Summary
Horror games are one of the most popular genres in gaming, with many well-known titles being created over the years.Many of these horror franchiseshave followed different generations of consoles over the years, including Sony’sPlayStation 4.
ThePlayStation 4, which was released near the end of 2013, saw plenty of players move on to a new generation of console that supplied them with countless new scares with greater detailed graphics and saw plenty of new horror games being created. These are by far the best horror titles from each year of the PS4’s life.
While the PlayStation 4 was officially released in 2013, the first well-received horror game on the console was released the year after.Alien: Isolationwas a first-person horror game that was heavily praised by players for being one of the best horror experiences to be connected to theAlienfilm franchise.
Exploring the ship and hiding awayfrom the Xenomorphsmade for an eerie and intense experience while the players tried to find the answers they were looking for. With how incredibly detailed the title looked at the time,Alien: Isolationset what was expected by players for future horror games too.
Supermassive Games has been knownrecently for its creation of horror experiences such asThe QuarryorThe Dark Pictures Anthology. However, for this success, players fondly remember the first horror title,Until Dawn, which was exclusively available on the PlayStation 4 until the remaster.
This game included plenty of intense moments, as players had the stress of trying to keep everyone alive, a system that Supermassive Games kept for these future titles also. Players loved the story ofUntil Dawnwhen they weren’t hiding behind their pillows, as the game itself felt like an interactive film experience.
Layers of Fearwas a first-person psychedelic horror that followed the adventures of a painter as they attempted to finish their Magnum Opus. However, like any horror title, players can imagine this doesn’t go as planned. While exploring an ever-changing mansion, the painters' psyche starts to get the better of them as strange things start to happen.
For players to truly uncover the tragic story of the painter, players have to overcome their fears, explore the Victorian mansion, and find out what is the source of this painter’s madness.
TheResident Evilfranchise had already done amazingly years before the release of the PlayStation 4, though it was this new console that saw Capcom try something new. InResident Evil 7 - Biohazard, the franchise stepped away from a third-person camera and instead allowed players to look directly through the eyes of Ethan Winters.
This made the moments ofResident Evil 7far more scary as it made players feel like they werepersonally connected to the horrorsthat Ethan Winters was a part of. Not to mention the Baker family themselves being a memorable part of the experience.
Survival horror titles were incredibly popular throughout the PS4’s lifetime. This continued as previously released PC titles, likeThe Forest, also did incredibly well when the game eventually became available on those consoles too, in 2018.
Unlike other survival horror titles that mainly have players focusing on the amount of ammunition they have available and watching their health,The Forestheavily relies on its survival aspects by encouraging players to create a base for themselves, find a good supply of food, and keeping the mutants at bay before they work their way towards eventually searching for their son.
Five Nights at Freddy’sis another franchise that initially became popular on PC. However, as the franchise progressed, more horror games were created as well asspin-off titles connected to the main series.Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wantedwas originally released in 2019 for both PC and the PS4.
This game relied heavily on virtual reality, which meant players who wanted to enjoyHelp Wantedon the PS4 needed the PS VR to play it. This is the first virtual realityFNAFgame to be developed that made the already intense gameplay of the original franchise so much more horrifying as well as providing other gameplay too.
Amnesia: Rebirthis the third title in theAmnesiahorror franchise. While this game follows many of the mechanics of the previous two titles, such as using first-person perspective and interesting puzzles,Amnesia: Rebirthalso takes place in an entirely new setting, as players are left to explore the mysteries under the sand of the Algerian Desert.
Being able to play this game on the PS4 with more modernized graphics means that players are free to explore the deep and interesting story that Frictional Games create for eachAmnesiaexperience, with this one feeling mildly more mystical.
Even a year after the release of the PlayStation 5, the PS4 was still receiving various games working on both generations of consoles. This means that players are still able to enjoy various horror games such asLittle Nightmares 2.
This title received evenhigher praise than the original, with players now taking control of a new tiny person stuck in an eerie world that almost mimics the one the players live in. Fans of the previous title were still in for a treat as following this new character was the well-known yellow-coat-wearing girl from the original with entirely new monsters to avoid.
While many horror titles on the PS4 may be deemed as successes due to their highly improved graphics, some of the most promising and well-received horror games of recent years are those that replicate classic pixel graphics or have a distinct art style.Signalisis one of those games.
Waking up in a mysterious futuristic world, players will need to fight through the horrors they face in the hope of getting back their lost dreams and finding out what happened to the person they loved. In between fighting the monsters that approach the player, in this survival horror, they will also need to ensure they manage their resources, so they aren’t left defenseless.
Continuing the theme of interesting art styles for games,Dredgewas a highly praised title of 2023, that was released for both the PS4 and PS5. This game shared a similaratmosphere to Lovecraftian storiesas players took on the role of a fisherman going out at sea to catch fish that they could sell for a profit.
However, staying out in the water when it’s night can be dangerous, and mysterious mutated fishes have been caught too. This simple gameplay still held quite the mysterious story that players continued to enjoy even on the older generation of consoles.
