Survival horror games any suggestions?

[Ack]

Let's see...

Atari

Halloween

NES

Sweet Home

SNES

Alone in the Dark
Clock Tower: The First Fear (Japan only)

At the Playstation generation, the titles really begin to branch out. The Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, and Resident Evil games are usually considered the cream of the crop, though they actually vary in quality depending on the game and the port. Here's the breakdown...

The Silent Hill series has titles on PS1, PS2, XBox, PSP, PC, and GBA.

The Fatal Frame series has titles on PS2 and XBox.

The Resident Evil series has titles on the PS1, PS2, Sega Saturn, PC, N64, Gamecube, Wii, Dreamcast, GBColor, Mobile Phone, Arcade, and Nintendo DS.

If you're interested in another series with multiple games to play, I enjoy the Clocktower games. Clocktower 3 was a PS2 release. Also, Alone in the Dark has multiple titles, but honestly, only play the first. One-Eyed Jack's Revenge is apparently garbage, and New Nightmare was utter crap.

As for other titles, I've actually got quite a list to give you....

CONDEMNED (XBox360)
I haven't played the second, but I thought the first was absolutely amazing. Stunning graphics, claustrophobic environments (usually), some amazing level design, and a first-person perspective that really screams with your ability to detect oncoming enemies. I jumped quite a few times playing this title and really loved it. The biggest downside is that the story makes no sense unless you find all the hidden collectibles in every level.

SIREN (PS2)
Easily one of the hardest survival horror games, you play through sections of time with different characters over the course of three days as their fellow townspeople turn in to weird monsters. While I like it, there is little combat. You simply get butchered if you get close enough to be attacked. The game is about stealth, sometimes by yourself, sometimes dragging an NPC in tow. Over time you watch your playable characters go crazy and turn into monsters. There is a sequel, though I haven't played it.

RULE OF ROSE (PS2, BANNED IN EUROPE)
A weird game about a young woman wandering into an old boarding school and finding it run by an abusive group of little girls. It explores such themes as child abuse and bullying, and how the world would be when run by children. European governments went crazy over content believed to be in the game(it's really not that bad). The school is dark, the monsters original, and the combat is pretty crappy, actually. Good CG and some disturbing usage of children's drawings, however.

KUON (PS2)
Short game, and even though there are multiple characters to play through as, their levels are almost exactly the same. It's story is bizarre and its setting is pretty good, though it tends to get repetitive. There are a few nice little jump scenes, but Fatal Frame did a much better job with the Japanese mansion bit. Fun, but not great. On a funny note, I've got a friend who is now terrified of young Japanese girls singing and wicker baskets because of this game...

OBSCURE (PS2)
Game about a bunch of high school kids trapped in their school after hours, where they stumble upon twisted and bizarre experiments. It basically plays like your typical horror movie about the same subject, even with a soundtrack featuring Sum41 and Span. It's got an interesting group system, where you pick who to take with you into various rooms to do things. Each character of the six playable has different abilities, though they vary in usefulness. Single-player, this game is pretty crappy. However, this game is multiplayer for up to two people. Play with a friend! I haven't played the sequel yet.

CALL OF CTHULU: DARK CORNERS OF THE EARTH (PC)
First-person game set in the 1920s-30s era, during Lovecraft's height as a fiction writer. It plays a lot like a first-person adventure game for a good chunk of the game, with various first person shooter moments mixed throughout. It isn't that scary, but it is pretty compelling. I really liked it, though the PC version did bug out on me a few times. I do recommend this title, though once you run through it once there really isn't much to do. Also, running through Innsmouth trying to escape Dagon's loyal worshipers...priceless.

ETERNAL DARKNESS: SANITY'S REQUIEM (Gamecube)
In my opinion, one of the better games on the console. It's got a long story, lots of different locations, and quite a few places where the game will freak you out. Also quite a few places that will piss you off to no end as you constantly see the same sanity effects manifest over and over again. Eventually it does get pretty boring due to this, but that's really the only downside. With a story that branches quite a bit, you can play through this game quite a bit. Definitely worth a look.

COLD FEAR (PS2)
Set on an oil tanker and oil rig, this game's got nice locales and plays a lot like Resident Evil 4. I say like, as the game's control isn't quite as good, suffers from a lack of a map or direction, and the constant swaying can offset where you aim. It's not very imaginative once you get down to it and it feel pretty generic, but it's got a decent load out of weapons, the puzzles make more sense than the typical Resident Evil fare, and it's got one important note: when you drop an enemy, PUT A BULLET IN THEIR HEAD. Otherwise they will get back up. Also, don't forget to loot corpses.

PARASITE EVE (PS1)
Ok, so it's a Square RPG, but this game has enough of an influence from survival horror, it fits into the genre pretty well. The story is a bit weird, the monsters are extremely gooey and gross, and the combat is very different. Had some very solid graphics when it was released, though it likely hasn't aged well. All in all, quite enjoyable, though there are parts that piss me off a bit when I play. Looting SoHo was fun, too. Drastically different from the second game, I hear.

ONIMUSHA (PS2)
Though the series took a drastically different direction, the first title was billed as survival horror, was designed to be a survival horror title, and plays like a survival horror title. Unfortunately, it's not scary and the characters seem a bit too capable to really be bothered. It's got the same control scheme as Resident Evil, it's still quite nice graphically, and there's quite a bit of stuff to do on the replay. There's only one thing in this game I dislike, which happens to be a puzzle about halfway through that if you fail to finish in a certain amount of time, you die. I really dislike those...

DINO CRISIS (PS1)
Resident Evil with dinosaurs. Seriously. There is no other way to describe this. It's fun, got a few parts which are pretty nasty, and it's a lot of fun to blast a raptor in the face with a shotgun. It's not so easy on the eyes and some of the instant death scenes get annoying... The boss battles are quite good, however. This title is seriously worth a look, though I couldn't tell you about the rest of the series.

DOOM3 (PC)
A first person shooter that's nice the first time through, but after halfway I realized I was playing Serious Sam with the brightness turned way down. First, the gun sounds are weak. Second, the game utilizes a lot of cheap hits and enemies spawning behind you to deal you damage. Third, nobody in that facility has ever heard of duct tape. Beyond that, it's not a bad title, revamping the storyline for the original Doom quite nicely. Environments are pretty claustrophobic, extremely poorly lit, and there are lots of monster types to fight against. Seriously, lots of monsters. And apparently the parent corporation has never heard of 'morale,' but whatever. Oh, and the physics on grenades is absolute garbage. Don't even bother.

F.E.A.R. (PC)
It so desperately wants to be a survival horror title. Unfortunately its horror moments are few and far between, are so short that if you blink you'll miss it, and often don't occur where you're looking. I actually had to reload my saves quite a few times to find them. When its trying to freak you out, it does a great job. When its not, you're left with a rather bland first person shooter that's as dull as the settings it puts you through. Also the storyline is hands down stupid, though perhaps I shouldn't complain considering the storylines of so many other horror games...

Other titles I've meant to pick up include the System Shock games, Illbleed, Deep Fear, D, D2, the Echo Night series, the Suffering series, The X-Files: Resist or Serve, Still Life, Haunting Ground, and a dozen or so other titles that are pretty obscure, never saw an American release, or are questionably survival horror.

Yeah...I play a lot of survival horror.

[Funk, E]

But you haven't played System Shock 2, so it's all in vain.

[Ack]

Yeah, I wasn't really into PC games for a long time, so I've missed some of the classics.

[pocket]

Countdown Vampires for ps1, so bad its good.

[executioner]

Clive Barkers Undying on PC was good but its an FPS.

[bawitback]

I recommend

Galerians -PS1

If your into cyberpunk-drug-infused-scifi horror

[Ack]

Hey bawitback, did you ever play Galerians: Ash? I want to know if it was a competent horror title.

Also, while it's not really scary, and comes off as extremely campy and over-the-top at times, I've just started playing through Ghost Hunter, and I'm liking it. It's plays pretty much like Namco wanted the rights to Ghostbusters but couldn't get them.

[bawitback]

Hey bawitback, did you ever play Galerians: Ash? I want to know if it was a competent horror title.

Also, while it's not really scary, and comes off as extremely campy and over-the-top at times, I've just started playing through Ghost Hunter, and I'm liking it. It's plays pretty much like Namco wanted the rights to Ghostbusters but couldn't get them.

Yes.

Although Galerians: ASH takes much of the horror aspect and mixes it up. The control scheme is set for more of an Action/Adventure style, instead of the typical 'vehicle controls' thats custom to horror survival games. Also the pre-reneded backdrops are replaced with the standed 3D playing field. So the genre really is a mixed bag. The fighting is also done with a RPG-esqe technique which you must lock-on and attack. But the overall horror experience is hampered with complicated controls, and long carrier hallways which are more boring then scary. So, its not a typical horror title, I wouldn't recommend it. The original is far superior in all aspects including the story even though it is a tad bit short (4-Disks, lots of FMV)