Summary
- Horror games explore diverse themes like survival, military conflict, and paranormal threats in immersive settings.
- Resident Evil, F.E.A.R., and Metro 2033 are standout military horror games known for their thrilling action and gripping narratives.
- From tackling underground labs to stopping rogue experiments, these games offer a mix of psychological horror and unsettling gameplay.
Horror has long proved to be one of the most popular genres for exploring important topics, including PTSD, guilt, grief, and abuse, to name a few. Horror games urge players to confront their fears, and in a world of conflict and nuclear threat, military scenarios are becoming increasingly popular backdrops.
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6 Horror Games Set Within A Warzone
Horror games take place in all sorts of settings, but taking place in a foxhole results in a terrifying experience combined with the horrors of war.
Likewise, many gamers simply prefer the action aspect of horror in more grounded scenarios, rather than the slow, creeping stealth elements that many games in the genre employ. From tactical take-down operations to guns-blazing frontline combat, these are some of the best military horror games that delve into past, present, future, and fictional conflicts.
10
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
Infiltrate An Underground Lab To Expose Umbrella
- Released
-
March 20, 2012
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Weak
The Resident Evil franchise has produced some of the best survival horror games of all time. One of the less-discussed titles, however, is Operation Raccoon City. Although deviating both style and canon-wise from other entries in the series, it still stands as an interesting spin-off.
In Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, players can run through the Umbrella Security campaign to prevent research on the T-virus from reaching the US military, or the Spec Ops campaign, where they are investigating the cause of the outbreak. Either way, there are plenty of undead action-packed scares to be had.
9
Return To Castle Wolfenstein
A WWII FPS But Make It Paranormal
Return To Castle Wolfenstein
Strategy
Action-Adventure
- Released
-
November 19, 2001
- Developer: Gray Matter Studios
- Publisher: Activision
World War 2 has inspired a number of re-imagined horror narratives in fictional media, with video games being no exception. Return to Castle Wolfenstein has the player take on the role of William Blazkowicz, an Army Ranger assigned to investigate the movements of Germany’s “Paranormal Division.”
The deeper into the game the player gets, the darker the secrets they will uncover while encountering dangerous soldiers and unnatural creatures along the way. Return to Castle Wolfenstein set the standard for 3D first-person shooters, particularly in the horror genre, with its incorporation of military roleplay.
8
F.E.A.R.
Put A Stop To Rogue Military Experiments
- Released
-
October 18, 2005
- Developer(s)
-
Monolith Productions
- Publisher(s)
-
Vivendi Universal
F.E.A.R. — or “First Encounter Assault Recon” — is an army unit tasked with protecting the United States from paranormal dangers. The player controls a Sergeant known only as “Point Man” on a mission to shut down the covert military company Armacham Technology Corporation.
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As the ATC’s disturbing and unethical experiments come to light, the player will begin to wonder what is real and who to trust. An interesting take on psychological horror, F.E.A.R. is definitely worth a play for horror FPS fans, or for those who enjoy narratives that explore the risks of biotechnology.
7
State Of Decay: Lifeline
An Open World Zombie Shooter
Action
Adventure
Survival Horror
State of Decay is a third-person zombie survival horror game. The player must navigate a zombie-ridden world, surviving by base-building, fighting, and scavenging. In the story mode, they must additionally determine the motives of the military’s presence in the valley.
The DLC Lifeline allows players to play from the point of view of the military, with new playable characters, maps, and weapons. For an open-world game, State of Decay has some genuinely terrifying moments and zombie designs, despite its occasional jankiness.
6
Sepc Ops: The Line
Will Leave Players Horrified Even After They’ve Stopped Playing
- Released
-
June 26, 2012
- Developer(s)
-
Yager Development
When discussing horror games, it is easy to think of traditional gimmicks like spooky ghosts and evil demons. However, a game does not necessarily need all of these elements; its context alone is enough to evoke that same sense of dread and unease. Spec Ops: The Line, is one such game.
Set in present-day and sandstorm-decimated Dubai, the player is tasked with carrying out recon to locate any survivors. The horror in The Line comes from the storytelling, as the player is forced to make horrific moral decisions that are never rewarded. While on the surface this is a standard military shooter, it is also a haunting psychological horror that explores the dark realities of war.
5
Amnesia: The Bunker
Uncover The Dark Secrets Of A WW1 Bunker
- Released
-
May 16, 2023
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
The Amnesia franchise is well known for taking players on atmospheric journeys through psychological horror narratives. Amnesia: The Bunker is the fifth entry, following French soldier Henri trying to escape a sealed-up WW1 bunker.
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As the player explores, they will discover the truth about the bunker’s origins, and about what horrors really lurk in the darkness. Unlike other Amnesia games, The Bunker has a degree of combat and leaves behind the sanity mechanic. That being said, this is still a hair-raising game that requires both courage and resourcefulness to complete.
4
System Shock 2
An Isolating Survival Horror Sequel
A sequel to the original 1994 title, System Shock 2 throws the player into the shoes of a member of the military group “Unified National Nominate.” Awakening from a cryogenic sleep on the Von Braun, they must explore the spaceship and destroy mutant aliens while uncovering the disturbing fate of the rest of the crew via audio logs.
System Shock 2 incorporates various types of gameplay, including character customization, combat, and survival horror (such as inventory management). With a horribly tense atmosphere, this is a must-play for fans of horror games set in space.
3
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart Of Chornobyl
Encounter Disturbing Mutations As A Marine Veteran
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl
- Platform(s)
-
Xbox Series X and Series S
, Microsoft Windows - Released
-
2024-00-00
In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, the player takes control of Ukrainian marine, Skif, who finds his home destroyed by a rogue anomaly after returning from war. To earn money in order to afford a new place to live, he ventures into the nuclear disaster site called “The Zone” to find valuable artifacts.
Not only must players face disturbing, mutated creatures in The Zone, they must also face hostile factions, including the International Perimeter Security Force — a branch of the Ukrainian military acting as border control to The Zone. One of many horror games loosely based on real events, Heart of Chornobyl is extra scary because of its not-so-impossible events.
2
Metro 2033: Redux
An Atmospheric Portrayal Of The Post-Apocalypse
Metro 2033 takes place in a post-apocalyptic Moscow 20 years after a catastrophic nuclear war. With the above ground being dangerously irradiated and stalked by deadly mutants, survivors are forced to take refuge in the underground metro system.
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Amid a torn political landscape — divided between Stalinists and Nazis — the player must venture beyond the metro, navigating environmental and human threats to save what is left of humanity. Metro 2033 has an unnerving dystopian atmosphere, balancing combat and tension building for a truly frightening experience.
1
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House Of Ashes
Escape An Ancient Temple And The Dangers Lurking Within
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
- Released
-
October 22, 2021
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Fair
House of Ashes is the third game in the interactive horror series The Dark Pictures Anthology. The game follows five playable characters, all members of the armed forces, who have fallen into an underground temple while planning a raid. The player will gradually uncover the history of the temple, and the fate of those who preceded them.
House of Ashes excels at interweaving plots, focusing not just on the overarching conflict and survival, but also on the characters’ relationships with each other and their personal struggles. The player’s decisions throughout the game influence the way the story progresses, including whether the characters survive and which ending they get. Overall, this is a great military horror for players who prefer narrative-driven games.
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