14 Horror Games to Keep an Eye On
(Image credit: Striking Distance Studios)
With most of the summer gaming events over for 2022, there was a large assortment of game announcements and reveals. The Load Screen covers their fourteen favorite horror games that saw a spotlight in one of those summer events, including the PlayStation State of Play, the Xbox & Bethesda Showcase, and the Summer Gamefest. Players should look for the titles to release later this year or in 2023 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. The following list is in alphabetical order:
1. Aftermath
For those looking for a dark journey, follow the story of Charlie Gray in Aftermath. The hero is a brilliant former astronaut whose life gets shattered by a horrible reentry from space. She now hunts for her daughter Sammy, the only person she cares for in this psychological horror. Dodge zombies and aliens who can rearrange the entire terrain in the third-person shooter. Stealth may be her only option to survive in the game by One-O-One, coming soon to PC and PlayStation.
(Image credit: Mundfish)
2. Atomic Heart
The sci-fi world of Atomic Heart is starkly different from our reality, and the Soviet Union reigns supreme with its advanced technology. However, that machinery has become corrupted and has taken over the landscape. The developers at Mundfish have created an open-world first-person shooter that pulls the player into the reimagined Russian backdrop through interesting gameplay that includes physics manipulation. The single-player action-adventure game is slated for an Xbox Game Pass day one release on both PC and Xbox Series X/S in 2022.
3. The Callisto Protocol
The crushing void of space makes an excellent setting for any horror game, and The Callisto Protocol adds to the isolation with its prison. Play a prisoner aboard an interstellar penitentiary from hell filled with a zombie plague and murderous guard robots. The story-rich third-person shooter from Striking Distance Studios will have players on edge as they try to escape this sci-fi nightmare. The Callisto Protocol is scheduled to come out in December for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
(Image credit: Two Star Games)
4. Choo-Choo Charles
Wander an island countryside aboard an old train and ride tracks that carry something more demonic for unwitting victims to fall prey. Two Star Games developed the spider train from hell, starring in a game bearing his name: Choo-Choo Charles. The first-person shooter is an open-world looter littered with hand-drawn citizens and psychopathic cultists ready to feed players up to the fiend on eight legs and two tracks. The atmosphere seems peaceful until Charles chugs along for his next meal, expected out later this year for PC.
5. Diablo 4
The fourth installment of the battle against the demons and devils gives players all-new classes and powers to fight a wide range of hell-spawned monsters. Sign us up for the class that lets the player transform into a bear in the struggle against the evil horde from Blizzard Entertainment. Look out for this third-person isometric hack and slash game to come to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in 2023.
6. The Invincible
Planet Regis III is formidable with its rough, barren landscape, but robots of epic destruction threaten the protagonist Yasna in this first-person horror survivor. The story-rich game by Polish developers at Starwind Industries is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X sometime in 2023. We are looking forward to playing the female-fronted horror survival next year.
7. The Last Case of Benedict Fox
A massive haunted mansion awaits Benedict Fox and his demon companion in The Last Case of Benedict Fox. The title for Plot Twist may not be true horror, but having the main character bound to a spirit from hell seems pretty dark. For his last case, Benedict must delve into secret organizations, forbidden rituals, and murder. Use the memories of the victims to solve the mystery and close his final job in this 2.5D sidescroller coming to Xbox Game Pass for both PC and Xbox Series X/S.
(Image credit: Arcane Studios)
8. Redfall
Team up with three of your friends to put an end to a vampire scourge in Redfall by Arcane Studios. In 2023, this first-person shooter will have gamers chasing down blood trails for their next targets. The vampires have blocked out the sun and dried up the water, leaving the town without daytime reprieve or outside help. The expansive upgrade menus and unique enemy attack patterns should make Redfall worth replaying with your vampire hunting crew, especially if they all have Xbox Game Pass.
9. Resident Evil 4 Remake
Capcom is taking one of the best games of the Resident Evil franchise and reimagining it with modern graphics and gameplay set for March 24, 2023. The third-person survivor horror looks to join the developer’s recent remakes, bringing the original’s twisted story to a modern audience. Leon’s hunt for the president’s daughter sees its remake coming to PlayStation 5.
10. Resident Evil Village Gold Edition
While Resident Evil Village is not a new title, when the Gold Edition rolls out, it will come with a DLC focused on Rose, the daughter of the main character from RE: Village. The updated edition also features a new play mode and several new characters for Mercenaries. Lady Dimitrisceu and Heisenberg will show up in that mode, but the main campaign changes with the third-person camera made popular in the Resident Evil remakes. The intense new view for the Gold Edition drops on October 28, 2022.
(Image credit: Ebb Software)
11. Scorn
October 2022 will get twisted and terrifying when Scorn drops from developer Ebb Software. An H.R. Giger world comes to life that is reminiscent of the artwork and props from the Aliens franchise. The horrors in this Metroidvania game are the stuff of nightmares, some resembling reformed humans that look barely alive. Even the upgrades and health potions seem to merge with the player in this first-person shooter. On day one, Scorn’s bent world will release on Xbox Game Pass for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
12. Sons of the Forest
Surviving on a remote island after a helicopter crash with minimal gear is a tough start for any game. Add in bloodthirsty cannibals, and this turns into a brutal psychological horror. The first-person shooter by EndNight Games will have players combing the beaches for food and gear to thrive alone while looking for a missing billionaire. The open-world title is the sequel to the developer’s The Forest, and with its expanded crafting and AI tactics, we look forward to finding all the secrets left in Sons of The Forest for PC in October 2022.
13. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl
The new first-person shooter from GSC Game World, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl, takes the player deep into the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. Survive horrific anomalies and dangerous mutated enemies in a post-apocalyptic RPG where every decision matters. The nonlinear story-rich sci-fi action exploration title is coming to PC and Xbox Series X/S in late 2023. Also, for the concerned player, the game no longer features any NFTs, as stated in a December 2021 tweet from the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Official.
(Image credit: Duality Games)
14. Unholy
The lengths a mother will go to save her infant daughter cross demonic lines in Unholy by Duality Games. Play Saidah as she scours the last city on a dying planet looking for her abducted child using stealth. An evil force warps the streets and infects the remaining people in horrific ways. The developers have created a dark world for their female-fronted first-person survivor, and the character designs for the demons are impressive. Gamers should look for Unholy to release sometime in 2022 for PC.
