The Best Games For Monster Movie Fans

Key Takeaways

• Monster movies focus on large, horrific monsters as the main antagonists, appealing to fans of creature features.
• Games like Earth Defense Force 5 offer bombastic action against alien threats, perfect for monster movie enthusiasts.
• Lethal Company provides a cooperative, terrifying experience ransacking alien-infested facilities, ideal for fans of creature flicks.

Monster movies, predominantly (but not always) focused on horror, typically revolve around the attack, invasion, and/or infestation of large and/or horrific monsters. While there’s certainly room to debate the semantics of “creature feature” as a genre, the key factor here is that a monster (or monsters) of some kind is the main antagonist of the story.

In this regard, there are many games that could fall under the same category, and a great number of them are likely to appeal to fans of monster movies. Whether it’s avoiding an undefeatable alien or battling Gremlins-esque goblins, there’s something here for every creature feature fan.

8 Earth Defense Force 5

Defending Against Giant Alien Threats

Earth Defense Force 5 is an over-the-top third-person shooter that focuses its efforts on bombastic action against alien threats. Fans of classic alien invasion monster movies and third-person shooters alike are sure to appreciate the B-movie action of Earth Defense Force 5.

An added bonus of Earth Defense Force 5 is its inclusion of both online and local multiplayer, taking advantage of the naturally frantic gameplay to provide players with a cooperative experience. However, it’s the massive scale and unhinged design of the game’s alien creatures that fans of monster films are likely to get the most out of.

7 Lethal Company

Ransacking Monster-Infested Facilities In Online Co-Op

This science-fiction horror game tasks players with ransacking abandoned facilities on a variety of alien moons, each of which is infested with an ensemble of truly terrifying monsters. These creatures make the otherwise simple task of collecting scrap a tense, chaotic, and unpredictable experience, lending itself perfectly to cooperative play.

Lethal Company is designed around co-op, featuring proximity voice chat that makes the experience more immersive and facilitates terrifying and simultaneously hilarious moments in the dark, dangerous halls of the game’s environments. Fans of monster movies such as Pitch Black and similar sci-fi creature flicks, as well as cooperative horror games, are sure to get a kick or two out of Lethal Company.

6 Chop Goblins

An Old-School FPS With Gremlin-Esque Monsters

• Released: December 12, 2022
• Developer: David Szymanski
• Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch

Chop Goblins is a fast-paced, short, and sweet first-person shooter with old-school visuals and gameplay to match. The game features a low-poly, 3D visual style and punchy FPS combat against the titular Chop Goblins, creatures that will be familiar to fans of monster movies such as Gremlins, albeit with their own devilish flair.

Fans of old-school shooters should get a kick out of Chop Goblins, though it focuses more on undemanding, fast-paced shooting rather than expressive movement. While its gameplay is serviceable, the tongue-in-cheek tone, charming character designs, and arcade feel of Chop Goblins are its greatest strengths.

5 Dead Space

Third-Person Action-Horror With Uniquely Grotesque Creatures

This sci-fi action-horror game features dynamic third-person gameplay and a unique combat system that offers strategic encounters with some truly horrifying foes. The iconic Necromorphs of Dead Space and the dismemberment system that revolves around them dramatically elevate the overall experience, resulting in a game that’s much more visceral and a great deal more memorable than it otherwise would have been.

The Necromorphs themselves will likely appeal to fans of creature features, with their unsettling movements and grotesque visual design making for an adversary that’s sure to spook. However, the dark and abandoned environments of the USG Ishimura and the clever use of lighting and environmental storytelling help to sell the horror.

4 Left 4 Dead 2

A Zombie-Themed Shooter With Monstrous Enemies

Fans of classic zombie monster movies such as Dawn Of The Dead (1978) may find something to love with Valve’s iconic cooperative shooter, Left 4 Dead 2. Unlike traditional zombie movies/games, Left 4 Dead 2 puts a stronger focus on monsters, with its variety of special infected enemies.

From the sobbing, unsettling nature of the Witch, to the unstoppable Tank, Left 4 Dead 2’s special infected inject some much-needed chaos into the game which, combined with the AI Director, makes for a dynamic and unpredictable experience. While it’s not the scariest game out there, and zombies have become somewhat overplayed, Left 4 Dead 2 is an undemanding, chaotic experience that’s still fun to play with friends.

3 Half-Life

An Action-Packed Escape From A B-Movie Alien Invasion

Taking place at a research facility in the wake of a scientific disaster, Half-Life tasks players with battling alien creatures as they attempt to escape. The goofy, tongue-in-cheek behavior of the NPCs and the variety of alien monsters make for an experience that’s perfect for fans of action-oriented monster movies, and Valve’s unique method of storytelling keeps things immersive.

Fans of narrative-driven first-person shooters and alien monster movies will likely enjoy Valve’s iconic Half-Life, both for its variety of alien creatures and the B-movie nature of its plot. Players looking for a more grounded, horror-focused experience, however, may want to look elsewhere.

2 Resident Evil 3

Action-Packed Survival-Horror That Plays Like A Runaway Train

Many of the Resident Evil games would likely appeal to fans of monster movies. Although some entries in the series focus more on action than horror, and they’re all relatively focused on the threat of zombies, the Resident Evil games frequently include a variety of monsters to supplement the undead themselves.

Resident Evil 3 is a short but sweet action-oriented survival-horror game that focuses on cinematic set-pieces and the unstoppable monster at its heart, Nemesis. It’s a much more straightforward experience than other games in the series, but it’s probable that the cinematic style and bombastic nature of the Resident Evil 3 remake will please monster movie fans.

1 Alien: Isolation

Intense, Hide-And-Seek Horror That Remains Loyal To The Source Material

Alien: Isolation is a first-person survival-horror game constructed with admirable loyalty to the source material, offering fans of the classic sci-fi monster movie an immersive, often horrifying adventure. The richly detailed environments of the Sevastopol space station and the dynamic nature of the Xenomorph, brought to life in cinematic style, offer players a nail-biting hide-and-seek gameplay loop that’s sure to thrill monster movie fans.

Players who don’t enjoy undefeatable foes may find some frustration with the iconic Xenomorph at the center of the game. However, the dense atmosphere, immersive sound design, and commitment to the franchise make Alien: Isolation a tense and enjoyable experience for fans of the original film.