Like being scared out of your mind? Horror books are pretty good, and horror movies are even better, but horror video games provide a unique kind of thrilling terror because they're interactive.
Horror games put you at the center of the action and force you to live out the frightening sequences waiting in the shadows—and the PlayStation 4 is jam-packed with quality horror games.
Looking for the most dreadful, terrifying, and heart-pounding gaming experiences? Here are my picks for the best PlayStation 4 horror games you need to check out.
13. The Evil Within
The Evil Within (and its sequel) is a survival horror played in third-person, where you use guns and other weapons to fight your way through nightmarish locations full of terrifying creatures.
While the survival gameplay is solid—a fun mixture of stealth and action—the characters are a bit flat and the story isn't the most engaging. It came out at a time when Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6 moved away from their roots, and filled the void they left behind.
12. Amnesia: Collection
Amnesia: Collection is a bundle of three titles: the original Amnesia: The Dark Descent and its Amnesia: Justine DLC, plus the Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs sequel game.
If you're in the mood for atmospheric horror that focuses on running away and avoiding monsters rather than going up against them in head-to-head combat, this is a must-play series.
While the original game is still the best of the bunch, the entire collection offers enough horror thrills to be worth grabbing—certainly enough value for the cost, even at retail price.
11. Outlast: Trinity
Outlast: Trinity is a bundle of three titles: the original Outlast and the Outlast: Whistleblower DLC, as well as the Outlast 2 sequel.
The game is played in first-person and puts you in the role of a freelancer journalist who goes to investigate Mount Massive Asylum, a psychiatic hospital deep in the mountains of Colorado.
The first Outlast is the best, but they're all worth playing if you want a horror game that'll mess with your mind and truly freak you out. The setting, the story, and the encounters come together well.
10. Until Dawn
If you've always wanted to "play" as a character in a horror movie, then Until Dawn is the perfect game for you. It's basically a choose-your-own-adventure game with all the horror and murder you could want.
Your choices will decide which characters live and die, and that gives every scene a real sense of weight and meaning. Add in the fantastic visuals that make the action look real? You have a recipe for terror.
9. Resident Evil 3
There will be a few Resident Evil games mentioned in this article—how could we look over the most iconic horror video game series?—and Resident Evil 3 is the first of the bunch.
Resident Evil 3 for the PlayStation 4 is a remake of the classic Resident Evil 3: Nemesis that was released in 1999 for the original PlayStation. It stays true to the core essence, while updating the visuals and controls for a more modern gaming experience.
With entries as solid as this one, it's no wonder how the Resident Evil franchise has stood the test of time so well.
8. SOMA
SOMA may bring all kinds of sci-fi elements to the table, but make no mistake: SOMA is first and foremost a horror video game.
It comes from the same folks who gave us the aforementioned Amnesia Collection—and while the Amnesia games were great, SOMA kicks the horror elements up even further for a truly scary experience.
There's some serious horror pedigree behind SOMA, and its dripping with so much terrifying content that you'll be on the edge of your seat, ready to bolt at a moment's notice.
7. Alien: Isolation
Alien: Isolation isn't just the best video game in the Alien franchise—yes, the iconic sci-fi movie series—but one of the best horror video games on the PlayStation 4. Its combination of sci-fi elements with first-person stealth-survival horror is inspired.
You play as Amanda Ripley, the daughter of Ellen Ripley, who investigates the disappearance of her mother 15 years after the events of the original Alien movie.
Much of the game involves avoiding a single monster—the titular xenomorph that's hunting you down—as you try to figure out what happened. The game is relatively short with a playtime around 18 hours, but every moment is intense.
6. Darkwood
Darkwood is unique on our list of best PS4 horror games because it uses a top-down perspective rather than the more commonly used third-person or first-person perspectives. That said, if you don't think top-down games can be scary, this one will change your mind.
You play as a character who's trapped in an Eastern European forest and needs to find a way out, all while surviving through nights and interacting with NPCs. Your choices lead you to various endings.
Between the game's semi-open world, supply scavenging, crafting system, stealthy combat, night survival bonuses, and hauntingly creepy music, you'll be hooked on trying to make it out alive while being scared out of your wits.
5. Visage
Visage is one of the best indie horror games ever made. It features a mysterious house that's constantly changing and full of supernatural beings and paranormal activity.
You play as Dwayne Anderson, a character who's stuck in the house and trying to figure out why these weird events are happening—as well as searching for a way to escape the psychological torment.
It has a few flaws as far as controls and puzzle design, but the overall atmosphere and experience is so good that Visage is a must-play for any fan of horror games.
4. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
After the disappointingly action-heavy Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6, Capcom returned the franchise to its survival horror roots with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard—with a few innovations.
You play as Ethan Winters and you're trying to find your missing wife on an abandoned plantation. Sounds creepy already, doesn't it? And it's the first game in the mainline Resident Evil series to use a first-person viewpoint, which ramps up the thrills.
And if you have a PS VR headset, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is actually quite good in virtual reality. Try it out if you get the chance.
3. DOOM Eternal
DOOM Eternal is technically a horror game, but more towards the action-thriller horror end of the spectrum than survival horror. Still, it's a horror game at heart—and a damn good one.
DOOM Eternal is the sequel to 2016's DOOM and has you playing as Doomguy in an effort to stop Hell's invasion of Earth once again. Unlike previous entries in the series, DOOM Eternal places more emphasis on narrative and lore, which adds to the horror aspects.
The gameplay is solid, the shooting feels incredible, the monsters look fantastic, and the story is interesting.
2. Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2 for the PlayStation 4 is a remake of the 1998 game Resident Evil 2 for the original PlayStation.
The classic Resident Evil 2 was always my favorite entry in the long-running horror game franchise, but this remake took the already-amazing game and elevated it to a level I didn't think was possible.
It takes all of the best elements from the original game, strips away the outdated graphics and clunky movement, throws in revamped visuals and controls, resulting in one of the best horror games ever made.
1. The Last of Us Remastered
Was there any question about which PS4 horror game would sit at the top of this list? The Last of Us: Remastered isn't only the best horror game on the PlayStation 4—it might be the best PS4 game, period.
The remastered version takes the original The Last of Us for the PlayStation 3 and enhances it with better controls, more intuitive interface elements, improved graphics, and other goodies.
It's an absolute masterpiece that'll do more than just scare you to your core—it'll make you feel all sorts of emotions as it ties you up in its story, world, and characters. This is what horror gaming should be.
