, so that’s gotta count for something, right?
#7: “Ghosts n’ Goblins” (1986)
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If you’re looking for the perfect representation of 80s camp horror in gaming, then the search can stop here at Capcom’s famed arcade offering. While ghosts are definitely not the only baddie you hack and slash your way through on your quest to save Princess Prin Prin, they do make up a hefty number of the body count and will routinely be a nuisance as you try to platform your way through the level. After a long, difficult slog costing tons of lives and potentially hundreds of quarters, the game rewards you with the privilege of doing it all again from scratch. Oooooh, the hooooorrooooor
#6: “Ghostbusters: The Video Game” (2009)
One of the biggest franchises of its time found its way to consoles in the late 2000s to remind everyone who they should be calling. Bringing back the original cast to do all new voice work for the game’s’ story, this is the first Ghostbusters title to really bring the excellence of the films to the gaming community. Playing as a new recruit to the team, players bust their way through fan favorite locations armed with their trusty proton packs. A far cry from other shameless movie tie in cash grabs, this is one licensed title that managed to live up to the lofty expectations -- a truly strange accomplishment in the gaming neighborhood.
#5: “Clive Barker’s Undying” (2001)
The master of literary horror is no stranger to being consulted for horror video games, and EA’s first person shooter is perhaps one of the best. Players get all the tropes they expect from their creepy horror games: cults, occult books that curse the family, secluded estate mansions, and a Lovecraftian journey through space and time to destroy the already deceased family members once and for all. The combination of both magical weapons and conventional firearms should have made us feel safe, but no matter how many hellhounds we gunned down on our quest we could never quite shake that unsettling feeling from the pits of our stomachs.
#4: “F.E.A.R” (2005)
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This sequel spawning surprise hit has a story more compelling than one might expect in a FPS where you’re in charge of a special forces team. While you may be tempted to run and gun your way through each level, the lingering paranoia the game surrounds you in will make you hesitate around every corner. Oh, and did we mention the creepiest ghost-child in gaming history: Alma Wade?. Monolith Productions’ spine-chiller mixed both high octane firefights and a nightmare inducing atmosphere to create a heart stopping paranormal adventure that had our fingers quick to jump the trigger the whole way through.
#3: “Pac-Man” (1980)
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The quintessential ghost hunting superstar that arguably brought gaming to the mainstream, Atari’s round, yellow pellet gobbler is the first video game icon that taught gamers how to fight back against ethereal spooks everywhere. Inky, Pinky, Blinky, and Clyde don’t look too intimidating, but when you’re caught on the wrong side of the maze desperately trying to make your way back to that one last power pellet it’s a whole ‘nother ballgame. They get the better of us more than we’d like to admit, but that just makes it so much sweeter when they start flashing blue and we hunt them right back, even if it’s only for a few seconds.
#2: “Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon” (2013)
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The original Gamecube title may have given Luigi the nerves he needed to face future adventures, but the 3DS follow-up really cemented the formula and perfected the handling of the finicky Poltergust 3000... or should we say 5000 this time around? Fans weren’t too keen on the shorter mission structure and separate mansions, but with them came a greater variety of locations, better puzzles, more ghost types, more interesting bosses, and that oh so satisfying thwoop sound when you sucked a spector up into your otherworldly vacuum., It may have deviated a bit from the tall, frightened plumber’s original foray into ghost hunting, but his newest spookfest is unquestionably better than ever.
#1: “Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly” (2002)
When it comes to ghosts in the gaming scene, there’s no bigger name than Fatal Frame. Arguably the best out of the entire series, this entry combines terrifying Japanese ghosts with an intriguing story and haunting atmosphere that stays with you long after the console has been turned off. Taking control of Mio Akamura, you and your twin sister, Mayu, exorcise the paranormal inhabitants of an abandoned village using the Camera Obscura. The odd weapon of choice forces gamers to get up close and personal with the undead spirits, and cements it as the best, most terrifying, ghost hunting video game.
