If you want to play some horror games on an older PC, or maybe just remember the cult-classic games from the franchise that were released decades ago, this is the list for you. We will take a look over some of the most influential and unique horror games that can be run on virtually any PC.
10. F.E.A.R.
F.E.A.R. - Trailer
MINIMUM:
Operating System: Windows® XP, x64 or 2000 with latest service pack installed
Processor: Pentium® 4 1.7 GHz or equivalent processor
Memory: 512 MB of RAM or more
Graphics: 64 MB GeForce™ 4 Ti or Radeon® 9000 video card; Monitor that can display in 4:3 aspect ratio
DirectX®: 9.0c (August Edition) or higher
Hard Drive: 17 GB free Hard Drive Space for installation; Additional hard drive space for a swap file and saved game files
Sound: 16-bit DirectX® 9.0 compliant sound card with support for EAX™ 2.0
Multiplayer Requirements: Broadband or LAN connection for multiplayer games
In the year 2025 ATC has developed an experimental unit of telepathically controlled clone supersoldiers known as the Replicas. Their psychic commander Paxton Fettel goes rogue and takes command of the Replica prototypes. It is your goal as Pointman to hunt him down.
Point man is a kind of super-soldier. He can slow time for a brief period to aid him in his shootouts. F.E.A.R. is the first game in a franchise with an intertwined and complicated story.
F.E.A.R. is a game that will keep you on edge for the entire duration of the game. It has a lot of surprises and it always keeps you on edge. The gameplay focuses on shooting. As such the shooting is very challenging yet fun. There’s a bunch of weapons to choose from. You can carry 3 at a time to best suit your playstyle.
9. Clive Barker’s Undying
Clive barker's Undying - original trailer - PC videogame
Minimum system requirements:
System:
Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 10
Processor:
1.8 GHz
Memory:
512 MB RAM
Graphics:
3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 9.0c
Sound:
sound card compatible with DirectX 9.0c
Clive Barker’s Undying is a story-driven horror shooter in which you play as Patrick Galloway as he’s trying to rid the world of horrifying monsters that were released into it by mistake.
Clive Barker’s Undying is a survival horror game with a very carefully thought-out setting. The levels are very atmospheric and actually creepy. There’s a variety of monsters with nice designs and lore. The game is very story-driven for its genre, but if you get into it, the story is not bad at all.
Patrick fights monsters by using weapons such as revolvers, shotguns, speargun, etc. in his left hand, and using spells with his right. This makes it so that you can choose your combat style and how you approach enemies. You can mix and match spells and weapons to find a style that suits you, or you can try to master multiple combinations for each encounter.
8. The Suffering
The Suffering Trailer
Minimum system requirements:
System:
Windows 7 / 8 / 10
Processor:
1.8 GHz
Memory:
512 MB RAM
Graphics:
3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 7 (compatible with DirectX 9 recommended)
Storage:
1GB available space
The Suffering is a game in which you play as Torque, who is in prison for allegedly killing his ex-wife and two children. After an earthquake, the prison is occupied by ghastly evil beings that he has to fight against if he wishes to survive.
The Suffering is a fast-paced survival horror shooter. It can be played both in first-person and third-person. The story is well-paced and interesting, with multiple endings based on the moral choices you make during your playthrough. Torque is a morally ambiguous character that you get to shape for the ending you want.
The monster designs in this game are exceptional. All of the monsters you fight are designed after different death sentence executions. Torque also has the ability to transform into a big monster called “The Creature”. He cannot maintain this form for long since it will kill him, but during his time as The Creature, he is near invincible and extremely strong.
7. Condemned: Criminal Origins
The Condemned Criminal Origins Trailer
MINIMUM:
OS: Windows XP
Processor:2.0 GHz Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon equivalent (2.4 GHz recommended)
Memory:512 MB RAM
Graphics: DirectX 9.0 compatible video card with at least 128 MB video RAM
DirectX®:9.0
Hard Drive:8 GB HD space
Sound: DirectX 9.0 compatible sound card
Additional: No controller support.
As FBI agent Ethan Thomas, you rely on sharp instincts and sophisticated forensic tools to investigate crime scenes, collect evidence, and find clues that will lead you to the killers in the time of a massive increase in crime rate. After being framed for the murder of two police officers, agent Thomas is forced to find out the reason behind the mass serial killings that are happening to prove his innocence.
Condemned: Criminal Origins is a highly immersive game. It’s a first-person survival horror game whose gameplay is focused on melee combat. Although there are guns in the game, due to the limited ammo, most of the time you will fight the enemies with a mix of kicks, attacks with the melee weapon, and taser shots.
The brutal and maniacal enemies are prone to running at you from the dark which is bound to always give you a mini-heart attack when you don’t expect them, and the game’s setting is very dark and cramped which is a great way to build tension and always have you feeling on edge.
6. Resident Evil 6
Resident Evil 6 - E3 Official Trailer (PEGI)
MINIMUM:
OS:Windows® XP / Windows Vista® / Windows® 7 / Windows® 8 / Windows®10
Processor:: Intel® CoreTM2 Duo 2.4 Ghz or better, AMD AthlonTM X2 2.8 Ghz or better
Memory:2 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® 8800GTS or better
DirectX®:9.0c
Hard Drive:16 GB HD space
Sound: Standard audio device
Other Requirements: Broadband Internet connection
Resident Evil 6 is the most action-packed game in the franchise. It has 7 main characters and 4 campaigns - all connected and intertwined. They are fighting the C-Virus on a global scale to save the world.
Resident Evil 6 features A LOT of action. There’s a lot of thrilling combat, shooting sequences, driving sequences, and exciting bosses. It really deepens the complicated plot of the RE franchise in a chaotic, adrenaline-inducing fashion.
5. Painkiller
PC - Painkiller - LongPlay [4K:60FPS]
MINIMUM:
OS: Win 98/2000/Me/XP
Processor: 1GHz
Memory: 256 MB RAM
Graphics: DirectX 9.0 64MB Video Card
Storage: 3.4 GB available space
Painkiller is a gothic shooter game about Daniel Garner’s escape from purgatory. After getting in a car crash that killed both him and his wife (that made it into heaven), Daniel is stuck in purgatory. But he is given an opportunity to receive purification by killing 4 of Lucifer’s generals to prevent an ensuing war.
Painkiller was released in 2004 as a hellish shooter with epic metal music in the background. The gameplay is extremely chaotic and it’s best described as an adrenaline addict’s wet dream. It’s got 24 levels with multiple giant bosses. There are 14 guns in the game and they are all unique and mechanically diverse.
4. Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Amnesia: The Dark Descent - Trailer
MINIMUM:
OS: Windows XP/Vista/7
Processor: 2.0Ghz - Low budget CPUs such as Celeron or Duron needs to be at about twice the CPU speed
Memory: 2 GB
Hard Drive: 3GB
Graphics: Radeon X1000/GF 6 - Integrated graphics and very low-budget cards might not work.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a cult game that makes you feel helpless and afraid by having you play as a character that doesn’t even know who or where he is. It takes place in a Victorian-style mansion filled with creepy storytelling that is not really apparent at the start of the game but slowly becomes more and more visible and intruding.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a must-play game for any fan of psychological horror games, and the fact that it’s pretty easy to run since it came out in 2010 is a big bonus.
3. Half-Life
Half Life 1 | 4K | Full Game Longplay Walkthrough No Commentary
MINIMUM: 500 MHz processor, 96MB ram, 16MB video card, Windows XP, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection
RECOMMENDED: 800 MHz processor, 128MB ram, 32mb+ video card, Windows XP, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection
Half-Life is a science fiction first-person shooter following our main character Gordon Freeman as he tries to escape from his workplace - the Black Mesa research facility. During his escape, he will have to fight a sizable amount of monsters and humans alike.
It came out in 1998, almost 24 years ago. It’s a dark game with a grim storyline and an epic campaign. There’s a bunch of unique weapons and enemies with revolutionary A.I. for the time it came out. It’s a great game and virtually any computer can run it.
2. Silent Hill 4: The Room
Silent Hill 4 The Room - Trailer - PS2
Minimum system requirements:
System:
Windows 7 / 8 / 10
Processor:
1.8 GHz
Memory:
2 GB RAM
Graphics:
3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 9.0c and 256 MB VRAM
Storage:
5 GB
Silent Hill 4: The Room is a game in which you play as Henry Townshend as he’s trying to solve the mysteries of his cursed apartment. One day he woke up and all the windows were barred and the front door was locked from the inside with multiple padlocks. After a bit of exploring he finds a large hole in the bathroom wall that takes him to strange places.
Silent Hill 4: The Room is a game that slowly builds up the atmosphere as you play. It always manages to make you feel uneasy and unsafe, using both the gameplay and the story to successfully do that. You will be met with gruesome sights around every corner, some of which you will have to fight off in order to survive.
1. Penumbra Overture
Penumbra: Overture - Official Launch Trailer
MINIMUM:
OS: XP/Vista
Processor: 1.0 GHz
Memory: 256MB(XP)
Graphics: Radeon 8500 / Geforce 3(MX4 Not supported)
Hard Drive: 800MB Free Space
Sound: Soundblaster compatible
Penumbra Overture is the first game in its franchise. You play as Philip, a physicist that received a letter from his supposedly dead father leading him to a mysterious location. Due to the unbearing cold, he seeks shelter in an abandoned mineshaft. The entrance collapses and he is stuck inside trying to find a different exit.
Penumbra Overture is the first game that implemented the now-classic mechanic of horror games where your mouse cursor is used for opening doors and moving objects. It is one of the most influential horror games. The story and atmosphere it creates have become staples in the horror genre.
It is an atmospheric exploration game that has you explore the mine-shafts as you solve puzzles and slowly, through reading diaries and notes, piece the story together. It has a bit of combat against some enemies, but the main aspect is set on exploring and story-telling.
