Check out the top 11 games like Dead Space to fill your greatest horror needs.
Need some more Dead Space in your life? Have you beat the game half a dozen times or just finished it and need some new horror in your life? Check out the top 11 games like Dead Space to fill all of your horror needs.
11. Dead Effect (2013)
Developer: BadFly Interactive
Genre: Horror, action
Theme: Man vs space zombies
At this point we don't just need regular zombies, we need zombies in space. Dead Effect is ready to give us the army of space zombies that we never knew we needed. This Sci-Fi FPS is essentially a port of the mobile game but with improved controls and visuals such as texture and lighting.
The game beings with the player waking up from cryogenic sleep while on board a spaceship. Everyone else has either died or turned into zombies. The player is part of an Elite unit that was awakened to respond to an emergency situation that erupted on the spacecraft. Your only ally is a voice communicating to you through consoles, telling you where to go.
It's time to clean up
Dead Effect allows the player to chose the character's gender which alters the character's model, voice, and starting weapons. As the player progresses through the game's campaign they can find data pads that detail the strange and horrific events that unfolded before you were woken up.
The player has a variety of weapons to chose from and customize. Among the 14 weapons in the game there's a handgun, shotgun, rifle, bows, and energy weapons. Players can go to shops to increase their weapon's damage, shorten their reload time, and improve accuracy.
Gamers can get Dead Effect for just $5 dollars on Steam and is a hard deal to pass up.
10. Singularity (2010)
Developer: Raven Software
Genre: Horror, FPS
Theme: Man vs Soviet created monsters
In Soviet Russia time controls you. Singularity is an FPS where the past and present collide in time manipulation fashion, and you get to be right in the center of it.
Players take control of Nate Renko, a modern-day soldier whose sent to island Katorga-12 to investigate the radiation that emanates from it. Nate quickly discovers that the Soviets were doing time related experiments and gets trusted into the year of 1955. Now Nate has control of the Time Manipulation Device (TMD).
The TMD is what sets this game apart from other shooters. This device lets the player change the age of objects and enemies at will. Players can age up enemies until they are nothing but dust as well as degrade objects until they fall apart or rewind them back to their prime.
Guns and time control all in the same package
Singularity offers a variety of enemies, weapons, and level design. To conquer the enemies and levels players will need to utilize the weapons and time control powers at their disposal. If you use a firearm you can slow down time to chain multiple shots together. Or just watch the slow destruction of your enemies.
The game also offers two multiplayer modes: an attack and defense mode and a type of team deathmatch mode. These matches are class based and let players further tailor their characters through applying different perks.
How will you control time?
9. The Darkness II (2012)
Developer: Digital Extremes
Genre: FPS, action
Theme: Man vs man
Becoming a mob boss and taking control of demonic powers, what more can a player as for? The Darkness II offers players a crazy ride in an intense FPS that features a mix of supernatural horror and crime drama.
Players take control of Jackie Estacado, the head of a New York crime family and controller of a ancient and powerful force of destruction known as The Darkness. The game quickly immerses the players into the feelings and thoughts of Jackie.
It's good to have backup demon arms
The game begins two after Jackie used The Darkness to kill those who were responsible for his girlfriend's murder. A sudden attack from a mysterious organization called the Brotherhood begins a war. The Brotherhood wants to take control of the Darkness and Jackie isn't about to go down without a fight. In addition to normal firearms, players can utilize Demon Arms to slash, grab, and throw enemies and objects, for the ultimate fighting advantage.
Keep your wits up and use the shadows within the environment in order to manifest the powers of The Darkness. Be careful of enemies who use light as a weapon. The Darkness II also features a four player co-op campaign where each person can take control of a unique character with Darkness infused weapons.
Take claim to what's yours and invest the help of some friends and relish in The Darkness.
8. F.E.A.R. (2005)
Developer: Monolith Productions, Timegate
Genre: Horror, FPS
Theme: Man vs the unknown
Who doesn't love a good and twisted shooter? F.E.A.R. is ready to deliver those dark and gritty horror thrills. This game is heavily influenced by Japanese horror movies so expect some serious spooks.
The game begins with a strange and unknown paramilitary force breaking into a multi-billion dollar aerospace compound, taking hostages but stating no demands. In response the government sends in a Special Forces team that quickly gets destroyed. A video feed of the Special Forces massacre shows the team getting torn apart by strange wave of destruction.
He just wants the wi-fi password
The elite First Encounter Assault Recon team (F.E.A.R.), which deals with paranormal situations, is sent to take on this unknown enemy. The team must evaluate this threat and eliminate it. Players take control of the newest member of F.E.A.R. and must utilize all of their abilities if they want to eliminate this unknown threat.
Fights are a cinematic visual for players. Watch as bullets rip through wood and concrete, dust and debris fill the air, and bodies are torn apart and strewn around the environment. As a member of F.E.A.R. you can kill foes with swift kicks and ultrafast reflexes that can be utilized in quick bursts as everything slows down around you.
Players have access to standard shooter weapons like a pistol, assault rifle, machine gun, and of course a rocket launcher. Pretty much every firearm gives players massively destructive abilities. However, there's a three weapon limit so players must make careful decisions. Ideally, players will want a close range, long range, and special heavy weapon. But it's all up to players how they'll tackle this destructive threat.
7. Doom 3 (2004)
Developer: id Software
Genre: Action
Theme: Man vs alien
Lets get old school with the Doom series. Take a stab at Doom 3 which is essentially a remake of the original Doom game, with reimagined monsters and frights. The game is still filled with the creepy and claustrophobic atmosphere we've come to love.
The game begins with a massive demonic invasion plaguing the Union Aerospace Corporation's (UAC) Mars Research Facility, destroying practically everything and everyone in its path. Players take control of one of the few survivors, a space marine with no tangible identity, and must face off against a horde of evil monsters.
Nothing like some good old monsters from back in the day
As you try to meet up with your squad you'll fight through a series of levels filled with locked doors, slowly encountering new weapons and monsters. Enemies can materialize without notice and can startle you when leaping out of the darkness. Most enemies have melee and ranged attacks which will distort your vision. Occasionally, you'll be treated with hellish hallucinations and otherworldly images.
Since you play as a nameless and non-distinctive character, the game tries to direct your focus onto other things on the UAC base. You will find e-mails and voice recordings from various characters. Some will contain passcodes for storage chests and locked doors. You can also listen in on various conversations and observe little details, all of these things really flesh out the game's world.
Who can pass up a classic?
6. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat (2009)
Developer: GSC Game World
Genre: Action, RPG
Theme: Man vs nuclear chaos
Tackle another episode in the successful S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series with S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat. The game begins where S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl ended. Players will be taken back to Chernobyl's nuclear reactor that had exploded in 1986.
This area, known as the Zone, is highly contaminated and blocked off by the military and stalkers, modern fortune hunters, in search of rare artifacts. Within the Zone, all life has been twisted into hideous and deadly entities. Players take control of Agent Alexander Degtyarev, who is masquerading as a stalker. He is sent to investigate the mysterious disappearance of five military helicopters and stand off against various stalker groups.
Epic shoot down or rap battle, you decide
Player's have primary missions and quests to tackle. The game also features a trading system where you repair guns, buy ammo and medical supplies, and upgrade your gear. You will need to hunt down and trade artifacts if you want to upgrade your supplies well. This is crucial in a game where armor and weapons will wear and break down with use.
While completing quests, if you give specific NPCs what they want they will offer services like upgrading your weapon to boost its accuracy or increase your armor's defense. Make sure you always take good care of your weapons. The game's firearms have tons of variations making players feel like they really are using different weapons.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat also features multiplayer that supports 32 players with different modes to pick from such as capture the flag and death matches, as well as various maps to play on. Whether you take on this game alone or with others, you're in for a ride.
5. Dead Island (2011)
Developer: Techland
Genre: Horror, action
Theme: Man vs zombie
Take a break from space and head off to a nice little island for some rest and relaxation. Perhaps ending up on the island of Banoi wasn't the best choice, unless you like some zombie killing on your vacations. Dead Island is your dream zombie island vacation and more.
A mysterious zombie outbreak occurs on Banoi, cutting the player off from the rest of the world. The player's only choice is to fight their way through the madness and try to find a way off of the island before they become a zombie's next meal. Players will need to take on gruesome zombies in the open world of Banoi as well as collect items, discover new areas, create weapon mods, and complete side quests if they want to survive.
When can we get electric blades as a zombie killing staple?
Dead Island offers tons of ways that players can customize their character and weapons. The game features RPG elements where players can develop their character classes as they'd like, allowing them to learn new skills and tactics. As firearms and ammo are scarce, players must find items and craft them into makeshift weapons. Players can creature unique weapon mods so that they can have a knife that does toxic damage or a gun that does shock damage.
The game also features four person multiplayer where players can seamlessly join together through the game's drop in function. The game's entire campaign can be played this way. Players should check out the game of the year edition of Dead Island since it comes with tons of DLCs that enrich our time on Banoi even more.
4. Outlast (2013)
Developer: Red Barrels
Genre: Horror, action
Theme: Man vs the worst horrors ever
If you thought that Dead Space was as scary as it gets, think again. Outlast is ready to destroy those who play it and leave them wanting more.
Outlast is a survival horror game like no other. Players take control of journalist Miles Upshur who breaks into Mount Massive Asylum, an abandoned center for the mentally ill that was recently re-opened and had been operating in secrecy. Miles received a message regarding the dangers of the facility and the company, Murkoff, that runs the place from an anonymous source from within the facility.
That's not hygienic
Stealth is all that players have going for them in this game. As Miles tries to uncover the secrets of the asylum he gets hunted down by crazed human looking creatures and quickly realizes that he needs to escape. Miles is only equipped with a camcorder that enables him to see in the dark and there will be no weapons at player's disposal.
These unpredictable enemies can appear at any time and players need to be ready to run and try to shake them off at any instant. Player's never have a moment to mentally recover as horrors are everywhere in the game. Perhaps the scariest thing about this game is that its setting and characters are inspired by actual insane asylums and instances of criminal insanity.
3. BioShock (2007)
Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
Genre: Horror, action
Theme: Man vs underwater utopia
Who doesn't love the classics? BioShock is considered a revolutionary FPS for good reason, now it's your turn to find out why.
Explore the fallen utopia of Rapture, a world located deep within the ocean. The game begins with the player's plane crashing into the ocean and them having to take refuge in Rapture in order to survive.
The little sister we always dreamed of having
This strange fallen world is crammed with it's own monsters and secrets for the player to uncover. Enemies are known as splicers and they are genetically altered humans. They're not like mindless zombies, they are aware of what they are doing. There's the iconic Big Daddies, the hulking armored guardians of Rapture and the Little Sisters that they protect.
Players need to make moral choices when it comes to the Little Sisters, these are little girls that contain a substance called ADAM which allows for genetic alterations. If the player decides to kill them they get 160 ADAM, but if they free them then they will receive 80 ADAM.
BioShock offers a great deal of weapon freedom to the players. Anything can be turned into a weapon, the environment, enemies, and even yourself. Players will have access to revolvers, chemical throwers, and grenade launchers. With the usage of ADAM players can genetically modify their DNA for more destructive abilities.
Nothing is scarier than unleashing a swam of killer hornets from your flesh to destroy your enemies.
2. Dead Space 3 (2013)
Developer: Visceral Games
Genre: Horror, sci-fi
Theme: Man vs alien
Return back to the horrifying series you love with Dead Space 3. Take on a new and terrifying adventure with Isaac Clarke on the frozen plant of Tau Volantis.
As always, players need to fight terrifying necomorphs in order to survive. This time around, there's a widely varied roster of enemies that require players to determine how to best take them down. Players can decide if they want to sever off some limbs to make killing them or fleeing them much easier.
Whose ready to shoot it in the face?
Dead Space 3 introduces a weapon crafting system that adds extra depth and strategy to the game. Players need to scavenge for supplies to upgrade their weapons to their liking. A plasma cutter combined with a flamethrower or some acid grenades will brighten up anyone's day.
Rather than keeping Dead Space 2's competitive multiplayer, Dead Space 3 has drop in co-op that allows two players to experience the game's campaign together. John Carver, a grumpy man with a tragic past, is the additional character in co-op. His back story will only be explored in co-op, adding a bit of extra narrative to this mode.
This is the makings of a wonderful friendship.
1. Alien: Isolation (2014)
Developer: Creative Assembly
Genre: Horror, sci-fi
Theme: Human vs aliens
Keep those space terrors going strong with Alien: Isolation. The game takes place fifteen years after the first Alien film and feels like a cinematic installment in the series. The game perfectly recreates the original film's universe with early 1980's technology with large, clunky computer monitors and use of VHS gain.
Players take control of Amanda, the daughter of Ellen Ripley, as she searches for the truth of her mother's disappearance. Get ready for the scariest game of hide and seek that you'll ever play. This game is more stealth oriented than action, Amanda will need to avoid the violent members of Sevastopol that turn on her and the ruthless Alien that's stalking her.
Meet your worst space nightmare
Scavenging is key and players will need to find key resources if they want to survive. Since ammunition is scarce players need to find safe areas and avoid any actions that could draw attention to them. Who knows what's lurking around you.
Don't forget that the Alien will adapt to the player's play style so keep your wits up and don't get too comfortable.
Think you got your space horror needs covered now? Or is there a space epic that missed the list? Comment below with some horror must haves and check out the following horror articles!
