Top Five Favorite Horror Games

I consider myself to be a pretty big fan of horror games and the horror genre in general. It is a hobby of mine to collect survival horror games and play through them. The following is a list of my top five personal favorites from the horror games I've played.

Note: This list is subject to change.

5. Parasite Eve (Playstation)

Parasite Eve is an interesting hybrid of the RPG and horror genres, combining some of the best elements from both to create a unique, refreshing mix. I particularly love the creepy, unnerving atmosphere and the modern-day New York setting in addition to the storyline, which manages to be quite interesting and well-written. Another feature of Parasite Eve worth mentioning is the impeccable soundtrack; I'd even go so far as to say that Parasite Eve's game soundtrack ranks as my personal favorite of all time. The music has a very ambient, atmospheric quality to it and I find it quite pleasing to listen to.

4. Resident Evil (GameCube)

The Gamecube edition of Resident Evil is a remake of the Playstation classic. It completely revamps the graphics, dialogue and voice acting in addition to introducing new puzzles, enemies and areas, and the result is an experience that is almost completely different from the original. While the original was a highly entertaining, campy game reminiscent of B-horror movies, the remake is actually genuinely terrifying and creepy. In my opinion, it has by far the creepiest atmosphere of all the Resident Evil games and actually managed to make me jump out of my seat quite a few times. It ranks as my favorite installment in the Resident Evil series and one of my favorite horror games in general for its dark, creepy atmosphere and ingenius, excellently-designed enemies (Crimson Heads, Lisa Trevor).

3. Siren (Playstation 2)

Siren is a very unique, unconventional type of survival horror game. The stealth-oriented gameplay is quite a bit more challenging than your typical survival horror fare, and I must admit that at times I found it to be rather on the frustrating side; however, I feel that the game's excellent storyline and atmosphere more than make up for the gameplay flaws. The storyline is told in an out-of-chronological order from the perspective of ten characters, which, in my opinion, gives it an unusual and almost surreal sort of feel. The atmosphere and setting are both very dark, creepy and unsettling with a hopeless, dreary feel at times. I also found the game to be one of the scariest I've ever played. All in all, I found Siren to be a very unique, unusual survival horror game that is a different experience from your usual survival horror game and is definitely worth experiencing.

2. Rule of Rose (Playstation 2)

Rule of Rose is a very interesting, underrated title. It received some negative feedback and criticism due to its clunky combat and awkward controls. While I admit that there are some flaws in the gameplay, I still love Rule of Rose in spite of that. The reason why I love Rule of Rose so much is due to its excellent and memorable storyline. I love how it contrasts childhood innocence and an almost fairy tale-like feel with some very dark, disturbing and adult elements. The story is also very psychological, intricate and beautifully told, and even manages to be very poignant and moving in parts. I also feel that the game does an impeccable job of immersing you into its atmosphere, which, while not as creepy or scary compared to other horror games, gives off a very surreal, bizarre and dream-like feel and ambience instead. Overall, I feel that it's a game worth playing for its wonderful story and atmosphere, even if the gameplay may be flawed in parts.

1. Silent Hill 2 (Playstation 2, XBox)

Silent Hill 2 ranks as my favorite horror game of all-time. It was my introduction to the survival horror genre of gaming and a huge part of why I'm such a big fan of it to this day. The game excels in storyline, characters, music, atmosphere, graphics, and scare factor. It also features one of the most prominent and recognizable icons of horror gaming -- Pyramid Head.