Top 10 Scariest First Person Horror Games
#10: “Clive Barker’s Undying” (2001)
If a game has a renowned Horror creator like Clive Barker attached, you can bet you’re in for a spooky treat. Barker wrote this cult classic FPS on PC, which puts players in the role of a paranormal investigator in one seriously messed up mansion circa 1923. The mansion’s owner performed an occult ritual with his siblings during their childhood, which unleashed a curse that eventually claimed all of their lives except for him. It’s up to you to deal with their twisted spirits while keeping a greater evil at bay. Although “Undying” was plenty scary, it unfortunately sold poorly, leading to the cancellation of console ports, a multiplayer patch, and any sequel possibilities.
#9: “F.E.A.R.” (2005)
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The first entry focusing on the First Encounter Assault Recon team gives you plenty of firepower and the ability to slow down time to line up your shots. Despite this, you’ll never feel overpowered. Going up against a rogue agent with psychic powers, you’ll be confronted with unsettling hallucinations almost immediately. And for the most part, there’s nothing you can do to stop them. At “F.E.A.R.’s” core is something most of us find terrifying: a creepy little girl. An exceptionally dangerous telepath named Alma Wade is responsible for your misery throughout. And her ability to scare the crap out of us knows no bounds.
#8: “Condemned: Criminal Origins” (2005)
If dim lighting, grisly murders, and claustrophobic spaces are your thing, “Condemned” is surely the game for you. As FBI agent Ethan Thomas, players are thrust into a spree of violent crimes when they become the prime suspect. As if that wasn’t bad enough, you also experience visions while you’re trying to get to the bottom of things. “Condemned” was praised for its atmosphere, comprised of nauseating sound design and environments that would make even the most hardened adult fearful of the dark. Even as an FBI agent, you don’t get the security of a gun. The game’s focus on melee combat ensured you’d really have to fight for your life. Naturally, the developers left room to continue the depravity in a sequel.
#7: “Observer” (2017)
Bloober Team has been steadily climbing the Horror ladder with chilling releases like the “Layers of Fear” series. But the developer’s strongest release so far, at least featuring a first-person view, is the sci-fi psychological horror title, “Observer.” Set in a future, post-plague Poland, we follow a special class of detective that can hack brain implants as a form of interrogation and gaining evidence. You’ll have to use this method to track a serial killer who’s leaving a trail of bodies like breadcrumbs. Although it isn’t as visceral or violent as some others, there’s an underlying fear that grips you as you continue. It promises and delivers an engaging dystopic mystery.
#6: “SOMA” (2015)
Frictional Games’ “SOMA” has all the best elements to freak us the Hell out. Deadly AI? Check. Underwater facility? Check. An inability to fight back? Absolutely. After players awaken on the Pathos-II research station, they find that the world has been mostly destroyed by a meteor. In response, the facility’s AI has taken to mutating its passengers in some kind of twisted way to secure humanity’s survival. Contending with these creations and other Horrors is made much more difficult without any form of weaponry. And so, players can only flee in fear and hope for a good hiding place. Good luck finding one quickly enough, especially in the low-visibility underwater sections.
#5: “Outlast” (2013)
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An asylum is a terrible place to be trapped in a Horror game, let alone a first-person one. After receiving a tip of inhumane treatment at Mount Massive, investigative journalist Miles Upshur goes looking for a scoop. Unfortunately, he brings no back up and no way to defend himself…not that he could’ve known that the patients now run the place. All you can rely on is your video camera, which has night vision for darker areas. But since that drains its battery, you’ll have to use it sparingly. With jump scares and chase scenes peppered throughout, “Outlast” sought to give players as many panic-inducing encounters as possible. We’d say it more than succeeded.
#4: “Amnesia: The Dark Descent” (2010)
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While “SOMA” strengthened Frictional Games’ legacy of crafting horrifying walking sims, “Amnesia: The Dark Descent” is where it was built. In the shoes of Daniel, players must piece together the past of the amnesiac protagonist. All the while, disturbing monsters hunt you and there’s absolutely no way of halting them. Like many games after it, all you can do is run and hide. Adding to the pressure is Daniel's sanity, which raises and lowers depending on how long you stay in the dark and how long you look at the monsters. The lower it gets, the more Daniel hallucinates and the more monsters are drawn to you. “Amnesia” perfected the blend of Horror and stealth, influencing others for years to come.
#3: “P.T.” (2014)
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“P.T.” exists in its own specific category. Not quite a full game, but not quite just a demo as it’s all that remains from Konami’s ultimately doomed “Silent Hills.” However, seeing as it’s scarier than most games in existence, we’re including it. Taking the gaming community by storm immediately on release, the mysterious teaser had you walking through a seemingly endless loop of the same hallway. Except, depending on how you interacted with things around you, each loop would grow increasingly more unnerving. Disturbing imagery and a freaky ghost would eventually confront you, creating a mountain of hilarious reaction videos. “P.T.’s” death is one of gaming’s biggest shames; we have no doubt a full release would’ve been something special.
#2: “Resident Evil 7: Biohazard” (2017)
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After a dip in reception, “Resident Evil” came back strong with the first entry to utilize a first person view. Gone was the complex lore of the series and, for the most part, its seasoned characters. Instead, we controlled Ethan Winters in search of his missing wife, which led him to one of the franchise’s most alarming locations. The Baker estate is derelict, dimly lit, and home to the most sickening fictional family since Leatherface’s. In every single moment, players are hit with pure, and often disgusting, fear. Fights against the family members leave you on edge long after they’re finished, especially the mother, Marguerite. “Village” thankfully followed in its footsteps, but “VII” was a true return to form and terror.
#1: “Alien: Isolation” (2014)
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Although “Alien: Isolation” relies on an established Horror figure, it works wonders with the Xenomorph. In some cases, it even improves on and surpasses the movies. Following the daughter of protagonist Ellen Ripley, players search for their missing mother 15 years after the original movie. If you’ve ever wondered how you might fare against one of the aliens, “Isolation” proves none of us would likely do that well. There’s almost no way to defend against your pursuer, who has some of the most intelligent AI ever seen in games. Its high difficulty certainly works in its favor, placing an emphasis on survival, patience, and level-headedness. Xenomorphs are supposed to be unstoppable killing machines, and “Isolation” nails that.
