All available PSVR2 horror games so far, ranked from worst to best
Sending a shi-VR down your spine.
As a huge lover of horror games, I believe that there is no better way to experience them than in VR. With that in mind, I’ve decided to rank all 12 currently available PSVR2 horror games from worst to best. This way all you fellow horror-heads out there will be able to know which VR nightmares to embrace with your face and which to avoid like a hungry alien on Sevastopol station.
You'll find the video version of this list just above these words if you want to watch some lovely trailer gameplay while I natter over the top of them. In that video I've also judged these PSVR2 horror games on how scary they are too so, if you'd like to hear approximately 35 fart sound effects, this week's episode of Ian's VR Corner is the place to go. Enjoy!
There was a lot of hype behind the recently released horror-puzzle game Hello Neighbour VR: Search and Rescue, but unfortunately it launched onto PSVR2 in such a terrible state that it’s currently almost impossible to complete thanks to a catalogue of game breaking bugs and progression issues.Not only that though, it also has incredibly poor performance and the lack of some of the most basic VR functionality going. I mean, no smooth turn option at all? What were the developers thinking?
Whilst the gameplay loop of breaking into Mr. Peterson’s creepy house in order to rescue your imprisoned pal creates some suitably tense moments and, while the feeling of being chased in VR really can’t fail to fill the pit of your stomach with dread, this game will only offer minimal scares to the hardcore horror fans out there. Seriously, avoid this game as hard as you need to avoid the titular Neighbour because you, and your PSVR2, deserve much better.
Basing their game around the tired trope of a spooky mental asylum wasn’t the only lazy decision the developers of Afterlife VR made. From the weird assortment of asset store enemies that don’t fit in with the style of the game through to its nonsensical puzzles, dodgy voice acting and the almost straight up copying of Outlasts’ homework with the intro to the game, everything here feels half arsed and, quite frankly, it all comes together to make this game an incredibly aggravating experience.
The frustration I felt playing this game easily cancelled out the potential yelps that its cheap jumpscares tried to illicit, but even then there is a moodiness to the visuals which might give a few new PSVR2 adopters a case of the chills. Avoid this game unless you're a horror fan with more money than sense.
As a huge fan of Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, I was incredibly excited to play its spiritual successor The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR. Unfortunately for me however, the scariest thing about this game was simply how incredibly disappointing it was. Whilst Rush of Blood zoomed you along the tracks of a twisted roller coaster and offered you a fast-paced shooting gallery full of surprises, Switchback VR merely trundles you through repetitive, low-res locations on an almost flat track that constantly has you stopping and shooting at copy and paste enemies that attack you along easily predictable routes.
Just like in the Dark Pictures games that Switchback is based on, there’s some interesting stuff in here to do with the choices you make along the way but it’s all presented so badly that for me it turns the game's hellspawns into hell yawns. Switchback VR’s many jumpscares and cool blink mechanics will probably give newcomers to PSVR2 plenty of things to scream at though, but for VR veterans and fans of Rush of Blood there’s nothing on these tracks but an utter snooze fest.
Jurassic World Aftermath Collection is as close as you’ll get to playing Alien Isolation on the PSVR2, but even then its scares are few and far between and often there’s a big chunk of boring that you’ll need to get through in order to see those moments.
As a compilation of enhanced Quest games, you can expect the gameplay and visuals to be rather basic in Jurassic World Aftermath Collection. Even with the cell-shaded art style though, the developers have managed to nail the terrifing feeling of being stalked by a raptor through the offices of an abandoned research facility.
It’s a shame then that there’s very little interaction with the game world and so many moments of just standing around twiddling your thumbsticks as you listen to someone talk to you over an intercom. These extended moments of boredom dilute the potential scares but it’s still worth a peek if you have some spare cash, especially if you’re a big fan of the Jurassic Park franchise.
Much like the movies Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded is based on, this arcade shooter game is more of a comedy than a horror so its inclusion on this list is quite a stretch. Nevertheless it still has zombies by the bucketload, plenty of gore and the occasional moment of panic when you’re being swarmed by the undead.
As far as simple arcade shooters go, Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded is decent enough and it has an addictive score attack mechanic that’ll keep you going back for just one more go, time and time again. VR veterans may find the on-rails nature of the gameplay restrictive and frustrating though and with the lack of scares in general, I’d say that this one is best left to newer PSVR2 adopters who are looking for gentler experiences to start their creepy collections with.
Rather than employing sneaky jump-scares or in-your-face monster attacks to freak you out, The Light Brigade instead has a constant feeling of dread oozing through its very core that’ll leave you feeling on edge as you push your way though its murky, procedurally generated levels.
Set in an unsettling dream-like version of a world war, this rogue-like VR shooter gives you some period authentic World War 2 weaponry to hold and limited ammunition to shoot at the enemies soldiers and assorted nightmare creatures that live within. The realistic reload mechanics are great and the gameplay, like all good roguelikes, is brutal but fair and there’s plenty of surprises and upgrades in here to keep you coming back for just one more run.
I really like this one, as it feels like a spiritual successor to In Death which I absolutely loved on the original PSVR, but it's not your traditional horror game even though it does provide some genuine moments of real panic in some of the more intense firefights. Nevertheless, I’d say it’s worth a look-see anyway, especially if you’re a fan of immersive first person shooters in VR.
Just like Left 4 Dead, the game that has so obviously inspired it, After the Fall was designed with 4 player co-op in mind so, if you’re too afraid to go it alone and fancy pooping your pants with pals, this is the PSVR2 horror game to aim for.
There’s less creeping dread here and more pure unadulterated panic as hoards of White Walker-esq 'Snowbreed' rush at you like extras from World War Z. This’ll put your aim and your ability to function under extremely stressful circumstances to the test like nothing else on this list. Once again this game isn’t super scary, even if you do play it solo, but there are some epically tense moments and it looks and plays great on the PSVR 2 thanks in large part to the adaptive triggers on the dual sense controllers that mimic the trigger pulls of real guns.
If you’re looking for a really scary game to play, this ain’t it, but in terms of quality and fun for your cash, After the Fall is a decent thrill ride made all the better when played with friends.
Organ Quarter had a very welcome surprise release onto the PSVR2 last month and it brought along some excellently creepy old school Silent Hill vibes that are lovingly wrapped in some appropriately unnerving PS1 era visuals.
I played this one back when it came out on PC VR and I really enjoyed its survival horror gameplay and especially the physicality of its hand-held map which you have to mark manually by using virtual marker pens. It’s a simple thing in the grand scheme of things but it made exploration way more immersive than the standard ‘do everything for you’ map screen that you get in most other games.
Despite its relatively low budget look, if you’re a fan of classic PS1 horror games, you’re going to have a great, and suitably scary time exploring the twisted world of Organ Quarter.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners - Chapter 2: Retribution may have a scarily long title but, when it comes to gameplay, this openworld scavenge-em-up is definitely less frightening than its predecessor.
That’s mainly due to the fact that in Saints & Sinners - Chapter 2 you are giving a shed load of guns and ammo and basically told to go nuts with them, whereas in the original game you have to rely much more on stealth and cunning to survive. That’s not to say the game isn’t still good, but as it’s an enhanced version of a Quest 2 game the gameplay and level design feels way more simplistic and arcadey than I would have liked.
Still there’s a lot of game in here for your cash and the post-apocalyptic, semi-open world version of New Orleans that you have to loot your way through is rammed full of different routes to take and enemies to take down. It’s just a shame that walking with a pocket full of shotguns and a chainsaw strapped to your back robs the game of the tension of the original.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners - Chapter 1 on the other hand is so stingy with guns and ammo that every trip away from the safe haven of your graveyard base is a trip into a terrifying unknown. Without the safety blanket of an unending arsenal of weapons and, with the stamina of someone who seems to own the lungs of a baby rather than those of an adult, getting into any kind of altercation whether it be with humans or walkers is fraught with danger and therefore it pushes the fear factor up much higher than in the sequel.
If you’re looking for a super immersive, incredibly well designed survival horror game with some excellent mechanics that are based around getting knives embedded in the skulls of the undead, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners - Chapter 1 should be at the top of your wish list. Seriously, this game is the closest you’ll get to experiencing what it feels like to live through a real-life zombie apocalypse.
Cosmodread properly freaked me out when I played it on PC VR so the surprise launch of this incredibly scary budget horror title on PSVR2 was a very welcome one indeed.
Cosmodread is a roguelike game with heavy Dead Space vibes so that means searching through terminally dark, procedurally generated spaceships all while some incredibly messed up monsters try to make mincemeat out of your insides. Like most roguelikes, Cosmodread starts off really hard but as you push on you’ll discover new items and craft new weapons that will help you survive just a little bit longer each time.
Despite the slightly basic and rather repetitive layouts of the ship, the scares are kept to a maximum in Cosmodread thanks in part to the challenging difficulty level and the large number of extremely grotesque creatures that stumble at you from out of the darkness. And that’s not even mentioning the awesome sound design that has the ability to make my skin itch with fear as I try to imagine what new horror could be waiting for me just beyond the next door.
While it may not be the longest, or the best produced game on this list, I do think Cosmodread is the scariest so make sure you wear the brown spacesuit if you decide to try it out.
Of course Resident Evil Village has to be the best horror game on the PSVR2 so far. The visuals inside the PSVR2 headset are of such incredible quality that it makes Ethan’s journey around the titular village feel almost real. And, when you combine that with the epic set pieces, the towering bosses and of course that bit in the Beneviento mansion that is sure to make even the bravest of gamers cry out in fear, you have easily the most immersive and lavishly produced horror game on Sony’s headset.
It’s a beefy game too and, in my opinion, playing Resident Evil Village on the PSVR2 is the best way to experience the game, especially when Lady D is involved. Thanks to how gorgeous Resident Evil Village looks you’ll have no problem at all getting immersed in its world so, if you want scares aplenty in a phenomenally produced VR package, look no further than Resident Evil Village because it truly is the cream of the crop.
And that’s your lot VR horror fans! What did you think of my rankings? Do let me know in the comments below which PSVR2 game has given you 'maximum brown trou' so far, and perhaps which upcoming PSVR2 horror games you're most looking forward to!