Summary
Horror gameshave been around for more than two decades, providing players with exciting, nightmare-inducing experiences for a very long time. Although some focus on the gameplay experience and try to pack as much action into the story as possible, others focus more strongly on the narrative, and are sometimes evenmore fun to watch than to play.
The location where a horror game is set is really important as it helps set the stage for everything that will unfold as players progress through the story. Setting titles in remote, abandoned locations becamequite popular with horror games on the PS1, and the tradition was kept when newer consoles came along. Here are some of thebest horror games set in abandoned cities.
Set in the abandoned city of Villedor, about 22 years after the events of the firstDying Lightgame,Dying Light 2focuses on Aiden, a young survivor who delivers goods and intel between various settlements. This title focuses a lot more than its predecessor on exploration mechanics, implementing parkour skills that allow players to slide, climb ledges, jump off high areas, and even do wall running—all while introducingnew secret weapons.
The city of Villedor is mostly abandoned, makingDying Light 2a perfect addition to this list, and an overall great horror game. While otherhorror games with no main villaincan work wonders in terms of narrative, Vincent Waltz makes for an excellent antagonist that perfectly complements theDying Light 2story.
The story of theEvil Within 2focuses, once again, on Sebastian Castellanos, three years after the events of the first game. Sebastian has left the Krimson City Police Department due to the trauma that he experienced during the Beacon Mental Hospital events.
In an effort to rescue his daughter Lily, Sebastian will have to infiltrate Union, a STEM environment made by MOBIUS. Although players will encounter various challenges along the way, Union is mostly deserted in many areas, which makes it a fine addition to this list. Like its predecessor,The Evil Within 2has a great openingthat will captivate players from the moment they start the story.
The Walking Deadshows and video games have always been known for being set in large abandoned cities and settlements, so it’s no surprise that this is also the case forThe Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. Set in New Orleans after the outbreak, players will take on the role of a tourist who can either be male or female.
Throughout the game, players will have to face off against dangerous hordes of zombies using various weapons and any other tools at their disposal in order to survive.
Although most players would agree thatMetro Exodusisn’t actually a horror game but rather a survival game with some creepy elements here and there, it’s still worth mentioning on this list due to its setting. The game starts in the year 2035, exactly one year after the events ofMetro: Last Night.
The post-apocalyptic version of Earth where the game is set, presents players with various abandoned locations resulting from the nuclear holocaust that doomed humanity forever.Metro Exodushas excellent game mechanics, a compelling narrative, and an overall appealing world design.
Silent Hill 2is a timeless classic that many players in their late 20s or early 30s likely played when it was first released back in 2001. The game tells the story of James Sunderland, a bereaved man who receives a letter from his late wife telling him to come to Silent Hill, a town in Maine that had held great significance for both of them when she was still alive.
When James arrives at Silent Hill, he quickly realizes that the beautiful town he and his wife once knew is no longer as splendorous, but rather a mostly abandoned place, covered in fog and hiding many eerie secrets. AlthoughSilent Hill 2was nevera PS2 exclusive, many of the fans who played it likely did so on that console. The game is regarded by many to be a masterpiece thanks to itsimmersive flashlight mechanics, scary moments, and overall compelling narrative.
WhileDead Space 2is not set in an abandoned city, but rather in the abandoned space station on Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, it still makes for an excellent entry for this list, as it presents players with insurmountable odds, formidable challenges, and more than one scary moment along the way.
This title once again follows the story of Isaac Clarke, as he makes his way through the station, uncovering the spine-chilling secrets it holds.Dead Space 2has a few enemies that have some of themost unsettling AI behavior in horror games, complementing the experience greatly.
Many veteran players who were old enough to play scary games back in the late 90s and early 2000s, probably remember the spine-chilling experience thatResident Evil 2had to offer. This title not only introduced many players to the horror genre, but also managed to traumatize a few others due to its scary scenarios, surprise zombie chases, and overall grim setting.
The game is set in the mostly-abandoned Raccoon City, which has been overrun by zombies after a massive T-virus outbreak resulting from the contamination of the city’s water system. TheResident Evil 2remake focuses on Leon S. Kennedy, a rookie cop who’ll have to fight to survive this post-apocalyptic nightmare.
