A Plague Tale: Innocence
A Plague Tale: Innocence depicts the plight of two siblings, Amicia and Hugo, as they bravely navigate the dangers of the Inquisition and evade the relentless pursuit of soldiers. However, their escape is hindered not only by the soldiers but also by the constant presence of plague-infested rats. While A Plague Tale: Innocence does not heavily rely on jump scares and typical horror game elements, its horrifying atmosphere undoubtedly establishes it as one of the most chilling games available on the Xbox Series X/S.
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2, which hit the market in 1998, is widely recognized as a standout title in the series, as well as one of the best horror games of all time. Thankfully, the 2019 remake of this beloved game lives up to its predecessor. The remake follows the harrowing journey of Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield as they navigate the zombie-infested streets of Raccoon City. This survival horror third-person shooter offers a gripping and terrifying experience, particularly due to the relentless pursuit of the imposing Mr. X.
Dead By Daylight
Most horror games typically cater to single players, possibly because the feeling of isolation contributes to the eerie atmosphere. Dead By Daylight, on the other hand, stands out as a multiplayer horror game. However, it would be incorrect to assume that playing with others diminishes the fear factor, primarily because one of the players takes on the role of the killer. This is particularly terrifying since AI-controlled characters can usually be anticipated and outmaneuvered, while humans are much more unpredictable. In addition to being frightening, the multiplayer experience can also be immensely enjoyable, although successfully surviving and escaping the area is easier said than done.
The Evil Within 2
The Evil Within 2, which was released in 2017, is an exceptional survival horror game that fully embodies the essence of the genre. This game revolves around the protagonist, Sebastian Castellanos, a detective who embarks on a mission to rescue his daughter by venturing into STEM, an artificial world that replicates the idyllic American town of Union. However, things are not as they appear, as the once serene town has been infested with grotesque mutants, creatures, and a variety of terrifying monsters. The Evil Within 2 consistently delivers a bone-chilling experience, but it also empowers players by allowing them to fight back, resulting in a horror game that offers a sense of control.
Resident Evil Village
In the realm of the eighth installment of the renowned Resident Evil series, Resident Evil Village encapsulates all the elements that rendered its forerunners spine-chilling, while also ushering in novel innovations to heighten the dread to an unprecedented echelon. Departing from the well-known backdrop of Raccoon City, Resident Evil Village immerses Ethan Winters in a Victorianesque domain, teeming with perilous and disconcerting adversaries, notably the colossal antagonist, Lady Dimitrescu. Despite her transformation into an internet meme sensation, within the game’s narrative, she emerges as an omnipresent menace, devoid of any comedic implications.
Metro Exodus
One of the best video game series to come out in the early 2010s is the Metro series. The most recent Metro game, Metro Exodus from 2019, is possibly the greatest of the series. Exodus is an open-world first-person shooter that invites players to explore at their own risk and is set in a post-apocalyptic Russia. Few horror games are as well-rounded as Exodus, despite the Xbox Series X/S having a few scarier games. The horror is mostly represented by a spooky atmosphere, but there are a few genuinely terrifying animals and jump scares to mix things up.
Layers Of Fear
The Layers of Fear video game series from 2023 was created by the Bloober Team. Layers of Fear (2023) serves as a kind of anthology that collects the best (and most horrific) elements of the previous books in the series. Layers of Fear is an experience that might keep even the soundest sleepers up at night since it combines a psychologically disturbing atmosphere with moving landscapes, jump scares, and excellent sound design. Layers of Fear is a worthwhile trip back down the rabbit hole, despite the fact that it recycles a lot of content from earlier titles.
Outlast
Red Barrels created and released the first-person survival horror video game Outlast in 2013. The main character of the game is Miles Upshur, a free-lance investigative journalist who decides to look into a secluded mental facility in Lake County, Colorado called Mount Massive Asylum. Even while this would appear to be a somewhat clumsy method of handling terror, it definitely works to frighten everyone who is willing to participate. In the video game Outlast, which is set in a long-abandoned mental hospital, the player explores the facility and unearths some unpleasant mysteries. This facility is still teeming with life, notably mutant people and ferocious cannibals, even though patients no longer stay there. Unquestionably one of the scariest games now available on the Xbox Series X/S is Outlast, a classic in the horror category.
Amnesia: The Bunker
Frictional Games created and released the survival horror video game Amnesia: The Bunker. The fourth Amnesia game centres on a French soldier who is stranded in a bunker with a monster and needs to find a way out. Amnesia: The Bunker is particularly cruel. The Bunker drastically amps up the dread in comparison to the nearly similarly scary Amnesia: Rebirth. Henri Clément and Augustin Lambert, two soldiers, are the centre of the First World War drama The Bunker. The two soldiers discover themselves in a military bunker after being cut off from their battalion, but they are not alone.
The Beast, a nightmare-inducing monster, inhabits the once-abandoned bunker. Even though Henri has access to firearms, his limited quantity of ammunition won’t likely keep him safe for very long. The creature will track the soldiers and attack at random. Not only is it extraordinary, but it’s also horrifying. Fortunately, Game Pass lets you play it.
Dying Light
A 2015 survival horror video game called Dying Light was created by Techland and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The plot of the game is on an undercover agent named Kyle Crane who is tasked with infiltrating a quarantine zone in the city of Harran in the Middle East. Dying Light 2 is an open-world action game in addition to a horror game. You take up the role of Aiden Caldwell in it. He lives in a world where zombies have largely taken over. He nevertheless embarks on a quest to find his sister despite that. You will encounter both lethal humans and even deadlier infected as you move around the metropolis.
You can eliminate them by using the first-person combat in the game. Alternately, you can use your superior parkour abilities to stay away from them altogether. An nearly constantly decreasing metre at the top of the screen that indicates how close you are to joining the infected horde is another significant gameplay component. Spending time in UV light is necessary to prevent it from fully evaporating, adding another level of stress to your experience.
