Top 10 Best Horror Games of the 90s

WatchMojo

Get ready to dive into the golden era of horror gaming! We're counting down the most spine-chilling, atmospheric, and groundbreaking horror games that defined the 1990s. From invisible enemies to haunting narratives, these titles revolutionized the genre and continue to inspire game developers today.

Transcript

00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and thanks to everyone who commented about liking this new voice

00:13over guy, you're helping me keep my job.

00:16Today we are turning back the clock to look at arguably one of the best eras for horror

00:20in gaming, these are the 10 best horror games of the 90s.

00:24This ranking is taken from reviews, public opinion and a dash of that sweet sweet mojo

00:28meeting arguing.

00:29Let's do it!

00:30The House of the Dead.

00:35We're starting our list with a very important entry because even though it saw home releases,

00:48this game is arguably one of the most popular arcade shooters of all time, drilled into

00:53the brains of every 90s kid who walked by it hearing its menacing sounds and seeing

00:57it's scary black curtain.

00:59The House of the Dead defined an era of horror rail shooters and created an environment in

01:04an arcade, a place infamously difficult for finding true world immersion, that was really

01:09truly scary.

01:23Castlevania Symphony of the Night Though not a traditional horror game, Castlevania

01:37Symphony of the Night drips with gothic horror atmosphere and is inarguably fucking fantastic,

01:43sorry for swearing but I'm trying to make a point.

01:45It may not deliver outright scares, but it stands as one of the most iconic metroidvania

01:49games ever made, filled with gothic horror inspired settings and enemies all while emphasising

01:55refined gameplay.

01:56Konami's classic remains stunning, endlessly replayable and incredibly influential and

02:01that influence is why it's worth acknowledging.

02:14Alone in the Dark Survival horror may be a hugely popular

02:22gaming genre today, but many modern titles trace their roots back to Alone in the Dark,

02:28which is often credited as the first 3D survival horror game.

02:31Now I know there's a small sub-community pushing their glasses off their nose and typing a

02:35comment right now about how that's not technically true, but get out of here with your facts,

02:40just because you're technically right doesn't mean you're not technically boring.

02:44Released in 1992 for PC, the game follows a straightforward goal, escape a haunted mansion.

02:50Yet this task is far from easy, with puzzles to solve and undead enemies to face along

02:54the way.

02:55Much like Resident Evil, Alone in the Dark emphasises resource management, requiring

02:59players to carefully monitor their inventory as they progress.

03:02I replay this game yearly and still get stuck at least 10 times.

03:19Enemy Zero

03:35Enemy Zero is one of the most memorable horror exclusives on the Sega Saturn.

03:39Though the story is highly engaging, the gameplay can be divisive.

03:42All enemies are invisible and to defeat them, players must rely on an audio cue, a chime

03:47that grows louder as they approach.

03:49Players need to charge their weapon and fire at the loudest point to ensure a hit.

03:53This mechanic can feel either incredibly tense or somewhat frustrating, depending on your

03:58preference.

03:59Thankfully, Enemy Zero includes two easier difficulty options, making it more accessible

04:02if the core challenge feels overwhelming.

04:05Even so, the game is worth playing for this captivating story, which remains impressive

04:10for its time.

04:21Sanitarium

04:30Dreamforger's Sanitarium is a cult classic point and click adventure, still readily available

04:35on platforms like Steam.

04:36Players take on the role of an amnesiac who awakens in a disturbing asylum surrounded

04:41by unsettling imagery.

04:42Known as Max, the protagonist embarks on a surreal, unpredictable journey through strange

04:47and terrifying places as he tries to piece together his identity and understand his circumstances.

04:51Does any of this sound familiar?

04:54Yeah, because like every game on this list, it was influential.

04:58More than two decades after its release, Sanitarium remains a compelling psychological horror

05:03game with a nine chapter story that steadily ramps up the tension.

05:15Clock Tower

05:26Released for the SNES in 1995, Clock Tower is a point and click adventure that is both

05:30terrifying and masterfully crafted.

05:33Nobody expected the SNES to have a genuinely terrifying experience that holds up today,

05:36but with the limited resources available to them, they managed to perfectly use what they

05:41had to make our spines straighten up.

05:43The game excels at setting a haunting atmosphere through its visual and sound design, blending

05:48gloomy, claustrophobic visuals with an anxiety-inducing soundtrack.

05:52Clock Tower also stands out for its multiple endings, determined by the player's choices

05:56and performance throughout the game.

05:58Alongside its tense ambience, the game offers thoughtfully designed puzzles that players

06:02must solve to survive.

06:04Influential, replayable and atmospheric, the three pieces for the recipe that makes the

06:10perfect horror experience pie.

06:19Parasite Eve

06:26Released by Square in 1998, Parasite Eve combines RPG elements with real-time action gameplay,

06:32creating an intensely atmospheric experience.

06:35Playing as Arya Brea, players must track down and stop Eve, a woman intent on wiping out

06:39humanity.

06:40While the action combat is strong, much of the game's appeal comes from exploring its

06:44haunting environments and unravelling its story.

06:47Parasite Eve did not blow up in the same way as series like Silent Hill, Resident Evil

06:51and other PS1 survival horror games did, but with its re-release for Sony players in the

06:55classic section of the PlayStation Store, it is getting a serious renaissance that is

07:00making players rethink where it ranks in their brain.

07:08Dino Crisis

07:30Just… remake Dino Crisis already.

07:46Directed by Shinji Mikami, co-creator of Resident Evil, Dino Crisis could be summed up as RE

07:52with dinosaurs, but the game offers its own distinct experience.

07:56It introduces several mechanical differences, giving players more strategies to handle dinosaurs

08:00beyond simply killing or evading them.

08:03The game also places a stronger emphasis on puzzles, often involving various tools that

08:08make for engaging challenges.

08:09The difficulty increases by a whole bunch in the latter half, but it's a welcome change

08:14as you'll likely be feeling confident by that point.

08:16Boom replay value, boom influence, boom atmosphere.

08:21Great stuff.

08:36Resident Evil 2

08:46We decided to pick just one Resident Evil entry for this list, and while Resident Evil

08:501 may have laid the groundwork for Capcom's series, it was Resident Evil 2 released in

08:551998 that defined the franchise.

08:59The game established many of the hallmarks fans expected today, improving on nearly every

09:03gameplay element from the original.

09:05Resident Evil 2 deepens the horror atmosphere with a constant looming threat that relentlessly

09:10pursues the player, a design choice that resonates even in modern titles like Resident Evil Village.

09:16The third entry was also fantastic, offering some really interesting story connections

09:20to the second game, but the second game just did everything right.

09:24With a phenomenal remake available, there's just no better time to try Resident Evil 2.

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09:55Silent Hill

09:56At the young age of five, Silent Hill was the first game I experienced that taught me

10:18that video games could also be scary.

10:19Up until this point, it was all Mario's and Crash Bandicoots for this kid.

10:24Released in 1999, few games have influenced the horror genre as deeply as the original

10:29Silent Hill, and no game has left scars on the psyche of 90s babies like Silent Hill.

10:35Known for its immersive, atmosphere-driven experience, Silent Hill preys on players'

10:39uncertainty, often veiling their surroundings in a dense fog.

10:42With the straightforward premise of searching for a lost daughter in the eerie town of Silent

10:46Hill, the game offers five different possible endings based on the player's actions throughout

10:50the story, adding layers of mystery and, you guessed it, replayability.

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