Summary
- Ubisoft has dipped into spooky stuff, delivering chilling encounters in games like The Division 2 and Assassin’s Creed Syndicate DLCs.
- Far Cry 4’s DLC plunges players into the terrifying Valley of the Yetis, showcasing the series’ horror side.
- ZombiU for Wii U and Cold Fear mark Ubisoft’s ventures into survival horror, providing tense and terrifying gameplay.
Ubisoft isn’t exactly known for horror games. That’s probably the last thing that comes to mind. In fact, players can probably count all of their horror titles on one hand. But that doesn’t mean the publisher hasn’t delivered a few experiences chilling enough to keep players up at night.
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Sure, some of these may not reach the sheer terror that certain Japanese developers have mastered, but they’re still enough to leave players in a cold sweat or reach for the nearest light switch. So, let’s take a look at some of the most terrifying experiences Ubisoft has delivered over the years, either as a developer or a publisher.
8
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
The Washington D.C. Chainsaw Massacre
- Released
-
March 15, 2019
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
Most Division 2 players might scoff at the idea of this being included on this list. But those who’ve spent enough time in the sewers beneath Washington, D.C., know exactly why. Every now and then (thanks to the game’s randomized encounters), players will cross paths with a nomadic, eerily silent faction known only as the Underground.
These mysterious sewer-dwellers are clad in all black with heads wrapped in chains. But what truly pushes them into pants-pooping territory? Their chainsaw-wielding tanks. The moment that engine roars to life, all player strategy will evaporate, leaving behind a bawling mess.
7
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate: Jack the Ripper
Downloadable Content From Hell
- Released
-
October 23, 2015
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Violence
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
For a series about serial murderers who stab people for a living, Assassin’s Creed is surprisingly light on horror. It leans more toward quasi-historical action romps with a swashbuckling feel. But all of that got tossed out the window (and into a bale of hay) with the release of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’s Jack the Ripper DLC.
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Getting hunted by the Whitechapel Murderer was a thrilling yet terrifying experience that fans of the franchise won’t soon forget. But the biggest chill of all? Stepping into the shoes of the Ripper himself.
6
I Am Alive
And I Am Terrified
Action-Adventure
Survival
- Released
-
March 7, 2012
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
-
Ubisoft Shanghai
I Am Alive isn’t exactly billed as a horror game, but it will definitely get players’ hearts racing as they navigate its bleak, uncaring world. Like all post-apocalyptic survival stories, the biggest monsters aren’t the environment or dwindling resources—it’s people. People who will do anything to survive, or even worse, those who revel in lawlessness now that society’s rules no longer apply.
This one isn’t for the faint-hearted. It’s far more focused on dealing with emotional gut punches than physical ones. So, it’s not the best choice to unwind with after a rough day.
5
Watch Dogs
That’s One Bad Trip
Open-World
Action
Adventure
- Released
-
May 26, 2014
- ESRB
-
M For Mature // Blood, Game Experience May Change During Online Play, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
Watch Dogs was a hugely ambitious game for Ubisoft. They wanted to cement it as one of the all-time greats of the open-world genre. While it’s debatable whether or not they met that lofty goal, the game did have some standout moments.
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One such moment was “Alone,” a minigame from Watch Dogs’ selection of Digital Trips. This eerie scenario dropped Aiden into a nightmarish, Silent Hill-esque version of Chicago, forcing him to stealthily evade waves of relentless killer robots. The suffocating atmosphere, oppressive darkness, and downright chilling sound design make it an experience that lingers long after the trip is over.
4
Far Cry 4: Valley of the Yetis
Save the Horror for the DLC
- Released
-
November 18, 2014
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Mighty
Whether it’s morally bankrupt villains or bad acid trips, the Far Cry series isn’t afraid to dip its toes into horror. And one of the places it leans into it most is its DLCs—especially in Far Cry 4, where things get cranked up a notch.
The “Don’t Look Down” DLC follows a hallucinating protagonist as they struggle to escape a nightmarish prison in the Himalayan mountains. But that’s nothing compared to the sheer terror of the “Valley of the Yetis” DLC, where players must survive relentless nighttime onslaughts from mysterious, abominable giants lurking in the dark.
3
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
The Prince Got a Goth Makeover
- Released
-
November 30, 2004
- ESRB
-
m
Ubisoft took the Prince of Persia series in a much edgier direction with its fifth installment, giving it a radical tonal shift that wouldn’t feel out of place in a survival horror game. Up until this point, the series had been fairly light-hearted, but the developer wanted something grittier and darker.
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The result? An almost unrecognizable Prince who ditched his Aladdin-style garb for a more angsty, gothic look. But the real nightmare came in the form of a brand-new villain—the Dahaka. This relentless force of nature hounds players throughout the game, backed by pounding metal music, and there’s not a single thing they can do but run and hide.
2
Cold Fear
Sea Sick With Fear
Cold Fear
Survival Horror
Third-Person Shooter
- Released
-
May 17, 2005
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
-
Darkworks
Cold Fear is one of the few ventures Ubisoft made into the survival horror genre. In the game, players must fight against infected enemies known as “Exos,” who are the unfortunate hosts to parasitic organisms known as the “Exocel.” If that sounds very similar to Resident Evil 4, that’s because it is.
What Cold Fear did bring to the table was its claustrophobic atmosphere and sense of disorientation from being on a ship amidst a storm. Players would need to compensate for the rolling of the ship as they fought for their lives, making every encounter in the first half of the story especially tense. It’s too bad the rest of the game pales in comparison.
1
ZombiU
One to Make You Wii U Self
- Released
-
November 18, 2012
- ESRB
-
m
- Developer(s)
-
Ubisoft Montpellier
When thinking of the Wii U, horror isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind. However, Nintendo attempted to change that perception with ZombiU, a first-person survival horror game developed by Ubisoft. Tasked with crafting an experience that would appeal to a more mature audience, they delivered a game full of tense, terrifying moments.
One of ZombiU’s most unsettling mechanics was its use of permadeath. Every zombie encounter carried serious weight, as death meant losing your character as well as any progress they had made. Adding to the panic-inducing atmosphere was the Wii U GamePad, which displayed crucial inventory and map information, forcing players to constantly dart their eyes between screens, often at the worst possible moments.
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