This year is shaping up to be a fantastic year for the Horror genre on PC.
There are several incredible games that should be released over this year and the next few.
Ranging from alien sci-fi to survival horror and horror games with a new twist on history, there are games to interest some of everyone.
1. Scorn
Scorn Trailer
Scorn is the debut feature from Ebb software studio. Their goal is to create a “cohesive, lived-in world” that players are thrown into and must learn to maneuver in. To do so, you must solve puzzles and interact with different characters that will help open up new areas to explore and acquire new sets of skills and weapons. There are no cut scenes and the makers promise no sympathy and an otherwise disturbing landscape.
Ebb does promise a new type of full body awareness in which player’s interactions are more realistic — you’ll actually see your hands picking up objects and gripping machinery. There’s also no HUD, so you’ll have to really focus on the environment to know how your character is performing. You’ll also need to pay special attention to your character’s inventory and amount of ammo; everything is limited and has a purpose. At times you’ll need to fight and at times you’ll need to hide so adaptability is key in Scorn.
The game will be released in two parts, with Part 1: Dasein being released in 2017. All story telling will be done in game, and after Part 2, there will be no more. No sequels, no expansions or optional downloadable content.
Scorn Gameplay
2. Agony
Agony Trailer
Welcome to Hell. In this game, you’ll find yourself thrown into the pits of Hell as yet another tormented soul trying to find a way out. You’ll have no memories of your past but you’ll have a few helpful abilities like being able to control the beings in your path and even possess some demons. Following the path to escape, you’ll realize you have no choice but to come face-to-face with the Red Goddess, rumored to be the only one that can get you out.
Graphically, this game is beautiful. The artwork is stunning, the perfect mix of “I can’t stop looking but I need to look away”. You’ll be able to interact with the environment of Hell in various ways and collect items along the way. Combat seems to be hand-to-hand with few options for weapons, but you can also use tactics such as crouching and holding your breath to avoid demons.
Agony Gameplay
3. >Observer_
Observer Trailer
It’s 2084 Poland. The ‘digital plague’ has swept through the country, claiming the lives of thousands and causing war and rampant drug use. Along with your Dream Eater, a special tool used to dig into the minds of others, you and your team collect information by hacking into other’s heads. Certain events will have you doing the unthinkable — delving into the minds of the dead.
Equipped with special skills such as augmented vision, you’ll be able to scan items to learn about them. When you come across your fellow citizens, you’ll need their consent before you probe them, but once you get it, you’ll be thrown into their memories and fears that don’t quite make sense and are constantly changing. Use what you learn to move forward in this cyberpunk universe.
The release date for this game is in late 2017.
Observer Gameplay
4. Outlast 2
Outlast 2 Trailer
Deep in the Arizona desert, cameraman Blake Langermann and his wife Lynn are investigating the death of a pregnant woman. The journalistic couple is known for taking the stories no one else will touch, the stories that require deep investigation and big risks. As Blake, your sanity will be tested and you’ll be pushed into the darkness and into a corruption so intense the only sane thing for the player to do is to go mad.
Equipped with an advanced camera, Blake travels through the Supai region of the Sonoran desert. The camera has night vision which will come in handy during play and extra batteries for the camera are spread throughout the different locations. Blake is unable to fight but can run, walk, jump, crouch and hide throughout the area but be mindful of his glasses, if they fall off his vision will be impaired.
Outlast 2 Gameplay
5. The Hum: Abductions
The Hum: Abductions Trailer
Taking place in The Hum universe, you’ll play as Holly Sanders, loving wife until her husband disappeared mysteriously months ago. She lives alone with her son, Dan, in their family home. Holly must uncover the secrets of the Sanders family, past and present, with an impending horrifying revelation.
There’s not a lot of information out there about this game, but if the previews are to be believed it looks like an alien thriller that’s not to be missed. The expected release date is April 25, 2017.
The Hum: Abductions Gameplay
6. Vampyr
Vampyr Trailer
Players will control Jonathan Reid, newly undead doctor coming to grips with his new thirst for blood. Set in London, the story is based on the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and the doctor will have to chose between giving into his monstrous nature or keeping true to the Hippocratic Oath he took when he entered the medical field. While exploring the semi-open world of London, you’ll need to decide how much of your humanity you’ll retain while feeding into your new vampiric nature.
To feed your thirst, you’ll need to learn about your targets, collecting clues and studying their habits while keeping up relationships with your fellow Londoners. It is possible to finish the game without killing anyone; this will unlock one of four different game endings. Staying true to vampire lore, Reid can only enter a home once he’s been invited in. Anyone can be chosen as a target, but be careful as certain targets can have different effects on the rest of the citizens.
You’ll have special abilities such as ‘Spring’, a loaded jump move to cover large distances and rush enemies and ‘Mesmerise’, which you can use to compel weaker targets for information or feeding purposes. Feeding on humans replenishes his strength and allows your character to boil his enemies’ blood or throw blood spears. Your character will be able to use improvised melee weapons, like saws, and range weapons, like the special Webley Revolver.
Look for this game to be released in late 2017.
Vampyr Gameplay
7. Routine
Routine Trailer
Routine is a first person survival horror story set on an abandoned Moon Base. Playing as an astronaut working there, you’ll search the station looking for clues about the disappearance of the rest of your crew, where they went and who is responsible. Assisted by your CAT, or Cosmonaut Assistance Tool, which you can upgrade by finding floppy disks throughout the station, your goal is to survive as long as you can.
You only get one life in Routine. There is no HUD, no scoring system, no second chances. Your actions throughout the game will unlock one of many different endings. If you lose, you’ll face permadeath and have to start from the beginning and make your way through the rougelike hazard and item generation system.
The game was supposed to be released in March of 2017, but the developers felt as if it wasn’t quite ready and one of the possible endings needed a little tweaking. There is no new release date set.
Routine Gameplay
8. Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th Trailer
Camp Crystal Lake has reopened for the summer. Playing as a camp counselor, you’ll need to lead yourself and six others to safety from the notorious camp killer, Jason Voorhees, and do whatever it takes to save your life. Or, for the first time ever, you can play as Jason Voorhees himself and try your hand at hunting down the campers and killing them in a new set of ways.
The game offers two distinct play options — as camp counselor or Jason Voorhees. As camp counselor, you’ll work together in a multi-player campaign to escape from the brutal killing that is sure to follow. The options are endless and the game changes pace continually, keeping you on your toes as you try to find different ways to survive. There are different counselor types and each one has its own strengths and weaknesses you’ll come to depend on when it comes to getting away.
As Jason, you’ll have the option to play as different versions of Jason from the entire Friday the 13th series. As the night progresses, Jason will become smarter as he roams the woods he knows so well, searching for the right moments to scare and the perfect moment to ambush the campers and kill them. There are several different ways to kill, some new and some you may recognize.
Friday the 13th Gameplay
9. Allison Road
Allison Road Playable Trailer
You wake up in a small, British, townhouse with a pounding headache and no memories of what’s happened. You have five nights to figure out where your family is and what is going on in your home. There are dark entities hiding in your home, and you will have to come face to face with them find your family and reveal the secrets too dark for you to remember.
It will be difficult to tell the difference between reality and fiction as you are stalked by the things in the dark. You’ll meet Lily, a tortured soul and what seems to be your biggest challenge, and other terrifying beings as you explore your home, looking for clues.
After a few ups and downs with the development of the game, the game is back on as of right now. There is no official release date set.
10. Perception
Perception Trailer
Cassie, a blind woman who sees by echolocation, has been having reoccurring dreams about a certain estate. After much research, she finally finds it and decides to explore, unaware of what’s inside. She’ll have to hide from deadly enemies, including the most deadly of all — The Presence.
Playing as Cassie, you’ll have to depend on sound to create a visual for you. When there is no sound, you can use your cane to tap the floor and see your surroundings. There is no combat in Perception, think of it as a big game of hide and seek with a fatal option for losing. Every time you go through the game and solve the mysteries, you’ll cause major changes the next go around.
Perception Gameplay
11. Hello Neighbor
Hello Neighbor Trailer
You’ve just moved into a new suburb. One of your neighbors is sketchy.... really sketchy. He’s obviously hiding something in his basement and you need to know what. Naturally, the only way to do this is to break into his home and get in the basement.
Hello Neighbor is a first person horror game with an extremely smart advanced AI. You play the game by breaking into your neighbor’s house using various tricks and ways to outsmart him. The catch, however, is that he learns from every move you make and will begin to set traps and use unique techniques to catch you. Each time you play makes the game harder and harder as the AI learns your moves and finds ways to counter them.
You can download the free pre-alpha to get a sense of the game, or support the devs by purchasing Early Alpha Access in which you get to test the game before it’s released. If you prefer to wait for the full version, that should be released this summer.
12. Project Wight
Project Wight Trailer
Project Wight is an RPG game from the view of an intelligent species, set back in the days of Vikings and world exploration. Humans have started to hunt your species. As you age, your abilities and skills will mature as you protect your species from being hunted to extinction.
When you’re young, Project Wight will seem more stealth based and you should avoid combat as you’re more likely to get killed. After you get a little older, you’ll be able to move quickly, attack and develop new skills such as a roar that will stagger humans.
13. What Remains of Edith Finch
What Remains of Edith Finch Trailer
What Remains of Edith Finch is a first person horror story about the vastness and strangeness of the world around us. Edith Finch is the only one of her family still alive. Playing as Edith, you’ll investigate the Finch home to uncover the clues of each person’s death and the circumstances around them.
Gameplay will change with each family member’s story. It seems more of a puzzle style game than anything combat related. The developer says the stories will be familiar at first, but take a Twilight Zone type turn.
14. Visage
Visage Trailer
In Visage, you’ll roam through the halls of a home, exploring everything to learn the secrets. Many brutal deaths have occurred here, very violent instances of evil that you’ll come across as you move from room to room. Stay calm and try not to show your fear; there are things in the dark that feed on it.
The game will follow the usual point-and-click horror game style and you are advised to search every nook and cranny in the house to really complete the story. It also introduces the stress level, which you will need to monitor to make sure it doesn’t go up to high. Events are randomly generated, so don’t expect things to be the same every time you play.
Visage Gameplay
15. Last Year
Last Year Trailer
In this multiplayer game, you’ll have two play options. You can play as one of six teenagers running for their lives from a deranged killer. Or you can play as the deranged killer hunting down the six students. Whichever you chose changes the gameplay drastically and each option comes with its own added benefits.
As a survivor, you’ll pick a role, like Medic or Technician, and work with your friends to escape from the killer. Or if you’re feeling a little selfish, you can save yourself and let your friends worry about themselves. Every man for his own, right?
If you choose to play as the killer, you’ll have to hunt the teenagers down and ambush them for the kill. There are several different types of killers to choose from like the Strangler or the Slasher. Entering ‘Predator Mode’ lets you spawn anywhere you choose, popping up wherever the students may be hiding and ensuring that they know they can never be safe as long as you’re around.
Last Year Gameplay
2017 and beyond are shaping up to be some of the best years for horror games. There are options in all different types of horror and in several gameplay options, so no one should have a hard time finding games that suit their style of play. Just be careful about playing these with the lights out.
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