Today we are embarking on a loving retrospective of gamings horror greats and ranking them based on their commercial impact. Perfect to help us understand what kind of horror resonates most around the world.
15. Resident Evil Zero - 2002
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Originally released for the Gamecube, Resident Evil Zero serves as a prequel to the curious happenings at Spencer Manor shown in the first game.
Zero provides an interesting spin on the series blueprint by introducing strategic elements and a buddy system, making it stand out amongst fans as an interesting deviation on series norms. Long celebrated for its utterly bonkers narrative that perfectly encapsulated sixth gen storytelling, it was eventually released on modern platforms and quickly found a greater audience.
Total Sales: At least 4.2 Million copies.
14. Resident Evil 2 - 1998
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After the runaway success of the first title, CAPCOM sought to escalate the horror and scope of surviving a zombie outbreak.
Initially experiencing a troubled development culminating in the original project (known online as Resident Evil 1.5) being canceled, the final version of the game would be the first project directed by action genre legend Hideki Kamiya. Kamiya’s influence manifested via an increased focus on action and some incredible 80s action-inspired camp, though the horror was more potent too - resulting in some immediately iconic scenes, leading to the great commercial success of the game.
Total Sales: At least 4.96 Million copies.
13. Dying Light 2 Stay Human - 2022
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The most recently released game on our list proved a massive success for publisher Techland, initially announcing the sequel following the runaway success of the original game which became a major name with a feverish fanbase for its stylish parkour-influenced take on zombie beatdowns.
Showcasing how impressive next-gen horror can be and as terrifying as it is addictive, the sequel further hones the success of the original with its ambitious narrative and impressive scope, catching on immediately with audiences.
Total Sales: At least 5 Million copies.
12. Dead By Daylight - 2016
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Proving that horror can also be an experience shared with other players, Dead By Daylight focuses on multiplayer based frights where you yourself can play as the violent antagonist.
Despite a mixed reception on release, over time the game has organically evolved into a love letter to horror itself boasting crossover content from every major franchise you can imagine from Nightmare on Elm Street to Friday the 13th there’s something here for every horror fan, which is almost as impressive as the game's upward trajectory.
Total Sales: At least 5 million copies.
11. Resident Evil - 1996
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Credited with putting the Survival Horror genre on the map, Resident Evil quickly became an international best seller and for a time the best selling game on the PlayStation.
Inspired by the more primitive horror title known as Sweet Home and directed by the legendary Shinji Mikami. The now iconic setting of the Spencer mansion and its many twists and turns lives in the hearts of many gamers. The game would see an extensive overhaul less than a decade later, yet the original is worth experiencing for the delightful FMV cutscenes and some unmistakably nineties voice acting.
Total Sales: At least 5.2 Million copies.
10. Resident Evil 3 (Remake) 2020
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After returning the series to its survival horror roots in recent years, CAPCOM brought the original classic back from the dead with a stylish modernized remake.
Providing a more action focused counterpoint to the second game, this time the goal is to escape from the befallen Raccoon City while the iconic Nemesis (everyone's favorite insistent mutant lug) returns to wreak havoc and provide a terrifying foil. The games success continued the dawning of a new golden age for the series.
Total Sales: At least 5.2 million copies.
9. The Forest - 2018
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Sometimes the most chilling horror comes from the mind of independent creators, and The Forest represents a major indie success story - originally released via Early Access and both developed and self published by small team Endnight Games.
Taking inspiration from horror classics such as The Descent, the game combines modern survival mechanics and the horrors of a looming cannibalist threat to create a tense and deeply unsettling game about surviving both humanity and the elements.
Total Sales: At least 5.3 Million copies.
8. Resident Evil Remake - 2002
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After the Resident Evil name had become synonymous with video game horror, CAPCOM circled back to the starting point to reinvigorate the classic title with a fresh coat of paint.
Luckily, the release was acclaimed by critics and players alike, reinventing the original into a complex horror experience with brutal and unforgiving mechanics. The iconic and often parodied voice acting of the original was (somewhat sadly) redone to better meet modern sensibilities, yet the heart of the classic release is only made more terrifying with this remake.
Total Sales: At least 5 Million copies.
7. Resident Evil Village - 2021
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Village proves that the Resident Evil series has yet to run out of steam, introducing the beastly threat of werewolves and the isolating and mysterious setting of a rural European village.
Following the direction of the acclaimed seventh entry, Village doubles down and acts as Greatest Hits for the series, showcasing the many flavors of horror the series explored over its diverse trajectory. The game was an instant commercial success and leaves the series primed for more terrifying adventures going forward.
Total Sales: At Least 5.2 Million copies.
6. Resident Evil 2 Remake - 2019
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Highly sought after and subject of much speculation after its reveal in 2015, it wouldn’t be until years later that the public would get their hands on the breathlessly anticipated remake.
Aiming to modernize the original classic for a new generation and make Resident Evil about feeling hopelessly outnumbered by the dead again. The game showcases a bold re-imagining of the original title, delivering a major critical and commercial success symbolising that players still have an almost undead-like appetite for an overpowering experience in which you are very, very afraid.
Total Sales: At Least 9 million copies.
5. Resident Evil 6 - 2012
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Continuing the series trend of an action-first approach, Resident Evil 6 ambitiously chose to include three campaigns in one package.
Bringing some truly blockbuster gameplay sequencesand peak action movie Resident Evil storytelling, the bombastic and hyper-camp approach proved divisive for longtime fans. With it's content heavy approach and robust co-op systemsthe game found commercial success by letting you team up with your friends to take down the undead in ludicrous style.
Total Sales: At Least 10 million copies.
4. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - 2017
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After the series had hit it’s action-centric peak in Resident Evil 6, CAPCOM took Resident Evil back to the drawing board and wiped clean the long travelled plotlines of the mainline series by refocusing Resident Evil on a singular house and the deeply disturbed family inhabiting it - channeling some major Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibes in the process.
For the first time the series adopts first person perspective, and employs modernized survival horror mechanics from the golden age of the series, becoming a hit with both critics and players.
Total Sales: At Least 10.9 million copies.
3. Resident Evil 4 - 2005
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Resident Evil 4 presented a bold new d direction for the series and went on to become one of the most influential games of the generation.
Introducing popular (and divisive) mechanics like the quick time event and an innovative over-the-shoulder aiming system, there’s ample amounts of Resident Evil camp and horror to be found with western inspired action and plenty of scares. Though it was originally exclusive to gamecube as part of the CAPCOM Five initiative, it was released to other consoles and quickly became a major hit for the company.
Total Sales: At Least 11 million copies.
2. Resident Evil 5 - 2009
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Resident Evil 5 sees the series leaning further into the action dynamics presented in the fourth entry, moving the setting to rural Africa and focusing on high octane co-operative gameplay as a series first.
Providing a heightened sense of spectacle and action strategy, the series found success with a new generation of players. Proving that any series should evolve with the times to maintain an audience, It's impossible to deny that the series hits a highpoint here as the game concludes with a fistfight against a giant boulder, which might be as Resident Evil as it gets.
Total Sales: At least 13 million copies.
1. Dying Light - 2015
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Serving as a spiritual successor to the tropical horror title Dead Island, Techland decided to embark on a genre mashup by introducing elements of parkour and focusing on open world survival.
Placing a distinct stamp on the horror genre with its kinetic gameplay and combining traversal with time management induced horror, this chimeric approach to design was a major success for the company with sales bolstered by long term updates and content drops, fostering much goodwill from players and ensuring the sales would roll in indefinitely.
Writing about games is really fun! But more importantly it allows me to avoid the inclement weather of the British isles, and provides a nice distraction from obsessing about Twin Peaks.
Gamer Since:
1997
Favorite Genre:
RPG
Currently Playing:
Fortnite
Top 3 Favorite Games:
Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Dead Space
